Pomegranate Martini...Avesta Style

Avesta's Pomegranate Martini

When I owned my restaurant Avesta Eclectic Cuisine we were known for our martini bar with about 40 different martinis on our list. We had a lot of fun coming up with our martini recipes and of course we had to have a signature martini so right away I knew it had to be the Pomegranate Martini. I had grown up eating pomegranates and drinking pomegranate juice so I thought it would be perfect to mix with vodka.

Back when we opened our restaurant pomegranates were yet to be as popular as they are today but once we came up with our recipe we knew we had come up with a winner. And boy were we right....my bartenders couldn't keep up with the demand....we were premixing the pomegranate mix by the gallon. It's been two years since I closed my restaurant and I still get people emailing me about those martinis....and since POM Wonderful was so kind in sending me some samples....here's a version of my Pomegranate Martini....enjoy when of these after the kids have gone to bed and you're wanting to feel really good!

Pomegranate Martini...Avesta Style

Martini Shaker filled with ice

2 oz Premium Vodka (my favs are Absolut, Grey Goose or Belvedere)

1 oz Pomegranate Liquor or Triple Sec

2 oz POM Wonderful juice

1/2 cap full of Pomegranate concentrate (you can get this from Middle Eastern stores but if you can't find it just use 1 oz more of POM)

Champagne or Spumanti to top off the martini

Fresh lime wedges

Fill martini glass with ice and top with soda or tap water to chill the glass. Meanwhile pour all ingredients in the shaker and shake really well....pour out the ice and water out of the martini glass and then pour contents of shaker into the chilled glass. Top with champagne or spumanti, garnish with lime and sit back and enjoy!



One of my best friends Jeni got me this glass....it's one of my rules that everyone must own some pretty martini glasses...it really does make the drink taste better! And I never have all matching glasses...that way your guests can pick what they like and then they'll know which glass is theirs all night.
Always have these ingredients on hand to be the best host...believe me your guests will be impressed with this martini!
The blood red color of the martini is so beautiful and if you don't like champagne or don't have any on hand you can serve it just like this or add a little 7 up or Sprite to the top for a little fizz.

But if you've never had a martini topped with champagne then you have not lived. And you don't have to buy expensive champagne to get the effect...even cheap sparkling wine or spumante will do the job. This just adds that extra special touch to make you feel like a queen....I am a champagne whore and could add it to any drink....try it and you will understand.

POM Wonderful!

A few weeks ago I received an email from POM Wonderful asking if I'd like some samples of their pomegranate juice. I was so ecstatic as I'm already a huge fan of POM's pomegranate juice. If you are a regular reader of my blog you know that I love anything with pomegranates not just because I love the taste but also because of the great health benefits. Pomegranates are full of antioxidants and have been known for their health benefits for centuries (especially in the Middle East). Growing up Kurdish...we ate pomegranates all the time (my friends would always ask what that weird fruit was that we were eating!) and I am so happy that they are now getting the recognition in the U.S. they deserve.

The great thing about POM's juice is that their juice is 100% authentic pomegranate juice...it's all natural and contains no added sugars, preservatives, colors or cheap filler juices....and their pomegranate orchards are in California so they are local....not imported from overseas.

Very excited to get this package....I will take any freebies I can as this blog does cost me money to make all the recipes....now that doesn't mean I'll always do a good review on a product...I will not endorse or talk up a product just because it was given to me. I will test it in recipes and if it's something I feel is worthy of a post...then I'll write about it.
Loved the fact that they personalized the package and sent me a letter about their company and all the benefits of their product!
Aren't the bottles so pretty? I do love this pomegranate juice and have been using it for years. When I owned my restaurant we bought this by the case to use in our signature pomegranate martinis and our pomegranate vinaigrette. When we started making these two items it was about 6 years ago and before the pomegranate craze....our customers went crazy for both these items. So since POM Wonderful was so generous in giving me these samples....I will be posting a few recipes on here in the next couple days using their product.

