9 Recipes Using Pomegranates ...

1. Roasted Pork Shoulder with Pomegranate Sauce

Pork shoulders are relatively inexpensive, and yet, with this recipe, you can still impress the guests with a lovely meal! (They'll never know how cheap you went!)

1 (3 pound) bone-in pork shoulder roast
2 teaspoons minced garlic
kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 pomegranates with the seeds removed
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Season the pork roast with garlic, kosher salt and pepper. Place in a roasting pan.

Pour the juice from the pomegranate into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer over medium heat until reduced by half. Remove from the heat and mix in the balsamic vinegar, sugar and cinnamon.

After the roast has been in the oven for 1 hour, start to baste it with the pomegranate sauce, using a brush to apply to the top and sides. Continue to roast the pork until the internal temperature has reached 180 degrees F (80 degrees C). Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 minutes before carving and serving.

2. Pomegranate Jelly

If you like making jelly, here's a different twist. It can be served in so many ways! Serve it with turkey replacing cranberry sauce, serve it on bread or biscuits, or even pancakes!

4 cups pomegranate juice
7 1/2 cups white sugar
2 lemons, juiced
1 (6 fluid ounce) container liquid pectin

Combine pomegranate and lemon juice with sugar in a large, stainless steel saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat, and at once stir in liquid pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil, and boil exactly 1/2 minute. Remove from heat, and skim off foam.

Ladle into hot, sterilized jars to within about 1/4 inch of the top. Seal, and process in a boiling water canner for 5 minutes.

3. Spinach Pomegranate Salad

Delicious, nutritious, beautiful... does anything else need to be said about this recipe to make you want it?

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

Place spinach in a salad bowl. Top with red onion, walnuts, feta, and sprouts. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over the top, and drizzle with vinaigrette.

4. Pear and Pomegranate Salad

This recipe will get you looking forward to fall, when pomegranates are in season again!

3 cups green leaf lettuce, rinsed and torn
1 Bartlett or Anjou pear
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon prepared Dijon-style mustard
1/2 tablespoon honey
ground black pepper to taste

Divide the lettuce between two bowls. Halve and core the pear, then cut each half in slices. Divide the pear slices and pomegranate seeds among the two bowls and mix gently.

Combine the vegetable oil, pomegranate juice, lemon juice, mustard, honey, and pepper in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until the dressing thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Pour the warm dressing over the salads and serve.

5. Brenda's Apple and Pomegranate Crisp

This recipe is sure to become a family favorite!

4 medium apples - peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 pomegranate, skin and light-colored membrane removed
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, toss together the apples, pomegranate seeds, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spread evenly into the prepared pan. In the same bowl, stir together the oats, flour and sugar. Rub in the butter between your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over the top of the fruit.

Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until the apples are soft. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

6. Kiwi-Pomegranate Salsa

Here's a fresh, fruity take on the word "salsa"!

3-4 ripe kiwifruit, peeled, carefully chopped
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds (arils)
1/2 avocado, peeled and chopped
1 heaping tablespoon thinly sliced green onion
1 tablespoon (adjust to taste) of chopped fresh or pickled jalapeño chili peppers (no seeds)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the kiwi fruit, pomegranate seeds, avocado, green onion and olive oil in a medium sized bowl. Starting with just a teaspoon of chopped jalapeño, gently fold in and add more to your desired level of heat. Add cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

7. Persimmon Pomegranate Fruit Salad Recipe

I love fruit salad, but I'll tell you... never have I had one quite like this!

3 fuyu persimmons, peeled, chopped (1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces), seeds (if any) discarded
3/4 cup pomegranate seeds
1 Granny Smith or Fuji apple, peeled, cored, chopped (1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces)
7-10 leaves fresh mint, thinly sliced crosswise (stack then, then roll them up like a cigar and take slices from the end)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey

Gently toss all of the ingredients together.
Serves 4.
Keeps for at least a couple of days in the refrigerator, but best eaten same day it is made.

8. Pomegranate Yogurt Dip

I love yogurt, and this delicious mixture is no exception! It even sounds tasty: Pomegranate Yogurt Dip...

1 large pomegranate
2 cups chilled plain yogurt
2 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 cup pomegranate juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
Fresh mint sprigs

Separate seeds from the pomegranate. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, pomegranate juice, scallions, cilantro, and salt. Gently fold in all but 2 tablespoons of the pomegranate seeds. Place in serving bowl and garnish with mint and seeds. Chill for 30 minutes. Makes 2 cups.

9. Halibut Rolled with Pomegranate Stuffing

I was only supposed to do 8 recipes, but I couldn't resist adding this one to my article!

1 large or 2 pounds firm-fleshed, 1/2 inch thick halibut
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup olive oil or butter
1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup pomegranate juice or 3 tablespoons pomegranate paste
1 tablespoon slivered candied orange peel
2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground saffron, dissolved in 2 tablespoons of hot water
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds

Rinse fish in cold water. Pat dry with paper towel and rub both sides with 1 teaspoon salt. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large frying pan and brown onion and garlic. Add all ingrdients except the saffron water and lime juice and cook for 3 minutes. Mix well and remove stuffing from heat. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay fish out on the baking dish. Place a layer of stuffing on one end of the fish about 1 inch long and gently roll from the stuffing end and pin closed if necessary. Pour the saffron water, the rest of the oil, and the

lime juice over the fish. Place in the oven and bake 10-15 minutes (until the fish flakes easily with a fork), basting from time to time.

Arrange the fish on a serving platter. Pour the sauce from the baking dish over the fish and garnish with walnuts and pomegranate seeds.
Serves 4.

With so many ways to try pomegranate, you're bound to be a die-hard fan, too! Which of these pomegranate recipes sounds the most delicious to you? Will you try it? Please share!

Top Photo Credit: bitbit.rickard