Here's a great way to enjoy fruit in the winter. I especially like to serve this dish warm for brunch, but it also is delicious served chilled over vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Ingredients

2 tbsp. canola oil or butter

¼ c. light brown sugar (see Tip)

1 tbsp. curry powder

½ tsp. ginger powder

One 8-ounce can pineapple chunks (canned in own juice), drained, reserving ¼ c. juice

One 11-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained

1 ripe pear, cut into 1-inch cubes, at room temperature

2 cups vanilla yogurt

Chopped walnuts or pecans for garnish

Preparation

Heat the oil or melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, curry powder, and ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat, for about 5 minutes, until the sugar is melted and the mixture is smooth.

Stir in the fruit and ¼ cup pineapple juice; cover and cook for about 5 minutes, until the fruit is heated through and the pear chunks are tender.

Advance Preparation

To serve warm, cook and serve immediately. (Reheating may cause the fruits to become overcooked.) To serve chilled, prepare earlier the day the dessert is to be served; cover and refrigerate.

Paulette Mitchell, a culinary instructor, television personality, spokesperson, freelance food writer, and the award-winning author of 13 cookbooks, is known internationally for her quick-to-prepare recipes with gourmet flair. Paulette's most recently published cookbook is "The Complete 15-Minute Gourmet: Creative Cuisine Made Fast and Fresh." She is also the author of "A Beautiful Bowl of Soup" and "The Spirited Vegetarian," which was voted "Best Book in the World on Cooking with Wine" at the 2005 Gourmand World Media Awards. Paulette says that international travel is her favorite source of culinary inspiration.