I've been busy making up for lost blogging time this week! In case you missed the first two recaps from my Pom Dinner Party, here are the links:
Recap # 1: Preparations and Decorations
Recap # 2: Drinks and Appetizers
So... before I tell you about our salad and main course, I've got to show you the hilarious apron I received from POM Wonderful.
What a great conversation piece, no? This apron inspired lots of laughs!
Moving on...
Here's a peek at our menu:
One thing that I like to do when I am cooking a more complicated dish is get all the prep done ahead of time. That way, you aren't having to measure out ingredients in a rush. Before our guests arrived, I prepped my chicken dish and got all my ingredients measured for the rice and the squash dish.
Can I just say that it would be AMAZING if I could have someone to do all the prep for me all the time???
The salad was so tasty...
This was very simple to make. I started with some mixed greens. Then I added crumbled goat cheese, pomegranate arils, walnuts, and a homemade Balsamic-Pom Viniagrette.
Viniagrette:
Mix equal parts balsamic vinegar, and pomegranate juice. I added about 8 oz. of each. Then I added 1/2 cup of sugar. I brought this to a boil on the stove, then simmered for about a half hour, allowing it time to reduce and thicken. When it cooled, I added mixed about a half cup of the reduced sauce with a few tablespoons of EVOO. (No exact amounts here-- just mix it to your liking.) Shake well. The reduction is so flavorful!
Our protein was Pomegranate and Lemon-Herb Chicken.
This recipe is from the POM Wonderful site and was created for tilapia. However, I used it for fish.
Click here for the original recipe. I opted for regular breadcrumbs over Panko, mainly because I am not as familiar with Panko. I skipped the step where you toast the breadcrumbs with oil on the stovetop. Instead, I sprayed my chicken with a light mist of cooking spray after I had rolled it in the breading. This helped it to crisp in the oven. The chicken was very tender and moist!
The Pom-Autumn Rice Pilaf was AMAZING.
Click here for this recipe from POM Wonderful. I wasn't sure how all these ingredients would taste together, but this recipe was my favorite thing that we made for this dinner party. Soooooooo delicious! I would make this again and again.
Finally, we also had a vegetable dish: Pom Squash and Onions with Toasted Breadcrumbs.
Click here for this recipe. This recipe was supposed to have mushrooms, but OOPS! I totally forgot to add them! It was still wonderful. I also used a combination of yellow squash and zucchini.
Ready for dessert??? It's delicious, simple, and guess who made it... RYAN! Coming soon...
