Kitchen3N

Recipes and food fun from Apt 3N

On Pomegranate

IMG_2876 It’s pomegranate season, y’all! Just kidding. I’ve been watching too much Pioneer Woman.

But seriously, it’s pomegranate season (somewhere in California). Have you noticed them stacked by the entrance at your local grocery store? Have you picked one (or a couple) up and taken them home and painstakingly popped out each seed, only to watch the beautiful mound get depleted in seconds? If you haven’t, then you must. Right now. And don’t give me the excuse that your store doesn’t have them. I would find them at my local Hannaford when I used to live in Nowheresville, NY (aka Poughkeepsie). They seem to come in late September and lasted through the fall. It’s such a refreshing change up in the fall fruit line up from the usual suspects: apples, pears and pumpkins.

I’ve never used them in a recipe – my husband and son usually get to the very last seeds before I could even attempt to put them in anything. They are so delicious – tangy and complex. Usually I’m partial to sweet fruits, but this is an exception. Do you have any favorite recipes? A friend of mine mentioned using pomegranate molasses for a braised lamb or chicken dish (this recipe looks promising). Pomegranate molasses is actually made from reduced pomegranate juice and is apparently more acidic than sweet. I am looking forward to trying it on some of my qurbani meat this weekend. As for the kernels themselves, I’ve seen them used in plenty of salads, over ice cream, and this intriguing recipe I have to try: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/pomegranate-glazed-acorn-squash.html

A word of warning: these babies discolor your cuticles. And not a beautiful ruby stain. An ugly, greenish tint. I don’t know why. So if you’re particular about that stuff, wear gloves.

Fun facts:

  • My grandmother’s helper is a sweet lady named Bedana (a Bengali word for Pomegranate).
  • One of my favorite protagonists of all time is Anarkali (Hindi for Pomegranate), from the movie Mughal E Azam. Based on a true story, Anarkali was a dancer in the Mughal Emperor’s court, who fell in love with the Emperor’s son, Salim. This led to a not-so-great father-son relationship and [SPOILER ALERT] a not-so-favorable outcome for her.
  • The whole beating the pomegranate with a spoon bruises the seeds. I’m not a fan. I am however, a fan of this nifty demo on peeling pomegranate.

 

Sweet and Smoky Butternut Squash

IMG_1916I’ve been eating bad lately. Like oreos bad. Like soup from a can bad. Now keep in mind, I’m not exactly a health nut. I don’t do juice cleanses or quinoa. Kale rarely makes an appearance at our dinner table (I prefer swiss chard). But, I tell myself I’m eating ok as long as I get plenty of veggies, minimize the processed foods and eat only sweets I bake myself. Butter and oil are ok, in my book, since I don’t eat fried foods on the regular. But something happened after Thanksgiving. Burnout, perhaps? Winter weather? I guess I’ve been entertaining and cooking a lot recently. So combine that with two kids, NYC’s first snow storm, homeschooling stuff and going back to work (part time), and less frequent help from grandma. Yes – that spells burnout. IMG_1905So much so that I’ve been neglecting this poor butternut squash for like a week and a half. It really was a testament to this vegetable’s shelf life. But, today was the day. Both kids napped (simultaneously)! The sun came out! I had a wrap for lunch while this was in the oven! Hallelujah.

I was definitely thinking about barbecue sauce when I made this. I saw Ina’s recipe for Caramelized Butternut Squash as well as this recipe for Southwestern Roasted Butternut Squash and thought, “Hey now, I think I’m on to something.” Kind of like the guy who first discovered the food warming capability of microwave radiation (when the chocolate in his pocket melted…what a fatty. I don’t even keep chocolate in my pocket. Ok ok I have way too much chocolate to store in a single pocket.). Or whoever discovered chocolate and peanut butter. Or sea salt and caramel. IMG_1917Everyone complains about how difficult it is to peel butternut squash, but after cutting my own poultry (don’t ask) this felt like a breeze! Anywho, tis the season for butternut squash. I’d love to hear what you think of this!

Ingredients

  • 1 2-3 lb butternut squash
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 tsp or a pinch chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with grease.
  2. Peel squash and dice into 1 inch cubes. Lay them evenly on the sheet. Season with the remaining ingredients and using your hands, combine well.
  3. Bake in preheated oven for about 40 minutes. At 15 and 30 minutes, flip the pieces over using a spatula to ensure even browning. Check for seasoning. Enjoy while it’s still warm.

Grapefruit & Baby Spinach Salad

I did the unthinkable (for a South Asian): I made a carb free dinner that my husband and I enjoyed! Inspired by some uber fresh baby spinach I got from the farmer’s market (yess I finally made it to one this year) and some random grapefruit I picked up at Trader Joe’s. I usually segment my grapefruit, douse it in salt (and a dash of sugar) and eat it plain. I wanted a zesty and a tad more healthy way of eating it. Thus, this salad. It’s pretty simple…next time I might add some toasted walnuts or sliced avocado.

I served it alongside Ina’s Asian Grilled Salmon (though I baked it in the oven for 15 min at 450 degrees instead) and asparagus (simply dressed in salt, pepper and olive oil for 7 minutes in the same oven). Color scheme, anyone?

Ingredients:

  • 2 to 3 cups fresh baby spinach (rinsed really well)
  • 1 grapefruit, segmented
  • the juice from the remaining grapefruit
  • 3/4 of a green chili, minced
  • 1 tbsp chopped cilantro (though mint would work well in this)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • dash pepper
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp agave nectar (could substitute with honey)

Directions

Arrange spinach on a plate or in salad bowl. Top with grapefruit segments. For the vinaigrette, combine the remaining ingredients in separate bowl. Adjust the amount of chili used according to preference. Pour over salad and serve with a fresh sprinkling of fine sea or kosher salt on top.