We had spring here in Edinburgh; it was last week, and it lasted about 4 days. It was 18 degrees and TWICE I left the house without a jacket. I know; halcyon days.

Now, however, we’ve backpedalled a little; it’s 8 degrees and a little gloomy. Winter, it seems, it holding on to its last.

What we need, then, is a warming and delicious breakfast.

This week I bought an entire box of pears (20!) from my fruit and veg man for just a pound. They were slightly overripe and certainly not at their best, but definitely useable. I hate waste and love a challenge, so I skipped off away with my half ton of pears already cooking up this recipe in my mind.

It’s SO easy; pears, oil, water and spices. Stir, stir, stir and serve. And the best thing is that you can serve this recipe with almost anything, and little ones will love it too.

The cinnamon and nutmeg give a wintery little cuddle to get you out of the house on another crisp morning, but the sweetness of the pears promise that summer is just around the corner.

You’ll need:
(Feeds 2)
5-6 pears
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
insides of 1 cardamom pod
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
a shake of nutmeg
a pinch of salt
1/4 cup water

Method:
Thinly slice the pears, leaving the skins on
Heat the coconut oil in a small pan and add in the pears, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg
Stir to coat for a couple of minutes then add in the water and stir again
Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the pears have reached your desired consistency. For overripe pears (like mine), this will be just a couple of minutes, whereas for very green pears, this will be longer
Either cook down until the moisture is gone or drain the liquid away and serve
Serve on top of porridge, with fresh fruit, on top of granola, with soy yogurt, layered with nuts and coconut cream in a parfait, or even with a savoury side like some leftover quinoa or rice
Enjoy!