These sound like some really great recipes. Maybe with a little coaxing upon her return Carol will share some of these delicious treats with us. We are always adding new recipes and these sound great.

Can you imagine doing a little yoga, eating drinking and enjoying the sunny climate of Mexico. Sounds like 3 weeks of pure pleasure.

See her note below:

I just wanted to tell you that the Yoga Spa Menu will be awash with POMEGRANATE SPLASH!!

……from the POMEGRANATE SANGRIA to the refreshing POMEGRANATE SPRITZERS to the CHUNKY TROPICAL FRUIT POMEGRANATE POPSICLES to the COCONUT SORBET AND ICE CREAM TOPPED WITH SPLASH AND SHAVED CHOCOLATE to the SPLASH AND RICE WINE VINEGAR SALAD DRESSINGS to the SPLASH AND JALAPENO JELLY MARINADES to the SPLASH AND BALSAMIC VINEGAR REDUCTION SAUCE to the YOGURT/GRANOLA/BERRY PARFAITS topped with SPLASH to the TROPICAL FRUIT AND POMEGRANATE SAUCE SMOOTHIES and last, but certainly not least, the SPLASH MARGARITAS!

I thank you and all of the Yogis and Yoginis will be thanking you as well!
Hugs,
Carol

I hope you enjoy!

Sherea

Overnight Oatmeal

Ingredients:

1 cup steel cut oats
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup raisins (I like to mix golden and red)
4 cups water
1/2 cup half-and-half
2 Tbs Pomegranate Reduction Sauce

Directions:

In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients and set to low heat. Cover and let cook for 8 to 9 hours.

Stir and remove to serving bowls.

Serves 4

*This method works best if started before you go to bed. This way your oatmeal will be finished by morning.

** this is a great recipe to make at the start of a week and scoop out some in pre-portioned microwave safe bowls… an excellent quick grab and go breakfast for the work day too!

***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)

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)

In the rotation of holidays, the March and Spring holidays just don’t seem to get enough of the limelight compared to the winter holidays — let’s face it, its really hard to top Christmas.  But these days are equally as special if not more so! If you are celebrating from origins of your faith or just for the relief that winter is over, the celebration should still be grand!  Large or small, the gathering  of family and friends starts with  food  and builds from there… well if you are ready for something really splendid for your Spring celebrations, you will want to include this Pomegranate Port Wine Fig  Sauce recipe in your menu! It’s an especially nice compliment to lamb, but will work divinely with what ever your meat of choice is.

Happy Passover, Easter, St Patrick’s  Day, Vernal Equinox … ah heck, just Happy Spring!!!  And happy eating!!

Sherea

Pomegranate Port Wine Fig Sauce

Servings: 4 to 5

Ingredients:

1 tsp fresh garlic, minced
1/4 tsp dried thyme
2 tbs shallots, minced
2 tbs unsalted butter
1.5 oz lamb stock by More Than Gourmet*** diluted with 2 cups hot water
1/4 cup MarXana Pomegranate Based Fig Port Reduction Sauce ***

1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and allow them to turn to a golden color then add garlic. Stir until the garlic just starts to turn a light tan color and add the thyme. Stir all the ingredients for a few seconds more to meld the flavors.
2. Add the reconstituted lamb stock to the pan. Stir and scrape the bits pieces on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon and continue to cook until reduced to half. Add the pomegranate fig port reduction sauce and stir to incorporate all the flavors. Continue to cook for two minutes or until slightly thickened then remove form heat.
3. Serve the finished sauce over sliced lamb or in a sauceboat to be added at the table. If you prefer a smoother sauces without the garlic and shallot pieces you can strain the sauce through a sieve before serving.

Cooking Tips:

***These items are all available on the www.clubsauce.com website if they cannot be purchased at your local gourmet shop.

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.

So…..I made THE MOST FABULOUS ……..

French Toast with Pears and Pomegranate Sauce

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

4 Servings

5 large eggs
1 C. whole milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom, divided
4 3/4 inch-thick slices of egg bread
4 tablespoons butter, divided
2 firm but ripe pears, cored and cut into 1/3 inch slices
3/4 C. Splash Shiro Plum Sake Reduction Sauce

Whisk eggs, milk, vanilla and 1/2 tsp. cardamom to blend in 15×10x2 inch glass baking dish.Add bread slices and let stand until egg mixture is absorbed, turning bread slices occasionally with spatula.

Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in large skillet over med-high heat. Add pears; saute until beginning to soften. Transfer pears to plate. Add 2 tbsp. butter to skillet and melt. Add pomegranate sauce and remaining 3/4 tsp. of cardamom. Simmer about 2 mins. and remove from heat.

