Week 21 – Pomegranate

Pomegranates are so worth the work to obtain those little juicy jewels of red seeds inside. I wonder how many Google searches are done during their ripe season of October and November for the best way to cut open a pomegranate? Millions? I wrote that in my best Austin Powers voice with my pinky finger at my mouth. See below, for reference 😂

21 week fetuses are about 10.5 inches long and are beginning to have more controlled movements, now that their arms and legs are proportionate. The amniotic fluid also tastes different each day depending on what mom eats. That’s one way to get your child to eats its’ vegetables, mama needs to eat hers too. No problem.

Pomegranate seeds, with all their antioxidant properties, are amazing just eaten as is, great atop a salad; but also can be cooked down into molasses. Although pomegranate molasses is thick and syrupy, it’s not overly sweet, it adds more of a tanginess. With just a little bit going a long ways. I’m sure you knew the recipe had to be pomegranate molasses because it’s shelf stable. And not only that, but my trusty Google source even says opened pomegranate molasses stays fresh in the pantry, or the USPS mail holding center (weather permitting). Same thing.

While researching what to make this week, I was super stoked to find this recipe because it also calls for dukkah; which I believe you were with me when I bought this herby nut blend at Trader Joe’s. And really, who am I kidding, aren’t you nearly always with me or me with you? Because this is an Australian recipe, the measurements differ from the United States. Not in the way that the UK does, with the good ol’ trusted metric system, using grams instead of cups, which actually makes total sense, by the way. But, did you know the Tablespoon in Australia is different from the Tablespoon in the United States? 20 mL compared to 14.8 mL. Mind blown. So I have done all the #maths (conversions) for you. You’re welcome.🙂 And who knows, it may not even make a noticeable difference- plus you’re so skilled at cooking without measuring anything anyways…. I’m not quite there yet!

www.sbs.com – Vegetarian Kofte with Pomegranate

Ingredients:

100 g bulgar
400g can lentils, drained and mashed
1 lemon, juiced and grated rind
2 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1.5 Tbsp pomegranate molasses
1.5 Tbsp dukkah
Salt
Cooking spray

Method:

Place the bulgar with a large pinch of salt in a bowl and cover with about 3/4 cups of boiling water. Add the lemon zest and juice and stir. Put aside for 15-20 minutes, until the water has been absorbed.

Mix together the tahini, tomato paste and pomegranate molasses in a large bowl. Add the lentils and dukkah and mix well. When ready, add in the bulgar and mix until well combined. Taste and adjust the flavors if needed. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425°. Shape the mixture into 8 equal sized kofte, although I did not learn this shape in elementary school, I made do. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. The original recipe says cook for 7-8 minutes, turning once. You’re looking for a golden color and starting to brown around the edges. Was it because I doubled the recipe or did I make them too big? #bigkoftes Whatever the reason, it took a good 20 minutes of cook time.