Healthy Pomegranate Recipes

Bitter escarole is an important part of the greens lineup at Colorado chef-farmer Eric Skokan's Black Cat Organic Farm in the winter, particularly when it comes to seasonal salads. Sturdy and crisp, it holds its own alongside a drizzle of garlicky dressing, juicy pomegranate arils and crunchy pistachios.

This pilaf melds the chewy texture of barley and wild rice with the richness of toasted pine nuts and the sweet-sour crunch of pomegranate seeds. The elegant dish is perfect for entertaining.

This beautiful pomegranate dessert is served to celebrate Yalda, the Iranian celebration of the winter solstice. Think of masghati as a cross between Jell-O and panna cotta. It's infinitely more refined and delicate than Jell-O and not quite as wobbly as panna cotta. Prepare pomegranate masghati a few hours in advance, and serve chilled out of the fridge for a light and refreshing dessert.

Pears are simmered in a blend of tart pomegranate juice and sweet dessert wine with gorgeous garnet-red results. The pears are served with the reduced poaching liquid and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds. A striking finale to any festive meal, garnish the pears with toasted slivered almonds and a touch of tangy Greek yogurt.

Kumquats deliver a piquant burst of citrus, especially when eaten skins, seeds and all. Here we toss them with a trio of greens for their vivid orange color as much as their zestiness. Pomegranate seeds and pistachios bring a jewel­like finish.

In a combination of gorgeous colors, textures and tastes, this salad stars radicchio, frisee, pomegranate seeds and walnuts. It's an elegant addition to your holiday menus. Sprinkle with Gorgonzola or another creamy blue cheese for an added burst of flavor and richness.

This arugula salad creation is a quick-and-easy solution to enhance any meal. Use the Maple-Thyme Baby Carrot recipe to add extra flavor and balance to this salad.

Jewel-like pomegranate seeds star along with bacon, tangy clementines and sweet dates in this mixed green salad recipe. To make it a dinner salad, top with chicken, shrimp or pan-seared salmon.

A long braise in the oven yields fork-tender results for a tough cut of lamb. Cinnamon, oregano, garlic and lemon infuse the lamb shoulder with Mediterranean aromas, while a final scattering of pomegranate arils provides a burst of color and crunch.

Rich, creamy, vanilla bean-flecked pudding tempers the tart-sweet pomegranate compote. Pick out small, festive glass dessert dishes for this pretty parfait.

The Moroccan word tagine, when translated simply as “stew,” hardly does justice to this beautifully fragrant, succulent one-dish meal. (Tagine is also the name of the distinctive pot in which the meal is traditionally cooked and served.) Pomegranate juice lends a tart depth of flavor to the sauce; use bottled juice and skip the garnish when the fruit is not in season. Serve with whole-wheat couscous to soak up the delicious sauce.

This refreshing cocktail is made with pomegranate vodka and citrus juices. It's delightfully fruity and fizzy and has under 15 grams of carbohydrates per serving.

A relish made from brightly colored pomegranate, oranges, and carrots creates a festive topping for this quick-cooking salmon dish.

Walnuts, lemon juice and feta combine to make a rich, tangy dressing to coat the vegetables cooked alongside this chicken.

This vibrant hummus is easy to make--simply roast the beets, then blend them with an otherwise-traditional hummus ingredient list. The combination is sure to please even those who are hesitant to beets as they don't overpower this recipe. Top the hummus with pomegranate arils and pistachios for some crunch and a little extra nutrition, then serve with your favorite pita, chips or a medley of crudité.

Balance herbaceous Campari with the sweet-tart flavors of pomegranate and grapefruit. This dusty pink drink looks festive in a stemmed wineglass with a twist of orange zest. For a slightly sweeter drink, use orange juice instead of grapefruit. To make a nonalcoholic version, omit the Campari and add an extra 1/3 cup of each juice.

This light, lemon-poppy seed cake is filled and topped with a lemony blend of Greek yogurt and whipped topping and sprinkled with crisp pomegranate seeds.

This twist on the mimosa is made with blood orange juice and pomegranate juice. It's a special way to start any weekend or toast the holiday season.

Pair turkey cutlets with roasted fennel and a rich pomegranate pan sauce for a simple yet elegant dish. Garnish with jewel-like fresh pomegranate seeds if available--they are in season from September through January. Turkey scallopini (thinner and smaller than cutlets) will also work in this recipe, but will need to be cooked in batches. Make it a meal: Nutty-tasting bulgur is delicious with this.

Clementines are a wonderful fruit to add to salad. They're small, easy to peel, and blend well with everything, as they do here on a bed of arugula with poppy-seed dressing.

With the honey, butter and cinnamon sauce drizzled on top and the sprinkling of pomegranate arils, this slow-cooker acorn squash is almost like a dessert. You can also drizzle the sauce over oatmeal and baked apples for breakfast.

Pomegranates become available in late fall just in time to grace holiday tables--all too often as decorations. For this festive roast the fruit is used in three forms: as a thick, sweet molasses for the filling plus whole seeds and juice for the sauce. Slicing through the roast reveals a colorful pinwheel of crushed walnuts mixed with the pomegranate molasses.

Perfect for the holidays, this scrumptious--yet low-calorie--dessert casserole is topped with a deep red cranberry-pomegranate sauce.

Please your guests with the contrasting textures and flavors of crunchy Belgian endives, juicy oranges and tart, ruby-red pomegranate seeds. The addition of cooked shrimp makes this an elegant first course.