It's Pomegranate Season! Celebrate With 3 Recipes! A Chicken Meal, A Salad, & A Warm Pomegranate Cider!

As I walk down the aisle in my supermarket, I can see that one of my favorite winter fruits are being displayed. The Pomegranates have arrived! I remember when I was young my grandmother, (Nanni) was the first person to show me a pomegranate and how to eat them. She loved them and would always tell me stories of when she was young and how she learned about this colorful sweet, tart, juicy fruit. Mostly at holiday time is when she would bring out the pomegranates. We would pull up our sleeves as not to get them stained and start opening them. Sometimes we would eat the seeds as we were opening them, but other times we would not touch one and fill a big bowl. Then we would take a spoonful and pop them in our mouths. We would giggle as we could see our lips turn red from the seeds that we just squished in our mouths. This time of the year brings back many wonderful memories of pomegranates and more so of my Nanni.
   

Nanni and myself

The season for Pomegranates runs from September to January. They grow on shrubs or small trees and are considered a berry. The seeds are edible and can vary from 200 to about 1400 seeds in each depending on the size. Italians love them and consider them “Royal” fruit because they appear so much in Renaissance paintings. Pomegranates were also thought to be the “apple”that Eve plucked in the Garden of Eden. Many cultures have used the pomegranates throughout the world for symbols, health benefits, and religious reasons. Pomegranates represent health, fertility, and rebirth. By legend it is said that the seeds have mystical healing powers. 


Nutritional benefits of eating a pomegranate include vitamin C, vitamin B5, potassium, fiber, and antioxidants. The rind of the fruit and the bark of the pomegranate tree are used as a remedy against dysentery. The seeds and juice are considered a tonic for the heart and throat. The astringent qualities are also good for a variety of purposes from stopping nose bleeds to skin aliments. When buying pomegranates, choose ones that are deep-red colored and are heavy for their size; this usually indicates that they’ll be sweet-flavored, juicy ones. 

Renaissance paintings

This sweet, juicy, and ruby red exotic fruit can be intimidating to anyone that has not tasted it before. However, opening a pomegranate and removing the juicy red seeds (actually arils) is quite simple. With a sharp knife, cut off the crown top of the pomegranate. Make a spiral cut in the skin around the fruit. Holding with both hands, pull the pomegranate apart to break into half, then into quarters. Invert each quarter by pushing the skin with your thumbs to let the seed fall out. There still may be remaining seeds, take them out with your fingers. You should be able to get 1 cup of seeds. Remove any white pith as it is bitter in taste.

You can use pomegranate seeds and juice for a number of recipes, from adding them to salads or to creating scrumptious desserts. One of my three recipes this week is called “Winter Salad with Pears and Pomegranates” another is called “Rosemary Pomegranate Chicken,” and then you have to have a cocktail which I call, “Spiced Pomegranate Apple Cider.” A meal fit for a royal King or Queen….

“Winter Salad with Pears and Pomegranates"

Depending on how many people you are serving will determine how much salad greens you need. So, I am giving you just the names of the ingredients. You can decide on how much you need.

Ingredients:
Ken’s Steak House Lite Raspberry Pomegranate Vinaigrette Dressing
Red Bartlett Pears (ripe) cored & cut into thin slices
1 Pomegranate (seeds only)
Toasted and coarsely chopped walnuts
Combination of salad greens:
Baby Spinach, Romaine, Red Leaf, Endive, Radicchio, Boston or Bib Leaf, Arugula, Frisee, and Iceberg Lettuce
Cucumber slices (thin)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
Wash and clean all salad greens, then pat dry. Tear the greens gently and place in a big bowl. Add the cucumber slices and then pour on the Raspberry Pomegranate Vinaigrette. Gently toss to coat. Salt and Pepper to taste. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and toasted walnuts. Place salad on a plate or in a bowl and then add your Red Pear slices on top of the dressed greens. Beautiful, colorful and delicious too!

                                        ****************************************

“Rosemary Pomegranate Chicken”

Dinner for 8 ready in an hour! Serve your family this chicken with rosemary in a skillet, then top with pomegranate seeds. Delish!!

Total time: 60 minutes
Serves: 8

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 sprig (5 inch) fresh rosemary
8 bone-in chicken breasts (4 lb)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
Heat oven to 425°F  In 1-quart saucepan, mix pomegranate juice, brown sugar, 3 tablespoons of the vinegar and the rosemary sprig. Heat to simmering; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until reduced to 3/4 cup. Remove from heat; discard rosemary sprig. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar; set glaze aside.

Rub all sides of chicken with chopped rosemary, salt and pepper. In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add 4 chicken breasts, skin side down; cook 5 to 6 minutes, turning once, until golden brown. Remove chicken from skillet to shallow roasting pan. Repeat with remaining chicken. Place chicken skin side up in pan; baste with 1/2 cup of the glaze.

Bake uncovered 35 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when thickest part is cut to bone, (at least 165°F) basting once with 1/4 cup glaze. Drizzle chicken with remaining glaze. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and parsley. Enjoy!

                                      ***********************************************
“Spiced Pomegranate Apple Cider”

Ingredients:
6 cloves
3 thin slices ginger
5 cups apple cider
1 cup pomegranate juice
6 sticks cinnamon

Directions:
Stick 2 cloves into each slice of ginger. In a large pot over high heat, bring the cider and pomegranate juice to a boil with the ginger. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.. Pour into mugs and serve each with a cinnamon stick.
Source: http://www.pillsbury.com for the chicken dish


Till Next Time………………………

Copyright © 2015 “Family Plus Food Equals Love” All Rights Reserved