Colorful Lentil Salad with Rainbow Chard

The swiss chard in my garden is still doing really well and I wanted to make something really delicious with the bunch I picked recently. I wanted to use lentils and found a beautiful picture of a dish that combined the 2 ingredients I had been thinking about. I served this on the same night that we had the Panko Crusted Salmon. I think that salmon and lentils really compliment each other and these 2 dishes definitely made for a great dinner. We also had a fennel/celery salad.

If you can't find Pomegranate Molasses anywhere or it is too expensive, don't forget that you can make it yourself- Here is the post when I first made it a couple of years ago.

Here is the recipe for Colorful Lentil Salad
* I didn't use the sundried tomatoes
* I sauteed my swiss chard (stems included) with the onions and bell peppers, adding it after the onions and bell peppers had softened a bit
* I used less olive oil for the dressing and the sauteing
* I used a little bit of red wine vinegar instead of steeping liquid in the dressing

Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Kebabs

I hope everyone had a great weekend. We sure did. I drove up to my sisters house, just outside of Washington, DC, last monday, and we spent the week having a ton of fun. My hubby was able to fly up and join us for the weekend and we really enjoyed the fireworks from our seats right in front of the Washington Memorial. It was a blast. We ate lots of great food, which I am excited to share in a couple weeks, once we get settled into our house.

This recipe is actually one I found when I was looking for a kebab for Fathers Day. I noticed that it called for Pomegranate Molasses in the sauce and thought back wistfully to my delicious Pom Molasses that I had to leave in Utah. I guess I could have carried it with us, across the country, but truthfully, that was the last thing on my mind when we moved.

I left my Pom Molasses with my parents, so I emailed them immediately with the recipe and told my 17-year old brother to take pictures and email them back to me.
These are his pics.

My family said the sauce was amazing, but they would have liked the kebabs better if they had used chicken breast instead of thighs.

Back here in GA, we ended up using this kebab recipe from epicurious.com and at least tripled the recipe. I made a frittata, and other delicious dishes with the leftover chicken and veggies.

So, here is a guest photography post and recipe that was made by my family in Utah. Enjoy!




Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Kebabs


If you have any leftover dressing, serve it as a dipping sauce.


1 cup Pomegranate-Orange Dressing, divided
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 large oranges
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

Combine 1/2 cup Pomegranate-Orange Dressing and chicken in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

Cut each orange into 8 wedges; cut each wedge crosswise into 3 pieces.

Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Thread chicken and orange pieces alternately onto each of 16 (10-inch) skewers. Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. Place kebabs on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until chicken is done, basting occasionally with remaining 1/2 cup Pomegranate-Orange Dressing. Place kebabs on a platter; sprinkle with mint.

Pomegranate-Orange Dressing


Look for pomegranate molasses in Middle Eastern markets and health-foods stores. Its strong flavor makes this dressing better suited to pasta salads than green salads. As a marinade, it's best with pork, dark-meat chicken, and salmon.
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup extravirgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients except oil, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add oil, stirring constantly with a whisk until well combined.

Note: Refrigerate dressing in an airtight container for up to five days; stir well before using.

Coming Next- That quinoa I promised

Vegetable-Stuffed Rice-Paper Rolls with Curry Peanut Dipping Sauce and Steel-Cut Oats with Pomegranate Molasses + Almonds

It is kind of embarrassing to admit this, but I actually tore this recipe out of a magazine about 4 years ago. I made it last week. I just kept coming back to it and finally rolled these little guys up. Glad I did, too.
I have used rice paper sheets before-in these Spring Rolls and these Rolls. So, I already had those in the pantry. Everything else was ready to go.
This dipping sauce was divine. The best I have tasted. It is almost identical to the sauce they use at my favorite Thai restaurant, except this one uses chunky peanut butter. We used the leftover dipping sauce as a salad dressing the next day. It worked wonderfully. I loved these spring rolls. I shared some with a neighbor the next day and she loved them too. It doesn't get better then veggies and peanut sauce. They would have been great with some chicken or shrimp rolled up alongside the veggies.

