This salad has a nice mixture of mint and parsley, with a wonderful dressing using apple juice. It was easy to veganize, by using agave instead of honey.We also added pomegranate seeds for texture and color. This was a quick and easy recipe to make, full of flavor and very healthy.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 & 1/2 lb. prepared chestnuts, chopped
• 1 small can mandarin oranges
• 1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
• 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• lettuce leaves
• pomegranate seeds as garish

Directions:

1. Cut the prepared chestnuts in chunky pieces
2. Drain the liquid from the canned mandarin oranges.
3. Reserve for use in another recipe, or possible a it to thin and sweeten the dressing as desired.
4. Mix the soy sauce, lime juice and maple syrup for the dressing.
5. Season to taste with additional maple syrup or some of the mandarin orange liquid.
6. Serve the salad layered in parfait glasses, or arranged on a bed of lettuce greens and with a spoonful of dressing drizzled over the top. A small carafe of dressing can be served at the table as well.
7. Garnish optionally with pomegranate seeds.
8. If pomegranate seeds are not available, thin almond slices would also be pretty.

Notes:

You can use canned or vacuum packed chestnuts, or fresh which would have to be baked first.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 3-4 medium beets
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds

for the dressing:

• 2 tablespoons pomegranate concentrate
• 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons sambal ulek
• 2 tablespoon walnut oil
• 1-2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• pinch salt

Directions:

1. Cook the beets in your preferred manner – boiled or roasted.
2. Peel when cooled.
3. If you have a spiralizer, you can make shoestrings or spaghetti lengths. Otherwise, dice the peeled beets in small cubes.
4. Place the prepared beets in a large serving bowl.
5. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
6. Chop the cilantro leaves.
7. Add the pomegranate seeds and cilantro to the beets.
8. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and gently toss to mix.

Notes:

This salad would work well with raw beets, for those that enjoy completely raw salads.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 3 med. beets, cooked sliced with a spiralizer or 1 can shoestring beets
• 2 pears
• 1 small onion
• 1 tablespoon oil
• splash vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• small pinch salt
• pomegranate seeds as garnish

Directions:

1. Peel the beets and cook whole, either by boiling or roasting.
2. Cut with a spiralizer or alternatively in matchsticks with a mandolin.
3. Cut the onion very finely.
4. Heat the oil in a small sauce pan and add the onions.
5. Peel the pears, and remove the core and cut into small pieces.
6. When the onions become soft and glassy add the pears, vinegar, sugar and ginger.
7. Cook until the pears soften.
8. Mix and mash well using a fork.
9. Season to taste with salt and pepper. You may want to add other seasonings as clove or a dash of cayenne, however I wanted the chutney to remain white.
10. Serve the beets on a small bed of lettuce, with the pear chutney over the beets.
11. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds on top.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon light olive oil
• 1 med. red onion, chopped
• 2 med. carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon cardamom, ground
• 2 pints vegetable bouillon
• 12 ounces cooked beets (not in vinegar or sweet sour sauce), sliced
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground fennel seeds
• 1 pomegranate
• garnish with walnut pieces, soy yogurt and a few fennel leaves

Directions:

1. Place the oil oil in a large pot, add the red onion pieces and begin to saute until glassy.
2. Add the carrot pieces and cook until the begin to soften.
3. Using a mortar and pestle or the back of a spoon in a bowl, or a coffee grinder, smash or grind the fennel seeds. Add the fennel to the cooking onions and carrots.
4. Add the cooked beets, and the vegetable bouillon.
5. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to simmer.
6. Add the coriander and cardamom.
7. Puree the soup to a smooth consistency.
8. Cut the pomegranate in half and using a citrus press, extract the juice.
9. Add the pomegranate juice to the soup.
10. Season to taste with extra salt and pepper, and perhaps a touch more of the coriander and cardamom spices.
11. The soup can be thinned with more pomegranate juice, or if you do not want it to become too sweet, use a bit of water.
12. Serve garnished with a walnut pice, soy yogurt, and optionally a few fennel sprigs.

Notes:

If you can not get a fresh pomegranate, you can use pomegranate juice, but be careful not to get those with added sugar or other juices.

adapted from BBC Good Food “Vegetarian Christmas” Issue 2008

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

For the salad:

• 4 cups cooked and drained black-eyed peas
• 1 bunch scallions, chopped ( both white and green parts)
• 1/2 cup broken walnuts, toasted
• 1/2 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
• 1 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• lettuce or radicchio leaves.

for the dressing:

• 1/4 cup pomegranate juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Juice of 3 large lemons
• 2 teaspoons mild grainy mustard
• pinch salt
• pinch cumin

Za’atar (from Ace Bakery):

• 1 cup (240 ml) chopped hazelnuts
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) white sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) poppy seeds
• 10 white peppercorns
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) cumin seeds
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) coriander seeds

Directions:

to prepare the dressing:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the pomegranate juice, olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper to combine.

