Pomegranate Splash!

I don’t know about you, but the change to Daylight Saving Time has to be one of the hardest things to get your body adjusted to!  I am seriously not myself for a good week or more while my biorhythms get into the new order of things, and my poor little boy is experiencing the same difficulty.  So what to do when you need to get everyone off to work and school but you’re over tired and moving slowly?  Sitting down for breakfast is nearly impossible unless you can get away with going to work in your pj’s (in my dreams!).  Since I was awake last night, when I should have been in bed (my body still thinks it’s an hour earlier of course), I decided that planning ahead for the next morning was in order… based on what I had on hand in the fridge, freezer and pantry, a smoothie looked to be my best course of action.

Nothing beats the fresh taste of a smoothie and there isn’t any better way to pack  a  full load of nutrition in a quick and easy breakfast than with yogurt, berries and a little pomegranate  — And bonus,  it can move around with you while you get ready!  Try this one on for size, you won’t be disappointed!

Sherea

Pomegranate Berry Smoothie

1 C  Low Fat or Fat Free  Vanilla (or Plain) Yogurt

1 C  fresh or frozen berries of choice (I like the mixed frozen berries for a full flavenoid and antioxidant boost)

1 banana (optional – it makes the smoothie a little thicker which may or may not suit your taste)

1 tbs     pomegranate reduction sauce***

1.     Place all ingredients in a blender and blend together until smooth.

2.     Serve in a tall glass with a straw!  How’s that for easy!!

Servings: 2

Cooking Tips

*** Stir in  1Tbs of Flax Seed oil (cold pressed) after blending for the added benefits of healthy Omega-3’s!
***This and similar items can be found at www.clubsauce.com.  Consider using blueberry merlot, black currant cabernet, tart cherry syrah, or pomegranate port as additional compliments to this dish. (The alcohol has been cooked out during the reduction process)

I have been given the daunting task of deciding what to plant in our garden this year.  Since I am the one that does the vast majority of cooking in our house I understand why this is my task to undertake… after all I’m not the one tilling the soil, planting each seed or weeding… but I am the one harvesting and doing the culinary creating.  I almost just wish that things were planted and I would make do with what I get.  That’s the lazy way I know… maybe I just prefer the challenge to be on the back end.
Anyway, with the given task I decided to go through my notebook of recipes I used based on the past couple of harvests and see what we enjoyed the most to help guide me in what I would like to pick fresh off the vine this summer.  In my perusal, I came across the one root vegetable that is often forgotten, but that my boys and I thoroughly loved eating last summer, Beets!

If you have been eating canned beets, forget about it! You haven’t had beets until you’ve prepared them fresh for yourself! So forgo the canned and go direct to the produce area for beautiful fresh beets and then treat yourself with this ultimate beet recipe.  I incorporated Pomegranate Port Reduction Sauce for the ultimate in flavor (I never knew beets could taste so good!) and kept it healthy without all the added sugar and salt you get from canning beets (either yourself or store bought).

Enjoy!

Sherea

Beets in Pomegranate Rice Vinegar

Ingredients:

3 Roasted Beets, recipe follows
1/2 large red onion, slice thin
3/4 cup rice vinegar (unseasoned)
3 tablespoon Pomegranate Port Reduction Sauce***
6 whole black peppercorns

Roasted Beets:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Trim leaves from beets and rinse, pat dry with paper towel and reserve. Wash beets, pat dry with paper towel and remove stem with one inch remaining. Coat and rub beets with one tablespoon olive oil. Place beets on a tin foil sheet large enough to create a pouch and seal. Place the closed pouch on a cookie sheet or metal tray in the oven for 45 to 60 minutes or until beets are fork tender.

Directions:

1. Remove roasted beets from oven and allow to cool
2. Slip the skin from the beets under cool water or with a pairing knife
3. Slice the beets into thin pieces and layer them in a deep dish or jar with the sliced onions in alternating layers.
4. In a separate container mix the rice vinegar and pomegranate reduction sauce.  Pour the mixture over the beets and onions.
5. Add whole black peppercorns and cover with saran wrap or jar lid.
6. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or longer before serving. Beets will last for up to one week if properly sealed and refrigerated. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Serving Suggestion: Spread the beet leaves on a serving platter and place sliced beets and onions on top for an attractive presentation at the table.

Spinach Salad

There are about as many ingredient variations to make delicious and healthy spinach salads as there are for hamburgers using different meats and condiment toppings. It is enough to boggle the mind with extraordinarily different flavors. And when you are hungry believe me they all sound good.

This is our take on a delicious and healthy spinach salad we did for the holidays and guests seemed to really enjoy the variety, freshness and the tart flavor of the dressing. It added a nice change of pace from the richer and usually heavier sauces and gravies that are used for the main course.

What makes it so delicious yet so different each time is that we vary a few added ingredients and select a different pomegranate based sauce for the different dressings.

Whether you are a vegetarian or a meat eater you can custom make this salad and enjoy it as a side dish or as a meal anytime of day. We always start with fresh baby spinach leaves which is of course the base for the salad and then the fun begins with all the additional ingredients you can use.
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