The holidays are here, and that also means it is time for one of my favorite sweet and tart fruits – the pomegranate!

My love for the sweet and tart flavor of the pomegranate runs deep. I remember being in grade school learning the Greek myth of Persephone whose consumption of only 6 pomegranate arils led to the start of Winter. This is where my desire to try this fruit with tiny arils packed with vitamin c, fiber, and antioxidants. Did I mention that they taste great, too?

Pomegranate arils make the perfect addition to any recipe, adding that special flare for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. They are available from October through January, which means you have about two more months to indulge in their deliciousness. Try them as a healthy snack, as a garnish for a drink, or incorporate them into your favorite recipe.

I know that deconstructing a pomegranate can get messy, POM Wonderful makes adding the delicious POM POMS to your meals and beverages easy with POM POMS that are conveniently packaged in a 100-calorie 4.3oz size and an 8oz family-size container.

For those that would like to get to the best part of the pomegranate – the juice – POM Wonderful uses their own California-grown pomegranates and hand presses them to make 100% pomegranate Juice. Each 8oz bottle contains the juice of two whole pomegranates, and nothing else – no added sugar, filler, preservatives or colorants.

Look for these POM Wonderful products in the refrigerated section of your produce department, and use these recipes below to impress your guest this holiday season.

For more inspiration and recipes, visit POM Wonderful. Remember, there are only two more months to get your Pomegranate on.

Recipes!!!

Cocktail

Dapper Devil

Servings: 1
Time to Table: 5 minutes

Ingredients
2 oz. POM Wonderful100% Pomegranate Juice
1 to 2 slices of fresh jalapeño 1½ oz.
Aviation Gin
Club Soda
Twist of lime

Method
In an old-fashioned glass muddle a slice of jalapeño.
Pour in 2 oz. of POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate juice and 1½ oz. Aviation Gin, add ice and stir.
Top with a splash of club soda and a twist of lime.

Appetizer

Chef Katie Chin’s Pomegranate Guacamole

Servings: 4

“Everyone loves this fresh twist on guacamole bursting with sweet and tangy juice from the pomegranate seeds. My husband loves to spread this on a turkey sandwich to add a little zip to his lunch.”  – Chef Katie Chin TV Host Los Angeles, CA

Ingredients
2 ripe avocados, skin and pit removed
zest and juice of 1 lime
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 large jalapeño pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
1 garlic clove,
minced kosher salt to taste
1/2 cup POM POMS Fresh Arils
tortilla chips or pita chips

Method
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mash the avocado and mix in the lime zest and juice, red onion, jalapeño, garlic. Season to taste with salt.
Stir in the pomegranate seeds and serve with tortilla or pita chips.

Entrée

Roasted Salmon with POM POMS Salsa

Servings: 6
Time to Table: 30 minutes

Ingredients
1 cup POM POMS Fresh Arils
1¾ lbs (28-oz) salmon filet
½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
¼ red onion, sliced
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Method
Heat broiler to high with rack 6 inches below broiler.
Season salmon with sea salt and pepper.
Place salmon on a foil-lined pan and broil until cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes.
Stir together the POM POMS Fresh Arils, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil and ¼ teaspoon sea salt.
Spoon salsa over salmon to serve.

Additional serving suggestion: Spoon POM POMS Salsa on top of toasted baguette slices to make a bruschetta appetizer.

POM POMS-Stuffed Quinoa Squash

Servings: 4

Time to Table: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Ingredients
1 cup POM POMS Fresh Arils, plus more for garnish
2 acorn squash 1½ cups quartered
Brussels sprouts
1½ cups wedged onions
1½ cups diced eggplant
1 cup diced mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup dry quinoa

Method
Heat oven to 400ºF.
Microwave acorn squash until soft enough to cut, about 15 minutes.
Cut in half stem to tip, and scrape out seeds.
Place on a roasting pan and place on the upper third rack of the oven.
Roast until tender, about 40 min.
Meanwhile, toss together the Brussels sprouts, onions, eggplant, mushrooms, olive oil, salt and pepper and spread out on a rimmed baking sheet.
Place on the lower third rack of the oven under the acorn squash.
Roast until tender, about 35 min
Toss roasted vegetables with quinoa, feta, POM POMS Fresh Arils and half of the red wine vinaigrette.
Spoon into acorn squash.
Sprinkle with extra POM POMS Fresh Arils and serve extra vinaigrette.
RED WINE VINAIGRETTE
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon thyme, chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch of salt and pepper
Method
Whisk together ¼ cup red wine vinegar, a pinch of salt and pepper, ½ teaspoon chopped thyme and 4 tablespoons olive oil.

Dessert

Whole Wheat Waffles with POM POMS

Servings: 6
Time to Table: 30 minutes

Ingredients
1½ cups POM POMS Fresh Arils
1 ⅓ cups whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup milk
2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups vanilla yogurt
⅓ cup honey

Method

Heat waffle iron.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl.
Mix together the milk, egg yolks and oil. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites to firm peaks.
Stir the milk mixture into the dry ingredients then fold in the egg whites.
Spoon 2 tablespoons of batter on the waffle iron for each waffle.
Cook until golden and crispy.
Place on a cooling rack immediately after removing from waffle iron.
Top waffles with POM POMS Fresh Arils, yogurt and drizzle with honey.

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own and are honest.