For more information about POM Wonderful and the benefits of pomegranates....go to www.pomwonderful.com

Homemade Pomegranate Iced Tea

Ok...here it is. My version of a pomegranate Iced Tea. I explained in an earlier post that I adore pomegranates and have been trying all the new products out there infused with the flavor...problem is....they're all full of sugar and extra calories! So what I did was use the pomegranate syrup that I grew up using and made my own pomegranate iced tea...minus the extra sugar. Here's the recipe.....

Avesta's Pomegranate Iced Tea:

4 tea bags (I use a green/white tea mix)

1/4 cup pomegranate syrup/molasses (you can find this in Middle Eastern or Halal markets or on the web http://www.ishopindian.com/shop/sultan-pomegranate-syrup-molasses-pr-21435.html)

Kettle of almost boiling water

Pitcher of ice

Lemon for garnish

Splenda or sugar for sweetness (optional)

Once your kettle of water is ready, add your tea bags and let them brew for about 5 minutes (you want to let them brew longer than a hot cup of tea because you want the tea to be stronger since you'll be adding tons of ice to the tea which will dilute it)

After brewing your tea, simply pour the tea right onto the pitcher of ice. (if you want to add sugar to the tea, add it before you pour it on the ice as it is hot and the sugar will dissolve and sweeten the tea perfectly)

Next, slowly add the pomegranate syrup and stir well. If you want to add Splenda to sweeten the tea, you can do that once you've stirred in the syrup. I don't add any sugar or Splenda to the pitcher. I like the tart flavor of the tea and pomegranate syrup with some lemon slices. Instead, I just serve the sugar and Splenda on the side for those who want to add it themselves.

I hope you enjoy this tea....my 10 year old son and mother loved it! It is not going to be that super-sweet pomegranate flavor that you may be used to...but it is a true pomegranate flavor. Just think about how sweet cranberry juices are out there...that's not what a real cranberry tastes like...right? For an added touch you can always freeze pomegranate seeds and serve them in the tea. (I do this a lot with my pomegranate martinis)

This tea is full of antioxidants from the pomegranate and from the green and white tea without all the extra calories and sugar....get that from the piece of pie you're going to eat with the tea!

I love Pomegranates!

I grew up eating pomegranates way before they became known or a huge hit in the U.S. I remember my friends would come over and ask "what is that you're eating?" "what are those little seed things...that's weird."
My mom would tell us how good they were for us and it was a ritual at our house to open up the pomegranates and put all the seeds in a bowl and sprinkle salt or sour salt (citric acid) on them and devour them by the spoonful. I know that sounds weird to put salt on them but seriously...try it...it's delicicious! It's how a lot of Middle Eastern people eat them and hey....we've been eating them for centuries! My mom also used to make pomegranate juice for us instead of Kool-Aid. She bought real pomegranate syrup that was made in Lebanon and mixed it with water and we'd have that in the fridge at all times.
This syrup is absolutely amazing! You can find it now in almost any international food store and if you have a Middle Eastern or Halal market, you can find it in there. When you buy it, put a dash of it on your finger and lick it. It is a bit sour and soooo amazing! This is the syrup that I use for my pomegranate martinis...see pomegranates are not super sweet like a lot of the juices out there on the market....they're actually a bit tart and a bit sour...so to get that true pomegranate flavor and without all that added sugar...make your own juice with this syrup! Plus it is a lot cheaper!
The market out there is taking advantage of the pomegranate boost right now and buying anything with pomegranate in it is so expensive. I bought several different kinds of juices and teas yesterday and have been trying them out. POM, the California company that has really pushed the pomegranate craze now also has green and white teas flavored with pomegranate which are really tasty.
I do use different brands of pomegranate liquors too for some of my cocktails, my favorite being Pama.

And my new love right now is pomegranate lemonade by Minute Maid which tastes like a really good pink lemonade. The problem with all these drinks is that they're full of sugar! So this weekend, I am going to make my own teas and lemonade with pomegranate flavor by using my syrup and splenda. I'll work on the recipes and give them out when perfected!

I can't wait until fall....that's pomegranate season in the U.S. You'll be able to find them in most supermarkets from about October to January.

My grandfather had a pomegranate orchard just like this in his backyard....can you imagine?