16 pomegranate recipes

If you don't want to wear a rubber raincoat, surgical gloves and eye goggles, the following is the EASIEST and cleanest way to seed the ever elusive pomegranate.

Next time when you have some fresh beet greens, or kale or any similar greens, make this easy yet tasty salad with marinated artichoke hearts, pomegranate seeds and creamy fresh mozzarella.

Butterflied leg of lamb marinated overnight in pomegranate juice, red wine, garlic, and basil, then grilled or roasted. A show-stopping Persian-inspired main course.

Roast leg of lamb soaks for two days in pomegranate juice, whole-grain mustard, and garlic, then roasts to a rosy medium with the strained marinade reduced into a tangy, glossy pan sauce.

A traditional Persian-inspired stew of browned chicken simmered in a rich walnut and pomegranate sauce with cinnamon and lemon. Sweet, tart, and deeply savory with every spoonful.

Mediterranean salad of torn lettuce and spinach chiffonade, sprinkled with toasted pine nuts, jewel-like pomegranate seeds and a simple olive oil lemon dressing. Ready in 15 minutes.

Grapefruit, Campari, and pomegranate cocktail blends tart grapefruit juice with deep red pomegranate and ice into a foamy pale-pink base, then gets topped with bitter Italian Campari. A festive New Year's pitcher drink.

Ring in the New Year with this sparkling champagne pomegranate punch spiked with citrus vodka. Jewel-toned, fizzy, and ready in under 5 minutes. Just stir, pour over ice, and toast.

Persian-style lamb ragout braised in pomegranate juice with ground walnuts, turmeric, and cardamom. Tart, earthy, and deeply fragrant with a silky walnut-thickened sauce.

Pomegranate and blood orange mimosas mix tart blood orange juice with ruby pomegranate, then top each flute with chilled sparkling wine. A jewel-toned New Year's Eve toast that takes minutes to pour.

.

Experience the traditional Russian dish called, "Shashlik" Throughout the Middle East, South Russia, and Siberia this meal has been a favorite for centuries. Most of the western world knows this dish by its' Middle Eastern version called, "Shish Kabob." But on the Crimean peninsula and the steps of south Russia, Shashlik is a unique variant of the Shish Kabob dish most Americans know. It's a sweet/tart version of shish-kebab.

Smoky roasted eggplant blended with garlic, pomegranate juice, and warm paprika into a silky spread. This easy aubergine pate is ready in 45 minutes with just 6 ingredients.

Substitute that Caesar Salad with these scrumptious dish made with cabbage and pomengranate seeds.

Syrian meat pies made easy with ground beef marinated overnight in pomegranate juice, lemon, and allspice, then baked in pressed buttermilk biscuit dough. Bold Middle Eastern flavor with a clever shortcut.

Jazz up your winter repertoire with a tangy, colorful pomegranate dressing.