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...
I am going to start a drinking game where we take shots of POM juice every time you use the word "arils." Hee hee. Seriously, this all looks really good! And you should try the Panko sometime- they're the same to use as breadcrumbs, but they tend to be crunchier, and I think it makes oven-fried food have more of a fried taste and texture.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for dessert!
Liz, aren't there seeds in the pomagranites? Do you eat the seeds? Not much of a pom eater as you can probably tell, but I thought they had little seeds that needed to be spit out??!! All the food looks delicious!!
ReplyDeleteHelen Huskins
Jenn, thanks! I wasn't sure because they ARE so much crunchier! I wasn't sure how they would be. Next time I'll try them.
ReplyDeleteHelen, I always thought you were supposed to spit out the seeds, too, but NO! They are really good for you-- particularly for your digestive system. They are a great snack! I have really been enjoying having them on top of cereal!
Way to show off the girls, Liz;) That is the cutest darn apron! Everything looks amazing. Fabulous...dahhhling!
ReplyDelete