If you have never had a pomegranate, you should. It can be a task to get to the seeds, and as I recall my mom reminding me to where an old t-shirt when getting to the seeds (a tiny bit of the juice was easy to stain your nice clothes), but once you get to the seeds, every bite into these tangy seeds was well worth it.

As I looked at these four, large pomegranates, I decided to make fresh pomegranate juice. The process only took about 25 minutes to complete, but there was nothing like a fresh glass of juice.

Let’s get started.

Yields about 4 1/2 cups

Ingredients: [Print this Recipe]

• 4 pomegranates
• Large bowl of water
• Honey, to taste
• 1/3 cup of water

Start by putting on an apron, or an old shirt that you will not be bothered by if it gets juice on it.

Then take a knife and slice a pomegranate into quarters, or into smaller segments, being careful not to slice all of the way through. Take that pomegranate, and with the slices being face down, place in the bowl of water. Let it sit in the water, softening the outer walls of the pulp, for about 5 minutes. As you wait, quarter the rest of the pomegranates.

With your hands in the water, slowly begin digging the seeds out of each quarter. You will see that the seeds sink to the bottom while the pulp will float to the top. Keep repeating for each quarter of the pomegranate. Carefully flip over the pomegranate, and remove any remaining seeds left in the walls of the pomegranate. With a large slotted spoon, skim the pulp from the top, and discard. Take the slotted spoon and remove all of the seeds, placing them in a blender.

Repeat this process for each pomegranate.

When you are ready to make the juice, add the additional 1/3 cup of water, place the lid on the blender, and pulse, breaking the seeds which produces the fine juice.

With a fine mesh strainer, place it over a bowl, and slowly pour in the mixture from the blender. Your goal is to filter only the juice, and leave the extract behind. Push down on the extract with a spoon which will allow you to get more juice. Repeat until you have extracted all of the juice.

Taste. If the juice is too sour, add about one tablespoon of honey, or more, until you get  your desired taste.

Serve over some ice and enjoy. Simple, and fresh squeezed pomegranate juice yields nothing but pure delight, plus you know that not only are you drinking the freshest of juices, but also that it is packed with great antioxidants!

Agua frescas are basically fruit flavored water refreshments that can range from pretty much any fruit you put your mind to, but as my daughter has been on a strawberry and raspberry rampage lately, I decided to give her something different and expose the strawberry in a different light. This drink, in its purist form, is simply fruit and water, with a bit of sugar, and let me tell you, it makes the heat go away. Lets get started on this wonderful and refreshing drink.

Ingredients:

• 2 pints of strawberries, hulled
• 1/2 to 1 cup of sugar (taste how sweet or sour your strawberry is)
• 1/2 cup of fresh mint leaves
• 8 cups of water
• Ice

Begin by macerating your strawberries. Add them to a bowl, add the sugar, mix, and let them go for at least two hours. You will notice that they begin to release their liquid and turn into something wonderful.

Next, add the bowl of macerated strawberries to a blender, add in the mint and water, and give it a good blend, almost into a puree.

Now you need to strain the mixture. If you have a fine wire strainer, use it and place over a bowl.

Slowly pour in the mixture and with a wooden spoon or other utensil, begin slowly moving it around, separating the pulp from the water.This will take a few minutes to do.

Once you have strained everything, you are left with a very refreshing strawberry water. Pour this into a pitcher, and place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to let it get nice and cold. Otherwise, if you do not have time for that, fill up your glass with ice, pour the strawberry agua fresca inside, and head outside.

Enjoy that sun. Enjoy that heat, and better yet, enjoy that strawberry agua fresca. There is nothing like it, so enjoy every moment of it!

Well turn your attention to this simple and delicious appetizer. A crostini that is topped with brie cheese, cranberry chutney, and a cilantro leaf. What you are left with is pure heaven in a bite. Not only that but you will look like you spent all day in the kitchen making these mouthwatering bites.

Lets get started.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 French baguette, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1 round of brie cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup of cranberry chutney
• fresh cilantro leaves

I will admit that I only have one kid who collects the cherry from kiddie cocktails from her siblings. My daughter loves that macerated cherry, so I figured this ice cream would be right up her ally, plus I had some relatives swing by, so I knew I could throw a small bowl to them to try it out as well. If you have not been making ice cream, and have a few extra dollars to spare, I highly recommend picking up an ice cream maker. It is loads of fun, and you have endless ideas when it comes to making ice cream, or sorbet for that matter.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of macerated cherries, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup of dark chocolate, grated
• 1 cup of whole milk, cold
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 2 cups of heavy cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• Squirt of red food coloring (optional)

Make sure you freeze the ice cream bowl. Do this the night  before. Begin by adding the milk and sugar to a mixing bowl, and do just that, mix with a whisk until all of the sugar dissolves. Add in the vanilla extract, squirt of red food coloring, and the heavy cream. Assemble your ice cream maker, and turn it on, adding in your mixture. Let the mixer spin for at least 30 minutes.