I also saw a great way to serve steel-cut oats in Super Natural Cooking. The author of that cookbook said that drizzling pomegranate molasses on top of the oatmeal and sprinkling it with walnuts was one of her fave breakfasts. So I got out my molasse and drizzled away. It melted deliciously on top and I threw on some sliced almonds just cuz that is what I had in the pantry. Yum.

Vegetable-Stuffed Rice-Paper Rolls with Curry Peanut Sauce
Peanut Sauce:
1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 Tbls each freshly squeezed lime juice and fish sauce
1 tsp each red curry paste, sugar, and grated fresh gingerroot
1 Tbls minced fresh cilantro
Garden Rolls:
6 rice-paper sheets
2 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce
2 large carrots, peeled and julenned (I used matchstick carrots)
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and julienned
1/2 cup bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
1 red pepper, julienned
3 scallions, julienned
1/4 cup whole basil leaves
1/4 cup each whole fresh cilantro and mint leaves

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine first eight ingredients and cook, stirring, until well blended. Stir in minced cilantro, remove from heat, and set aside.
Fill a wide, flat bowl with warm water and soak one sheet of rice paper for 30 seconds, until pliable. Remove paper, blot it on a clean towel, and lay flat.
Lay 1/3 cup lettuce in the middle; top with one-sixth of the remaining ingredients. Fold front third over the mound and pull filling toward you a bit to compact into a tight roll. Roll over once, then fold the sides over the middle and continue rolling away from you until secure. Place seam down on a paper plate lined with waxed paper, sprayed with cooking spray.
Repeat with remaining rolls. Slice in roll in half on the bias and serve with peanut sauce.

Up Next- CEiMB- Garden Risotto

Muhammara Dip (Red Pepper and Walnut Dip)

Here is the fabulous dip I was talking about the other day. This dip is soooo good!

If it went head to head with The Best Dip Ever-Garlicky Red Lentil Dal, it would be a very close battle.

I have been looking for ways to use the Pomegranate Molasses I made a couple of months ago and this dip was calling my name. It was really simple. I just mixed it up in the food processor and then we ate it. Unfortunately, I didn't have any pita chips, so we just used tortilla chips to dip. Not that it really mattered too much- the dip was so good, you probably could've used anything and this dip would have made it taste great.
I was thinking of all the great ways I could use the leftovers, like as a spread in a pita or something, but you guessed it, there weren't any leftovers!


Muhammara (Red Pepper and Walnut Dip) 2006, Ellie Krieger
Ingredients
3/4 cup pomegranate juice or 4 teaspoons of pomegranate molasses
1/2 cup walnuts
3 tablespoons unseasoned bread crumbs
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 (16-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon for garnish
Salt
Pita Toasts, for serving
Directions
Put the pomegranate juice, into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until juice is reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 6 minutes. Set aside to cool and thicken.
Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over a medium-high heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Put the walnuts and bread crumbs into a food processor and process until finely ground. Add the reduced pomegranate juice or pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, red peppers, cayenne pepper and cumin and process until smooth. With the processor on add the olive oil in a thin stream. Season with salt, to taste. Sprinkle with cumin and olive oil and serve.
Serve with pita toasts.

Coming Tomorrow- Blogging for Babies Event- Mini Layer Cakes

Turkish Turkey Pizza

Since I made Pomegranate Molasses about a month ago, I have been looking online for different ways to use it in savory or sweet recipes. I found this recipe for Turkish Pizza at myrecipes.com and thought it looked good. My kids love any kind of pizza and although this isn't really a traditional recipe for pizza, we really liked it.
I made Whole Wheat Pitas and we used those as the base for the pizzas.
You cook up the ground turkey with red bell pepper and tomatoes and then add some spices and the pomegranate molasses. You top the the pitas with a subtley spicy yogurt mixture, then add the turkey/veggies and pop them in the oven for a few minutes.
In just a few minutes, you have a nice, healthy dinner.

Turkish Turkey Pizza from Cooking Light
Total time: 36 minutes.
Pomegranate molasses may be sold as concentrated pomegranate juice. Look for it in Middle Eastern markets, gourmet shops, and some large supermarkets. Its unique flavor makes it well worth seeking out, and a bottle lasts indefinitely in the refrigerator. If you can't find it, combine two tablespoons fresh lemon juice and two teaspoons honey, stirring until blended.

