Chipotle-Pomegrante Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:
1 shallot
1 clove garlic
2 chipotle chiles in adobo
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup pomegranate arils
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons mesquite liquid smoke
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Place all ingredients EXCEPT the arils into a blender. Plus until smooth. Pour into a small pan and simmer until slightly reduced. Stir in the arils.

My thoughts:

I came up with this recipe because I really wanted to make a barbecue sauce that featured an winter-appropriate ingredient. So many barbecue sauces seem so summery that they seem out of place in January. Pomegranates are only available here during the colder months and I like to pick some up whenever I see them. Their tangy tartness pairs wonderfully with meat, especially pork. I love this sauce on pulled pork sandwiches or in any recipe that calls for barbecue sauce. The texture isn't strictly traditional thanks to the arils but they provide a delicious burst of flavor.

Pomegranate Glazed Turkey

Ingredients:
1 14-16 lb turkey
1/4 cup pomegranate molasses
1/4 cup olive oil
sea salt
coarsely ground pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325. Place the turkey on the rack and position in the roasting pan. Whisk together the molasses and olive oil. Brush over the bird. Sprinkle the turkey thoroughly with salt and pepper. Roast for about 3 hours or until the juices run clear and the leg is easily moved. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes before carving.

My thoughts:

This method of roasting turkey results in a moist, juicy turkey with crisp, burnished skin. The pomegranate molasses adds a bit of tartness but it also really seals in the juices. The salt draws the moisture out of the skin so it crisps up. The result: the perfect nontraditional turkey.

Cranberry-Pomegranate Sauce

Ingredients:
12 oz fresh cranberries
1/2 cup pomegranate arils
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 cup pomegranate juice
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons lemon juice
zest of one lemon

Directions:
Place the cranberries, pomegranate arils, water, juices, sugar, and zest in a medium saucepan and, stirring occasionally, cook for 20 minutes over medium high heat to reduce and thicken. Remove from heat. Serve hot or cold.

My thoughts:

As I am sure you can tell, we are cranberry sauce fans. I am always trying to think of a new variation. I was more than pleased at how this one turned out. I wasn't sure what would happen to the pomegranate seeds (the cranberry seeds, of course, pop) but they reacted to cooking in the best possible way; they stayed whole and provided explosive bits of flavor. The seeds inside softened enough that they weren't terribly crunchy or intrusive, which had been a bit of a concern. While I love eating pomegranate seeds out of hand, a hard bit isn't expected in cranberry sauce. A welcome addition to our cranberry sauce rotation: fresh, sweet-tart and intensely fruity.

Pomegranate Wild Rice Salad

Ingredients:
vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons pomegranate juice or PAMA
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
salt
pepper


salad:
2 cups cooked wild rice, cooled
1 cup thinly sliced fennel
1 cup pomegranate arils
1 shallot, very thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, very thinly sliced

Directions:
Whisk together the vinaigrette in a small bowl. Set aside. Toss together the salad ingredients. Stir in vinaigrette. Serve at room temperature.

Quick Tips: If you have one, a mandoline makes quick work of thinly slicing the vegetables. I bought this inexpensive mandoline last year and it works well.

I like to make the wild rice for this salad the day before. Refrigerate it then fluff it with a fork before adding the remaining ingredients.

My thoughts:

This is a great late autumn or winter salad. Pomegranates are at their peak and fennel is widely available. A lot of recipes call for mixing wild rice (which actually isn't rice at all but a kind of marsh grass) with long grain rice but I prefer it by itself, especially in a salad. I love how the nutty flavor and chewy texture contrasts with the juicy pomegranate and crisp vegetables. I love the burst of flavor the arils provide. While I like it as a side salad, it is hearty enough to serve as main dish.

Pomegranate Pulled Pork

Ingredients:
3 lb boneless pork shoulder roast or tenderloin (trim off excess fat)
3/4 cup pomegranate arils
1/4 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup pomegranate molasses
1 1/2 teaspoons mesquite liquid smoke
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons Mexican hot chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
juice and zest of one lemon
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic


for the spice rub:
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons chipolte
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons smoked paprika

Directions:
Mix the spice rub ingredients together. Rub them on the pork. Sear the pork on each side in a hot, dry, nonstick skillet. Add it and all remaining ingredients to a 4 quart slow cooker. Cook for 8 hours on low. When done, meat should shred easily with a fork. Remove roast from slow cooker. Shred with a fork and set aside. Mash any solid bits of the sauce with a potato masher. Return the pork to slow cooker and toss to evenly coat in sauce. Serve on rolls.