As the ice cream begins to form into this delicious mass, typically about 25 minutes in, stop the bowl from spinning, and remove the inserted paddle, scraping down whatever ice cream has remained on the paddle.

Fold in the cherries and the chocolate. Place the ice cream in pint size containers if you have them, otherwise seal the top of the ice cream bowl, place back in the freezer and let it set up until you are ready to serve. But who am I kidding? Get a bowl out, lay a couple of scoops into it, drizzle some of the macerated cherry juice on it, letting it harden as a coating, and top with a macerated cherry.

Results? Delicious ice cream with tiny bits of cherry that not only add flavor, but also texture. The sauce adds a bit of that adult flavor from the brandy, and really knocks this one out of the park. A family member was quoted as saying “I do not even like cherries that much, but this is really good!” My kids on the other hand, well, as they ate a scoop or so, I knew it was expected. Not big fans, and it was probably because they realized the tiny bits were cherries, and stopped at that point in time. At least they tried it, and heck, there was plenty left over for me! Hope you enjoy.

But with that said, I have a lot of mint and I am always thinking of ways to continuously use it up. I have even offered it up to folks in the neighborhood, because after all, who should have to go to the store and pay three dollars for a small bunch of wilted mint? Come clip some, use what you want, because I know it will grow back.

So knowing my daughter loves mint, I decided to have her make a refreshing batch of limeade. It is finally warming up in Wisconsin (as sad as that sounds), and this great use of mint allowed for a refreshing drink for both her, me, and a handful of others. Simple, delicious, and a drink that now screams summertime.

Ingredients:

• 6 whole limes, halved, juiced
• 1 lime, zested
• 1 cup of light brown sugar
• 2 cups of ice
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup of fresh mint leaves
• Tequila (optional, but delicious on a summer day)

Get a blender out, and add the ice, water, sugar, zest, and juice of all of the limes. Toss in the mint leaves. Blend.

That’s it. Simple right? The fun part about making limeade is not only how delicious the end result is, but it is watching my daughter pick the leaves, and juice the limes. It was her drink.

It was her drink that she loved. That I loved. A drink that was beyond the idea of a mojito. It is something that is just really refreshing when poured over ice. Something about this just created the start of our summer in Wisconsin.

Give it a shot, and heck, try lemons with the mint, because who knows, your creativity might just pay off. Happy summer everyone.

My wife surprised me a few years back with a bowl of cranberry sauce. She asked me to go to the store and pick up cans of cranberry sauce (yes, cans), mandarin oranges, and walnuts. She presented the dish at the table, and it was very good. That day, I never understood what she loved about cranberry sauce, especially from a can, but this is the day where you really start to understand what your family members enjoy, right? My father-in-law still loves the classic green bean casserole, my grandma-in-law was extremely aggressive about getting the turkey wing, and my mother-in-law simply loves a great salad.

So understanding that my wife loves the cranberry sauce, I figured I would twist it up a bit, and show her how you can rid of the canned cranberry sauce, and do it yourself. This super simple cranberry sauce is packed with fresh ingredients, making it something wonderful for the Thanksgiving table.

Ingredients:

• 12 oz bag of fresh cranberries
• 1/4 cup of fresh blueberries
• 1/4 cup of fresh raspberries
• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1/2 lime, zest only

Begin by picking over your cranberries, removing any wilted or damaged ones. Rinse them to clean them off, along with the berries, and place in a sauce pan, with one cup of water and sugar. Bring to a simmer, then with a potato masher, lightly mash. You want some texture with the sauce, so don’t even consider mashing them like your creamy mashed potatoes.

Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature. Add your lemon zest, mix, and place in the refrigerator, allowing for the sauce to thicken.

Packed with a great mixture of tartness and sweetness from the berries, this one will not only surprise your guests, but it will surprise you as well. Great the day of, but even better the following day (my favorite as well) for leftovers.

A handful of years ago, my wife and I decided to plant mint alongside our house. It could have been the best thing that we have ever planted. Extremely low maintenance, mint grows in abundance. With that said, I am always looking for opportunities to use mint. I use it in Thai food, salads, and mojitos, and now in fruit salads. Let’s get started on this simple treat.

