Zesty Pomegranate Rice Recipes

ZESTY LEMON RICE

Steps:

• Melt butter and oil together in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add white parts of green onions and cook for 1 minute. Stir in garlic and lemon zest. Cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add rice. Season with turmeric, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir for 1 minute.
• Stir vegetable broth, milk, and lemon juice into the pan with the rice mixture and bring to a boil, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover the pan, and cook until liquid has evaporated, 18 to 20 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat. Fluff rice using a fork and adjust seasonings accordingly. Garnish with green parts of green onions and chopped dill.

POMEGRANATE RICE SALAD

Steps:

• Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, orange juice, zest, lemon juice, maple syrup, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, salt, and a pinch of pepper. Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions, garlic, pinches of salt, and pepper and cook for 1 minute until soft. Reduce heat to low and add the cooked rice, using the back of a wooden spoon to break up any clumps. Heat until warmed through. Turn off the heat and stir in the dressing, pistachios, parsley, and pomegranates. Top with mint leaves and roasted chickpeas, if using. Season to taste and serve.

WILD RICE WITH POMEGRANATE SEEDS

Steps:

• Cook 1 each chopped celery stalk and onion in 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat, 5 minutes. Add 1 1/4 cups wild rice blend, 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, 3/4 cup apple cider, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, a few grinds of pepper and 2 bay leaves. Simmer, covered, until tender, 40 to 45 minutes; let sit 5 minutes. Drain any liquid. Stir in 2 sliced scallions and 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds.

BAKED MINTY RICE WITH FETA AND POMEGRANATE RELISH

Steps:

• Pomegranate relish:
• Place a rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Toast walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 5-8 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop. Increase oven temperature to 450°F.
• Toss walnuts, pomegranate seeds, olives, oil, mint, parsley, pomegranate molasses, and garlic in a medium bowl to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
• Rice and assembly:
• Combine rice, butter, and salt in a 13x9" baking dish, then pour in a scant 3 1/2 cups water; top with mint sprigs. Cover tightly with foil and bake until rice is tender and water is absorbed, 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven; pluck out mint. Fluff rice with a fork.
• Heat broiler. Arrange feta over rice. Broil until rice around edges of pan is browned and crisp and feta is starting to brown, 8-10 minutes. Spoon pomegranate relish over.

POMEGRANATE AND ALMOND RICE

Steps:

• In a large pot melt the butter, add the rice, and stir to coat the rice with the butter. Do not fry the rice.
• Add the water, stock cube and salt. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to minimum, cover the pot and cook for 10 minutes, or until all of the water has been absorbed by the rice. Let the rice stand covered for 10 minutes.
• In the mean time remove the seeds from the pomegranate.
• Stir the almonds and pomegranate seeds into the rice and serve.