While summer is revered for its fresh produce, let me suggest that fall should be similarly honored, thanks to the ruby-colored drops of deliciousness that are pomegranate seeds. These luminous arils are literally legendary, featuring prominently in the tale of the Greek goddess Persephone.
But if you need a current-day reason to love them, the sweet-tart seeds are resplendent with vitamins C and K, fiber and plant-based protein. Because their time on the produce shelves is as fleeting as the changing leaves, I enjoy pomegranates all day long. And so, for this special edition of Healthy Cooking, here are three recipes that feature my favorite fruit, morning, noon and night.
I start a perfect pomegranate day by stirring the seeds into hot breakfast cereal. You could use instant oatmeal, but I prefer quinoa flakes, which are just as quick-cooking and offer more protein. Look for quinoa flakes in the organic or healthy foods section of your market. For lunch, add pomegranate seeds to a salad, like the bright seasonal citrus salad (with the world’s tastiest three-ingredient dressing) below. You can also sprinkle seeds over shaved Brussels sprouts, with a side of grilled chicken for extra heft. For supper, enjoy easy pork tenderloin, made elegant with a pomegranate juice reduction and additional gorgeous, tasty seeds.
A single pomegranate will yield about a cup of seeds; more than enough for all three recipes. To extract the seeds, don an apron or old shirt, because pomegranate juice stains are legendary themselves. Make a crack in the hard outer shell with a sharp knife, then pry the pomegranate open with your hands. Use your fingers to gently separate the seeds from the white pith. If you de-seed the pomegranate while submerging it in a bowl of cool water, you’ll minimize the stain-making juice squirts. While you’re at it, go ahead and seed a second pomegranate for the next day. When we’re talking about the fruit of ages, what’s a few more minutes?
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