The things I learned about pomegranate while tossing this Pear Harvest Salad

We fell in love with this Pear Harvest Salad, although the addition of pomegranate seeds in the recipe at first gave me pause. Hubby helped me remove the seeds from the pomegranate. I know pomegranate is BIG right now; it’s said to have antioxidant health benefits and be effective against heart disease and hypertension. I surely didn’t want to leave it out and miss those possible plusses.

I simply couldn’t see how those seeds were going to work in a salad. They looked as if they were the sort of things that would immediately get stuck in your teeth and detract.

When I tossed them in—reluctantly—and bit into my first seed as part of the mix, it unleashed a tiny burst of pomegranate juice that was the perfect tart/sweet addition to the salad. The seed casing then seemed to dissolve in my mouth. I’m pleased to report that not one seed got stuck. I don’t think this salad would be nearly as delicious without it. (Plus the skin from the seeds is thought to add fiber to the diet.)

The recipe called for 4 cups cubed turkey breast, but as I do with many recipes, I subbed cooked chicken breast, which I’m more likely to have on hand. We loved the pear/avocado combo and the topping of blue cheese and honey-roasted sliced almonds. The cider vinegar/honey/Dijon mustard dressing was wonderful.

This would be a scene-stealer salad at a bring-a-dish event or merely one your family will enjoy down to the last morsel in the bowl.

Pear Harvest Salad

2 packages (5-ounces each) spring mix salad greens

4 cups cubed cooked turkey breast (I used chicken breast)

2 medium pears, sliced

1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and cubed

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

Dressing:

6 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Topping:

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/2 cup honey-roasted sliced almonds

Divide spring mix among six plates. (I merely put my spring mix in a big salad bowl and tossed all ingredients together instead of dividing the mix.) Layer with turkey, pears, avocado, pomegranate seeds, and onion. Whisk the dressing ingredients; drizzle over salad. Sprinkle with cheese and almonds. Makes 6 servings. (Recipe source: Taste of Home Thanksgiving Recipe Cards)

Baked Potato Soup--love it for winter evenings

What could be more cozy than a steaming dish of Baked Potato Soup? I had some soon-to-be-over-the-hill white potatoes in my veggie bin and a Southern Living November 2011 recipe for this comfort-food classic. It was a no-brainer for a winter evening meal.

This recipe called for a 24-ounce package of frozen steam-and-mash potatoes, but I simply peeled, boiled, and mashed four medium-to-large white potatoes and measured out 24 ounces of them once they were mashed. (OK, Hubby did the peeling and mashing. I need to be truthful here, because he proofreads my blog and will certainly call this omission to my attention.)

Nothing to the prep time: cooking the onion and garlic in melted butter, stirring in flour, the bouillon cube, and 3 cups water and cooking for 10 minutes; and then stirring in potatoes, milk, and pepper to simmer for about 10 more minutes. Done!

Of course the toppings are what turn this dish into a soup-like baked potato. I piled on turkey bacon bits, shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, and chives. It was a winner of a dinner!

Baked Potato Soup

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup chopped sweet onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 extra-large chicken bouillon cube (can use the lower-sodium variety)

3 cups water

1 (24-ounce) package frozen steam-and-mash potatoes (I used regular potatoes that had been

peeled, and mashed, and measured out to equal 24 ounces)

2 cups milk (I used skim)

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion and garlic; cook, stirring often, 5 to 10 minutes or until golden. Sprinkle onion mixture with flour and stir until coated. Stir in bouillon cube and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium heat; stir often. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Meanwhile microwave potatoes according to package directions. (Do not add butter or milk.) Stir potatoes, milk, and pepper into onion mixture. Cook over medium heat. Stir occasionally, 10 minutes, or until mixture is thickened. Serve with desired toppings, such as bacon, shredded cheese, sliced green onions, and/or chives. Makes 8 cups.

"Fun-Fetti" should be the name of this great salad mix of turkey, rice, and veggies

I’m drawn to anything that has “Texas” in the title, so I loved finding this recipe for Texas Confetti Rice Salad. The flavors were South-of-the-Border; the cook who submitted the recipe to the cookbook hailed from the Lone Star; and the salad was as colorful and diverse as is our great state, so guess that explains the name.

