"Jewels of Winter"

With each new season, I look forward to my favorite fruits & vegetables appearing in the produce section. Here in the U.S., September begins the season for one of my favorite fruits... Pomegranates! Last week, I purchased my first pomegranates since February and have been enjoying these beautiful seeds everyday! They are not only a unique fruit, stocked with hundreds of bright, beautiful seeds; but they are a 'SUPER' fruit as well! These fruits are suggested to have more antioxidants than most other natural foods and are a great source of Vitamins (especially Vitamin C!), Iron, Potassium, Folic Acid, & Fiber. Research suggests that consumption of pomegranates (raw), pomegranate juice, and/ or pomegranate extract (for those who prefer capsule form) helps our bodies with circulation, boosts our immune systems, reduces bad cholesterol, and reverses the signs of aging. What else!? THEY TASTE DELICIOUS! 

Since last week, I have been making frequent trips to the refrigerator to grab a handful of seeds for a snack. I've had pomegranate smoothies (one with pears! that was REAL tasty) and yummy pomegranate salads. But on Monday, I was able to enjoy my favorite pomegranate recipe: TEMPEH & VEGETABLES W/ POMEGRANATE GLAZE. This recipe was shared with me by my friend, Brittany, who I think was passing it down from another friend, Ashley. Thank you, ladies! :) 

Now, I will share it with you! ...Do you have any pomegranate recipes that you would like to share?

Tempeh & Vegetables with Pomegranate Glaze

1/4 cup low-sodium tamari
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1/4 cup natural rice vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon canola or grapeseed oil
6 large white mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
1 clove garlic, minced
1 red or yellow pepper, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 small zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 head broccoli cut into 1/2-inch chunks
8 ounces tempeh, cut into 24 cubes
3 scallions, sliced
1/4 cup shelled, unsalted pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
1 pomegranate, seeds only

Directions: 

Combine tamari, pomegranate juice, vinegar, water, chili sauce, and honey. Whisk, then add cornstarch, whisking again to incorporate. Set glaze aside. 

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms. Leave mushrooms alone for 1 to 2 minutes in the pan so they brown. Add garlic and saute for another minute, being careful not to burn it. Add vegetables (except for scallions), and saute for another 3 to 4 minutes. 

Add tempeh and saute 1 minute. Pour glaze over mixture, turn down heat, and cover. Allow mixture to steam for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the lid and add more water, if necessary, to thin out the thickened glaze. Serve over udon noodles, whole wheat linguine, or brown rice. Garnish with scallions, pistachio nuts, and pomegranate seeds. 

Of course, you can always be creative and adjust the recipe as you like, I always do! 

Removing the seeds from the fruit may seem time-consuming but is definitely worth it in the end.

I always choose ORGANIC when buying juices to avoid added sweeteners, fillers, & additives. 

The fruit is sweet enough, naturally! ;)

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