Once again it’s darn near fresh pomegranate season, so whip up one or more of these yummy recipes in celebration.
Pork Tenderloin with Quinoa Pilaf
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 cups quinoa
- 4 cups baby spinach (about 5 oz)
- 2 small pork tenderloins (about 3/4 lb each), cut into 4 equal pieces
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. orange marmalade
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
Directions
- Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a medium saucepan on medium. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted, about 2 minutes. Add quinoa and cook per pkg. directions. Fluff with a fork and fold in spinach.
- While quinoa cooks, heat a skillet on medium. Add remaining Tbsp oil, season pork with ½ tsp each salt and pepper, and cook until browned on all sides and an instant-read thermometer registers 145°F, 12 to 14 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, marmalade, and mustard. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes. Discard any oil left in pan. Add mustard mixture to skillet and simmer until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Brush on pork.
- Slice pork, serve over quinoa, and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.
Steak and Pomegranate Tacos
Ingredients
Tacos:
- ⅔ cup pomegranate juice
- 1½ tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 jalapeno (minced)
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pound skirt steak
- 8 Corn tortillas
Toppings:
- Pomegranate arils
- Avocado
- Pickled jalapeno
- Sliced radishes
- Cotija cheese
- Red onion
- Cilantro
- Lime Wedges
- Salsa verde
Directions
- In a gallon-sized zip-top bag, combine pomegranate juice, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, and salt. Add the skirt steak to the bag, seal it, and marinate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Preheat a grill or grill pan to high heat. Remove the steak from the marinade and grill for 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- In a skillet, heat a little olive oil and fry the tortillas until warm; set them aside. Slice the steak thinly against the grain, about ⅓ inch thick. Divide the steak slices among the tortillas and add your favorite toppings.
- You can use flank steak in place of skirt steak. Just cook a few extra minutes per side since it is thicker.
Pomegranate Shortbread Squares
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
- ¼ cup pomegranate arils
Directions
- Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with parchment paper so that some of the paper sticks out above the top edge of the pan by at least a ½-inch.
- Use an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer to cream the butter and powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Start on low speed, increase to medium high, and mix until smooth and spreadable, about 2 minutes.
- Add the salt, vanilla, and flour. Mix on medium, until the dough turns from dry and crumbly to a cookie dough that holds together when pressed between your fingers, about 2 minutes.
- Press the cookie dough into the prepared pan in an even layer that reaches the corners and sides of the pan. Press 2 tablespoons of the white chocolate chips and 1 ½ tablespoons of the pomegranate arils into the top of the cookie
- dough, dotting the top evenly with each.
- Place the pan in the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the cookie bars for 30 to 35 min, until the edges are golden brown, and the center is firm.
- Let cool for 10 minutes, then use the parchment paper to lift the shortbread out of the baking pan and place it on a cutting board. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
- Place the remaining white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in 15-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth.
- Cut the shortbread into 12 bars. Drizzle the bars with the melted white chocolate and sprinkle with the remaining pomegranate arils.
- Let sit until the chocolate is set, about 15 minutes, and serve.
