Pears with strawberry sauce

Ingredients:

• 4 dessert pears
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed
• orange juice
• 2 teaspoons low-fat spread or
• butter, melted
• 5cm/2in cinnamon stick, broken
• in half
• 225g/8oz strawberries
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornflour
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed
• lemon juice

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.

• Pare the skin off the pears, but leave whole with the stems attached.Arrange on their sides in a shallow 1.2-litre/2pt casserole dish.

• In a bowl, whisk together 50ml/2fl oz water, the orange juice and thelow-fat spread or butter, and pour over the pears. Add the cinnamonstick, and bake in the oven for 20–30 minutes until tender, basting from
time to time. Using a slotted spoon, transfer each pear to a dessert dish,reserving the pan juices.

• In a small saucepan, combine the pan juices with the strawberries andbring to the boil.

• In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon water, the sugar, cornflour andlemon juice, stirring to dissolve. Add to the saucepan, stirring constantly,and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until
thickened. Remove from the heat, and pour over the pears. Serve immediately either plain or with double cream.