The timing of this month’s guide couldn’t be more perfect. I’ve been battling a cold since Christmas Day, and although the worst of it is over, I can tell you for a fact that this tea soothes an uneasy stomach and encourages stuffy nasal cavities to loosen up. Ginger and honey are classic remedies for upset stomach and sore throats, respectively, and the benefits of orange and pomegranate peels were new news to me. Both are high in vitamin C and calcium. Orange peel tea has been used to treat heartburn and indigestion, and pomegranate peel tea has been used to soothe sore throats. One thing to keep in mind when purchasing your fruit for this tea: Organic is absolutely best, as peels touched by chemicals tend to absorb those chemicals.
All of the measurements in this recipe are approximations. And dressing substitutions can easily be made, especially if you don’t have access to one of those ridiculous (but awesome) specialty oil and vinegar stores. Swap in white wine vinegar for the peach balsamic, or scrap the homemade dressing completely and go for a store-bought champagne vinaigrette or raspberry vinaigrette. Please preserve the trifecta of pomegranate, pecans and toasted coconut, though. That’s where it’s at.
This dish was the direct result of being forced to stay indoors for about three days straight and NOT wanting to spend those days in a pasta coma. Like much of the rest of the country, Chicago was buried in snow and below-freezing temperatures for a few days this month. With just enough pantry staples and plenty of time to think, I came up with a surprising and very tasty meal.
A crispy, fragrant crunch on flaky fish with bursts of pomegranate and peppery greens — this impressive and simple meal can be appreciated by almost all of your senses.
I love the creaminess of cobb salad dressings, and the citrus flavors in this version give it a wintery boost — in addition to the Christmas-style red and green of the pomegranate and Brussels. There are a lot of flavors and textures to this dish, but certainly not too many that the eater gets lost.
This is one of those great salads where a dressing really isn’t necessary — the ingredients are flavorful and moist enough on their own. And those colors… holy cow. It almost seems unfair that this is so healthy, because it feels like it should be a diet splurge.
Freshest juice ever! I juiced and strained everything one evening when I had free time and stored the citrus juices and pomegranate juice separately. You could mix the pomegranate juice in the same pitcher as the citrus, but I like how the pom settles toward the bottom when added right before serving.
2 pomegrantes OR about 1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice
I sort of expected pomegranate juice to require some extravagant extraction that only machines or very patient humans could do. Instead it’s just seed, blend and strain.
If you choose to make your own pomegranate juice, simply seed the fruits and rinse. Add the pomegranate seeds to a blender and puree for only a couple of seconds; pureeing too long will create a cloudy juice. Pour the blended seeds through a fine mesh strainer, using a spatula to extract as much juice as possible. Set the pomegranate juice aside.
Juice the citrus fruits and pour through a fine mesh strainer to remove any pulp or seeds.
Divide the citrus juice among three glasses, adding the pomegranate juice last so it can settle toward the bottom.
*We’re taking advantage of the winter citrus season (and healthy New Year’s resolutions) during the month of January. Look for six drink recipes focused on lemons, limes, grapefruits, oranges and more. Find all the Fresh-squeezed recipes here.
Someone recently told me that his guiding principle for cooking is: “Cook with color.” I love that idea! (My favorite color is rainbow.) And this dish, to me, is what that motto is about. I picked beautiful, colorful ingredients and put them together in a bowl. The greens I chose provided a variegated base of pale green, grass green and pinky-purple. The pistachios added bright green, brown and more hints of purple. The pomegranate seeds (which have always reminded me of rubies) added a pop of deep red. And last but not least, the blood orange dressing was the most beautiful rosy gold color. Together, it’s a feast for your senses!
If you haven’t worked with blood oranges before, like I hadn’t, it’s good to know that the coloration of the flesh and juice can vary greatly between fruits. The inside of the oranges I chose looked similar to the color of grapefruit with streaks of crimson. The juice was a deep pink color. Other blood oranges can be solid pink, to solid red, to almost black. And the flavor tends to be florally sweet, with a hint of grapefruitlike bitterness.
Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup blood orange juice (from one large orange)
1 clove garlic, smashed, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Salad:
12 ounces torn greens (I used frisee, arugula and radicchio.)
1 pomegranate, seeded (See a video I made on prepping pomegranates.)
1 cup shelled pistachios (I used the roasted and salted type.)
The pomegranate I chose seemed almost perfect. The seeds were large and sweet and deep red. Some tips I picked up in the process: Look for a pomegranate with red, smooth skin (not pink) and no bruises or soft spots. And if you find one like this, use it within a day or two of purchasing.
To make the vinaigrette, whisk together all of the ingredients in a medium bowl.
Toss the torn greens in the vinaigrette, and divide the mixture among salad bowls. Top with pomegranate seeds and pistachios, and serve immediately to avoid wilting. If serving later, seal the vinaigrette in and airtight container and store in the fridge, separate from the greens and toppings.
These flatbreads are also great just for dipping in hummus, but I love the pop of the pomegranates on this flatbread.
1/2 cup raw quinoa
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 egg white
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper, to taste
2/3 cup plain or garlic hummus
1/3 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup loosely packed herbs, such as flat-leaf parsley or mint
2/3 cup pomegranate seeds
Combine the quinoa, flour, egg white, water, salt and pepper. Let the mixture sit for about one hour.
On a baking sheet covered with a piece of parchment paper, distribute the batter into three circles. Use a spoon to spread the batter out to a little thinner than a half inch, with each circle about 7 inches in diameter. Bake for about 16 minutes, using a spatula to flip the flatbreads over about halfway through.
Let the flatbreads cool. Top with the hummus, feta, herbs and pomegranate seeds.
If pomegranate isn't available (or you don't like the seeds), I suggest topping the pancakes with another sweet but tart fruit such as raspberries. Shredded pineapple or mandarin oranges might also work in a pinch.
For the pancakes:
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sweetened coconut flakes
1 cup light coconut milk
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil + more for the pan
1 egg
For the syrup:
1 cup light coconut milk
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon lemon juice
For topping:
pomegranate seeds*
To keep the pancakes warm while you cook up the whole batch, store them on a baking sheet in the oven at 200 degrees.
Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and coconut flakes in a medium mixing bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, oil and egg. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together until just incorporated.
Coat a skillet with oil and warm it over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, ladle some of the mixture into a pool. Allow the batter to cook for a minute. Use a spatula to gently lift the pancake to check whether the bottom side has cooked (it will be golden brown when it’s ready). Flip the pancake with the spatula. Allow the pancake to cook for about 45 seconds, then check to see whether the underside is cooked. Remove the pancake from the heat. Repeat the process with the remaining batter.
To prepare the syrup: Whisk together the coconut milk, honey and lemon juice.
Serve the syrup alongside the warm pancakes, and top the pancakes with pomegranate seeds or another tart-sweet fruit.
Makes 4-6 pancakes
* Don’t know how to open a pomegranate? Watch my how-to video.
So hungry I could blog 