Four Pomegranate Recipes for Your Next Holiday Dinner #CookwithPOM #Sponsored

Ready or not the holidays are coming, which means for many of us we'll be assuming the role of hostess with the mostest as loved ones near and far come to visit. I absolutely love a house filled with family and friends, good music, laughter and of course yummy food! I'm always looking for easy seasonal dishes that can be whipped up quickly. No fuss no muss or I'm leaving it to the hubby to prepare {he's the professional}. So when my blogger babes and I were invited to a POM- wonderful night out to learn about this trendy fall ingredient and how to mix it up into a combination of savory & sweet dishes, we were all in and of course brought our appetites.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. Opinions expressed are 100% my own. 

Aside from just being delish the pomegranate has such an array of health benefits - packed with vitamin C and antioxidants and since I'm persevering with Crohn's {a chronic autoimmune disease} I was excited to learn that it also has fiber and anti-inflammatory properties. Working with this bright red fruit can be a bit daunting when trying to dig out those juicy arils, so it's exciting to see that POM has simplified life with it's pre-packaged POM POMS Fresh Pomegranate Arils. When we arrived at the Miette Culinary Studio in Little Italy we were greeted with beautifully plated dishes that were flavorful & topped with the tart & sweet arils. 

Fresh Mozzarella, Pomegranate and Basil Bruschetta Cedric Vongerichten |

 Executive Chef | Perry St | NYSERVINGS: 8 
TIME TO TABLE: 25 minutes 

INGREDIENTS: 

POM Syrup 2 cups juice from POM Wonderful Pomegranates (or 2 cups POM Wonderful 

Pomegranate Juice) 

3-1/2 tablespoons sugar 

1 Thai chili, split Bruschetta 

1/2 cup arils from POM Wonderful 

Pomegranates (or 1/2 cup POM POMS Fresh Arils) 

2 lbs. fresh mozzarella or bocconcini (fresh mozzarella 

balls) sea salt fresh cracked black pepper extra-virgin olive oil fresh basil leaves 

8 pieces sourdough bread, sliced 1/2" thick 

POM Syrup: 

1. Prepare fresh pomegranate juice, if necessary.*

2. Combine pomegranate juice, sugar and Thai chili in a pot. Reduce until sweet and sour flavors are balanced and it is thick in consistency. 

3. Strain through a fine strainer. 

Bruschetta: 

1. Prepare fresh pomegranate arils, if necessary.**

2. Drizzle olive oil on both sides of sliced sourdough. Grill until toasted on both sides.

3. Season mozzarella with salt and black pepper, and drizzle with olive oil and POM Syrup. Sprinkle with fresh basil leaves and 1 tablespoon arils per serving.

4. Serve with a piece of grilled sourdough bread. *For 2 cups of juice, cut 4–6 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates in half and juice them with a citrus reamer or juicer. Pour the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined strainer or sieve. Set the juice aside. **To prepare fresh arils, score 1 large POM Wonderful Pomegranate and place in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranate under water 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.

Moroccan Shrimp with POM POMs 

Servings:10 for appetizer or 4 servings for main course 

Time to Table: 1 hour 

1 qt (4 cups) POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice

½ cup POM POM arils 

½ cup sugar 

¼ cup fresh lemon juice 

1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails

¾ teaspoon ground cumin

¾ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¾ teaspoon kosher salt 

1½ tablespoon olive oil

4 cups (4 oz) baby arugula

1. In a pot over high heat, stir together POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice, 
sugar and lemon juice until sugar dissolves. Boil until liquid thickens and is reduced to 1 cup, about 45 min. 

2. Meanwhile, toss shrimp with cumin, coriander, cinnamon, salt and olive oil and stir to coat. 

3. Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Add shrimp and cook 2 min per side until pink and opaque. Brush shrimp with sauce and place on top of arugula on a platter, or serve arugula on the side tossed with lemon juice and olive oil. Top shrimp and arugula with POM POMS for serving. Pour extra sauce in a small dish for dipping.

After chatting it up over cocktails and yummy appetizers it was our turn to get in the mix, so we each headed to a station to prepare the entrees and desserts for the evening. Without hesitation I made my way over to the guacamole station because it's a favorite all year 'round in our house. 

We definitely had a blast preparing each dish, you have to love how food brings people together and puts a smile on everyone's face. It also helps to have hysterical aprons to chuckle over!

ROASTED SALMON with POM POMS SALSA

Servings: 6 

Time to Table: 30 minutes

1 cup POM POMS Fresh Arils

1¾ lbs (28-oz) salmon filet

½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

¼ red onion, sliced

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1. Heat broiler to high with rack 6 inches below broiler. Season salmon with sea salt and pepper. Place salmon on a foil-lined pan and broil until cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes.

2. Stir together the POM POMS Fresh Arils, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil and ¼ teaspoon sea salt. Spoon salsa over salmon to serve.

Additional serving suggestion: Spoon POM POMS Salsa on top of toasted baguette slices to make a bruschetta appetizer.

Whole Wheat Waffles with POM POMS Servings: 6 
Time to Table: 30 minutes 

1½ cups POM POMS Fresh Arils 

1 ⅓ cups whole-wheat flour 

2 teaspoon baking powder 

1 tablespoon sugar 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1 cup milk 

2 eggs, separated 

1/4 cup coconut oil 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

3 cups vanilla yogurt ⅓ cup honey 

1. Heat waffle iron. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. 

2. Mix together the milk, egg yolks and oil. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites to firm peaks. Stir the milk mixture into the dry ingredients then fold in the egg whites. 

3. Spoon 2 tablespoons of batter on the waffle iron for each waffle. Cook until golden and crispy. Place on a cooling rack immediately after removing from waffle iron. Top waffles with POM POMS Fresh Arils, yogurt and drizzle with honey.

Planning to a host a dinner party? Which POM recipe would you add to your menu for the holiday season?


*photo's #2 and #'s 6-12 courtesy of Momtrends