Pomegranates

I love pomegranates but I don't love the mess they make in the kitchen when you remove the seeds. My kitchen has looked like a murder scene with red splatter all over the counters, floors and cupboards. I however have a solution for you! An easy solution at that. I came across this method one day when perusing pinterest and wondered to myself why didn't I think of this!

Courtesy of Veggie Belly

Fill a large bowl with water. Using a sharp knife, make two deep slits on top of the pomegranate in the shape of a ‘x’. Do this on a cutting board for more support. Place the pomegranate in the bowl of water.

Put your thumbs where you made the ‘x’ shaped slit, and pry open the pomegranate. Do this underwater so that the red juices don’t splash on you. You should be able to pull the fruit apart in wedges. If the pomegranate is difficult to pull apart, make the slit on top deeper and longer.

I didn't really feel this was necessary and just cut my pomegranate right in half. Slightly messier but quick! 

Pull the pomegranate wedges apart into manageable pieces. Gently remove the white membrane, while keeping the fruit under water. Then use your fingers to gently remove the red seeds. The seeds will sink to the bottom and the membrane and skin will float to the top.

Skim the top of the water to remove all floating white membrane and skin. Then pour out the water, reserving the pomegranate seeds. Pour a little more cold water over the seeds and pour out once again to make sure all the white membrane is gone. Gently pat dry the pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately or store covered in the fridge.

Simple as that!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

For the filling
2 cups rhubarb, diced
2 cups strawberries, diced
zest from one lemon
1 tsp lemon juice
3 tbsp honey
a pinch of salt
1½ tbsp arrowroot powder

For the crumbles
½ cup chopped pecans
¾ cup almond flour
2 tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp honey
4 tbsp coconut oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the strawberries and rhubarb in a large mixing bowl with the lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, salt, and arrowroot powder and mix well.

Mix the pecans, flours, cinnamon, salt and honey together in a medium mixing bowl. Cut in the coconut oil with your hands or a pastry cutter until the mixture begins to form crumbs.

Grease an oven proof casserole or skillet and spoon in the fruit filling. Crumble the topping evenly over the top. Bake for 25 minutes, checking occasionally. When the topping is browned and the fruit is bubbling, remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Recipe from Pinch of Yum

Watermelon and Arugula Salad

I love watermelon and this is a great fresh summer salad, pairing fresh watermelon with peppery arugula. 

2 cups baby arugula leaves*
4 cups seedless watermelon, 3/4-inch-diced
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces good feta cheese, 1/2-inch diced (leave out if going pure paleo)
2 tbsp good balsamic vinegar (I used the stuff from Oliv)

Place the arugula,watermelon, feta, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix together and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. 

*Arugula (otherwise known as rocket, roquette, rugula and rucola) is a dark green salad leaf with a slightly bitter, mustardy, peppery flavor. Arugula is a good choice of salad green to accompany a rich dish, because its sharp bite will cleanse the palate. Arugula is a Mediterranean plant—the Romans claimed it was an aphrodisiac—that also grows wild in Asia.

Banana Chips

Rich in potassium, vitamin A and B, bananas are a terrific food, both fresh and dried. Drying bananas in a dehydrator takes about eight hours, requires no pre-treatment except for dipping in lemon juice, and makes a delicious and healthy snack.

3 Bananas
Juice of one lemon
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cardamon

Slightly brown-flecked bananas will have the sweetest, most concentrated flavor when dried. If necessary, wait until bananas have ripened to brown-flecked. Peel the bananas. Slice bananas into 1/4-inch or 3/8-inch chips.

Dip each banana slice into the lemon juice. This lessens browning of the banana chips and adds a bit of vitamin C back into the banana. Shake off the extra lemon juice and lay the banana slice on the dehydrator tray. Leave enough space between banana slices on the tray to allow sufficient air flow for drying. Sprinkle with cinnamon and cardamon.

Fill the available dehydrator trays with banana slices. Put the trays into the dehydrator and turn on. Mine only has one setting. I turned it on a walked away. They will take between 6 - 8 hours. Half way through, flip over all the banana slices. The slices are easy to peel off the dehydrator tray when they are warm, and turning ensures dryness.

Test for dryness. If the banana chips are leathery to crisp, they are done.

Enjoy!

Ginger-Peach Scones

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1/4 cup coconut flour, sifted

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 sea salt

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger

3 tbsp coconut oil, melted

1 cup coarsely chopped peaches

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the almond flour, coconut lour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and whisk together. Add maple syrup, vanilla, eggs and ginger to the dry mixture. Blend well with a hand mixer. With mixer on low slowly add the coconut oil and mix well.Stir in the peaches.

Using an ice cream scoop, drop 8 even scoops of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 23 - 25 minutes, or until firm and golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Store leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days or freeze. 

Recipe from Paleo Indulgences by Tammy Credicott

This recipe was pretty good, the scones were not dry and the overall flavour was good. I may increase the cinnamon to 1 tsp and try different fruits (apple, apricots). You may also want to add some pecans or walnuts for extra crunch. I'll give this recipe 4 out of 5 stars. 

Fruit Pizza (Cheat Day)

Crust
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup cold butter

1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Fruit of your choice: strawberries, mandarin orange slices, pineapple, kiwi, blueberries

Glaze

5 teaspoons cornstarch
1-1/4 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice

In a large bowl, combine flour and confectioners' sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press onto an ungreased 12-in. pizza pan. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until very lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread over crust. Arrange your fruit of choice on top.

For glaze, in a small saucepan, combine the cornstarch, pineapple juice and lemon juice until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Cool slightly. Drizzle over fruit. Refrigerate until chilled.

Mango Glazed Grilled Shrimp

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined 
1 mango, peeled and sliced
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Juice of 1/2 lime
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp jalapeno, chopped
2 tsp fresh ginger
1 tsp olive oil

Combine mango, lemon and lime juice, apple cider vinegar, jalapeno, ginger and oil in a blender and blend till smooth. Pour mango mixture over peeled shrimp and let marinade for 15 minutes. 

Heat grill to medium heat. Skewer shrimp on bamboo skewers and place on BBQ. Cook for 5 - 7 minutes or until skin is pink and cooked through.

This is a summery dish and can be served with a lovely fresh salad. 

Cinnamon Grilled Fruit

Fruit is perfect for the grill because it is so easy to prepare. Fruit is basically made up of water and sugar and by grilling it you can concentrate the flavors by reducing the water and caramelizing the natural sugars. The process is very simple. You need sliced fruit, water, and cooking oil to make the most basic grilled fruit. What you will get is a quick and easy addition to any meal whether it is as an appetizer, side dish, or dessert. Hard fruits like apples, pears, and pineapples are the easiest to grill since they hold their shape and texture while cooking. Softer fruits like peaches, nectarines, plums and mangoes will become soft and mushy if overcooked. You will need to be more attentive of these kinds of fruit. Either way, pick a fresh firm fruit that is just short of being perfectly ripe. You will want a fruit that is solid enough to hold together and maintain its texture on the grill.


2 apples, cored and cut into 1/4 inch slices (I just halved mine) 
2 pears, cored and halved  (I used anjou)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat grill for medium heat. Combine water and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add apple and pear slices to mixture. Place honey in a microwave safe bowl and heat until runny and add cinnamon. Place fruit on grill rack and allow to cook for 6-8 minutes on each side, turning once. Once cooked, place apples on a large dish and glaze with cinnamon/honey mixture.