Pomegranate-Cranberry Granita

A couple of months ago I was contacted by Ryan from POMwonderful and he asked if I was interested in trying some of the new POM Cranberry juice. I was excited about the new flavor and what I might be able to create with it, so I jumped at the chance to receive some of it in the mail.

I had all sorts of ideas and recipes that I wanted to try with this new, delicious POM juice, but it was so popular with my family as a drink that I literally had to hide the last little bottle so that I would be able to make something with it. Since the weather has been quite warm here in Georgia for quite a while, I decided to make something cool and crunchy- POM Granita.

It's really quite simple, really. You make a simple syrup, stir that into the POM juice, add a little lime juice, and then freeze the mixture in a shallow pan, scraping it every 30 minutes or so.
The result is quite delicious. Perfectly cool and refreshing. My friend and I finished the last of it off while we were outside watching our kids run through the sprinklers and play with water guns. Perfect, just perfect.

Here is the recipe for POM Granita from POM Wonderful

Winter Jeweled Fruit Salad

When I was a kid, waking up on Christmas morning, we would always find a box of "sugar" cereal from Santa Claus. It was such a treat because the rest of the year, we never had that option. We lived on Shredded Wheat, mush, cornflakes or some other healthy item. Because we got sugar cereal as a gift, we always ate more than a few bowls of it for breakfast, meaning that we didn't usually have a special Christmas morning breakfast.

Well, once I got married, my husband nixed the "sugar" cereal gift, because he thought it was silly. No big deal- mostly because that left me the choice of what we would have on Christmas morning for breakfast. I asked everyone what they wanted this year and they chose biscuits and sausage.
I gave them what they wanted, but included this beautiful salad also.

This salad is a beautiful mix of some of the wonderful fruits that appear this time of year in the grocery store. We love pomegranates, clementimes, and mangoes and they were all superb in this mix. We also eat a lot of jicama, which added a nice little crunch to the salad. I was happy that I was able to find ripe kumquats too. My kids really liked those little guys.
The light lime juice-honey dressing that has a little bit of heat from the ground red pepper, really pulls it all together.

This was beautiful and delicious. I love it when something looks so pretty and colorful and also has great tastes and textures.

Recipe for Winter Jeweled Fruit Salad
* I used a red skinned pear to add color to the salad
* I couldn't find any blood oranges, anywhere, so I used a grapefruit and an orange instead

2 Thanksgiving Salads- Pear & Arugula Salad and Priscilla's Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad

Here are 2 more recipes that would make a great addition to your Thanksgiving Day Menu. Both of these salad recipes were featured in the November issue of Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.

I decided to make the Pear and Arugula Salad because I love arugula and thought the flavors would be great together. Arugula has a nice peppery bite to it, which I absolutely love. The red pear, sunflower seeds, parmesan cheese and delicious, light lemon dressing really made this a refreshing salad. Sometimes the traditional Thanksgiving dishes are so heavy, that I think a nice, light salad would really brighten up the table and add some much needed green to the menu.

The Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad was just too interesting to pass up. I have noticed persimmons the past couple times I have gone to the grocery store, but until I saw this recipe, I really had no idea what to do with one. My kids love pomegranates, so we have been munching on the arils quite a bit already this fall, and the ones at the grocery store right now are beautiful-so large and bright red.
I forgot to pick up pine nuts, so I just subbed in roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds). This salad has a nice kick from the jalapeno and the lime juice really brings all the flavors together.
Persimmons are really tasty and so beautiful when you slice them. Be brave and try this salad, you might really love it!


Recipe for Pear and Arugula Salad

Recipe for Priscilla's Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad

Persian Pomegranate-Walnut Chicken

This is a recipe I came across when I was trying to find something to use my POM juice in. I had 1 bottle left and I wanted to make something savory. This recipe sounded really interesting and pretty easy.
I got scared that my kids wouldn't like it because the combination of ingredients sounded a little strange. I also had a couple of visitors over for dinner, so I didn't know how it was going to go.
The sauce smelled amazing to me, but I didn't know if everyone else would like the cinnamon and other things going on in this dish.
Ok- here is the best part.
Everyone LOVED it!
And I don't just mean they thought it was good or ok or whatever.
My kids, my guests, my family- they all thought it was the best chicken dish we had ever had.
And we have had some really delicious chicken.
I didn't have to bribe anyone to eat it. I even had a couple of people who wanted to lick out the remaining sauce that was in the electric skillet. Kinda embarrassing, but I think someone did get a piece of bread and ate every last smidgen of the sauce.
I made a really delicious Muhammara Dip with this too and I will be posting that in a couple days.
The feedback I got from this dinner was awesome. I love it when that happens.

