I’m a baker at heart, so I’m always thinking about how to incorporate any given ingredient into a cake. When it comes to pomegranates though, I’m a bit stumped.

They feature prominently in Greek and Iranian cuisine. In Turkish dishes, pomegranate juice is used in salad dressings and meat marinades. In Pakistani cuisine, the dried seeds, anardana, are used as a spice in savoury dishes, while fresh pomegranate seeds are usually eaten on their own, or in fruit chaat. They have a unique flavour and colour but sadly are only available for a few months a year; maybe that’s why we haven’t been more creative in how we use them in our cooking.

While none of these recipes require cooking and baking, hopefully they’ll give you some ideas and inspire you to get creative in the kitchen.

The pomegranate is a versatile fruit that can be used in a variety of ways

Pomegranates are good for you too. The seeds are a good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K and dietary fibre, so don’t spit them out!

Banana pomegranate smoothie

Ingredients

Pomegranate juice ½ cup Banana 1 Sugar 1 tablespoon Yoghurt ½ cup A tiny pinch of salt A handful of ice

Method

Place all ingredients in a blender, blend until smooth, and serve.

Serves one

Chickpea, feta and pomegranate salad

Ingredients

Chickpeas 400g can, rinsed and drained Cucumber finely diced Feta cheese 2 to 4 tablespoons Pomegranate seeds 1 to ½ cup za’atar ½ teaspoon Note: Use ¼ teaspoon each of black pepper and dried oregano if you can’t find za’atar Lemon juice 1 teaspoon Olive oil 1 tablespoon Salt to taste (see note below)

Method

In a serving dish, spread the chickpeas in an even layer. Top with diced cucumber, feta cheese and pomegranate seeds. Season with za’atar and salt, drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil, and serve.

Note: Feta cheese is quite salty so taste the salad before adding more salt.

Serves two to four.

Pomegranate chocolate bark

Ingredients

Dark chocolate 200g Pomegranate seeds 1 cup

Method

Line a large tray with foil or wax paper. Break up the chocolate into pieces and add to a large glass bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure that the water does n’t enter the bowl.

When the chocolate has melted, pour it into the tray, and gently spread into a square (approx. six-inch square). Let the chocolate cool a little, then sprinkle the pomegranate seeds over it and press down gently.

Place in the refrigerator to set. When the chocolate has hardened, break the bark into pieces, either by hand or with a knife.

Store leftovers in the fridge.

Serves four.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, December 4th, 2016