Pomegranate, Quinoa and Hominy Salad

This was my go to salad for the 2014 holiday season. Great at pot lucks as well as great for quick, healthy dinners at home.  I am going to keep going to it for a while longer--as long as I can get pomegranates this winter.

Pomegranate, Quinoa and Hominy Salad
4 cups mixed greens (spinach, arugula, romaine etc.)
1 cup pomegranate arils
1/4 cup pistachios, chopped
1/2 cup white hominy
1 cup cooked red quinoa
1/2 sweet onion, sliced thinly
1/4 cup slivered red cabbage
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup pomegranate balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
optional: 4 ounces blue cheese, cubed or crumbled
Dressing:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons pomegranate balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Prepare and place in a serving bowl the greens, pomegranate arils, pistachios, hominy and quinoa. Heat a small non stick sauce pan to medium heat then add the sweet onion slices, red cabbage and 1 teaspoon olive oil. Cook and stir for 4 or 5 minutes. Add vinegar and salt. Continue to cook for another 4 or 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vinegar has reduced almost entirely. Set aside to cool slightly.
Prepare the dressing by whisking the ingredients together. Toss the warm onions and cabbage, the blue cheese if using and the dressing with other ingredients just before serving.

Hints: This is a very hearty salad and can easily be used as a main dish, especially if you use the blue cheese. Try feta or fresh mozzarella if you don't like blue cheese. I find white hominy in the canned vegetable section of the supermarket. It comes in yellow too. Cut the onion in half lengthwise and then slice it into slivers. When I took this salad to pot lucks, I kept the dressing and the onion cabbage mixtures separately to transport then mixed together just before serving. I had some pomegranate balsamic vinegar on hand that I purchased from my local grocery store (I also saw it at Trader Joes) but plain balsamic would be just fine. I try to keep some cooked quinoa on hand in the fridge for salads like this one, soups or for crackers etc. Black or brown rice would be a good substitute for the quinoa.

This not only tastes superb but travels well and has beautiful color, (red, green and white) for a winter salad. When I make it with romaine lettuce only, it holds up until the next day for my leftovers lunch.

Angel food Cake Roll w/ Pomegranate

This time let's roll with it in a sweet way instead of a savory way. A cake roll may be a bit old fashioned but we could consider it "timeless" or "classic". You may have had a pumpkin cake roll this Autumn and probably loved it, I know I did. Today I used the last of my pomegranate stash in this angel food cake roll. Few ingredients, ease of preparation and enjoyed by all. No wonder it's a keeper.

Angel Food Cake Roll
1 angel food cake mix
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups pomegranate arils
lime zest for garnish
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 17 x 12 inch baking sheet that has sides with parchment paper and then spray the paper with cooking spray that has both oil and flour. Prepare cake batter according to package directions (the one I use requires 1 1/4 cup water and a total mixing time of 1 minute 30 seconds). Then spoon the batter into the pan and bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until the cake is set and the top is light golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool 5 minutes. Spread out a clean kitchen towel and sprinkle with the powdered sugar. Lift the cake from the pan by grasping the parchment paper. Turn upside down onto the powdered sugar towel, removing the parchment paper from the cake. Allow to cool 3 or 4 more minutes then beginning with a short side, roll the cake in the towel. Set towel and cake on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Whip the cream to very stiff peaks. Add the sugar and salt and mix well. Fold in the pomegranate arils with a rubber scraper. Carefully unroll the cooled cake and spread with the whipped cream mixture evenly over the cake, leaving a 2 inch gap on the outer edge (the filling will move to fill in this gap as you re-roll the cake). Gently re-roll the cake and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the freezer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, then unwrap, slice into 1 inch rounds and garnish with lime zest. Refrigerate any leftover cake sealed in plastic wrap.

