Pomegranate Pear & Apple Salad

I've fallen in love with many salads over the years, but this one is my favorite this time of year. The colors are perfect for the holidays and it's a nice mix of fruit and veggies. And it has pomegranates which is a huge score in my salad-book. :) I love those crunchy little fruit bites. I took this salad to a Christmas party last week that was potluck style and received many compliments on the dish. It's a flavorful salad that is tangy, tart, crunchy, sweet and sour. It's also very versatile. You could maybe even add mango, pineapple, or nuts to this salad and it would be wonderful! I used spinach, but you could also use baby greens or arugula and it would taste incredible. If you'd rather buy your dressing, it would be great pair with just about any vinaigrette. I'm all about working with what I have so I encourage you to do the same.

Pomegranate Pear & Apple Salad
12 SERVINGS 
PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 0 minutes            READY IN: 15 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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SALAD:

• 6 cups chopped spinach
• 2 gala apples, cored and diced (use a tart, crisp apple if you don't have gala on hand)
• 2 asian pears, cored and diced
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1/2 cup feta cheese

DRESSING:

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon honey

DIRECTIONS

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1.  In a large bowl, combine spinach, apples, and pears.
2. Top with pomegranate seeds and feta cheese.
3. Wisk all the ingredients for the dressing together and pour on top, if you wish. (I serve my dressing on the side).

NUTRITION FACTS

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(salad without dressing)

    3/4 cup serving    52 calories   1.5g fat   8.8g carbs    1.5g protein    6.1g sugar   

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Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from epicurious.

Holiday Pomegranate Salad

One of the best things about the holidays for me is all the wonderful fruit in season. (I can't even count the number of mandarin oranges I've already snarfed down!) This holiday salad is a great way to incorporate pomegranates, a winter fruit, into your holiday meals. We made it for Thanksgiving this year and it was a big hit! The pomegranates give the salad a tangy flavor - a nice variety your holiday cooking may be needing.

Also, if you've ever shelled a pomegranate before, you may feel a little hesitant about this salad. But, don't fear my friends. Pom Wonderful gives you a great step by step tutorial on how to shell a pomegranate - the easy way. Go here to learn all about it! 

Holiday Pomegranate Salad
10 SERVINGS 
PREP: 30 minutes           COOK: 0 minutes            READY IN: 30 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 2-3 pomegranates
• 2-3 apples, peeled and diced
• 3/4 package (16 oz.) miniature marshmallows
• 3 bananas
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

DIRECTIONS

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1. Shell pomegranates. Put in fridge to chill.
2. Whip cream, sugar, and vanilla together in a large bowl until mixture becomes thick. 
3. Add apples, marshmallows, and bananas to cream mixture. 
4. Mix in pomegranates.

NUTRITION FACTS

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    3/4 cup serving    355 calories   9.2 g fat   68.3 g carbs    1.5 g protein    50.9 g sugar   

Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Coconut Bark

That's a lot of goodness in one title.

Any dark chocolate lovers out there? If so, this is the treat for you! Even if you're a milk chocolate person, like myself, its still a great treat to get your sugar fix in but in a healthier way. Have you ever tried the Brookside dark chocolate covered pomegranates or blueberries? Take my word, they are to die for. I could eat the entire bag. I love the combination of pomegranate and chocolate so when I found this recipe it just spoke to me. The 'pop' of pomegranate when you eat it just makes it that much better. This is a great snack to take to your fellow dark chocolate friends for the holidays, or eat the entire cookie sheet and not feel TOO guilty about it (well, when compared to a bowl of cookie dough... :)

Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Coconut Bark

12 SERVINGS 

PREP: 10 minutes (mostly de-seeding pomegranate)  COOK: 2 minutes   READY IN: 4-8 hours

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 10 oz. bag dark chocolate 
• 1/4 cup coconut flakes, sweetened
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds

DIRECTIONS

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1. Melt chocolate as directed on packet, either by microwave or double boiler. 
2. Mix coconut flakes into melted chocolate. 
3. On a parchment paper lined cookie sheet pour your chocolate out and evenly spread it over the parchment paper until thin.
4. Sprinkle pomegranates on the chocolate. Press down lightly so that they stick in the chocolate better when its dried. 
5. Let it harden at least for a few hours or overnight so it's easier to break into pieces. 
6. Break up into chunks and serve.

NUTRITION FACTS

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   1 serving   150 calories  10g fat  17g carbs   2g protein   12g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from paleomg.com