Encouraging Health

You know those infomercial gadgets that do 10 jobs in one? Well, there’s a fruit that tops them all.

It’s the pomegranate. And it puts on quite a show when it comes to fighting disease. We’re talking everything from cancer to high blood pressure.

The All-Purpose Pomegranate
The pomegranate — a tough, leathery fruit packed with delicious, edible seeds — has been used medicinally since ancient times. When present-day researchers recently took a closer look, reviewing over 90 pomegranate-related studies, what did they find? Pomegranates have antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and even antimicrobial properties. Whew! Our ancestors were onto something.

Here’s a short list of what pomegranates may help tackle:

Cancer: In lab studies, pomegranate extract triggered the death of both prostate and breast cancer cells.

Blood pressure: Pomegranate juice dropped systolic numbers in hypertensive patients.

Blood sugar: Pomegranate improved blood sugar levels in animal studies.

Holiday Pomegranate recipe:

COUSCOUS
Take time to seek out the tiny, dark green lentils from France. You’ll often find them boxed in the dried legume aisle of your grocery store or in the bulk bins. They cook up more quickly and hold their shape better in a salad.

1 cup small green lentils
2 cups cold water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, minced
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 apple, peeled, cored, and cubed
1-2/3 cups (10 ounces) quick-cooking couscous
2 cups boiling water
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Seeds from 1 large pomegranate
1 to 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh lemon or lime thyme

SALMON
6, 6-ounce salmon fillets
Canola or Olive oil for frying
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh thyme sprigs, for garnish
Pomegranate seeds

To Prepare the Lentils
Pick through the lentils and discard any debris or small pebbles; rinse with cold water to remove any remaining dust or grit. In a large saucepan, combine the lentils and cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce the heat to medium and boil gently until tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain well; set aside.

To Prepare the Couscous
In a medium frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add the apple and cook until the apple begins to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle the couscous over the onion and apple mixture, than carefully add the boiling water. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand 5 to 8 minutes while you prepare the salmon.

To Prepare the Salmon
Heat a large, non-stick sauté pan over medium high heat. Brush the salmon fillets with the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Place skin side down in the hot pan. Cook, without disturbing, until the skin is golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the fillets over and continue cooking until just done, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and tent with foil to keep warm.

To Serve
Lightly fluff the couscous with a fork and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the lentils, all but 1 tablespoon of the pomegranate seeds and thyme; toss gently to combine. Mound the couscous on a large serving platter. Place the salmon fillets over the couscous and garnish with the thyme sprigs and reserved pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information
Nutrients per serving: calories 643; calories from fat 252; fat 28 grams; saturated fat 5 grams; cholesterol 108 mg; sodium 307 mg; carbohydrate 45 grams; dietary fiber 5 grams; protein 47 grams

Removing the Seeds — Traditional Method (3 STEP-NO MESS METHOD)
- Cut the crown end off a pomegranate, removing with it some of the white pith.
- Lightly score the skin in quarters, from the stem to the crown end.
- Firmly yet gently break the sections apart, following the score lines.
- Bend back the skin and gently scoop the seed clusters into a bowl;
remove any pith.