Hints: It is very seldom I call for store bought mixes in my recipes but this is a time when a commercially prepared mix provides such convenience and such a time savings that I feel it is worth it. I have made this cake roll using angle food made from scratch and from a mix, both in the last 30 days. Each way worked great but the mix saved me time and I didn't need to find a way to use 12 egg yolks that were left over. If you want to make it from scratch, there are plenty of great angel food cake recipes out there--pick your favorite and go for it. As for me, I'll be using the store bought mix the majority of the time. The cream needs to be very stiffly beaten, just shy of becoming butter, so that it will hold up. The arils need to be dry if you use the underwater method of preparing them. Getting the roll very cold is helpful for slicing it but I wouldn't let it freeze solid as the texture of the cream will change somewhat; although the taste would be the same. Use a serrated knife to cut the roll. Garnish with orange zest or mint or chopped pistachios or what ever you have on hand. This method and recipe would be really good with another fruit such as raspberries or chopped dark chocolate or chopped nuts or all three. The pomegranates are heavenly though, and you should try it with them if you can.

This cake roll is reminiscent of Black Rice in Cream on Meringue Nests , a previous post from this pomegranate season. Thanks again to Craig for the lovely and delightful box of JOY. I thank you and my family thanks you and so do my lucky friends (the ones who participated in Pomegranate Season 2012). 

Black Rice in Cream on Meringue Nests

Light and Dark. Here is another idea for using pomegranates and black rice together. This time I've created a new version of Rice en Creme served on a meringue shell. A fine dessert for any meal.

Meringue Nests w Black Rice in Cream
3 egg whites
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract, divided
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup cooked black rice, or Coconut Black Rice
1 cup pomegranate arils, plus more for garnish
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pistachios, chopped for garnish
Heat oven to 250 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, whisk egg whites until they form soft peaks. Slowly sprinkle in 1/4 cup sugar while continuing to beat the whites. When stiff peaks are formed, add in 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and stir to combine. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray paper lightly with oil. Spoon or pipe whipped egg whites onto paper forming 6 nests. Bake in oven for 30 minutes, then turn oven off but don't open the door. Leave meringue nests in oven 2 hours longer. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before using.
Whip cream to stiff peaks. Stir in 3 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, black rice, pomegranate arils and salt. To serve, Place nests on serving plates, spoon cream and rice mixture onto nests, then garnish with extra pomegranate arils and chopped pistachios.

Hints: You can substitute white, brown or red rice for the black. Which ever you use, it needs to be chilled or at least room temperature when mixing with the cream. Also, raspberries, blackberries or chopped kiwi are good substitutes for the pomegranate. And of course, garnish as you wish. One large meringue shell can be made instead of the individual ones. It will need to bake another 15 to 20 minutes before turning off the oven. This recipe works just as well if you halve the cream. Once the cream is on the meringue nests, they will begin to soften, so serve immediately.

The flavors and textures of the pomegranates and black rice are fabulous mixed with the cream and the meringue. This dish is a delight and works well with all kinds of meals. Not too heavy and not too sweet. Also, very easy to modify according to what you have on hand. I love those kinds of dishes and I bet you do, too.

Black Beans, Black Rice and Pomegranate Salad

Deep and Dark. Love this salad for Halloween or Thanksgiving! Dramatic looking black and red...loaded up with antioxidants and chock full of flavor, it is a rift on the old rice and beans combo that you find in many food cultures around the world. I created this one especially for Halloween but I am sure I will be serving it all pomegranate season long. (Thanks to Craig for the BOX of pomegranates! I'm putting them to good use.)

Deep Dark Salad
1 1/2 cups cooked black rice or Coconut Black Rice, or Cilantro Lime Black Rice
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (canned is fine, home cooked is better)
1 1/2 cups pomegranate arils
1/3 cup finely diced purple onion
1 ripe avocado for garnish
Dressing:
1/3 cup orange or clementine juice
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 cup almond oil (or vegetable oil)
Mix rice, beans, pomegranate and onion together in a serving bowl. Blend all the dressing ingredients except oil in a small bowl.Heat for 15 seconds or so in a microwave or warm in a hot water bath. Whisk in the oil and pour over the salad. Toss thoroughly and garnish with avocado when ready to serve. Good served at room temperature or chilled. The flavors will meld more if allowed to sit for at least an hour.

Hints: It took me a few tries to get the right balance of flavors in the dressing. The rice and beans are solid enough flavors to stand up to the cocoa powder.  However, if you are scared, you can leave the cocoa powder out and it will be a citrus dressing and that may make some of you more comfortable. This dressing would be good on different salads, like a spinach and pear with pecans or Romain with apples and feta. I have also used lime juice instead of orange and found it needed another teaspoon of honey that way. See my post Pomegranate Sauce for a good way to work over a pomegranate. One medium pomegranate will yield about 1 1/2 cups of arils.