The recipe was designed as a way to use leftover turkey (I subbed chicken); its other contents were a healthy combo—fresh tomatoes, fresh corn, green pepper, red onion, cilantro, avocado. And so pretty in the bowl! This would be a knockout on a buffet table, for sure.

Other than the time required for chopping all those ingredients, this is a quick-fix side dish that you’ll rave about for many a day!

Texas Confetti Rice Salad

2 cans (14 1/2-ounces each) chicken broth

2 cups uncooked long grain rice

1/2 cup water

4 cups cubed cooked turkey (or chicken)

4 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped

2 cups fresh or frozen corn, thawed

1 large green pepper, chopped

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro

1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

3 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 medium-ripe avocado, peeled and cubed

In a large saucepan bring the broth, rice, and water to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-18 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Transfer to a large bowl; cool completely. Stir in turkey, tomatoes, corn, green pepper, and onion. In a small bowl whisk the oil, cilantro, green chilies, vinegar, lime juice, mustard, cumin, garlic powder, and pepper flakes. Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat. Chill until you serve. Just before you serve, stir in the avocado. Makes 12 servings. (Recipe courtesy Taste of Home Thanksgiving Recipe Cards.)

Hooray for Brulée, especially the pumpkin variety

The notation by the recipe card in my source summed up everything correctly: “I’ve never met a creme brulée that I didn’t like!” My sentiments exactly. On my birthday several months back, the restaurant brought me a creme brulée as a complimentary birthday dessert. A treat indeed!

So when I saw a recipe for Pumpkin Creme Brulée, my heart did a somersault. Of course I had to try it, especially since I had some fresh pumpkin on hand. I loved the fact that I could bake this dessert in individual ramekins. The recipe called for heavy whipping cream, but I used whole milk instead. I usually have some leftover whole milk around since I use it in the sippy cups of the grandmunchkin when he visits, but I often have a lot of the milk container remaining.

The custards have to be broiled in the oven for from 4-7 minutes until the sugar is caramelized.

(Creme brulée means “burnt cream”. It has a custard base with a topping of caramel that has been broiled until it is deep butterscotch brown. Often the broiled caramel forms a hard layer. Sometimes cooks use small cooking torches instead of the oven broiler to brown the top portion.) Watch the process carefully while the custards are oven-broiling so they will not burn or get overly toasty. Chilled after cooking, these desserts may be served with or without whipped topping. I think I like creme brulée because it resembles Mexican flan, one of my food weaknesses.

This makes an impressive, delicious dessert that you don’t have to work very arduously to create. Best of all is digging past the hard, glazed layer to spoon out the smooth, spicy underside.

Pumpkin Creme Brulée

8 egg yolks (I used 2 cups of egg substitute)

1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar, divided (can use sugar substitute)

3 cups heavy whipping cream (I used whole milk)

3/4 cup canned pumpkin (can use fresh)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon each ground ginger, nutmeg, and cloves

In a small bowl whisk egg yolks and 1/3 cup sugar. In a small saucepan heat cream over medium heat until bubbles form around sides of pan. Remove from the heat; stir a small amount of hot cream into egg yolk mixture. Return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Stir in the pumpkin, vanilla, and spices. Transfer to eight 6-ounce ramekins or custard cups. Place ramekins in a baking pan; add 1 inch of boiling water to pan. Bake uncovered, at 325 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until centers are just set (mixture will jiggle). Remove ramekins from water bath; cool for 10 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. If you use a creme brulée torch, sprinkle top of desserts with remaining sugar. Heat sugar with the torch until the sugar is caramelized. Serve immediately. If broiling the custards, place ramekins on a baking sheet; let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Broil 8 inches from the heat for 4-7 minutes or until sugar on top is caramelized. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until firm. Makes 8 servings. (Source: Taste of Home Thanksgiving Recipe Cards.)

A hint of spring in those Blueberry Muffins with the lemony topping? If so, we're ready.

They were featured in a magazine article on Christmas-morning breakfast goodies, but when I baked them and dined on them, I was certain a touch of spring breezed through. (Our unusual springlike weather in mid-January may have contributed to that.)

I’m a blueberry muffin adorer and preparer from way back, but I’ve never topped them with with anything like this Lemon-Cream Cheese Glaze. The fluffy lemony topping brings out the flavor of the blueberries amazingly. I used frozen blueberries in my mixture, but fresh blueberries, of course, are ideal if you can encounter some.

