Before I go to far, I wanted to report back that I made this recipe for dinner tonight (the greens with feta and carrots one), and it was delicious!! Even my 100% carnivore son (Baby #1 usually refuses veggie meals) devoured it! I recommend it - it seems way too easy and simple, but the flavours really come together at the end and really compliment each other!
Anywho...today's food that we should be eating and aren't is pomegranate juice. Do you realize how hard it is to find recipes for pomegranate juice that aren't alcoholic beverages? (not that there's anything wrong with a alcoholic beverage or two, but I figured since this is really a website meant to encourage people to better themselves, I probably shouldn't be broadcasting tons of drink recipes...haha). Before we get to the recipes, though, does anyone know why we should be eating/drinking pomegranate juice?
Well, let me tell you!
It's quite the cancer fighter!! Multiple studies have shown it to fight breast cancer, inhibit lung cancer, and slow the growth of prostate cancer (it also was shown to keep PSA levels stable, reducing the need for chemo and other treatments in men who had fought prostate cancer).
Studies have shown that it might prevent Alzheimer's Disease, as well as prevent osteoarthritis. It lowers LDL (bad cholesterol), raises HDL (good cholesterol), and lowers blood pressure.
However, I'm pretty sure that the benefits of pomegranate juice won't negate the effects of drinking too many pomegranate martinis (yum!). So, to help you find ways to work it into your diet without getting too drunk, here are some non-alcoholic beverage recipes!
Mustard Pomegranate Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
* 1/4 cup pomegranate juice
* 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
* 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
* 1 tablespoon honey
* 1 teaspoon minced garlic
* 1 teaspoon orange zest
* 1 dash cayenne pepper
* 1 (1 1/2 pound) pork tenderloin
* 4 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
Directions
1. In a clean jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine pomegranate juice, orange juice, mustard, honey, garlic, orange zest, and cayenne pepper. Tighten lid, and shake until everything is mixed well. Pour over pork tenderloin in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal bag, and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to 3 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat a large roasting pan with cooking spray. Remove tenderloin from marinade, reserving the marinade. Place meat in roasting pan, and arrange pan on center rack in oven.
3. Pour marinade into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and reduce volume by half. Remove from heat. Place 1/2 of liquid in a cup for basting, and reserve to use as a sauce.
4. Roast tenderloin in oven for 30 to 40 minutes, basting lightly with reduced marinade until internal temperature is 155 degrees F (68 degrees C) when measured in the thickest part of the tenderloin. Remove tenderloin from oven, cover with foil, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Serve each portion with reserved sauce drizzled over top, and a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds.
Fruit Smoothie
Ingredients
* 1/3 cup fresh blueberries
* 1/3 cup fresh raspberries
* 4 large fresh strawberries, hulled
* 1/3 cup pomegranate juice
* 1/3 cup mango juice
* 2/3 cup milk
* 2 tablespoons honey
Directions
1. Place the blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, pomegranate and mango juices, milk, and honey into a blender. Cover, and puree until smooth. Pour into glasses to serve.
Chicken in Pomegranate Juice - Alone or With Penne Pasta
* 8 chicken thighs
* Salt & pepper
* 1 tablespoon cumin
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 large onion, roughly chopped
* 4 cloves garlic, chopped
* 2 cups pomegranate juice
Optional Pasta Dish
* 1/2 cup of spicy green olives, chopped
* 1 whole preserved lemon, rind only, chopped
* 1 pound of penne
Season the chicken generously with salt, pepper and cumin.
Heat olive oil in a skillet and brown the chicken on all sides.
Discard half the fat from the pan and add onions and garlic to the remaining juices. Cook at medium to low heat until onions turn translucent. Add the pomegranate juice, allow it to heat for just a minute, and add chicken back to the pan and cover. Cook at a medium heat for around 10 minutes or until juices run clear.
Remove chicken from pan and cover with foil to keep warm. Bring juice to a boil and cook down until it is a thick sauce. Spoon onions and sauce over chicken and serve.
To turn this into a pasta dish:
Cook pasta according to package directions. While it is boiling, tear meat off of the chicken and put back into the pan of onions and sauce. Add preserved lemon and olives. Cook at a medium heat for 3-5 minutes, just enough for ingredients to marry.
Add to pasta when cooked and drained, and serve with parmesan cheese.
Serves: 4
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