This week I am hosting the Gluten Free Menu Swap.  I picked pomegranate for this week’s theme ingredient.

It seems I picked pomegranate last year around this time also!  Here is what I said then:  For some ideas beyond just drinking the juice or tossing the seeds on salads, check out POM Wonderful’s recipe site.  I have made the Persian Chicken in Pom Walnut Sauce (I adapted to gluten free) from the site (tasty), the pom jelly(made with less sugar and tasty) and the pom syrup (also tasty) from the site.  I have some juice frozen and am interested in trying a couple of the dressings this week.  I might need to pick up an extra pomegranate and try some pom salsa.  Other sites with a bunch of pomegranate love arepomegranates.org, pomegranate worldEatingWellWhole Living and some great recipes and pomegranate facts on epicurious.com.  How do you use pomegranates?

My kids really like to be in charge of seeding any pomegranates that end up in the house.  If you are having your kids help, just be sure they keep the fruit below water at all times and wear an old shirt you don’t mind staining (just in case) as the juice WILL stain your clothes.  Or, do as my older daughter does, and wear a red shirt when you clean your pomegranate.  Smart girl, that one…

It is pretty easy to seed a pomegranate.  Fill a wide mixing bowl half-way with cool water.  Score your pomegranate (be careful!  The juice might get ya!) deep enough that you can split it in half.  Put your pomegranate in the water.  Use your hands to separate the seed form the inner membrane.  The white membrane will float to the top and the seed will sink to the bottom of the bowl.  When you have finished removing all the seeds, skim the top to the water to remove any bits of the inner membrane and drain the seeds in a colander.  There you go.  Little rudy seeds, all ready to go!  Yum!

For more menu inspiration, see Laura at Organized Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

 

Monday:  Finals week for the high school/play practice/Mom works/Boy Scout meeting

Ground Beef and Bean Stew and corn bread

 

Tuesday:  Jazz Band/Chamber Orchestra/Play Practice/Piano Lessons

Lemon Spinach Stuffed Chicken and salad 

 

Wednesday:  Mom works/Play Practice/Dance Lesson/Youth Group

Easy meatballs over GF noodles with broccoli and salad

 

Thursday:  No School/Mom works

Calico Beans, salad and sweet potato biscuits

 

Friday:  No School/Snow Daze Dance at the middle school

Homemade baked gluten and dairy free Mac ‘n Cheeze, salad and chicken legs

What is on everyone else’s plate this week:

Paige at Not Missing a Thing also just got snow like we did – finally!  With the snow comes a bigger desire to bake, so she has been working on some yummy sounding experiments.  I can’t wait to see how her GFDFEF sourdough works out!  This week she is serving Chicken Vol Au Vents, Skillet Pie, Chili and Cornbread, baked chicken thighs, baked potatoes topped with planned leftovers (brilliant!), Italian Sausage and Rice, and Spaghetti and Meatballs.

Wendy at Celiacs in the House (I love, love, love her blog!) is suffering from a broken bone in her foot.  🙁  She needs to take it easy, but fortunately her son will be around to help with meals.  Gotta love that!  This week she is serving Whit Bean Chicken Chili, Pizza, Vegetable Soup and homemade GF bread, Spicy Peanut Noodles with lots of veggies (YUM!), fried rice and Elana’s savory almond flour muffins.  I hope she has a rest-filled, healing filled week.

Heather of Celiac Family is heading to Florida at the end of the week for some much needed sunshine – lucky girl!  She is serving up quick meals this week while packing like rotisserie chicken with rice and green beans, grilled pork chops with broccoli and fruit salad, grilled sandwiches with kale chips, and burgers with spinach salad and waffle fries.

Samantha of So Simply Good is joining use with some paleo goodness this week:  Southwestern Flank Steak with Chipotle Lime Roasted Delicata Squash, Quick and Easy Crock Pot Brisket with kale sautéed with bacon and broccoli, grilled chicken with rosemary and bacon and roasted baby carrots, beef with broccoli with cauliflower rice, primal chilly cheesesteak bowl and salad greens, pulled pork BBQ with cajun sweet potato fries, and Elana’s Pantry Pancakes.  Sounds like a delicious week!