Tabbouleh salad with pomegranate and sweet and sour chicken
PREPARATION
For the tabbouleh salad
- Place the bulgur in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let it soak for 10 minutes so that it absorbs the liquid and softens.
- Drain it, place it on kitchen paper and then in a large bowl.
- Finely chop the herbs, spring onions and cherry tomatoes and add them to the bulgur.
- Add salt and the pomegranate seeds.
- Pour the olive oil, the balsamic vinegar, the pomegranate juice and the balsamic cream over the salad.
- Cool the tabbouleh in the refrigerator for a while.
For the chicken
- Beat the ingredients of the marinade in a mortar and brush the fillet well.
- Cover and leave in the refrigerate for 15 minutes to a few hours.
- Cook the thin fillet in a hot non-stick pan (grill or frying pan) over medium fire for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
- Cut into thin strips.
To serve
Serve the salad with the chicken and the fresh thyme.
Grilled chicken with pumpkin and pomegranate molasses
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Wash the chicken legs wearing glovesand put them in a non-stick pan. Add half a cup of water and cook over medium heat until they soften. Transfer the legs to a pot and place the broth from the pan in a cup. Pour half of the olive oil into the pot and sauté the chicken legs on all sides. Sauté the pumpkin for 10 minutes and transfer all the ingredients to a baking tray.
On top, add the rosemary, garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Cook the chicken broth, the remaining oil and the pomegranate molasses in a saucepan until caramelised.
Pour the sauce over the chicken and pumpkin in the baking tray and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes.
Serve with a sprinkle of parsley.
Homemade pomegranate molasses
For one cup: Pour the pomegranate juice, sugar and lemon juice into a saucepan and heat over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Lower the heat and simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Pour the mixture into a sterilised jar and store in the refrigerator for 6 months.
Veal with leek and pomegranate sauce
Sauté the leeks in a spoonful of olive oil until they soften and add half of the pomegranate juice. Simmer for 4-5 minutes.
Mix the flour with salt and pepper and sprinkle the pieces of meat, turning them so that they are coated with flour on all sides.
Heat the rest of the olive oil in a deep pan and sauté the pieces of meat, turning them constantly until they are brown all over, add the leeks with their juice and lower the heat. Cover with a lid and let the food simmer until the meat is well tender (about 2-3 hours on medium heat). Prepare the mashed potatoes with milk and water according to the instructions on the package.
Then dissolve the syrup in the remaining pomegranate juice and pour it into the pan. Let it boil for another 5-6 minutes until the food sauce thickens
Rice with mincemeat and pomegranate in a mould
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion for 1-2 minutes, until it softens a little. Add the minced meat, increase the heat and sauté for 5-6 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the minced meat is broken into pieces and has a golden brown colour.
Deglaze with pomegranate juice, mix and add the tomatoes with their juice and the grated carrot. As soon as the mixture comes to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until most of the liquid evaporates.
Add the rice, 400-450ml boiling water, salt and pepper. Stir with a wooden spoon and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook for 20-25 minutes, until the rice is done and has absorbed almost all of the liquid. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes. Add the gruyere or another cheese of your choice, the cream cheese, the pomegranate seeds and the chopped herbs and stir well. Pour the mincemeat into a medium-sized cake mould with a hole in the middle and let it cool completely. Invert the mould onto a platter and serve.
Chicken and pomegranate penne
Season the chicken with salt and pepper and lightly flour it. Heat a pan and add the olive oil and then the chicken pieces. Sauté until golden.
Add the garlic, onion and leek and continue to sauté, stirring occasionally. Add the pomegranate juice and cook until the vegetables are soft and the chicken is well cooked. Add the cream and two or three tablespoons of grated anthotyro or other cheese. Boil the food a little more until the sauce thickens and the ingredients blend together. Taste and season with salt and pepper accordingly. Add the parsley and half of the pomegranate seeds.
In the meantime, the penne should have been cooked according to the instructions on their packaging. Drain them and add them to the pan with the chicken. Stir for a while and serve on plates, adding some parsley and a few more pomegranate seeds. Serve with additional grated cheese.
Couscous with pomegranate juice
Pour the pomegranate juice into a saucepan with two glasses of water and place it above heat to boil.
Then add the couscous and lower the heat to simmer. Prepare the rest of the ingredients. Cut the cucumbers into small cubes, wash and chop the dill and the radishes.
Add the ingredients from the dressing into a bowl and mix well.
When the juices in the saucepan have evaporated, turn off the heat and add a little olive oil. Mix well and cover the pot with a towel and the lid and allow the steam to absorb for 15 minutes. Then add to the saucepan the rest of the ingredients and, finally, the dressing. Mix well and our dish is ready!
Directions for the dressing
Mix all ingredients in a bowl until homogeneous.