Persian Pomegranate-Walnut Chicken from Cooking Light
Based on the Persian dish fesenjan, this streamlined entrée features a sweet-tart sauce of pomegranate juice thickened with ground walnuts.
After toasting, cool the nuts completely before grinding.

1 cup walnuts, toasted
8 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
Cooking spray
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth (I used chicken stock)
1 cup pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed (I omitted this because I didn't have any)
Dash of ground cinnamon
Cilantro sprigs (optional)

1. Place walnuts in a food processor; process until finely ground. Set aside.

2. Sprinkle chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add half of chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken.

3. Recoat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, ground walnuts, broth, and the remaining ingredients except cilantro, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer until reduced to 1 1/2 cups (about 15 minutes), stirring occasionally. Return chicken to pan; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.
Yield: 8 servings

Up Next-2 ways with Quinoa for breakfast

Mexican Salad with Pomegranate-Lime Dressing

Here is a quick, fresh salad that I wanted to try even though pomegranates aren't in season right now. I still had some of the POM Wonderful juice that I received in the mail and used that in the dressing. Because of that, I omitted the pomegranate arils and made a few other substitutions as well.
This was a fun salad, with lots of different flavors and textures. The fact that you can find POM juice in the grocery store, makes this salad accessible all year round. so give it a try!

Mexican Salad with Pomegranate-Lime Dressing from Cooking Light
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh pomegranate juice (I used POM Wonderful juice)
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups arugula leaves (I used spinach)
1 1/2 cups (3-inch) julienne-cut peeled jicama
1/2 cup vertically sliced red onion
1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup fresh pomegranate seeds (I omitted these)
4 teaspoons pine nuts, toasted

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add olive oil, and stir with a whisk. Add arugula and the next 4 ingredients (through cilantro), and toss gently. Place 1 cup salad on each of 4 salad plates. Top each with 1 tablespoon seeds and 1 teaspoon pine nuts. Serve immediately.

Coming Tomorrow- Huevos Rancheros

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

Rice Pudding with Pomegranate Syrup

I recently discovered that I really like rice pudding. I had never really had it before, but we made it for Tuesdays with Dorie and I made it twice, just to get it right. Well, this variation looked really yummy and so, I made it just to see which recipe I liked better. The pomegranate syrup and seeds added a perfect splash of flavor and color to this dessert. I doubled the recipe, because I knew it wouldn't last long.
Be careful with the syrup on this one. I cooked mine a little too long and after I served up the first few dishes, it was close to being soft candy. Delicious, but a little hard to pour, if you know what I mean.
I personally like Dorie's recipe better, but this rice pudding is still very good.

Rice Pudding with Pomegranate Syrup from Cooking Light
Pudding:
3 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk, divided
1/2 cup uncooked Arborio rice or other short-grain rice
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Syrup:
2 large pomegranates, halved crosswise
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons pomegranate seeds

To prepare pudding, combine 3 cups milk, rice, 1/3 cup sugar, and butter in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Combine 1/2 cup milk and egg, stirring with a whisk. Gradually stir about one-fourth of warm rice mixture into egg mixture; add to pan, stirring constantly. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until rice is tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
Refrigerate, if desired. Pudding can be served warm or cold.
To prepare syrup, squeeze juice from the pomegranate halves using a citrus reamer or juicer to measure 1 cup. Combine juice and 1/4 cup sugar in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until reduced to 1/3 cup (about 20 minutes), stirring frequently.
Drizzle the syrup evenly over pudding, and sprinkle with seeds.

