GLUTEN-FREE VEGETARIAN POMEGRANATE SALAD DRESSING

Pomegranate juice, in addition to being gluten-free, vegetarian and super-rich in antioxidants, is one of the most versatile foods you'll ever find in a tiny bottle. I love its tartness, but you can sweeten it to emphasize its berryness. Or you can go with the acid and do some savory things, like this pink-on-pink salad with pomegranate juice and raspberries, for example. But first, you need to make the molasses. What? Not to worry, recipe follows:

Ingredients:

raspberries

romaine lettuce

diced mild radish

8 oz pomegranate juice

1 tsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste (I prefer none at all)

Instructions:

Bring the pomegranate juice to a boil and simmer until reduced to one quarter volume.

When the molasses is cool, whisk in oil.

For a less sweet dressing, whisk in 1-3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar.

Serve over lettuce, radishes and raspberries.

Serves 2.

Note: Add more oil if that is your preference, but you might want to try this low-fat dressing as is first, since the thickness of the pomegranate molasses coats the greens nicely without any additional oil.

Many thanks to the folks at PomWonderful who generously provided their pomegranate juice.