Whip up a batch of Pear and Pomegranate French Toast, perfect for holiday get togethers or a cozy morning feast in front of the fire. This healthy breakfast marries together sweet in season pears and crunchy pomegranate arils for a perfect (and easy!) festive meal.
I have to admit I’ve always been a little intimidated by the pomegranate. I’ve just assumed they would be messy and that it would be a painstaking process to shake loose the “seeds” (arils is the proper term). I guess I was in an adventurous mood, or more likely caught up in moment of the farmers market.
The air was chilly but the sun was shining as I strolled (hot steamy coffee in hand) through the famous Seattle Pike Place Market . Quiet winter mornings are magical at the market. I never get tired of strolling through and checking in on some of my favorite spots. There glistening in the sun were the most beautiful garnet pomegranates…I just had to buy a few.
Uh oh…Now that I brought these ruby beauties home…what to do? Being the resourceful girl I am…I immediately googled to find a solution. Who knew! There were 27,301 ways to seed a pomegranate (Ok, I might have exaggerated a tad) . I settled on the “under water” method.
Can I just tell you it was EASY! EASY! EASY! Here’s how easy:
1. Fill a medium size bowl halfway with water
2. Cut the pomegranate in half, and submerge the fruit (one ½ at a time)
3. Dig into the fruit with your fingers to release the seeds from the white membranes (don’t worry your fingers won’t get stained red). I found if I pushed on the end of the pomegranate and turned it “inside out”, it opened up the membranes and made it very easy to dig in and remove the seeds. The white membranes will float to the top of the water and the seeds will sink to the bottom of the bowl.
4. Use a small strainer and skim the surface of the water to remove all the white membrane. Use the small strainer to remove the pomegranate seeds from the bowl. Transfer to bowl, and there you go…luscious, crunchy pomegranate seeds. You can store covered in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
Pomegranates are my new best friends! I’ve been tossing the tart and juicy arils on just about everything lately. These gorgeous ruby “jewels of winter” have many healthy properties as well. They’ve been shown to help fight cancer, reduce arthritis symptoms, and boost heart health. Who can argue with that! Healthy and beautiful…and tart, and crunchy, and gorgeous ruby red, and a perfect partner with the sweet pear on this festive Pear and Pomegranate French toast.
Recipe inspired by PCC Natural Markets Pomegranate and Pear French Toast
Pear and Pomegranate French Toast
Ingredients
- 2 eggs or ½ cup egg whites
- ¼ cup milk low-fat (or almond milk)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 slices whole wheat Artisan bread
- 1 ripe pear sliced
- ½ cup pomegranate arils seeds
- 1 Tablespoon agave nectar
- Honey or maple syrup optional
Instructions
- In a shallow pan, whisk together eggs, milk, cinnamon and vanilla. Soak bread in a single layer in the egg mixture, turning once. Let stand in egg mixture so the liquid is absorbed, about 2-3 min. per side.
- Spray a large fry pan (or griddle) with non-stick spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add bread slices and cook until golden brown, approx. 3-4 min. per side. Transfer to a warm platter and cover with aluminum foil. Repeat with remaining bread.
- While bread is cooking prepare the pear and pomegranates. In a small saucepan on medium-low, combine pears, pomegranate arils (seeds) and agave and sauté until pears have softened (approx. 5 min.)
- Top French toast with sautéed pears and pomegranate and drizzle with honey, maple syrup or additional agave (if desired).
Leave a Reply