Melt remaining 1 tbsp. butter in skillet over med. heat. Add bread slices and cook until golden brown, about 3 mins. on each side. Cut French Toast slices diagonally, arrange on plates, top with pear slices and sauce and serve.

YUM!!!
Carol F.

I brush off my mix-ology license, (yes I really do have one, though didn’t get to use it much in my bar-tending days… there just isn’t much “mixing” involved in drawing beer); pull out my Rolodex of drink recipes and my Mr. Boston’s and start thinking new, fresh and outside the libation box.

We sat down together and had our own little tasting party… loads of fun, if not the most productive use of our time!   I pulled a lot of drink ideas out of the hat, and we narrowed it down to the types of alcohol she was considering using and then revamped some traditional recipes to freshen things up.  Mel definitely wants to utilize the beautiful color of pomegranate juices, but since they can be a little on the pricey side especially when needing to make more than just a couple of drinks, I suggested we start playing with some pomegranate reduction sauces.  Using a reduced amount not only gives the color she is looking for but intensifies the flavor so a little goes a long way.  She also wants to incorporate berries to compliment the cheeses and fresh fruit she has already selected for part of her food offerings.

Here is the recipe we both agreed was the perfect cocktail for her party…

Cheers!

Sherea

Blueberry Splash! Martini

2 1/2 oz  vodka
1 tsp       Splash! Blueberry Merlot Reduction***
3-4         ice cubes
1/4         fresh lime slice
twist of lime peel
bar sugar
3           fresh or frozen blueberries per drink

1.     Take the slice of lime and place it on the glass rim. Slide the lime completely around the rim of the glass making sure the rim is wet with lime juice and then remove. Dip the glass rim into the bar sugar and set aside.
2.     Place ice cubes in the shaker, add the vodka, and the blueberry merlot reduction. Cap the shaker and shake for 15 to 20 seconds until well mixed.
3.     Pour the drink into the prepared martini glass. Lightly squeeze 3 blueberries into the martini for added juice and then drop in the blueberries. Add the lime twist and serve.

Servings: 1

Cooking Tips
***This item is available at the www.clubsauce.com website.

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.

Your salad might consist of a small amount of one or as many as you like of the following ingredients. The idea is to feel surprised with the texture and taste of each additional flavor rather than overwhelmed. So just add enough of each additional ingredient so it can be enjoyed but not have it overpower the main ingredient, spinach.

Some Suggested Ingredients:

Chopped red onion, green onion, shallots, goat cheese, feta cheese, crumpled Stilton or blue cheese, slivered almonds, macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, toasted walnuts or pecans, even candied walnuts and pecans are delicious. We love cut up pieces of fruit such as tangerine, blood oranges, pears, grapefruit, roasted beets, chopped hard boiled egg, a sprinkling of pomegranate arils, fresh mushrooms, crisp bacon pieces, dried black currants, figs or blueberries and diced pieces of crystallized ginger. Cut up pieces of red or yellow peppers add beautiful color, texture and flavor to help make a healthy dish. We sometimes add leftovers such as pieces of grilled or roasted chicken breast, small chunks of turkey breast and even grilled tuna or canned if you prefer.

We would not suggest using all of the added ingredients at the same time but would select a combination of four, five or six ingredients at most to enjoy that day or as a way to use up delicious leftovers.
Select one or two items from each category such as one type of onion, one type of cheese, one type of nut, and two fruits as an example.

Salad Dressing

The salad dressing is the easiest component of the spinach salad recipe. It is a simple 50/50 combination of rice vinegar mixed with equal parts of Pomegranate Splash! There is no need to add extra virgin olive oil but it can be included if desired. We’ve added it many times and it is delicious. We’ve even added a teaspoon of a Dijon style mustard for a little different twist. Several of the pomegranate based flavors work very well with spinach and the various combination of additional ingredients. Our top selection is the Shiro Plum Sake Reduction Sauce followed by Mission Fig Port Reduction, Pomegranate Port Reduction and then the Black Currant Cabernet Reduction Sauce.

The following is our holiday recipe spinach salad combination but please feel free to substitute, experiment or change any of the ingredients we’ve used with additional ingredient suggestions from above to create your very own special spinach salad.

You may desire a little more or a little less of a particular ingredient depending on your own palate. Please use the following recipe as a guide to making your favorite spinach salad.

Spinach Salad with Plum Pomegranate Dressing

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

16 oz Fresh baby spinach, rinsed and blotted dry (bag or bulk)
2 tbs. chopped red onion
1/3 cup crumpled feta or goat cheese
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup pomegranate arils (these can be purchased in the frozen food dept.)
1/3 cup tangerines segments cut into bite size pieces (seedless)
1/3 cup firm pear cut into bite size pieces

Salad dressing:

¼ cup rice vinegar mixed with ¼ cup Shiro Plum Sake Pomegranate Splash! or other flavor pomegranate based sauce.

