Pomegranate – 3 Uses For The Super Fruit
July 1, 2010
•Le Cordon Bleu
•Portland
• 0 Comments
Beyond the beautiful red and pink skin of the pomegranate fruit hide the most perfectly little packaged bursts of flavorful juice. Not only are pomegranates tasty, but they have some amazing health benefits as well. In fact, this super fruit has been used for thousands of years in ancient Indian Ayurvedic medicine where the seeds and juice are thought to be a “tonic for the heart and throat.
Today, trendy restaurants and health clubs alike can’t seem to get enough of this flavor packed fruit. Try your hand at creating a culinary masterpiece with one of these three great recipes and preparation ideas. Pomegranates can be enjoyed as an appetizer, entrée or desert anytime, anywhere!
Eating and Preparing the FruitIt may seem daunting at first to even figure out how to get the fruit out since it has a rind that doesn’t peel like most fruit, but with the help of a sharp knife it becomes much easier. One quick note before you dive right in, pomegranate juice stains most things so make sure you attempt this wearing old clothes and away from stainable surfaces (like light colored walls or wooden cutting boards).
Start by cutting through the center (with the top pointer part facing upwards) and cut down in one slice with a chef’s knife. Then make another two cuts, slicing it evenly so you have four nearly equal quarters. Use your fingers to begin removing the seeds. It is helpful to do this in a bowl of water to eliminate the mess and it also helps the seeds come out more readily. Now you are ready to enjoy the seeds on their own as a snack or to add them to your favorite recipes. Though the center of the seed is slightly firm and pulpy, it is here that many of the valuable nutrients and fibers are sealed. Once you get used to it, the flavor, and even the texture is fantastic.
Here are three great recipe ideas to get you started.
Pomegranate, Gouda and Pear Quesadilla
Recipe by Pomwonderful.comAdd a new twist to this Mexican favorite with pomegranate seeds as the perfect secret ingredient.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup arils (seeds) from 1-2 large pomegranates
- 6 8-inch flour tortillas
- 4 oz. smoked Gouda cheese, thinly sliced
- 2 large firm pears, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Directions:
- Score 1-2 fresh pomegranates and place in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranate underwater to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.)
- Place 2 strips of cheese on each tortilla
- Using fingers, press 1 teaspoon of arils into cheese.
- Add 2 slices of pear, sprinkle with sugar. Fold tortilla in half.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon oil to a nonstick skillet and heat.
- Place folded tortillas in the pan and brown lightly; turn over and cook until crisp. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon of oil if needed.
Spinach Pomegranate SaladRecipe by Sarie Nickle - Allrecipes.comYou’ll love this heavenly combination of feta, spinach and of course the super fruit itself, pomegranate.
Ingredients:
- 1 (10 ounce) bag baby spinach leaves, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 red onion, sliced very thin
- 1/2 cup walnut pieces
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta
- 1/4 cup alfalfa sprouts (optional)
- 1 pomegranate, peeled and seeds separated
- 4 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette
Directions:Place spinach in a salad bowl. Top with red onion, walnuts, feta, and sprouts. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over the top, and drizzle with vinaigrette.
No-Bake Pomegranate Cheesecake
Recipe from the JoyofDesserts.com
Ingredients:
Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup melted butter
Cheesecake Mixture:- 1 cup arils from 1 large Pomegranate
- 1 1/4-oz. package gelatin
- 1/2 cup water
- 3, 8-ounce packages cream cheese
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup whipping cream
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Mix graham cracker crumbs thoroughly with melted butter.
- Gently press crumbs into the bottom and up 1" of the sides of a 9" spring-form pan.
- Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Cool completely.
- Sprinkle the gelatin over the water in a small saucepan. Let set for 5 minutes, then heat until gelatin has dissolved. Set aside to cool.
- Mix the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Mix in gelatin. Set aside.
- Score 1 fresh pomegranate and place in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranate underwater to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve 1 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.)
- Whip the cream until stiff. Gently but completely mix cream cheese and 1/2 cup pomegranate arils into the whipped cream.
- Spoon into prepared, cooled crust. Smooth out the top.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. (Can be made the day ahead.)
- To remove from pan, gently run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan, then open the pan.
- Top with remaining pomegranate arils.
This article is presented by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Portland. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Portland offers culinary arts and pâtisserie and baking training programs in Portland, Oregon. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit
Chefs.edu/Portland for more information.