Healthy Cooking: Enjoy this timeless fruit morning, noon and night

Turn a weeknight pork tenderloin into an elegant affair with an easy pomegranate juice reduction.

Credit: HANDOUT

Credit: HANDOUT

Turn a weeknight pork tenderloin into an elegant affair with an easy pomegranate juice reduction.

While summer is revered for its fresh produce, let me suggest that fall should be similarly honored, thanks to the ruby-colored drops of deliciousness that are pomegranate seeds. These luminous arils are literally legendary, featuring prominently in the tale of the Greek goddess Persephone.

But if you need a current-day reason to love them, the sweet-tart seeds are resplendent with vitamins C and K, fiber and plant-based protein. Because their time on the produce shelves is as fleeting as the changing leaves, I enjoy pomegranates all day long. And so, for this special edition of Healthy Cooking, here are three recipes that feature my favorite fruit, morning, noon and night.

I start a perfect pomegranate day by stirring the seeds into hot breakfast cereal. You could use instant oatmeal, but I prefer quinoa flakes, which are just as quick-cooking and offer more protein. Look for quinoa flakes in the organic or healthy foods section of your market. For lunch, add pomegranate seeds to a salad, like the bright seasonal citrus salad (with the world’s tastiest three-ingredient dressing) below. You can also sprinkle seeds over shaved Brussels sprouts, with a side of grilled chicken for extra heft. For supper, enjoy easy pork tenderloin, made elegant with a pomegranate juice reduction and additional gorgeous, tasty seeds.

A single pomegranate will yield about a cup of seeds; more than enough for all three recipes. To extract the seeds, don an apron or old shirt, because pomegranate juice stains are legendary themselves. Make a crack in the hard outer shell with a sharp knife, then pry the pomegranate open with your hands. Use your fingers to gently separate the seeds from the white pith. If you de-seed the pomegranate while submerging it in a bowl of cool water, you’ll minimize the stain-making juice squirts. While you’re at it, go ahead and seed a second pomegranate for the next day. When we’re talking about the fruit of ages, what’s a few more minutes?

Add fiber-rich pomegranate seeds to your favorite hot cereal, like quick-cooking quinoa flakes. CONTRIBUTED BY KELLIE HYNES

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Pomegranate seeds add a burst of color, flavor and protein to salads. CONTRIBUTED BY KELLIE HYNES

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