Begin by placing your sugar, water, and mint in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the rum and continue to cook for another 10 minutes. Turn off your heat and mix in the juice of one lime. Remove the pan from the burner and set aside to let cool. Strain the syrup and place in the refrigerator until it is ready to be used.

• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 2 cups of water
• large bunch of fresh mint, plus an extra few leaves, chopped.
• 1/2 cup of white rum
• Juice of one lime
• Bananas, 1/4 inch thick
• Pineapple, cut into chunks
• Strawberries, quartered

Add your fruit to a bowl, and pour on about a quarter cup of the syrup on top of the fruit. Add in the chopped mint leaves, and serve. A great tasting bowl of fruit salad with the extra surprise. This one should get your guests talking at the table.

So with the recent purchase of an ice cream maker, I thought what a great way to get more raspberries into the house, and make more attempts at getting my boys to eat them (Yes, they refuse to eat the raspberries!).

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of cold milk
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 2 cups of heavy cream
• 3 cups of fresh raspberries, blended

Begin by freezing the ice cream bowl, as it is very important that it is completely frozen. Begin by adding the milk and sugar to a mixing bowl, and mix with a whisk until all of the sugar dissolves. Add in the heavy cream. Assemble your ice cream maker, and turn it on, adding in your mixture. About 20 minutes into the mixing, add in the blended raspberries, and let it spin another 5-1o minutes.

Remove the bowl and place back in the freezer for another hour or two, to let it harden just a bit. Serve with some fresh mint and enjoy the freshness of the ice cream.

The ingredients are simple, yet when combined, really pack the fresh flavors that you would expect in every bite. I think that this might be my wife’s number one salad nowadays, and I think I know why. Lets have you decide.

Ingredients:

• 1 grapefruit, juiced
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp palm sugar (substitute light brown sugar if you do not have it)
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp canola oil, plus 1 cup for frying the wontons
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 12-14  jumbo shrimp (known as 16-20s), peeled and deveined
• 6 wonton wrappers
• 1 avocado, chopped
• 1 roma tomato, chopped
• 1/2 small red onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Begin by making the vinaigrette. To a large bowl add the grapefruit and lime juice, vinegar, sugar, along with the olive oil. Whisk until it is nice and creamy. Add in the ginger, salt, and pepper and set aside.

To a large skillet, add the two tablespoons of the canola oil and bring to a medium to high heat. Add in the garlic, cooking to release a bit of the aroma, about a minute, then toss in the shrimp. Cook for about 6-8 minutes, or until it is a nice pink color, being careful not to overcook them. Remove from the skillet and place them in a bowl, setting aside to let cool.

Clean out the skillet and add in the cup of oil, bringing it back to a medium heat. Add a couple of the wontons, only cooking for about 30-60 seconds per side as they brown quickly. Remove them from the oil, and place on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining wontons.

Add the chopped onion, avocado, tomato, and cilantro to the vinaigrette. Add the cooled shrimp and garlic to the mixture, and stir to combine all of the ingredients. Place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to let all of the flavors set in.

To plate, add one wonton as the base. Top with some of the shrimp and vegetable mixture. Add another wonton to that, and repeat. Repeat with one more wonton and salad mixture. Drizzle a bit of the grapefruit vinaigrette around the base, and serve.

My wife likes to eat the salad by picking up each wonton and eating it that way, while I just break right into it. However you stack it, this salad is not only refreshing, but it is really light, and delicious. Throw in some chopped mangos, or pineapple, and you have got yourself some more creative work. I hope you enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb of fresh shrimp, deveined, shells removed
• 2 large shallots, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup of chopped pineapple
• 4 Thai chilies, seeds removed, diced
• 1 tbsp honey
• 3 cups of left over rice
• 4 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• chopped peanuts (optional)

Begin by heating a large wok with the olive oil until it begins to lightly smoke. Toss in the garlic, chilies, and shallots and cook for about a minute. Add in the shrimp and cook until light pink. Add in the bell peppers and pineapple, and give a nice stir. Toss in the rice, oyster sauce, honey, and fish sauce, and get your wok moving and grooving, mixing all of the ingredients and warming the rice through.

I presented mine by using half of the pineapple as my serving bowl, topped with some chopped peanuts. It was a real hit. The sweetness of the pineapple and shrimp, and the mild heat from the chilies really balances this dish out, making it a real treat for the dinner table. Needless to say, my kids didn’t want to try it. Oh well, I have to keep trying.