Note: If a slow cooker is not available, place the pork in a dutch oven and bake, covered for 4 1/2 hours at 375.

My thoughts:

This is a really decadent tasting pulled pork. The pomegranate arils (the seeds) just melt into the meat making it amazingly flavorful and tender. For even more pomegranate flavor, I used pomegranate molasses. You can buy it bottled at some grocery stores but Middle Eastern or Greek markets always carry it. It is actually made by boiling pomegranate juice down to a thick, syrupy liquid so it is possible to make it at home if need be. Anyway, I love pomegranate very much and realized that I had virtually no pomegranate recipes on the blog. That just needed correcting. I've made a lot of pulled pork but this one is just amazing: juicy and smoky and fruity and spicy. Admittedly, the ingredient list is long but it requires virtually no work or effort on your part and the results are so fabulous that it is foolish not to make it.

Strawberry-Asparagus Salad with Strawberry-Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
1 bunch spring lettuce
1 bunch baby spinach
2 strips crisp bacon
3/4 lb fresh asparagus
1 pint strawberries, sliced
1/3 cup bee pollen dusted hazelnuts
2 oz ch�vre

for the vinaigrette
2 oz avocado oil
2 oz pomegranate infused balsamic vinegar*
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 strawberry, mashed**

Directions:
Place the vinaigrette ingredients in a jar or salad dressing mixer. Shake until a smooth, emulsified dressing forms.

Place the lettuce in a large bowl. Top with the spinach. Cut the bacon into bite sized pieces. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook for about 2 minutes. Drain and cut into manageable sized pieces. Arrange on the salad. Add the sliced strawberries. Dot with goat cheese. Toss in the hazelnuts and bacon. Drizzle with vinaigrette.

*I used locally bottled Pompeian vinegar.
**I just put it on a cutting board and mashed with with a potato masher until pretty smooth.

My thoughts:

A while back I was invited to do a cooking demonstration at the Maryland Heartland Sustainable Living Fair which is going on today. Of course I agreed to do it. The major challenge was designing a recipe that made the most of what is in season in the end of May in Maryland. Which, unfortunately, isn't terribly much as May is pretty much the beginning of the growing season here. I had thought of doing some sort of stir fry but when I looked at the list of what was in season I realized that a big salad might be a better choice. I used locally grown strawberries, lettuce, spinach and asparagus along with some local fresh goat cheese. I tossed in some bacon because it just smells so good and thought it might draw some people in to watch the demo. It also adds a smoky note to the salad. I used some hazelnuts from a family owned farm (in Oregon) that were dusted in local bee pollen for some crunch. The dressing was simple but extremely tasty and added an additional fruity note to the salad. Unfortunately some of the dressing ingredients were not quite local but there is a drawback to living in the mid-Atlantic; no avocado or olive trees for oil.

All of these seemingly disconnected ingredients came together to from a very satisfying salad that felt light and fresh. I loved the asparagus and the strawberries, they made the salad feel hearty despite the near absence of meat. The perfect springtime meal salad.

Ginger Spice Pulled Pork

Ingredients:
3 lb pork loin
1/3 cup chili sauce (like Heinz)
1/3 cup pomegranate infused red wine vinegar
1/3 cup spiced ginger preserves
2 tablespoons ginger juice
1 1/2 tablespoons mango-habanero hot sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons mesquite liquid smoke
1 1/2 teaspoons Mexican hot chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon celery flakes
1 teaspoon ground jalapeno
juice and zest of one lime
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Directions:
Add all ingredients to slow cooker. Cook on high for 6-7 hours. At this point the pork should shred easily with a fork. Remove the loin to a plate and shred with a fork. Mash any solids in the slow cooker. Return the pork to the pot. Toss to evenly coat with sauce. Serve immediately or turn to low and cook for 1 additional hour.

