Ooh, puckery pomegranate

So I was looking for a way to cook my seitan, and I also wanted to use some pomegranate molasses that's been sitting around my fridge for a while since I got it for a recipe in Vegan with a Vengeance. So I found a recipe for a dish called fessenjen (like many Middle Eastern dishes, it has a million spellings). This one called for waterfowl, but of course, I used seitan and adapted the instructions a bit. The recipe had ingredients in both Imperial and Metric measurements, driving me nuts because how do I measure 75 grams of walnuts? I just threw a couple handfuls in the pan. Foolishly, I did not add sugar, and boy, was it TART. In case nobody told you, or you've never drunk pomegranate juice, it is a tart fruit. And since pomegranate molasses is really concentrated pomegranate juice, the tartness is increased. But pomegranates are chock full of antioxidants, so buy the juice, but not by Pom Wonderful, since they test on animals.

Anyway, I served my tartalicious seitan with some leftover bulgur couscous and veggies that I made earlier this week, but left off the pesto, as it would have seriously clashed with the pommy flavor. It was a truly lovely Friday night dinner. Next time, I'm adding a pinch of sugar to the sauce when I cook it.


Now, if you're wondering where to pick up pomegranate molasses, I got mine at the local Whole Foods. I also found recipes for making your own, which amounts to simmering pomegranate juice to thicken it to a syrup, which is entirely up to you. Middle Eastern stores, I'm told, also sell it. I have to find ethnic grocers here in DC, hope there are labels in English and see if they have decent prices. Pomegranate molasses can be used, I've read, measure for measure in place of blackstrap. Hmmm....