Kids Cuisine

It is so much fun when companies send me delicious food to taste and review!  Getting the box filled with adorable POM Pomegranate juice bottles was no exception.  Not only do my children love to drink the juice, both straight and mixed into sparking water, but they were also game to try smoothie and dinner recipes that included the juice as an ingredient.  They especially loved that this delicious juice is filled with antioxidants and is good for them, knowing that I would be unlikely to deny their requests to drink it often.

Our family’s Montana winter wonderland vacation is almost over, and I just realized that I had better give some thought to dinner next week.  Why on earth would I think about dinner so far in advance, you wonder… Our schedule will be so hectic when we return (4H meetings, piano lessons, OT, vision therapy, etc) that I know that if I don’t plan ahead, I’ll feel stressed and might not be thinking clearly enough to prepare a healthy and balanced meal for my family.  The menu below (from the POM website) will be prepared on Wednesday, the one day that I will be home for a whole hour before mealtime.  I’ll actually have time to put it in the oven and have it come out hot and crispy and ready to eat.  This will be a nice change from some of the other meals I will prepare during the week, that will be prepared before my child taxi service begins and will simply be reheated before dinner.

Pomegranate Glazed Cornish Game Hens

1 cup POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
2 Rock Cornish Game Hens (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds each)
Olive or vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Rinse hens; pat dry. Place hens breast-side up on a roasting rack in an oiled roasting pan. Tie legs together with kitchen string. Brush hens lightly with oil; sprinkle with salt, thyme, and pepper. Roast, uncovered, for 50 to 60 minutes or until tender and no longer pink, and juices run clear.
3. While birds are roasting, prepare fresh pomegranate juice.*
4. Prepare garnish: Score 1 fresh pomegranate and place in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranate under water to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.)
5. Place juice in a small saucepan; sprinkle with a dash of salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Set aside.
6. When hens are done, brush them liberally with some of the juice glaze. Roast 5 minutes more.
7. Place hens on a serving platter; sprinkle with the reserved arils. Pass remaining glaze to spoon over each serving.

French Green Beans With POM, Goat Cheese & Almonds

1/3 cup POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
1/3 cup arils from 1 large Pomegranate
1-2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1 1/4 pounds fresh green beans, stems removed and cut on the bias into 1-inch pieces (6 cups)
1 teaspoon grated lemon or orange peel
1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds
Salt and pepper to taste
4 ounces sliced goat cheese

Directions:

1. Place oil in a wok or large skillet and heat until hot. Stir-fry the beans with the lemon peel for 6 minutes.
2. Add the almonds and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes or until beans are crisp-tender. Remove from heat.
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Toss beans with reserved pomegranate arils and pomegranate juice; turn onto a serving platter.
5. Arrange goat cheese slices over the top and serve.