Christmas morning (as the Southern Living December 2011 issue suggested), Easter morning, or just plain ole Saturday morning (the time when ours were enjoyed), these gorgeous muffins are winners.

Blueberry Muffins with Lemon-Cream Cheese Glaze

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or salt substitute)

3 large eggs (or 3/4 cup egg substitute)

1 1/2 cups milk (I used skim)

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 cups frozen (or fresh) blueberries

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Stir together first 4 ingredients. Whisk together eggs and next 2 ingredients; add to flour mixture; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Toss blueberries with 1 tablespoon flour; gently fold into batter. Spoon mixture into 1 1/2 lightly greased 12-cup muffin pans. Fill muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 450 degrees for 14 to 15 minutes or until muffins are lightly browned and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean. Immediately remove from pans to wire racks. Let cool 10 minutes. Makes 1 1/2 dozen muffins.

Lemon-Cream Cheese Glaze

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened (I used low-fat cream cheese)

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add lemon zest and next 2 ingredients; beat until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar. Beat until smooth. Frost muffins.

These Mason jars hold pure delight: BLT Turkey Salad

I thought it was just the cutest idea ever—serving a salad in Mason jars. That’s how the colorful recipe card depicted it. Then I read that the menu item would appeal to the pickiest of eaters. I know a few of those. So I had to get busy and round up the ingredients to see how this all worked out.

The recipe was intended to use turkey (BLT Turkey Salad was its name), but I subbed cubed cooked chicken. Typically I would have subbed the darker leafy spinach for the called-for romaine lettuce, but then it wouldn’t have been a BLT! Lettuce, tomato, and bacon were joined by healthy green pepper, cucumber, and red onion. I suppose if I had had leftover avocado, green onion, or black olives, I could have tossed those in as well. The dressing was amazing and tied everything together. My recipe card suggests pairing the salad with a slice of garlic bread.

This was an absolutely darling salad that Hubby and I devoured down to the last piece of shredded cheese.

BLT Turkey Salad

6 cups torn romaine or leaf lettuce

4 cups cubed cooked turkey

1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

10 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled (I used turkey bacon)

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup chopped cucumber

Dressing:

1 cup (8 ounces) plain yogurt

1 cup mayonnaise (I used lite mayo)

1/4 cup sugar (I used sugar substitute)

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon garlic powder

In a large salad bowl combine the first nine ingredients. Just before serving whisk the dressing ingredients. Pour the dressing mixture over turkey mixture; toss to coat. Makes 12 servings. (Recipe courtesy Taste of Home Thanksgiving Recipe Cards.)

Happy that this fresh guacamole is so healthy; orange you?

I’m not sure I’ve ever enjoyed any guacamole recipe any more than I did this Fresh Orange Guacamole. It was thick, chunky, and indulgent.

Only problem was, that hint of orange that drew me to preparing this dish was nowhere around.

Perhaps another cook would achieve a different outcome. But, to me, the recommended addition of 1 large navel orange, peeled, sectioned, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces, plus the 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice didn’t have a great deal of impact on the flavor. My taste buds are a wee bit dulled from sustaining an upper-respiratory infection since the first of the year, so, thinking I might not be the best judge, I asked Hubby for his take on it. He wasn’t picking up an orange taste either. Bummer.

On the other hand, this dip was absolutely amazing when you consider the content—no mayo, no sour cream, nothing to add unnecessary calories. With the mashed avocados, chopped red onion, jalapeno pepper, and seasonings, plus the orange additions, it needed nothing else in terms of ingredients. Low-calorie, healthy—and the orange, while it didn’t bowl you over with flavor, sure couldn’t hurt in terms of healthy composition.

We served with fresh chips, although the source (Southern Living December 2011 issue) mentioned that Fresh Orange Guacamole would be a wonderful addition to a buffet spread of taco-makings.

Orange we glad we tried it?

Fresh Orange Guacamole

4 medium-sized ripe avocados, halved

1 large navel orange, peeled, sectioned, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 garlic clove, pressed

3/4 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

tortilla chips

garnish: fresh pomegranate seeds

Scoop avocado pulp into a bowl; mash pulp with a fork just until chunky. Stir in orange and next 5 ingredients. Cover and chill 1 to 4 hours. Serve with tortilla chips. Garnish, if desired. Makes 4 servings.