1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 pound lean ground turkey (I used ground turkey breast)
1 cup diced canned tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
4 (4-inch) pitas
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

Preheat oven to 450°.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook 2 minutes or until tender. Add turkey; cook 3 minutes. Add tomato, 2 tablespoons parsley, tomato paste, and next 3 ingredients (through allspice) to pan; reduce heat to medium. Cook 5 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates.
Place pitas on a baking sheet. Combine low-fat yogurt, salt, black pepper, and red pepper in a small bowl; spread evenly over pitas. Divide turkey mixture evenly over pitas; sprinkle evenly with remaining 2 tablespoons parsley. Bake at 450° for 5 minutes; serve immediately.

Coming Tomorrow- Tuesday's with Dorie- Mini Banana Creme Pies

Lentil and Spinach Soup with Roasted Red Peppers and Pomegranate Molasses

You might be here looking for Fish Tacos or Chicken Piccata. Sorry, folks. It was just one of those weeks. I didn't get to Ellie or Barefoot this week, but I am definitely going to get to them soon. We have had three snowstorms since my husband left a little over a week ago and soup seemed a little bit more appropriate. I love fish tacos, so I am going to make them, they just aren't here today. Hear me out though, because this soup really surprised my entire family.
My kids always know that they have to eat what they are served and this soup I made mainly because I thought it sounded interesting and it used pomegranate molasses, lentils, and spinach-all favorites of mine. I was expecting some complaining, moaning, groaning and possibly having to use bribery to get my kids to eat this one. This is where the giant SURPRISE comes in. My kids all LOVED it! From the minute they sat down, they were talking about how delicious it smelled and I didn't have to force any of them to eat a single bite. They wanted to. They really, really wanted to.
And I have to admit, I agreed with them. This soup was really good. There is alot of flavor going on in it, but it is all balanced out just perfectly. You drizzle the pomegranate molasses on top and it melts into the soup. Then you top it with roasted peppers, which add another layer of contrasting flavor. Perfect for the cold, insane weather we have been having. Hopefully, spring is on its way, but if not, I will just have to make this again and again and again.

Lentil and Spinach Soup with Roasted Red Pepper and Pomegranate Molasses from Cooking Light
6 cups water
1 1/2 cups dried lentils
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
4 cups diced Japanese eggplant (about 2) (I used a normal eggplant)
1 cup chopped onion
1 thyme sprig
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
4 cups less-sodium beef broth, divided (I used chicken stock)
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 (6-ounce) package baby spinach
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 teaspoons pomegranate molasses
1/2 cup thinly sliced bottled roasted red bell pepper

Place first 5 ingredients in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Set lentils aside.

Preheat oven to 450°.

Place the eggplant, onion, and thyme in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Drizzle with oil; toss to coat. Bake at 450° for 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. Stir in 1 cup broth; bake 10 minutes.
Discard thyme; add eggplant mixture to lentils.

Stir in remaining 3 cups broth and parsley; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add spinach; stir gently until spinach wilts. Stir in salt and pepper. Ladle about 1 cup soup into each of 8 bowls; drizzle each serving with 1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses, and top with about 1 tablespoon roasted red bell pepper.

Coming Tomorrow- Chocolate-Pumpkin Marble Cake

Happy Anniversary to Me! Homemade Pomegranate Molasses and Pomegranate Cupcakes with Tangerine Cream Cheese Frosting