My thoughts:

Longtime readers know of my deep and abiding love of pulled pork. I didn't grow up eating it but once I found that it is one of the easiest (and best!) things to make in a slow cooker I can't get enough. For this version, I upped the spicy and the ginger components and kept it pretty simple. Perfect for sticky-sweet-hot sandwiches topped with a bit of coleslaw.

Note: In the days after this recipe was featured on Saveur, I've received a few emails about the availability of some of the ingredients. While they may be unfamiliar to some, I purchased all of the ingredients for this recipe at my local (and rather small) Safeway. The spices are all from McCormick, the ginger preserves were MacKay's brand but is also available from other companies, the vinegar was made by Pompeian (and only cost $1.40!) and while you can buy the bottled Ginger People ginger juice, I make my own using the juice left from grating fresh ginger. Enjoy the recipe!

Pomegranate Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1 egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
6 oz semisweet chocolate chunks*

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a medium sized bowl combine flour, salt, and baking powder. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and combine thoroughly. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the sweetened butter and mix until a very thick dough forms. Use a spoon to fold in the chunks then the pomegranates and distributing both evenly. Form cookies by dropping 1 heaping teaspoon of dough on the sheet two inches apart. Flatten slightly then bake until light brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool on wire racks (if you can wait that long) then serve with plenty of cold milk.



*In the past I have a hard time finding high quality chocolate chunks but lately, I have been able to find Scharffen Berger chocolate chunks in both 62% Cacao Semisweet and 70% Cacao Bittersweet varieties at well-stocked grocery stores. I bet they will be even easier to find now that it is the holiday season so keep an eye out!

My thoughts:

Sweet+tart=delightful cookies. I have never seen much less had pomegranate cookies before but I had a bunch of pomegranate seeds (arils) that I had liberated from 3 pomegranates and decided to give it a shot. I am glad I did! The pomegranate seeds keep their bubble of juiciness while the seed at the middle of each aril softens to the texture of baked nut.

Jewelled Persian Rice

[Lo Jardinièr's adaptation of a recipe in Diana Henry's Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons]

for 4 people

1 large cup basmati rice

2 oranges

2 carrots

ground seeds of 10 cardamom pods

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon brown sugar

30 grams roughly chopped pistachios

30 grams raisins

olive oil

seeds from 1 pomegranate

Wash the basmati rice in a sieve and leave to soak in a bowl of water.

Take thin shavings of peel from the oranges and cut into thin strips.  Boil in a cupful of water for 2 minutes and leave to cool.  Remove peel from the water, keeping both.

Peel the carrots and cut into matchsticks.  Sauter in oil for 4 minutes and add the ground cardamom seeds and cinnamon.  Add the sugar and orange peel and cook for 1 minute.  Add the pistachios and raisins or other dried fruit (vary the proportions to taste).  Take the pan off the heat.

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the drained rice and cook for 5 minutes only.  Drain.

In a large heavy-bottomed pan, eg. cast-iron casserole, heat 2 tablespoonfuls of olive oil (you can add some butter if you wish).  Cover with a layer of rice, then add a layer of orange and carrot.  Continue to build up layers, keeping some of the orange and carrot mix for a garnish later.  Pour on the cupful of orange water.

After the last layer cover the pan with a lid wrapped in a tea-towel to seal it and cook on a high heat for a couple of minutes, then gently for about 10 minutes.  Turn heat off but leave lid on for another 10 minutes.

Spoon the rice into a hot dish or leave in the pan.  Garnish with orange and carrot mix and pomegranate seeds.  The rice will have just burnt on to the bottom of the pan - this is supposed to happen and is considered a real treat.

 

Pomegranate-Mint Glazed Pork Chops

Ingredients:
for the marinade:
1/4 cup pomegranate infused balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large springs worth of mint
2 inch knob ginger, grated
salt
pepper


4 thick cut (about 1 to 1 1/2 inch) pork chops


Directions:
Mix together the marinade in a small bowl. Pour over the pork chops and marinate at least 2 hours. Prepare your grill for grilling. Cook them on high or the hottest part of your grill for 3-4 minutes on each side or until each side is well browned. Then either turn your grill to a lower temperature or move to a cooler part of the grill. If your grill has a vented cover, cover and cook for another 3 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160. Serve hot!

