Enjoy the bounty of Southern California pomegranates with this delicious entree.
Ingredients:
1 small fennel bulb, cored and finely diced, plus 1 tbsp. chopped fronds
1/2 cup pearl barley or short-grain brown rice
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1/4 cup water, divided
1 1/2 tbsp. dry white wine, non-alcoholic
1 cup frozen French-cut green beans
1 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
4 acorn squash, split and steamed
Directions:
Coat a 4-quart or larger slow cooker with cooking spray. Add diced fennel, barley, carrot, shallot and garlic into slow cooker. Add broth, water and non-alcoholic wine and stir to combine. Cover and cook until the barley is tender, but pleasantly chewy, and the liquid is thick and creamy, 2 1/2 hours on low.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut acorn squash in half. Remove seeds with spoon. In a 9x13 baking dish add 1/4 inch of water. Place squash inside down and bake for 30 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven and hold warm. Shortly before serving, cook green beans according to package instructions and drain. Turn off the slow cooker. Stir the green beans, Parmesan, lemon zest and pepper into the risotto. If it seems dry, add some warm water and stir into the risotto.
Serve sprinkled with the chopped fennel fronds and pomegranate seeds. Fill each split acorn and serve.
Nutritional Facts Serv. Size: 2 cup, Amount Per Serving: Calories 200, Fat Cal. 10, Total Fat 1g (2% DV), Sat. Fat 0g (0% DV) Trans Fat 0g, Cholest. 0mg (0% DV), Sodium 110mg (5% DV), Total Carb. 48g (16% DV), Fiber 9g (36% DV), Sugars 10g, Protein 5g, Vitamin A (110% DV), Vitamin C (60% DV), Calcium (15% DV), Iron (15% DV). Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
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