Don't you just want to try a spoonful of that Pomegranate Molasses? Trust me, you do. You really, really do.
Today is my 8th Anniversary. Every year my husband and I take a special anniversary trip. We take turns planning it and surprising the other person with the location. My husband started this on our 1st anniversary, even though we had a 1-week old baby and we have gone away, at least for 1 night (when we have had small babies at home) or for a few days, every anniversary since.
I was so excited because this year was my turn to plan and we didn't have a small infant. I found a great deal on airplane tickets and planned our trip months in advance.
Needless to say, it isn't going to happen. (I won't go into all the details, but the exact dates conflicted with a work thing, etc) and a couple of weeks ago my hubby got a call from a former employer. So, today my hubby is getting in his 2-door Honda Civic and driving to Georgia, because we are moving back. It will be sad to leave family and friends here, but luckily, we have family and friends anxiously awaiting our arrival.
He took a great job and has to be there Friday morning. He was going to leave tomorrow, but I wasn't sure about him trying to make a 30-hour drive in 2 days, alone. So, the only option was for him to drive away on the morning of our anniversary. Bittersweet? maybe. But, not to worry. We will be joining him in a couple of months, after school gets out, when summer is in full swing. I can't wait for the heat and humidity! Plus, he said I can take his turn to plan next year. Hawaii- here we come! (Maybe?)
Ok, enough about all that. On to the fabulous Homemade Pomegranate Molasses. This stuff is wonderful. I was looking for a great use for all the Pomegranate juice I had (Thank you Diana, the POM Blogger). And wanted to do something besides a great drink. I had read about Pomegranate Molasses and decided this would be a great time to give it a shot. You don't really have to do much, except for watch the molasses when it gets near the syrup stage. I didn't think much of it when I tasted it at first, but after it sat in the fridge overnight, I was pretty much ready to eat it straight from the jar. Tart and sweet at the same time. There is just something about it.
I found a cupcake recipe that called for pomegranate molasses in the batter and I gave them a try. Dense and delicious. If you have pomegranate juice and want to make something fabulous, try out this molasses. I will have more recipes coming soon, that use it as a garnish and flavor booster.
Do you love the photo I scanned from my wallet? a little wear and tear, but still looking pretty good after 8 years!

Pomegranate Cupcakes from Vanilla Garlic

Makes about 12 cupcakes /

Preheat oven to 350 F

What You'll Need...

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 large egg at room temperature

1 large egg yolk at room temperature

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

1/3-1/2 cup pomegranate molasses (taste, then add more as you see fit, this stuff is potent!)pomegranate juice

What You'll Do...

1) Beat butter until soft for about 30 seconds. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes on medium-high.

2) Add the eggs until combined

3) Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder together. Alternate mixing the dry ingredients and the milk into the butter mixture, ending with the dry ingredients. Stop when just combined.

4) Fold in the pomegranate molasses. Scoop into cupcake papers, about 3/4 full.

5) Bake undisturbed for 15 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake an additional 3-5 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Move to a wire rack and let cool.

6) Brush lightly with pomegranate juice and let sit.

Tangerine Mascarpone Frosting

What You'll Need...

4 ounces mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese, whatever you fancy)

1/4 cup of butter

1 tablespoon of tangerine juice, fresh squeezed

2 cups of powdered sugar

What You'll Do...

1) Let the butter and cream cheese come to room temperature. Beat them together until well combined.

2) Add the poweder sugar and then the zest. Add more powdered sugar if you want for desired thickness.

Pipe or spread onto cupcakes; you may need to let this chill first before piping.

Note:

As with all cupcakes, I highly suggest you let these sit overnight to let the flavors meld. It makes for a much tastier cupcake.

Pomegranate Molasses from Simply Recipes

Ingredients

4 cups pomegranate juice

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

Method

In a large, uncovered saucepan, heat pomegranate juice, sugar, and lemon juice on medium high until the sugar has dissolved and the juice simmers. Reduce heat just enough to maintain a simmer.

Simmer for about an hour, or until the juice has a syrupy consistency, and has reduced to 1 to 1 1/4 cups. Pour out into a jar.

Let cool. Store chilled in the refrigerator. If you want your pomegranate molasses to be sweeter, add more sugar to taste, while you are cooking it.

Up Next- Martha Stewart's Lime Meltaways

Barefoot Bloggers- Meringues with Pomegranate Gelato and a drizzle of Homemade Pomegranate Molasses

