Thursday, March 26, 2015

Herby Quinoa and Pomegranate Salad








I remember those afternoons when I would order freshly pressed pomegranate juice ubiquitous on the streets of Istanbul. The drink was rich in antioxidants and vitamins, so fresh, and unbelievably inexpensive; I never tired of more. The tight clusters of ruby jewels called arils nestled inside the fruit would release an impressive amount of juices once crushed - a fact that I testified the hard way having cracked open one by hand for the first time in my own kitchen.

Prized as they are where I live, I never really laid my hands on this exquisite fruit until I was recently gifted with two. Elated, my mind quickly raced for ideas to make the most out of these precious fruits. And should I have looked up the best ways to deseed a pomegranate, I might have averted spraying ruby stains up the walls, all across the kitchen floor, and into my eyes. And perhaps I could have excavated the fruit in a third of the time. But hey, as long as I enjoy the fruit of labor, who cares?

Rounding off the nuttiness of quinoa with homegrown herbs, salty olives, tart cranberries, toasted pine nuts, a hint of lemon and rich olive oil and - lastly - the sweet and crunchy "jewels in the crown"
Pomegranate seeds add vibrant color, crunch, a refreshing hint of sweetness, and a touch of festivity to just about anything. I came across Cookie+Kate's Mediterranean-inspired recipe and was instantly hooked. A healthy, light, but filling salad that you can enjoy as a main or a mezze side, this salad practically sings in your mouth with a symphony of contrasting flavors and textures. Substitute couscous for quinoa and leave out olives to suit your preference. If you crave for some creaminess and a savory tang, add feta or crumbled goat cheese. Experiment with different kinds of nuts; personally I find pine nuts a seamless match.

To prepare...
1/2 cup quinoa
2 tablespoons fresh pomegranate arils
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
2 tablespoons dried cranberries
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
8 Kalamata olives, sliced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Rinse and place quinoa in a saucepan with 1 cup of water. Bring water to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and let cook for 15 minutes, covered. Take pot off heat, leave covered for 5 additional minutes. Uncover the pot and fluff the quinoa with a fork, set aside.

2. While the quinoa is cooking, chop the herbs and toast the pine nuts either on stovetop or in an oven. Remove the nuts from heat as soon as they begin to brown, glisten, and turn fragrant. Meanwhile, prepare the dressing by whisking together the olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper (optional).

3. Assembling the salad: Combine quinoa, the chopped parsley and mint, olives, cranberries, pine nuts, and pomegranate in a medium bowl and drizzle in the dressing. Toss to coat and season to taste, adding more olive oil if desired. Serve right away or make ahead and keep refrigerated for several days!
 
Adapted from Cookie+Kate's recipe on http://cookieandkate.com/2014/herbed-quinoa-and-pomegranate-salad/
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Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Ski, Eat, Drink | Hokkaido


"Power ranging" on the summit of Mt. Isola!!
Long time no see! Since my last entry I have celebrated my birthday and been away skiing in Hokkaido and eating away in Osaka, Japan, effectively putting on a couple of kilos in as short as one week. Skiing for four consecutive days and burning my quads and back muscles seemed to have little effect on counterbalancing the noticeable bump that formed around my midsection. Why, blame it on the scrumptious all-you-can-eats (a.k.a. suicide traps), daily overdose of Japanese alcohol, and the diverse, ever-pleasing seasonal Japanese cuisine. We even stashed miniature bottles of Taketsuru (竹鶴) Pure Malt 17 years in our pockets to refuel on the slopes... seriously. Black Diamond? Piece of cake.

Paying respect to the Founder of Japanese Whiskey and sampling vintage whiskeys at the Nikka Whiskey Distillery, Yoichi (市), Hokkaido

The epitome of freshness and indulgence: sashimi don and the sweetest, melt-in-your-mouth uni sashimi... this is what bliss is  

(From left) Hokkaido-style curry; guilt-laden premium pork belly morsels heading to the grill; irresistable Hokkaido-style cheesecake that we paired with whiskey

Returning to home, "overweight" and misshaped just like my luggages, I vowed to get back in shape and stay away from any sorts of buffets until further notice and adopt a strict, healthy diet to my best ability when at home. So stay tuned for some exciting, low-carb recipes to come soon!

[Any thoughts or comments? I want to hear from you! Also check out my Facebook Fan Page and Instagram: #alvinspenthousekitchen]