Pomegranate Series Part Two: Roasted Beets with Warm Pomegranate Ginger Vinaigrette

Had I asked my seventeen year old sister to name this recipe, I'm pretty sure she would have come up with something like "purple power" or "purple madness." Like most teenagers, her view of the world is whimsical and colorful, and like most teenagers her world was a palette of her two favorite colors: purple and pink. I, on the other hand, was a relatively boring teenager by today's standards, and really didn't care too much for colors. My clothing tended to be mostly black; not a choice I made due to any goth tendencies but simply because, back then, choosing colors was a nuisance for me.  Thankfully, along with wisdom,  age brings  a little more fashion sense. (I hope.) 

While colors add visual appeal to clothing and accessories, they add nothing to its intrinsic function: to clothe the body. Colors in food, on the other hand, are more than just skin deep. Brightly colored fruit and vegetables - red peppers, green leafy vegetables, carrots, beets - are an indication that they  are packed with nutrients, vitamins and those ever popular antioxidants. 

Arguably one of the most vibrantly colored vegetables around, beets are an excellent source of fiber, manganese, folic acid, potassium,  and the compound betacyanin. Betacyanin, in addition to giving beets its characteristic deep purple color, has been found to exhibit anti-cancer properties. Pairing these nutrient-rich bulbs with antioxidant-rich pomegranate juice is a combination deserving of any fashionable title. 

Roasted Beets with Warm Pomegranate Vinaigrette 

Serves four

2 cups peeled and cubed beets (about 5 whole beets)

4 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup pomegranate juice

4 tbsp red wine vinegar 

1 inch fresh ginger, grated

1 tbsp honey

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss beets with two tablespoons and spread evenly along the bottom of a well greased baking dish. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until fork tender. 

2. Meanwhile, whisk together pomegranate juice, vinegar, honey and grated ginger in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook for about three minutes until juice begins to bubble and thicken slightly. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil. Pour over roasted beets and serve. 

Moist Devil's Food Cake (and an award)

Last week, I offered to make a cake for one of my friends who was celebrating her birthday. In my opinion, since birthdays are celebratory events, they are perfectly legitimate reasons to indulge in dessert, and what better dessert to indulge in than a rich, moist, devil's food cake entirely covered in silky, dark chocolate frosting. No. No diet rules here. This is one day we should all be allowed to just eat cake. Even if it is someone else's birthday. I found this recipe at Martha Stewart's website; for the best cakes, must consult the guru right? Although it was quite labor intensive and highly time consuming, the end result was well worth it. I made no alterations to the recipe but, while it called for the forsting to be chilled for two hours, I found that it took almost four hours to set.

Moist Devil's Food Cake (Adapted from Martha Stewart)

Makes one 8-inch round layer cake

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for pans
3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, plus more for pans
1/2 cup boiling water
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups sifted cake flour, not self-rising
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

1.Heat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange two racks in center of oven. Butter three 8-by-2-inch round cake pans; line bottoms with parchment. Dust bottoms and sides of pans with cocoa powder; tap out any excess. Sift cocoa into a medium bowl, and whisk in 1/2 cup boiling water. Set aside to cool.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on low speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down sides twice. Beat in vanilla. Drizzle in eggs, a little at a time, beating between each addition until the batter is no longer slick, scraping down the sides twice.
3. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk milk into reserved cocoa mixture. With mixer on low speed, alternately add flour and cocoa mixtures to the batter, a little of each at a time, starting and ending with flour mixture.
4. Divide batter evenly among the three prepared pans. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center of each layer comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes, rotating the pans for even baking. Transfer layers to wire racks; let cool, 15 minutes. Turn out cakes, and return to racks, tops up, until completely cool.
5. Remove parchment from bottoms of cakes. Reserve the prettiest layer for the top. Place one cake layer on a serving platter; spread 1 1/2 cups chocolate frosting over the top. Add the second cake layer, and spread with another 1 1/2 cups frosting. Top with third cake layer. Cover outside of cake with the remaining 3 cups frosting. Serve.

Chocolate Frosting
Makes 6 cups

24 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips
4 cups whipping cream
1 teaspoon honey

1. Place chocolate chips and cream in a heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until combined and thickened, between 20 and 25 minutes. Increase the heat to medium low; cook, stirring, 3 minutes more. Remove pan from heat.
2. Stir in honey. Transfer frosting to a large metal bowl. Chill until cool enough to spread, about 3 to 4 hours, checking and stirring every 15 to 20 minutes. Use immediately.

Another bit of sweetness is this blog award I received yesterday from Zerrin at Give Recipe. Thanks Zerrin! The rule is to pass it on to other deserving bloggers, and here they are:
Sweet Foods
Tri to Cook
The Hungry Mouse
Be Foodie
The Pink Peppercorn
Kitchen Tantra
Zesty Cook
Broken Yolks

Spanish Stuffed Squid

At this moment, as I look out of my living room window, I can see three people jogging along the greenway-a dedicated bicycle and pedestrian path that runs through Minneapolis. It is twenty degrees outside but these runners are dressed for it, with a striking resemblance to Kurt Russell in The Thing. 

This is one of the most outstanding traits  about Minneapolis: there is a huge emphasis towards health. Winter does not stop these people from venturing outdoors; in fact, it serves as an additional medium for sports. Cross country skiing, snowboarding, ice fishing. And when the condition get unbearable, the gyms the packed. Summers transform the city from a brownish-grayish frozen tundra to a lush green, bustling, cycling, running, wind sailing, metropolis. Being the city of lakes, people here seem to congregate around them as soon as the temperature reaches above fifty degrees. 