Today's Barefoot Bloggers recipe, Meringues Chantilly, was chosen by BMK, who blogs over at Reservations Not Required. I was actually very excited about this recipe because I have been wanting to make meringues ever since I saw this recipe for Kiwi Meringues, in a recent issue of Everyday Food. I hadn't found time to squeeze them into my treat-making schedule (as strange as that may sound, I really do have one, because there are so many things to make and so little time to make them all), so the fact that I had a date I needed to post them by, really helped me in making these meringues a priority. Now, the Barefoot Contessa's recipe for meringues, has them served with Orange-flavored whipped cream and stewed berries, which I think sounds fabulous, but I had to change it up a bit.
I recently received an email from Diana, the POM Blogger, who works for POM Wonderful. She was wondering if I wanted to try some POM juice, which was ironic, because a day or two before she emailed me, I found a recipe for Pomegranate Gelato, that I had to try. I had searched the grocery stores in my area and none of them had 100% POM juice. I quickly emailed Diana back and told her to please send me a case of POM juice and she did.
Then the idea hit me. Why not fill the meringues with Pomegranate Gelato and then drizzle Homemade Pomegranate Molasses over the top? (More about the Pomegranate Molasses to come- it is so good, it has to have it's own post).
So, I set to work, making the Pom Molasses, Gelato and Meringues and then, I put the whole dessert together. WOW!
Can I just say that this was a fabulous dessert. My daughters were in love with the "white cookies" and the Gelato was amazing. Not too sweet, the pomegranate flavor was subtle and the Pomegranate Molasses, like I said, it deserves its own glory. It is divine. This was an amazing dessert. That is all I have left to say.

Meringues Chantilly 2004, Barefoot in Paris
Prep Time: 30 min Cook Time: 2 hr 0 min
Level: Easy Serves: 12 meringues
Ingredients
6 extra - large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Kosher salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Whipped Cream with Orange Liqueur, recipe follows
Stewed berries, recipe follows
Directions
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a small glass and a pencil, draw 6 (3 1/2-inch) circles on each piece of paper. Turn the paper face-down on the baking sheets.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and a large pinch of salt on medium speed until frothy. Add 1 cup of the sugar and raise the speed to high until the egg whites form very stiff peaks. Whisk in the vanilla. Carefully fold the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar into the meringue. With a large star - shaped pastry tip, pipe a disc of meringue inside each circle. Pipe another layer around the edge to form the sides of the shells.
Bake for 2 hours, or until the meringues are dry and crisp but not browned. Turn off the heat and allow the meringues to sit in the oven for 4 hours or overnight.
Spread some of the sauce from the stewed berries on each plate. Place a meringue on top and fill with whipped cream. Top with berries and serve.

Whipped Cream with Orange Liqueur:
2 cups (1 pint) cold heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange liqueur

Whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. When it starts to thicken, add the sugar, vanilla and orange liqueur and continue to whip until the cream forms stiff peaks. Don't overbeat, or you'll end up with butter!
Yield: 4 cups

Stewed berries:
1 half-pint fresh blueberries
3 half-pints fresh raspberries, divided
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon orange zest
2 teaspoons framboise (raspberry brandy)

Combine the blueberries, one-half pint of raspberries, 1/3 cup water, the sugar and zest in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook uncovered over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes. The juice will become a syrup and the berries will be slightly cooked. Off the heat, stir in the remaining raspberries and the framboise. Set aside.
Yield: 8 servings


Pomegranate Gelato Gourmet September 2006

Yield: Makes 1 quart

Active Time: 15 min Total Time: 3 1/2 hr
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup whole milk

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups bottled pomegranate juice

1/3 cup pomegranate liqueur such as PAMA (I just used more Pomegranate juice)

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Special equipment: an ice cream maker

Garnish: pomegranate seeds

Whisk together cream, milk, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a 2 1/2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking occasionally, then boil, whisking, 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in remaining ingredients.
Transfer to a bowl and chill, uncovered, until cold, at least 1 hour.
Freeze in ice cream maker, then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, at least 2 hours.
Soften gelato slightly in refrigerator, about 20 minutes, before serving.Cook's notes:•Cream mixture (before churning) can be chilled, covered, up to 1 day ahead.•Gelato keeps 1 week.
Whisk together cream, milk, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a 2 1/2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking occasionally, then boil, whisking, 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in remaining ingredients.
Transfer to a bowl and chill, uncovered, until cold, at least 1 hour.
Freeze in ice cream maker, then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, at least 2 hours.
Soften gelato slightly in refrigerator, about 20 minutes, before serving

Coming Tomorrow- Chicken Breast Florentine with Whole Wheat Angel Hair and Marinara