Pomegranate Makes It Beautiful!
Are you planning a big holiday meal? Looking through pinterest for recipes, or digging out your folder of Grandma’s hand-written favorites?Can I put in a plug for good old fashioned cookbooks, too? And of course, pomegranate.
This month is prime time for big sit-down dinners with family and friends, and I’m betting that you need a new side dish. Like this easy Pomegranate Glazed Roasted Veggies with Pistachios. Sweet, tart, and savory, this is a great vegetable side that sparkles with pomegranate jewels and bright green pistachios.
It’s a little Middle Eastern, a little homespun, and will go well with whatever you are serving. Parsnips, sweet potato and carrot give the dish a hearty, comforting quality, and cauliflower roasts alongside them to melting tenderness.
The only trick in this recipe is cutting the vegetables a little differently than you usually do. Basically, I cut each veg into long planks, then divided those into strips. Then I cut each one, moving the angle of the veg under the knife, to cut triangles instead of just straight across. I think it’s a modified roll-cut, just moving the vegetable so it cuts at irregular angles.
I just thought it would look a little more exciting, but if you want to cut them the usual way, go for it. The main thing is that everything is similar in size so it will cook evenly.
Give Your Veggies Room
You need a big pan, so all the pieces have their own little piece of hot metal on which to caramelize. If you crowd them, they end up steaming and soggy, instead of browned and concentrated.
The glaze is the easiest thing, if you buy pomegranate juice concentrate. I keep it around for adding to salad dressings, kombucha and other drinks, or anything that needs a dash of sweet and sour.
If you are looking for more fun with pomegranate, check out these holiday friendly recipes, too:
Pomegranate Chocolate Shots and Popcorn for Parties
Pomegranate Glazed Roasted Veggies with Pistachios
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup pomegranate juice concentrate or 3/4 cup, boiled down
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 small sweet potato cut in angular pieces, 2 cups
- 1 large carrot cut at an angle
- 1 large parsnip cut in angular piece, 2 cups
- 2 cups cauliflower large florets
- 1/2 large red onion vertical slices
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- coarse salt
- 1/4 cup roasted pistachios chopped
- 1/4 cup pomegranate arils
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 F. In a small pot, combine the pomegranate juice concentrate, sugar and salt and bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking until the sugar is dissolved.
- Slice the vegetables into long slices, then cut on angles to make interesting shapes. Place in a large roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil. Add a couple of sprigs of rosemary and a sprinkling of salt. Toss to coat. Cover with foil and roast for 20 minutes. Uncover the pan and drizzle with the pomegranate mixture. Return to the oven and roast for 20 minutes longer.
- When the vegetables are tender when pierced with a paring knife, and the souce is coating them thickly, serve.
