The FTC recently filed a complaint against POM Wonderful for the health claims it makes. Perhaps, this will put a crimp in POM’s sales, but it certainly didn’t stop me from making a wonderful dinner of Roasted Swordfish with Pomegranate Vinaigrette.
Whether POM’s health claims are true or not, I would argue it’s better than many of the dietary supplements available on the market. And when I served it with beets and kale – the most nutritionally dense food per calorie available, I knew I had a healthy meal.
Pomegranates and portobellos pair wonderfully with the combination of sweet and earthy flavors. The swordfish was a perfect vehicle to transport the flavor – meaty enough to keep its presence known but with minimal flavor competition.
In the past, when I’ve made the pomegranate vinaigrette, I squeezed my own – taking fresh pomegranates, cutting them in quarters and then squeezing the juice out with a potato ricer.
This time, I lazily just purchased bottled juice. The vinaigrette is thickened with cooked beets – which mirror the flavors of the pomegranates and mushrooms.
I served the sauce and 'shrooms with roasted swordfish, but you could also serve it with lamb or salmon. Or just toss some arugula with the mushrooms and vinaigrette for a bright fall salad.
Pomegranate Vinaigrette
1 small beet, cooked until exceedingly tender
½ cup pomegranate juice
1 small shallot, peeled and coarsely chopped
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ lime, juiced
Salt and pepper to taste
Sautéed Mushrooms
2 tbs. butter
3 portobello mushrooms, sliced ¼ inch thick
1 small shallot, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 – 2 sprigs thyme
¼ cup dry sherry
Salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.
Heat a large skillet over medium high flame. Add butter. When butter is melted, and mushrooms. Cook without stirring for 2-3 minutes. Add shallots and garlic. Sprinkle thyme on top. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir mushrooms, and cook for 2 minutes more. Add sherry and let reduce. Set aside.
Love the look of this vinaigrette. I love to buy pomegranate juice at Middle Eastern markets; it’s much cheaper than POM. I boil some down to make my own pomegranate molasses, too.
I love this combination of flavors – sweet and earthy.
And I fooled my aching, potentially chesty, cold arriving self with bourbon (always supposed to scare a cold), lemon zest (vitamin C!), angastura bitters(herbs and botanicals!) and POM juice (anti oxidants!). I enjoy living in that little fantasy world that I just made most healing cocktail. Damn the FTC.
What a beautiful looking and delicious sounding vinaigrette. I always seem to just make a simple one with sherry vinegar, evoo, mustard and herbs, but think I’ll stretch a little to make this one soon. I think I even have some POM in the fridge. – S