As dedicated as people here are to their outdoors and their health,  Minneapolitans are zealous about the local restaurant scene.  New restaurants spring up on a regular basis. Unfortunately, possibly due the current economic situation or the fact that ninety percent of restaurants fail within the first two years, the city is seeing many new restuarants close their doors. Temple, Indio and most recently, La Bodega, a small tapas restaurant at the corner of Lyndale Avenue and Lake Street. How ever others may have felt about the restaurant, I personally felt that the best tapas here were the gilled eggplant slices and the stuffed squid. 

So, what's a girl to do when the restaurant food she wants is no longer available? Make it herself of course! La Bodega's version was stuffed with raisins, breadcrumbs, garlic and I assumed the underlying spanish flavours of extra virgin oilive oil, olives or capers, and herbs de provence.  Here is what my version of stuffed squid looks like and how to make it. 

Spanish Stuffed Squid 

Serves 4 to 6

10-12 whole squid with tentacles on 

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup diced onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bell pepper, diced

2 sprigs fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

1/4 cup raisins

1 tbsp capers

2 tbsp chopped parsley

1 bay leaf

1 bell pepper

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

1. Remove the tentacles from the rest of the squid and finely chop them. Place the squid and chopped tentacles in separate bowls and refrigerate until ready to use. 

2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, onions, garlic, bell pepper, thyme, and bay leaves. Saute until onions soften, about 6 to 7 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Coarsely chop capers and stir into onion mixture; cook for another two minutes.  Turn of the heat and stir in chopped squid tentacles and chopped parsley. Mix well and remove skillet from over the heat. (The residual heat will slightly cook the tentacles, which will then finish cooking once stuffed in the squid and placed in the oven. )

3. Using a small spoon or your fingers, fill each squid body three quarters full with filling mixture. Secure the top with a toothpick. Place stuffed squid into a greased baking dish and brush lightly with extra olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees F for 25 to 30  minutes, turning occasionally. Serve immediately. 

Pomegranate Series Part 1: Poached Pears

It has been almost four years since I have modified my eating habits and the way I cook. My belief is that healthy food does not have to be boring or taste bad. And a healthy lifestyle does not mean absolute restrictions. I allow myself to indulge sometimes, sometimes maybe too much. Nonetheless, I have tried to reflect these beliefs here. I was humbled that the people at POM Wonderful, specifically Diana, recognized my efforts and offered to send me a case of their one hundred percent pomegranate juice to help with this endeavor. Now, let me tell you, pomegranates are rock stars in my kitchen so you could imagine how thrilled I was to receive this gift. I could not wait to begin cooking with it. This is part one of a series of dishes made with pure pomegranates (the juice and fruit forms.) I will try my best to present them consecutively but don't hold me to that.

Pomegranate juice can be used for more than the occasional cocktail. The health benefits are also spectacular. A slew of clinical studies has been conducted on the medicinal properties of this juice with positive results in the areas of cardiovascular health, prostate health, erectile function, and antioxidant potency.

Antioxidants are molecules found in our bodies and in food that slow the process of cellular oxidation. Basically, when cells use oxygen , they release highly reactive atoms or molecules called free radicals. Some free radicals are important in biology but there are others whose side reactions can be detrimental to our health. For example, free radicals are thought to function in some cancers, and diseases such as atherosclerosis and Parkinson's disease.

Antioxidants function to neutralize some of these harmful free radicals. While there are natural antioxidants in our bodies, many come from the types of foods we eat. Green tea, red wine, grape juice all contain some form of antioxidants. However, pomegranates contain higher concentrations than any of those. If that alone is not a reason to indulge in this fruit, I don't know what is.

For more information on the many health benefits of pomegranates, click here.

Pomegranate Poached Pears

Serves 4

4 bosc pears
2 cups 100 % pomegranate juice
1/4 cup sugar
2 whole star anise
1 piece of cinnamon stick (about 3")
1/2 cup sherry

1. Peel pears, being careful to retain the stem.
2. In a large pot over medium heat, combine the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and add the pears. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes, turning occasionally. Cook until the pears are tender, not soft and mushy.
3. Remove pears, cinnamon stick and star anise from the liquid. (Refrigerate pears in an air tight container until ready to serve.) Increase heat to medium high and allow to cook until the liquid has thickened to a syrupy consistency, being careful not to burn.
4. To serve, arrange a single pear and a scoop of mascarpone cheese (optional) on a serving plate, and drizzle with two tablespoons of syrup. Alternatively, pears can be served on a mixed greens salad with goat cheese and pomegranate seeds as pictured below.

One Year of Healthy and Gourmet

I started this blog as a means of keeping my family and friends (in the Caribbean and Canada) abreast with my life in the US. My travels, my thoughts, new interests, and my cooking. I have been cooking since the age of ten so they knew that this was part of who I am, a part that was not going. 

Today, Healthy and Gourmet is one year old. Over the past twelve months, this blog has morphed into primarily a food blog, a transition which I thoroughly welcomed.  It has also become more than just a project or a hobby. It is now a purpose. While I am very careful not to be defined by it, H&G is now part of my routine. I have learnt a tremendous amount about what I am capable of, both psychologically and culinarily.  My cooking skills have improved as well as my skills in patience and perseverance. One of the best lessons was learning how to deal with negative and sometimes hurtful criticism. I have learnt to persevere when faced with this sort of criticism and during bouts of zero motivation. 

While my family and friends are still avid followers, I have met many new and fascinating people, people whose generous comments and suggestions make blogging even more enjoyable. Some share my interests and some have interests that are as far from mine as Britney Spears is from great acting but whose pursuits and opinions keep me intrigued and inspired. Thank you everyone! 

Cheers!

Natasha