Yeah! It's Pomegranate Season...Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal with Pear Pomegranate Compote

It's pomegranate season!!!

I love pomegranates and they have a short season and it's now!  Pomegranates are in every supermarket and at reasonable prices.  Since they are in season, you can get really big pomegranates right now which are heavy and full of seeds.

If you have never had a pomegranate before, it is important to note that you do not eat the white pith that is inside.  You take out the seeds and the seeds are the only edible part of the pomegranate.

Now a little bit about oatmeal.  I grew up with Caribbean parents who make a rich oatmeal, made with evaporated milk.  Growing up with this delicious version spiced with cinnamon and star anise and sweetened with brown sugar, I have never been able to stand the bland oatmeal made with water that I have been subject to at American establishments.  However, evaporated milk is very rich and not kind to the waistline, so I wanted to come up with a version that was in between my version and the bland version.  I came up with this solution - the trick is to neither use water or milk, but apple juice instead!

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
3 cups apple juice
2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
2 cinnamon sticks (I used cinnamon bark in the photo below, which is a natural, unrpocessed cinnamon)
1 star anise
1/3 cup brown sugar

In a medium saucepan, bring apple juice with spices to a boil.  Add oats and reduce to a simmer.  Cook until oats are cooked, about 10 minutes (it may be less time if you use quick cooking oats).
Stir in brown sugar and remove whole spices, to serve.

Pear-Pomegrante Compote
2 pears, peeled, cored and sliced (don't slice them too thin or they will disintegrate when cooked)
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds (about 1/2 pomegranate)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

In a skillet, melt butter.  Add brown sugar.  When it starts to sizzle add water and pears.  Cook for about 5 minutes, until pears are cooked, but still have a bite to them.  Stir in nutmeg and pomegranate seeds.  Serve immediately with oatmeal.

Garnish with a few extra pomegranate seeds in the middle.

3/25/12 Update: Recipe being submitted to Spicy Treats' Fiber Rich Event

Chef Mireille
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Masala Muffins

Last week, Hindus around the world celebrated Diwali.  As Diwali celebrations were going on everywhere, I was inspired by the flavors of India to create this unique muffins.  This muffin has some intense flavors with quite a punch.

First, I used some authentic ingredients familiar to Hindustanis, however, may be unfamiliar to you and not easily accessible at your local supermarket.  If you don't have any Indian supermarkets where you live, try these online sources to purchase Indian food items:
http://kalustyans.com/
http://www.patelbros.com/

For the sweetener in this muffin, I used jaggery.  Jaggery is an unrefined sugar made from sugar cane, also used widely in Latin America, known there as panela or piloncillo.  For more information on jaggery, see here.  I used tea masala for the spices.  Tea masala is a mix of spices, including black pepper, which is used to make chai.  I also used coconut powder, which is grated much finer than dessicated dry coconut, that you will usually find.  It is processed to a powder, therefore, can be substituted for some of the flour.

Masala Muffins
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons rice flour
1/2 cup coconut powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons tea masala
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1 cup coconut milk
1 egg
3/4 cup jaggery
2 tablespoons oil


1 - Preheat oven to 350 F.

2 - Grate the jaggery using a box grater or the shredding blade of a food processor.
3 - In a large bowl, combine almond flour, rice flour, coconut powder, baking powder and tea masala.
4 - Using a food processor or hand mixer, blend egg, yogurt, coconut milk, oil and jaggery for 1-2 minutes until blended.  Add dry ingredients and mix to combine.
5 - Spray a muffin pan with non-stick spray.
6 - Fill muffin cups and bake for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.

I used a mini muffin pan.  If you use a regular muffin pan, you will have to bake muffins for another 10 minutes, until muffins are cooked through.  Test with a toothpick inserted in the middle, if necessary.  Toothpick should come out clean.

These muffins are a little grainy due to the coconut and the almond flour, however, I like the nuttyness of them.  They are also very light and airy because of the use of the yogurt.  If you like muffins very sweet, akin to cake, you might find these not sweet enough, so just add a little more jaggery.

If you want to try a unique muffin and like spice and nuts, this is the muffin for you!

Hope you enjoy them!





Chef Mireille
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