> Planning a romantic dinner for two? Give your menu a burst of elegance by > dressing up your dishes with these winter jewels: Pomegranates, pears and > figs. > Not only do they add a luscious sweetness to everyday meals, they also > have > a history of being beneficial to love! > > Pomegranates are known in many cultures as a symbol of fertility. Chaucer, > Shakespeare and Homer have all extolled the virtues of pomegranates in > literature, and some hold that the pomegranate (not the apple!) was > actually the > fruit of temptation discovered by Adam and Eve. With their bright red > color, > pomegranates radiate romance, and have also gained popularity because > their > antioxidant levels are three times greater than those of red wine and > green tea. > > Blackened Shrimp with Pomegranate and Orange Salad > Use caution when removing the seeds from a pomegranate, as the juice can > stain. Cut the fruit into quarters, and pull open in the sink, under > running > water to prevent splashes. Bend the quarters open to release the seeds. > Pom > Wonderful makes a delicious pomegranate juice that can be used for the > vinaigrette. > > Vinaigrette: > Ingredients: > 2 tablespoons pomegranate juice > 1 tablespoon olive oil > 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice > 1 teaspoon sugar > 1 small shallot, minced > 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard > Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste > > Salad: > > > Ingredients: > 2 cups watercress, cleaned and stemmed > 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (about 1 pomegranate) > 1/2 cup diced orange sections (about 1 orange) > 1/4 cup chopped green onions > 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts > > Shrimp: > Ingredients: > 1/2 tablespoon paprika > 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin > 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder > 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano > 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper > 1/4 teaspoon salt > 12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined > 1 tablespoon olive oil > > Directions: > 1. Whisk all ingredients for vinaigrette in a small bowl and refrigerate > until use. (Or place in a lidded container with a jar and shake to > emulsify.) > > 2. Combine all ingredients for salad. > > 3. Combine the spices for the shrimp in a large zipper-lock plastic bag. > Add > shrimp to the bag, seal and shake. Remove shrimp from the bag. > > 4. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp when oil is hot > and cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until shrimp is done. Toss the > salad > with vinaigrette, divide onto two plates, top each with six shrimp and > serve > immediately. Serves 2. > > Per serving: 317 calories; 23g fat ; 14g protein; 17g carbohydrate; 4g > fiber; 55mg cholesterol; 638mg sodium > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Pears' erotic reputation comes from their feminine shape and > mouth-watering > texture. This winter gem is truly sensual when shared with a loved one. > > Poached Pears in Cardamom Wine Sauce > Ingredients: > 1 cup dry white wine > 1 tablespoon honey > 1 teaspoon chopped ginger > 1/4 teaspoon whole cardamom seeds > 1 cinnamon stick > 2 large Bosc or Anjou pears, firm, peeled with stems intact > > Directions: > In a covered saucepan, deep enough to hold a pear upright, combine wine, > honey, ginger, cardamom and cinnamon. Place pears upright in pot; simmer > on low > heat for 30 minutes or until pears yield to the pressure of a fork. Serve > immediately, spooning additional wine sauce over pear. Serves 2. > > Per serving (with Bosc pears): 223 calories; 1g fat; 1g protein; 38g > carbohydrate; 6g fiber; 0mg cholesterol; 8mg sodium > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Figs, with their sweet, fleshy fruit, were said to be Cleopatra's favorite > fruit. For the ancient Greeks the fig was one of the sacred foods > associated > with fertility and love. It has been rumored that in some Southern > European > countries wedding guests throw figs, instead of rice, at newlyweds to > enhance > their fertility. > > Fragrant Lamb and Fig Stew > Ingredients: > 1 teaspoon olive oil > 1 pound lamb tenderloin, trimmed and cubed > 1 cup diced onion > 2 garlic cloves, minced > 1 cup red wine > 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin > 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom > 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger > 1 pinch saffron thread, crushed > 1 pinch ground red pepper > 1 cinnamon stick > 1 14-ounce can low-sodium beef broth > 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained > 1/2 cup dried figs, cut into quarters > 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint > 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro > 1/2 teaspoon salt > > Directions: > 1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. > > 2. Add lamb, and sauté until browned, about 8 minutes. Add onion and > garlic > to pan; cook until onions and garlic are soft, and add wine, scraping the > pan > to release any browned bits. Add cumin, cardamom, ginger, saffron, red > pepper and cinnamon stick, and stir to incorporate. > > 3. Add 3/4 of the can of broth and bring to a boil. Stir in 3/4 of the can > garbanzo beans and figs. In a blender, add the remaining beef broth and > garbanzo beans, and blend until pureed. Add to stew, stir and reduce to a > simmer. > Cover pan and cook for 35 minutes. Stir in mint, cilantro and salt, and > serve. > Serves 2 with leftovers (about 4 servings total). > > Per serving: 780 calories; 27g fat; 41g protein; 88g carbohydrate; 23g > fiber; 63mg cholesterol; 402mg sodium
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