Coming Tomorrow-Indian Cauliflower Curry Stew

Red and Yellow Fruit Salad in Cinnamon Sugar WonTon Cups

I guess you could say I am on a WonTon Cup kick. I had some wonton wrappers left in the fridge and the idea came to me for a fruit salad cup. I cut up all my fresh fruit and realized all the fruit I had was red and yellow, hence the name. You could really use any fruit that you wanted to. I made my WonTon cups with cinnamon-sugar (watch everyone in the house- these will get swiped and eaten without anything in them), and filled them with this delicious salad. We had some as a afternoon snack and some with dinner. This would also be a great appetizer. It would brighten up any table with all the beautiful colors that are included in this salad.

Red and Yellow Fruit Salad in Cinnamon Sugar WonTon Cups by Mary Ann

1 small red apple, cut into slices and then in pieces

1 cup chopped, fresh strawberries

1/2 red grapes, cut in quarters

pomegranate seeds

1 cup fresh pinapple, cut in cubes

1 mango, cut into cubes
* Cinnamon-Sugar WonTon Cups

Combine all fruit in a bowl. Make Cinnamon-Sugar WonTon cups and fill with fruit salad.

*Cinnamon-Sugar WonTon Cups
12 wonton wrappers
cinnamon-sugar mixture
cooking spray
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray regular muffin tin or mini-muffin tin with cooking spray. Place one wonton wrapper over each cavity of muffin tin. Spray wonton wrappers with cooking spray. Generously sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture over wonton wrappers, so that they are covered. Press wonton wrappers down into cavity of muffin tin, so wonton makes a cup. Bake for 5-6 minutes, or until golden brown on edges and crispy. Let cool for a few minutes. Fill with fruit salad.

You can also store the pre-made cups, in a airtight container, for 4-5 days.

Coming Up Next- Tuesdays with Dorie- Dorie's choice- French Pear Tart

Citrus Salad with Pomegranate and Pistachios and Roasted Cauliflower

I think that any vegetable tastes incredible if you roast it in the oven. The case is true with Cauliflower. This is a simple way to cook it, but it really has so much more flavor and a little crunch. Plus, it looks so tasty.
This fruit salad was inspired by something I saw at myrecipes.com. Citrus fruits are in abundance in wintertime and so are pomegranates. The flavors go surprisely well together and the pistachios add a nice crunch. All the colors are pretty together too. If you need a delicious side, look no further!

Citrus Salad with Pomegranate and Pistachios by Mary Ann

1 orange, sliced

1/2 grapefruit, sectioned

1/4 cup pomegranate seeds *Tip for removing pomegranate seeds

a handful of shelled pistachios, chopped

Slice your orange and remove the bite size pieces from the rind. Place them in a bowl, along with the grapefruit sections. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds and pistachios over the top. Squeeze the ends of the orange over the salad, to sweeten with a little orange juice.
* Tip- to remove pomegranate seeds, cut the pomegranate in quarters. Fill a large bowl with water. Submerge 1 quarter of the pomegranate and push out the seeds. Repeat with other pomegranate quarters. Strain seeds through a sieve.

Roasted Cauliflower by Mary Ann

1-2 heads of cauliflower, depending on size

1-2 Tbls olive oil

salt and pepper- I like to use my Garlic Sea Salt Grinder

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a large, rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Remove the stem from the cauliflower and slice cauliflower florets as thinly as you want. Scatter the cauliflower onto the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss the evenly coat with oil and seasonings. Roast for 15 minutes and then, toss the cauliflower. Up the temperature to 450 degrees F and roast for an additional 10-15 minutes, until cauliflower is browned and tender.

Coming on Monday- Quinoa Pie with Butternut Squash- You don't want to miss this one, it is as beautiful as it is delicious!

Barefoot Bloggers-Mexican Turkey Soup and Spiced Pomegranate Sipper

This Barefoot Bloggers recipe was chosen by Judy over at Judy's Gross Eats. I was going to make this before Thanksgiving, but then I decided it would be a great way to use some of that leftover turkey, so I waited until today. I used the turkey stock we made after we carved the turkey, reduced the amount of olive oil, added a can of black beans, and topped it with Greek yogurt. This was a welcome change, after eating lots of Thanksgiving leftovers and was a perfect lunch for a cloudy day.
I also added on the recipe for the drink I made for Thanksgiving. It was different and we really liked it. The recipe included lots of different options of how to serve it and I went for the Fizzy variety. Yummy!

