Pomegranate and Tangerine Salad with Candied Walnuts

I've never really experimented much with pomegranates but my husband and I bought 2 last week so
we could make our own grenadine. And I decided to search for some other simple recipes that we could use them in. We usually do at least one or more meatless days a week and we eat a lot of salad. I've never really been a fan of salad with fruit, but I'm always open to trying new dishes and I was definitely a huge fan of this dish!

Ingredients
Organic mixed baby greens
handful of pomegranate seeds
2-3 small tangerines, peeled and de-seeded
handful of candied walnuts (pecans also work)- recipe below
crumbled feta cheese

Honey-Cider Vinaigrette Ingredients:
6 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. honey or agave nectar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 pinches of salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions
If you are unsure of how to de-seed a pomegranate, just do a quick google search. There are a few different ways you can do it. Personally, I cut the top off, score it, stick it upside in cold water for a few minutes and then carefully pull it apart and seperate the seeds from the rind and membrane.

Candied walnuts (based on 1 1/2 cups nuts. You can adjust the amount of sugar accordingly for more or less).
1.Spread the walnuts onto a small sheet pan and bake at 350 for about 5 mins or until toasted (be careful not to burn).
2.Place 1/2 cup sugar into a small saucepan and melt over medium heat until it turns to an amber color.
3.Stir the the nuts into the sugar and stir to coat.
4. Remove from the pan and spread onto a baking sheet lined with parchment making sure to seperate the nuts so they don't clump up.
5. Sprinkle with kosher salt or sea salt and let cool.

Salad Directions
1.Whisk together all the ingredients for the vinaigrette except the olive oil.
2.Slowly whisk in the olive oil until well incorporated.
3.Divide salad greens among plates/bowls. Drizzle with dressing and top with the pomegranate seeds, tangerine pieces, feta cheese and candied walnuts.
*You can also toss everything together in a large bowl if you prefer to serve it that way.

Tip: If you don't have tangerines, oranges would work. Strawberries might be good as well. You could also try adding some arugula and using blue cheese instead of feta.



Recipe sources: adapted from Gimme Some Oven
candied walnuts: Simply Recipes

Spanish Turkey Meatball Stew

I'm glad to be finally be back in the new year! I was pretty disappointed that I didn't get to do anything fun or make any food for New Years to share, but I was sick and did a whole lot of nothing for about a week. So now I'm ready to start posting more regularly and trying new recipes this year. Speaking of the new year, I don't normally make resolutions so this year I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing :) Eating healthy and using as many natural and organic ingredients as possible (cookies, cakes, and ice-cream are definitely still included here!) I hope everyone's new year is off to a great start so far!

Anyways, we signed up for Food Network Magazine a few months ago and have been trying different recipes. I had actually been thinking about making some dishes with turkey instead of chicken to mix it up a little and then came across this stew recipe. I adapted it just slightly and it was super flavorful, healthy, 100% natural, and almost 100% organic (everything I used was certified organic except the garlic and spices). I even bought free-range and vegetarian fed ground turkey from Eathfare and used organic parsley from our garden. Plus, this meal was ready in about 30 mins. Not bad for a quick and healthy weeknight meal.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 clove elephant garlic, minced

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 cup sliced carrots (I used 2 large carrots)

2 cans fire-roasted tomatoes
1 can chickpeas, drained

2 cups low sodium chicken or veggie broth

1 lb ground turkey

1/2 cup fresh minced parsley
Dash of Worcestershire
1/4 cup panko (if you don't have this, no worries. I just had some left in my pantry and decided to use it)

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Directions
1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet (I used my large pot so everything would fit) over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and a pinch of salt and cook until onions are soft. Transfer half of the mixture to a large bowl.
2.Add the paprika and carrots to the remaining onion mixture in the skillet and cook 1 minute.
3.Add the tomatoes, chicken broth and chickpeas; bring to a rapid simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 6 minutes.
4.Meanwhile, add the ground turkey, parsley, dash of Worcestershire, panko,1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to the bowl with the reserved onion mixture and mix with your hands. Form the turkey mixture into meatballs ( I got 16 out of mine) .
5.Place the meatballs in the pot with the sauce and simmer, turning once, until cooked through, about 7 minutes. Serve with more pepper and parsley.

*tip: I think it would also be good with fresh spinach or kale.



recipe source: Food Network Magazine (October 2012 issue, pg. 96)