Earthly Eating

The pomegranate has a brilliant colored red juice and the seeds, that are colored the same amazing red, can stain a lot of clothing and even your favorite apron. The tiny little sack that hold a pomegranate seed is called the aril, but most refer to it as the “seed.”

Here is a better way to get those “seeds” out without getting all juiced in the end.

First, being by scoring the pomegranate so you can easily break it into quarters. If you sink the entire fruit before breaking it into a bowl of cool water, this will help minimize the squirting of the juice. Once you have the fruit in the bowl, next begin peeling the sides of the fruit so they begin to slowly break into the quarter pieces. Then you can scrape and pull the “seeds” off the inside that looks sort of like a honeycomb around the white membrane of the fruit. When doing this the cool water in which the fruit is submerged will allow the membrane to rise and the “seeds” to sink to the bottom of the bowl.

To juice the fruit, don’t score like as above, cut the fruit in half and hold over a bowl and squeeze. I have found that if you hold the fruit over the bowl and cover the entire juicing area, even over your hands with an old t-towel you will minimize juices squirting all over. Do this squeezing method with both halves and then strain the juice and chill.

*Earthly Eating Knowledge: Do you know how to muddle (MUH-dul): Muddling is the process of crushing ingredients against the bottom of the glass to release the aromas and flavors. Bartenders use this technique to make Mojitos and the Mojitos wouldn’t taste the same without this process being done. A muddler is a pestle-like tool mode just for the job of muddling. If you don’t have a muddler then a small wooden spoon works great. Use this technique whenever you want to have a hint of flavor or aroma to a nice drink or even a dip.
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Earthly Eating Recipe

Jalapeno Chile Coleslaw
Serves: 12

3/4 tsp. cumin seeds
11/2 pkg. broccoli coleslaw
12 oz. head of cabbage, cut into 1/4-inch strips
4 to 5 jalapeno chiles, halves, seeded and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch strips
1/2 cup Buttermilk ranch dressing
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Warm a small frying pan on medium high heat. Add the cumin seeds and toast, stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes. Pout onto a plate and let cool completely.

In a large bowl, combine the slaw, cabbage and the chilies. In a small bowl, combine dressing and cayenne pepper. Toss the dressing with the slaw mixture. Put in a serving dish and sprinkle with cumin seeds. Let stand for about 5 minutes so the flavors blend and then serve.

Happy Eating!

Pomegranate tea is not only a great tasting tea it is also packed with antioxidants and health-benefits not found in other fruit teas or even juices. Try these two pomegranate juice recipes and add some great benefits to your diet.

• Pomegranate Tera Sorbet
Serves: 2 to 3

13.5 oz. Pomegranate tea (any flavor)
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 tbs. granulated sugar
2 tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
3/4 cup fresh fruit
Ice Cream Maker

Set fruit aside and combine other ingredients into a medium-sized bowl, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Pour into ice cream maker. Add the fruit just before the last cycle and mix for 1 minute. Remove and stir with a spatula to thoroughly mix in the fruits.

• Pomegranate Juice Julep Mock tail
Serves: 1

1 oz. pomegranate 100% pomegranate juice
1 1/2 oz. grapefruit juice
1/2 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 oz. honey syrup (mix two parts honey with one part hot water and stir to dissolve, allow to cool before adding it to the mixture)
2 mint sprigs

Bruise one mint sprig in a mixing glass with honey syrup. Add the juices and shake. Strain over ice and chilled rocks glass. Garnish with the remaining mint springs.
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Earthly Eating Recipe

Lima Bean, Corn, and Tomato Succotash
Serves: 4 to 6

3 cups fresh baby lima beans or 15 ounces frozen baby lima beans, thawed (1 1/2 packages)
3 tbs. unsalted butter
1 bunch scallions, chopped
2 cups fresh corn kernels (2 to 3 ears of corn)
1 cup seeded and chopped tomatoes
2 tbs. chopped flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. In a saucepan, bring 3/4 cup salted water to a boil; add the beans. Cook for 5 minutes (do not cook until fully tender). Drain under cold water.