Directions:

1. Place spinach in a mixing or salad bowl.
2. Layer the remaining ingredients onto the spinach. Beginning with the cheese then fruit pieces, onion and finish with slivered almonds.
3. Drizzle the mixed salad dressing over the entire top of the salad and serve at the table. If tossing the salad is desired, toss lightly but it is not necessary.
Serve and Enjoy,

Jules Silver
www.clubsauce.com
www.marxanabrandfoods.com

The full turkey flavor is in the stuffing because we use a wonderful turkey stock by More Than Gourmet that has been made from turkey bones and seasonings then cooked and roasted for hours and hours to extract the deep rich flavors they hold.

The walnuts and celery add crunchiness, the currants and onions a touch of sweet/tartness, the sage an earthiness and the pomegranate sauce that marries all the flavors into a taste to delight the palate. The finishing touch of fresh pomegranate arils adds a beautiful ruby-red color and a burst of goodness with each bite.

Pomegranate Turkey Stuffing

Bread stuffing is always a favorite during the holidays but we’ve added a couple of extra touches that will make this holiday stuffing unique as well as colorful with a palate pleasing sweet/tart taste of pomegranates.

1 loaf Day old French Bread, cut into 3/4 inch cubes

6 tbs butter

1 cup walnuts broken into pieces

2 cups onions, chopped

2 cups celery, chopped

1/4 cup dried black currants

4 tsp Pomegranate Splash! (black currant, cherry, fig)***

1 firm apple, peeled, cored, and chopped

1/2 cup fresh pomegranate arils (red seeds)

1 oz More Than Gourmet Turkey stock reconstituted in 2 cups water***

1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tsp dried ground sage

salt and pepper to taste

1 Place walnuts in a small frying pan over medium heat on the stove top. Stir until they are lightly toasted and the walnut aroma is released. Usually one to two minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

2 Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add the cubed bread and stir to coat. Once the bread pieces are coated allow to lightly toast in the pan and then turn the pieces to toast the other sides. Remove from heat.

3 Place the remaining butter in a large pot and melt over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and celery and cook until slightly tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the walnuts, apple, black currants and stir for one minute.

4 Mix pomegranate sauce into the reconstituted turkey stock. Slowly pour one cup of the mixed stock into the pan (reserve the remaining stock for later use) and stir for one minute then sprinkle in sage and add salt and pepper to taste. Stir until all the bread is completely coated.

5 Cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 45 minutes to one hour or until apples have softened. Check the stuffing in 15 minute intervals and stir a couple of times to make sure it is not sticking to the bottom of the pan. When checking the stuffing add one quarter of the reserved turkey stock and mix the ingredients to maintain moisture until the stuffing is done.

6 Remove the stuffing from the heat and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle the pomegranate arils over the top of the stuffing, add a few sprigs of parsley and serve alongside turkey and side dishes.

Normally our demos are short and sweet. One of the simplest, quickest and most popular ways to have people experience these pomegranate based sauces is by creating a healthy and nutritious breakfast or snack. We use a non-fat vanilla yogurt topped with a little flax-seed granola and a splash of a pomegranate fruit flavor or straight up on a spoon for the full impact of the sauce.

In this last event we thought we would make something a little different just so we could show another side of these fabulous sauces and just how quick and easy they are to use. We made a salad dressing with just four ingredients that can be usually found in the kitchen pantry. Although any of these pomegranate based flavors taste great with the following recipe we decided to use Pomegranate Splash! Shiro Plum Sake Sauce. This unique Japanese Shiro plum flavor, mild sake and the sweet/tartness of pomegranates make this simple vinaigrette into an aha moment.

The following recipe is the basic recipe we used for the demo. You can add a variety of other ingredients to this dressing to change it up. Here are some ways you can add to it and call it your very own. Try slivered almonds (a small handful), toasted sesame seeds (1/2 tsp), fresh grated ginger (1/2 tsp), fresh chopped garlic (1 tsp) or fresh chopped shallots (1tsp). All of these suggestions can be adjusted to taste but is a starting point.

Plum Sake Rice Wine Vinaigrette

Serves 4

Ingredients:
3 tbs Pomegranate Splash! Shiro Plum Sake Reduction Sauce
1 tbs Rice wine vinegar
1 tsp mustard (we like Grey Poupon made with white wine or similar)
6 tbs extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients into a small jar or container with a lid. Shake vigorously until blended smoothly. We do not suggest using a blender or food processor to mix the ingredients.

2. If you choose to use additional ingredients you can add them prior to shaking the bottle except for the slivered almonds. They are the finishing touch once the salad has been tossed with the dressing.

3. Place the desired salad material in a bowl. Drizzle the finished vinaigrette over the ingredients, toss and enjoy.