My thoughts:

For this recipe, it is important to use thick cut pork chops, they thick enough to hold in the juices and stay moist. Thinner chops cook more quickly but they also have a tendency to dry out and get tough. The sugar content of the pomegranate molasses helps the outside of the pork caramelize and take on a glossy sheen without burning or over cooking the meat. These are some of the juiciest and most flavorful chops I have ever had!


No grill? Bake or saute these as you would any pork chop or use a grill pan.

Shown in the background: grilled rapini and mushrooms.

Smoky Mango Pulled Pork

Ingredients:
3 lb boneless pork shoulder roast (trim off excess fat)
1/4 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup pomegranate infused balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup bourbon
1 tablespoon chipotle hot sauce
2 teaspoons smokehouse black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoon mesquite liquid smoke
1 1/2 teaspoon Mexican hot chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon chipolte chile powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 habanero peppers, seeds removed and chopped
juice and zest of one lime
1 large mango, cubed
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil


for the spice rub:

1 teaspoon Mexican hot chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon chipolte
1 teaspoon smokehouse black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper


Directions:

Mix the spice rub ingredients together. Rub them on the pork. In a large skillet heat the oil and then brown the roast well on all sides. Place roast in slow cooker. Add all remaining ingredients to slow cooker. Cook on high in the slow cooker 6 hours*. When done, meat should shred easily with a fork. Remove roast from slow cooker. Shred with a fork (or use your fingers) and set aside. Mash any solid bits of the sauce with a potato masher. If the sauce is very thin, heat it in a saucepan until it thickens**. Return the pork and the sauce to slow cooker, and toss to evenly coat. Serve on rolls.


*Or on low for 8-9 hours.

**I actually didn't need to do this step, but I find pork gives off a lot of water when cooked in the slow cooker and you might need to do this so the mixture isn't too soupy.

My thoughts:

This is one of those recipes that I made by running around the kitchen like a crazy person and trying to use whatever I have on hand. Thankfully I bothered to write down my measurements because this possibly my favorite of all of the recipes I've posted this year and I can't want to make it again.

Normally when I make pulled pork I saute the onions and garlic and let the pork sit overnight in the dry rub. However, I was running low on time and just tossed the raw cloves in whole, cut the onion into 8 pieces (instead of chopping them) and didn't let the meat sit with the spices at all-just a quick rubdown followed by a quick sear. I was worried the pork would suffer but it turned out great. Better than great, actually this is literally the best pulled pork I've ever eaten-the perfect combination of sweet, tart, fruity, smoky and spicy flavors. Matt loved it; we've never been so sad about finishing leftovers before. I wish I had some right now, and every day after that. It is just that good! And one of the easiest things you can make for dinner tonight, the prep is so quick it can be done in just a few minutes before heading off to work. You won't be sorry!

Mango & Pomegranate Terrine

Ingredients:
1/2 ounce unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 cups club soda
1 cup pomegranate seeds
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup water
1 large mango, cubed

Direction:
In a large bowl, dissolve the gelatin in the lukewarm water. Set aside. Meanwhile, in a small pan, bring 1/4 cup water and the sugar to a slow boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Cool slightly then pour into the gelatin. Stir. Add the club soda, stir gently. Arrange the fruit in a loaf pan. Pour the liquid on top. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours or until firm. Run under warm water and invert onto a plate to unmold.

My thoughts:

I've never participated in Donna Hay Day before but when I saw that this time the theme was terrines, I couldn't resist. I had been planning on making a sparkling pomegranate gelatin once pomegranates came into season so I thought than instead of going the individual mold route, I'd make a loaf shaped terrine. I thought the pomegranate's tartness would be tempered by the sweetness of mango(the fact that I have a whole case of mangos didn't discourage the idea either) and terrines generally have multiple layers of flavors so decided to add a second fruit to the mix. Rather than make it with fruit juice like a lot of jelled terrines, I kept the flavors simple and just sweetened the liquid a bit. I love how it turned out. The club soda gave it an effervescent texture and the pomegranate pips exploded in your mouth with every bite. I liked it even better than the summery raspberry/blackberry/blueberry gelatin terrines I've made, the pomegranate seeds float so you get a more interesting fruit distribution then you do when everything is roughly the same weight/size. Gelatin terrines do seem a bit summery, but using more seasonal fruit takes it right into the colder weather. Plus it is a refreshing change from all of the heavy desserts that are abundant this time of year.