Mexican Chicken Soup from The Barefoot Contessa

4 split (2 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on (I used leftover cooked turkey)

Good olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)

1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)

2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)

4 large cloves garlic, chopped

2 1/2 quarts chicken stock, preferably homemade (I used homemade turkey stock)

1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree, crushed (I used diced tomatoes, without draining)

2 to 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced (I omitted this)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander seed

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, optional

6 (6-inch) fresh white corn tortillas

For serving: sliced avocado, sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and tortilla chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the chicken breasts skin side up on a sheet pan. Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until done. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones, and shred the meat. Cover and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 3 (I used 1 Tbls) tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions start to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes with their puree, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, beans, 1 tablespoon salt (depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock), 1 teaspoon pepper, and the cilantro, if using. Cut the tortillas in 1/2, then cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch strips and add to the soup. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and season to taste. Serve the soup hot topped with sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and broken tortilla chips.

Spiced Pomegranate Sipper from Southern Living

1 (2 1/2-inch-long) cinnamon stick

5 whole cloves

5 thin fresh ginger slices

2 (16-oz.) bottles refrigerated 100% pomegranate juice

4 cups white grape juice

1/2 cup pineapple juice

Garnishes: pineapple chunks, orange rind curls

1. Cook cinnamon stick, cloves, and ginger in a Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until cinnamon is fragrant.
2. Gradually stir in juices. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes. Pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a heat-proof pitcher; discard solids. Serve warm. Garnish, if desired.

Tipsy Hot Spiced Pomegranate Sipper: Prepare recipe as directed. Stir in 1 1/4 cups almond liqueur just before serving. Makes 9 1/4 cups.
Cold Spiced Pomegranate Sipper: Prepare recipe as directed. Let stand 30 minutes. Cover and chill 2 hours. Store in refrigerator up to 2 days. Stir and serve over ice. Prep: 10 min., Cook: 25 min., Stand: 30 min., Chill: 2 hr.
Fizzy Spiced Pomegranate Sipper: Prepare Cold Spiced Pomegranate Sipper as directed. Stir in 1 (33.8-oz.) bottle ginger ale just before serving. Makes 16 cups.


Coming on Monday- Butternut Squash Salad and Liz's Pasta Salad

Banana Cupcakes with Macadamia Nut Struesel and Buttermilk-Banana Pancakes with Pomegranate Syrup

Here are some great ways to use up those overripe bananas. It seems to happen every so often, you buy too many bananas and there they are, looking at you, in their sad, black peel. I actually get excited whenever I see them turning brown because I know that means I can make something yummy soon.
We were taking dinner to someone and I needed a quick treat. I grabbed a cake mix and came up with these banana cupcakes with a delicious struesel.
I have also been on a pancake kick lately. These pancakes were delicious and easy. A great breakfast and the syrup topped them off perfectly! If you have those quicky ripening bananas, put them to good use!

Banana Cupcakes with Macadamia Nut Struesel by Mary Ann

1 box white cake mix

2 large ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup water

2 egg whites

2 Tbls greek yogurt

struesel:

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup oats

1/4 cup madacamia nuts, chopped

1 Tbls cold butter, cut into 4 pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, bananas, water, egg whites and greek yogurt. You can use an electric mixer or mix with a wooden spoon. Spoon cake mixture into cupcake liners (24).

In a small bowl, mix struesel ingredients with your fingers, until it comes together. Sprinkle struesel on top of the cupcakes and bake for 18-23 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes in the pan and remove to a wire rack.

Buttermilk-Banana Pancakes with Pomegranate Syrup from Cooking Light

Pancakes:1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 (1-ounce) package uncooked instant farina (such as Cream of Wheat)

1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 cup mashed banana (about 2 large)

Syrup:

1/2 cup pomegranate juice

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons pomegranate juice

2 teaspoons cornstarch

To prepare pancakes, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 6 ingredients (through farina) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Combine buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring until smooth. Fold in banana.
Spoon 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto a hot nonstick griddle. Turn when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked.
To prepare syrup, combine 1/2 cup juice and syrup in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Combine 2 tablespoons juice and cornstarch in a bowl; add to pan. Cook 1 minute or until thickened; remove from heat. Serve with pancakes.

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