Spinach Chicken Salad with Pomegrante

Yesterday I had to run to the local "BIG BIRD" store aka Giant Eagle for those of you not in the inner circle.... while there I noticed a single lowly almost too ripe pomegranate that I just couldn't leave sit there all by itself. Here in Northeast Ohio it is really out of season for us to enjoy them. So I scooped it up a few other ingredients and like a school girl reveled of the possibility of dinner. If you have access to pomegranates this time of year this is a fantastic light full of flavor meal. The recipe can serve 2-3 for dinner comfortably adjust accordingly for more or less. Those not interested in the protein can omit and increase the red onion.

8 oz fresh baby spinach leaves
1 medium red onion sliced long
1/4 cup toasted almond slivers, or non toasted almond slices (your preference)
1 cup pomegranate juice
The seeds of one pomegranate
1 tsp dried crushed oregano
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1/4 tsp course ground pepper
1 lb chicken tenders
extra virgin olive oil to coat skillet lightly
3 TB red wine vinegar
crusty bread

Bring pomegranate juice to a soft boil in a small saucepan and continue to boil until reduced to 1/3 cup. Meanwhile in a large skillet cook chicken tenders in hot olive oil until no longer pink, remove from pan and keep warm. Add sliced onion, oregano, salt and pepper and cook string frequently until onion is tender.


Add pomegranate reduction and red wine vinegar to skillet return to a light boil, remove from heat and add spinach a few handfuls at a time stirring until just wilted. Place in a large serving bowl and toss with chicken, almonds and pomegranate seeds. Serve warm with crusty bread.

I will tell you I got so excited that I didn't take enough photos of the process... it made the kitchen smell delicious and the outcome was definately NOT disappointing.

Enjoy.

Where's Oliver

While this has nothing to do with Halloween I thought I would share for the pure fuzzy feeling. Fourth of July weekend an evil spirited person tossed a tiny 4 week old kitten out a moving car into our yard... after a couple of weeks of nursing him back to health and posting him online, no one seemed to want to give this little critter a home... so... needless to say Oliver Twist is now a permanent resident at the All Together Dead house... I have posted photos of him before helping to arrange the chandelier for Halloween... but this one just takes the cake.. or erm the doughnut. For those of you wandering, yes he licked the box clean first....

Happy New year....

So I have been away for quite a while, not on purpose, but to be totally honest I completely crashed and burnt after Halloween this year. The thought of the upcoming 3 holidays combined with school activities, IEP meetings, one of my besties fighting for her life with level 4b cervical cancer, chairing Little Snowflake Shoppe (aka Santa shop), the stupid flu, a broken computer and my dismay to have to disassemble our Halloween display this year well it all landed me out of commission for a while... but for all of you holding on with suspense anxiously awaiting my next post... (giggle... if that were only true...but who knows perhaps one day I will wake up one day and find myself amongst the blogging gods of our century...) you wait has expired....
I'm baaaaaaaaaack!

I have spent the last few days catching up on some of my favorite blogs, and thinking about all of the random thoughts, recipes and finds I want to share with you. But for today... today you only get a bite.... in more ways than one.... A fantastic recipe that a few of my fellow bloggers have already posted but I think needs a bit more attention... these are going to be one of the highlights of my Halloween festivities this year because YES... I already have my theme..... several have been floating around in my brain for the last few months, but with the upcoming release of the movie in March... on my wee peanut's birthday none the less, I can only imagine the excitement surrounded around the movie and all of the costume possibilities this year.... not to mention decoration and custom party affair.... so without any further pomp and circumstance.....

the 2010 theme for our Halloween Party this year will be a modified version of
the Mad Hatter's Tea Party

from Wonderland....our food will be sprawled out like a tea party and I have costume ideas already in the works... I told JT he can be Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, he wasn't too happy with me... I was joking... sigh... so there you have it... feel free to offer any suggestions you might have to help my creative juices continue to boil....I think I have the invite already worked out and have a good jump start on the menu....but I have plenty of time to reconsider....

These little treasures will be one of the crowning jewels on the table...thank you to Boo Spooky & PUMPKINROT for sharing these with me first....they are FANTASTIC enjoy everyone and if you haven't already headed over to Matt's bites, jump right over it is truely a feast for the eyes and with a little follow through a feast for the stomach as well. Thank you for the recipe Matt, and a little inspiration!

Adam's Spooky Candy Apples
click on the image for the recipe