2. Heat butter in a skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides; add scallions and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add corn and cook for 5 minutes. Add the beans and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and parsley; simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediate.

Happy Eating!

Then try these three great chili recipes.

Chili Number 1:

• 4 lbs. coarse-ground chopped sirloin or tenderloin
• Olive oil or butter
• 1-2 small cans tomato paste, with water, or fresh tomatoes finely chopped, or canned tomatoes, pressed through a colander
• 3-4 medium onions, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 2-10 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbs. oregano
• 1/2 tsp. sweet basil
• 1 tbs. cumin seed or ground cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tbs. (or more) of chili powder or some chili pods

In a 4-quart pot, brown meat in oil or butter, or in a blend of the two. Add the remaining ingredients. Simmer in the pot with the lid on for two hours.

Chili Number 2:

• 1 finely chopped onion
• 3 finely chopped garlic cloves
• 2 piece of bacon cut crosswise into pieces
• 2 tablespoons of chili powder
• 2 cans of cannelloni, pinto or red kidney beans
• 1 ½ teaspoons of dried crushed oregano
• 1 ½ teaspoons of paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper
• 3 cups of water
• Coarse salt
• 3/4 cup of Monterey Jack Cheese or cheddar (shredded)
• 2 tablespoons of fine cornmeal
• 1 ½ cups of chopped winter squash or zucchini
• 1 ½ cups of frozen or fresh kernel corn (whole)

Cook the bacon in a chili pot over medium heat until brown. Add the onion, garlic, paprika, pepper, oregano, beans and salt into the chili pot. Stir mixture occasionally for about 10-15 minutes. It is good to mash up the beans a bit.

Mix the cornmeal with water, corn, squash or zucchini and bring the pot to boil. Reduce the heat and keep stirring until the chili become thick and the vegetables are softer. Add water if needed. Serve chili with some cheddar cheese.

Chili Number 3:

• 2 lb. of round steak
• 1/8 lb. rendered, beef kidneys, (ask a good butcher for some, it’s hard to find it in the supermarkets.)
• 8 chili pods, pick ones with a reddish hue to them.
• 1 tbs. beef bouillon
• 2 cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped
• 1 tbs. dried Mexican oregano
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tbs. cayenne pepper powder
• 1/2 tbs. chili powder
• 1 tbs. paprika powder
• 1 tbs. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. white vinegar
• 1 tbs. semi-sweet baking chocolate
• 1 cup water from boiled chili pods
• 3 tbs. masa (yellow corn flour, if you can’t find this all-purpose flour may be used instead.)

Cook the meat until it is browned. Drain and place in a crock pot or Dutch oven. Cook the beef kidneys over low heat, about 40 minutes or more. discard
pieces of fat that are left over, Pour the clear liquid in with the meat. Wash chili pods and remove the stems and seeds, wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.

Boil pods for 30 minutes, or until you can easily remove the skins. Mash and dice them finely and add to the meat. Add all remaining ingredients to the meat and the pepper water used to boil the pods. Don’t add the masa yet.

Cook in the crock pot on low 8-10 hours or 4-5 minutes on high. About 30 minutes before the chili is done mix the masa well with the remaining chili pepper water with a fork, until it’s smooth and there are no remaining lumps, add this to the chili.

Allow to set in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours so the spices can set and the chili thickens. The grease will rise to the top and can be scraped off or left. Heat chili in the crock pot and serve.
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Earthly Eating Daily Recipe

Pomegranate Champagne
Serves: 6

1 1/4 cups fresh pomegranate juice (from 3 pomegranates), chilled
1 1/2 ounces Cointreau liqueur, chilled
1 bottle (375 ml) Champagne, chilled
Fresh pomegranate seeds, for garnish

In a pitcher, mix juice, liqueur, and Champagne. Pour into flutes, and garnish with pomegranate seeds.

Happy Eating!