This may take a leap of faith but I think you will really, really enjoy this salad. It works as a side dish with pork or turkey cutlets, or a main dish salad served over a bed of mixed greens, add some fresh mozzarella or chopped nuts if you want to up the protein level. My family was split on this recipe the first time I made it and so I did some tweaking for this blog version. I really appreciate their willingness to go along with all my culinary experimenting and their great feedback on what works and what needs work. Thanks team!

Gingered Sweet Potato Fries and Pomegranate Sauce

It is hard to improve ketchup and fries. So I'm not calling this an improvement but a revision. Sweet potatoes are so yummy and so healthy and this new "ketchup" (pomegranate sauce) is supremely versatile. I have some more awesome suggestions to use it in the Hints section.

Gingered Sweet Potato Fries with Pomegranate Sauce
1 large sweet potato
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Peel potato and cut into 1/4 inch thick fries and set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine oil, ginger, salt and nutmeg. Toss potato strips in oil mixture to coat evenly. Place fries on a baking screen. Cook at 450 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes or until crispy and beginning to brown. Serve immediately with pomegranate "ketchup".

Pomegranate Sauce
4 cups pomegranate arils
1 cup honey
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and keep at a simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often. Puree using an immersion blender. Push through a fine mesh strainer to remove seeds. Serve warm or chilled.

Two kinds of fries on a baking screen.

Hints: Getting the fries done at the same time without burning is made posible if they are cut close to the same size. A baking screen is the best possible way to get the fries crispy without deep frying them. Screens are fairly inexpensive, available at cooking stores and can be stored in minimum space. Fresh grated ginger root tends to burn in this recipe so opt for the powdered ginger here. The sauce is great by it self but you can add 1/4 teaspoon fresh ginger root to 2 tablespoons of sauce for a really nice kick. The sauce is also great to garnish baba ganoush instead of pomegranate molasses. It makes a great base for saucing pork medallions or sauteed chicken: deglaze the sautee pan with a bit of orange juice (or grapefruit juice) and finish the sauce with some butter like in this recipe, adding about 1/4 cup of the pomegranate sauce with the butter. I could see this sauce replacing cranberry sauce, being used as a ice cream topping, as a syrup base in beverages or in frosting.  It would be great on a buffalo blue cheese burger! I had it on my multi-grain pancakes this morning. Endless options here folks...make some soon and please let me know how you used it.

An easy way to get the arils is under water. Score the skin in several spots and pull apart under water.

Pomegranate season is here! I love it! The pomegranates, the leaves changing, sweater weather! Thanksgiving is coming! What's not to love?! 



 

Start the Holidays with a Light Note

Fruited Green Salad with Almond Dressing

4 cups romaine lettuce pieces

1 medium pomegranate

1 stalk celery

1 medium avocado

¼ medium red onion

¼ cup sliced almonds

Dressing:

¼ cup almond oil

6 tablespoons rice vinegar (unseasoned)

1 tablespoon malted milk powder

1 ½ teaspoons almond extract

½ teaspoon sea salt

Wash and cut romaine lettuce into pieces. Place in a large mixing bowl. Remove arils from pomegranate and add them to the lettuce. Slice celery thinly then cut slices in half and add. Dice avocado into small pieces and add. Sliver red onion, then cut slivers in half and add. Sprinkle sliced almonds on salad. Mix dressing ingredients well in a separate container. Just before serving, pour dressing over salad and toss well.  Transfer salad to a serving bowl and serve immediately. 

Hints: This salad can be made with orange or tangerine sections if pomegranates are not available. Pears or halved grapes work as well. The avocado is best if it is not too ripe—not mushy at all. I have also used mixed greens instead of or in addition to the romaine.  Canola oil can be substituted for the almond oil. This salad works well with the addition of chicken pieces or feta cheese for a main course luncheon salad, but I prefer it as a side dish or salad course.

 

There are lots of green salad recipes with fruit in them, but this is my favorite so far. I created this one a few years ago when my parent's pomegranate tree began producing usable fruit. The combination of fruit and almond is excellent and the slight malt note is a great addition. I hope you enjoy this during the holiday season this year and years to come.