‘Tis the season to be eating pomegranate. The season for fresh pomegranates is short. But for me, the red pomegranate has perfect timing. The ruby-colored seeds (or arils) are the perfect color to add holiday sparkle to so many beverages and dishes.
They are a natural when it comes to jazzing up a salad of fresh greens. Their sweet and tart flavor along with a little crunch in each seed make them irresistable.
I had some avocadoes in my kitchen, just waiting to be sliced and layered on sandwiches with some turkey that was leftover after Thanksgiving dinner.
I decided to turn the avocadoes into guacamole instead. This way, I could eat the creamy dip with chips as well as spread it on my turkey sandwich.
I mixed up the guacamole similar to the way I always do — white onion, red onion, serrano chiles, garlic, lime juice….and usually, chopped tomatoes. But, it’s hard to find good tomatoes this time of year where I live. So, out came the bowl of pomegranate seeds from the refrigerator. They would add bright color to the guac, along with texture and bright flavor.
It worked. I like eating the Holiday Guacamole with chips. But on turkey sandwiches…delicious!
I know you may be a little leery of this pomegranate seeds in guacamole idea. But, give it a try. You’ll be surprised at how good it is. And, it’s holiday pretty.
I’m glad we’ve got plenty of sliced turkey in the refrigerator. And lucky me — my good friend brought over a loaf of her homemade whole-grain bread. It’s her grandma’s recipe. It makes the best turkey sandwiches.
So, you’ll have guac when your friends drop over for some holiday cheer and a beer. You’ll have guac for turkey sandwiches. Everywhere Guac, Guac.
Holiday Guacamole
1/3 cup finely chopped white onion
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
4 serrano chiles, finely chopped (I remove the seeds from two of the serrano chiles and leave them in the other two. It just depends on how much heat you like in your guacamole.)
1 chubby clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon coarse salt
4 large ripe avocadoes, removed from skin and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds, divided
Fresh-ground black pepper
Mix onions, serrano chiles, garlic and salt in a medium-sized glass bowl. Add the avocadoes and gently stir. Pour in the lime juice and toss. The mixture will become slightly creamy with some chunks of avocado. Fold in 1/4 cup of the pomegranate seeds. Season with some black pepper to taste. At serving time, sprinkle the guacamole with remaining pomegranate seeds.
Sue Doeden is a popular cooking instructor, food writer and integrative nutrition health coach. She is the host of Good Food, Good Life 365 on Lakeland Public Television. Her own hives full of hardworking bees and her love of honey led to the creation of her recently published cookbook, Homemade with Honey.