Pomegranate Italian Soda

Pomegranate Italian Soda:

- Club Soda, chilled

- Ice

- Pomegranate seeds, for garnish

- Pomegranate syrup (I made this at home by boiling pomegranate seeds with sugar and some water and then smooshing it to release the flesh from the seed and then straining it when it was thick or the consistency of a syrup - it thickened up a bit in the fridge) 

Add as much syrup as desired into a glass with ice, if it's not sweet enough for your taste add some simple syrup (cooled, you can make it by mixing equal parts water and sugar and heating until it comes to a boil then removing from heat and pouring into a glass jar, once cooled place in fridge for future drinks) 

Pour club soda over top and garnish with fresh pomegranate seeds, mint or orange/lemon slices.

This is a gorgeous refreshing drink for the holiday and since we have so many warm days this winter over here sometimes you just need something refreshing to complement the weather. 

Enjoy! 

Pomegranate Chicken

Roasted Pomegranate Flattened Chicken:

1 Chicken
Water
4 Tbsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 garlic bulb (with peel, slice horizontally)
2 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp black pepper corns

Garnish:
Pomegranate seeds
Toasted slivered almonds (Toast in a dry pan on medium high moving around as needed so they don't burn, as soon as they turn golden remove and place on a cool flat plate then set aside)

Add all above ingredients to a pot (something that your chicken will fit in and this vessel fits in your fridge)
Mix until salt dissolves, add chicken to the "Brine" and let it soak in the fridge overnight or up to 2 days.

Pomegranate marinade:  Blend the following...

1 tbsp Pomegranate molasses
Pomegranate juice (pom, or slice a pomegranate in half horizontally and squeeze it like a lemon until you get about 1/4 cup of juice  - you can substitute with orange juice)
Splash Worcestershire sauce
Salt
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp jam (I used mixed berries - 4 berry)

When ready to roast remove chicken from fridge 2 hours in advance, remove from brine and add to roasting pan allowing it to come to room temperature on the counter.  Let it sit breast down and pour the marinade into the bottom of the pan.

Preheat over to 425 F

 I also flattened the chicken by cutting out the spine with a shark scissors. At this point remove from marinade and place on a pan (I lined it with foil for easy clean-up  or casserole. Dot the top of the chicken with about 1 tbsp butter (you can place it under the skin if you wish)

Roast for 30 minutes then lower the heat to 400 and continue to roast, you could use convection if you have that setting or convection roast which is what I used.

If you'd like to baste your chicken with a thicker marinade/glaze you can mix up some pom molasses, pom juice and salt until it's the consistency of a glaze and brush it over the top of the chicken.

When your chicken is done remove and sprinkle with fresh pomegranate seeds and slivered toasted almonds.

Enjoy!

Pomegranate Pistachio Pavlova

Pomegranate Pavlova with Pistachios and Honey


Makes: 12 servings
Prep 35 mins
Stand 1 hr 30 mins
Bake 250°F 1 hr

Ingredients:

6 egg whites

Dash salt

Dash cream of tartar

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

Topping:

1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice

1/4 cup honey

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

1 tablespoon sugar

1 cup pomegranate seeds

1/4 cup pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped

Directions:
1. Allow egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Draw a 9-inch circle on the paper or foil. Invert paper or foil so the circle is on the reverse side.
2. Position baking rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. For meringue, in a large mixing bowl beat egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form (tips curl). Add 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high speed until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Beat in 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Sift cornstarch over egg white mixture; fold in gently.
3. Spread meringue over circle on paper or foil, building up edges slightly to form a shell. Bake for 1 hour (do not open door). Turn off oven; let meringue stand in oven with door closed for 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, for pomegranate syrup, in a small saucepan combine pomegranate juice, honey, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Bring to boiling over medium heat; reduce heat. Boil gently, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes or until mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup. Transfer syrup to a small bowl; cool.
5. In a chilled large mixing bowl beat whipping cream, 1 tablespoon sugar, and the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla with chilled beaters of the mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight).
6. Carefully lift meringue off paper or foil and transfer to a serving plate. Spread with the whipped cream. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds; drizzle with the pomegranate syrup. Top with pistachio nuts.
nutrition facts (Pomegranate Pavlova with Pistachios and Honey)
Source: Better Homes and Gardens 

First time making pavlova or meringue for that matter.  I halved the recipe for the pavlova above and made it the night before, baking for 1 hour and then leaving it in the oven all night.

When ready to serve I whipped up some whipping cream with a few tsp of powder sugar and a splash of natural vanilla extract and spread it over the meringue disk then garnished with the fruit and nuts.

Please use a kitchen aid of mixer to whip up the meringue, I did it all by hand and can't say it was worth it, felt like my hand was going to fall off.  Really need to get a kitchen aid soon, my stupid professional model broke down over a year ago and it's past it's repair warranty. Ugh. 

This pavlova was delicious! The tart pomegranate really complements all the other sweet layers, I enjoyed it very much even though I'm not a big meringue fan.