for the salad:

1. In a separate large bowl, place the drained, cooked black-eyed peas, scallions, toasted walnuts, pomegranate seeds and parsley.
2. Stir carefully to avoid crushing the pomegranate seeds.
3. Pour dressing over salad, stirring once more before serving.
4. Serve the salad in a lettuce or radicchio cup and dust the top with the Zahtar.

for the Za’atar:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Mix all the ingredients on a baking sheet and roast for about 5 minutes or until the seeds look golden.
3. Remove from the oven and let cool.
4. Spoon the mixture into a resealable plastic bag.
5. Close the bag and, using a rolling pin, roughly crush the seeds and nuts, taking care not to reduce them to paste.
6. This should take about 1 to 2 minutes.
7. Alternatively, use a mortar and pestle.
8. Or use a coffee grinder and pulse only once or twice.
9. Za’taar will last 1 month if stored in a tightly sealed container.
10. Makes 2 cups (474 ml)

Notes:

Toasting the walnuts is important, it adds a lot more flavor to the salad.
The Zahtar is also important. I made just a bit, and ground it in my coffee grinder. It does offer a very nice dimension to the salad.

Adapted from http://thewellseasonedcook.blogspot.com/ who based hers on a Food Down Under recipe.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 Lbs. Brussels sprouts
• 3 Tbs. soy margarine or Earth Balance
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 Pomegranate, seeded
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Wash and clean the Brussels sprouts.
2. Remove dark damaged outer leaves and slice in half.
3. Steam the Brussels sprouts until soft. Take care to not over cook them as they loose their bright green color. It will only take 5-10 minutes to steam them.
4. Meanwhile, thinly slice the red onion.
5. Melt the soy margarine in a small pan and sauté the onion until soft and glassy.
6. Open the pomegranate and remove the seeds, carefully remove the white bits also.
7. When the sprouts are done, place them in a bow.
8. Drizzle the sauteed onions over them and mix well.
9. Season to taste with salt and pepper and once again toss to mix.
10. Serve the sprouts garnished with pomegranate seeds.

Notes:

Inspired by

http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/(…)

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup lentils
• 2 tablespoons soy margarine or Earth Balance
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 cups (2 quarts) water
• 1 cup long-grain rice
• 1 Tsb. turmeric
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube
• 1 teaspoon cumin, ground
• splash of lemon
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1 cup pomegranate juice or 1/4 cup grenadine syrup
• 1 tablespoon soy margarine or Earth Balance
• 1 bunch fresh mint, chopped or 2 Tbs. crushed dried leaf mint
• 2 Tabs. fresh pomegranate seeds or raisins to garnish

Directions:

1. Rinse lentils several times. Set aside to drain.
2. Melt the soy margarine in a skillet over medium-low heat.
3. Add the sweet onions and gently saute until soft.
4. Add garlic and saute 2 additional minutes.
5. Add water, drained lentils, rice, turmeric, salt, and pepper and vegetable bouillon cube.
6. Cover and simmer on low about 45 minutes, until lentils and rice are tender.
7. Check to see if more water is necessary.
8. Add basil,a bit of minced mint, green onions, and pomegranate juice to the soup.
9. Simmer an additional 15 minutes.
10. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of soy margarine in a small skillet, add rest of the mint and saute.
11. Divide soup into serving bowls.
12. Drizzle each with the mint and sprinkle with a few pomegranate seeds or raisins to serve.

Notes:

When I first found the recipe, I made it according to the instructions, but found it to be a bit bland, therefor this is the tweaked version which we have really enjoyed at dinner tonight.

adapted from

http://homecooking.about.com/(…)/r/blss101.htm

Serving Size: 8

Ingredients:

• 1 pomegranate
• 300 grams pumpkin, sliced thinly and steamed
• 175 grams mixed salad greens
• 200 grams soy cheese, cut in small squares
• 200 grams chestnuts, ready to eat, from vacuum pack or canned, cut in halves and quarters
• 1 spring onions, cut in small rings
• 2 Tbs. white wine vinegar
• 6 Tbs. fine olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Remove the seeds from the pomegranate.
2. Cut the steamed pumpkin in very fine strips or pieces.
3. Mix the salad greens, pumpkin pieces, soy cheese, and chestnuts together in a large salad bowl.
4. Make a light dressing from the olive oil and white wine vinegar, with a touch of salt and pepper.
5. Drizzle over the salad and mix.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain soy yogurt
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. garam masala
• 1 Tbs. maple, agave or corn syrup
• 1 small pineapple, cut in pieces
• 1 small papaya, skinned, de-seeded and cut into small pieces
• 1 apple, cored and cut into small pieces
• 1 ripe mango, skinned and cut into small pieces
• raisins (optional)
• pomegranate seeds

Directions:

1. Mix the sauce.
2. In a separate bowl prepare the fruit.
3. Combine the sauce with the fruit.
4. Serve garnished with some pomegranate seeds.