Rosemary | Veggie Belly | Vegetarian Recipes

a Turkish themed Valentine’s day dinner

rose pomegranate fizz

Rose flavoring is used mainly in Turkish sweets and desserts. I also had some really nice rose flavored tea in Istanbul. This drink is inspired by all the rose flavor I encountered in Turkey.

Rose Pomegranate Fizz
makes 2 cups

4 tbsp Sugar (more, if you like it sweeter)
3 tbsp Water
2 tbsp Pomegranate molasses*
¼ tsp rose water
2 cups chilled club soda or seltzer
A few rose petals

Microwave the sugar and water just until the sugar dissolves. Let it cool. Then mix all ingredients together except rose petals. Stir well to combine.

To serve, pour into glasses and float a few rose petals on top.

Notes
Make sure you use roses that haven’t been sprayed with pesticides. Rinse the rose petals in cold water before using.

*If you dont have pomegranate molasses, use pomegranate juice. You may have to experiment with the pomegranante juice and club soda ratio (start with equal amounts of each).

This recipe yields a slightly sweet drink. Thats how we like it. If you want your drink to be sweeter, just use more sugar.

How to make your own rose water

I found rose water in my local grocery store. It will also be available in middle eastern stores. If you cant find rose water, here is a link to make your own on www.tipnut.com. See the section titled ‘homemade rosewater’. The recipe calls for steeping 1 cup of rose petals in 2 cups boiling water. Then cool, strain and use.

When I saw these beautiful baby potatoes at the market, I decided to bring them home and make roasted potatoes. I always roast them with some garlic, olive oil and either rosemary or thyme. This time I decided to add some lemon zest to kick up the regular roast potatoes. The zest brightens up the dish and pairs surprisingly well with potatoes. As a bonus, you’ll have delicious, lemony smelling fingers

Ingredients

Baby Potatoes – about 25 (the ones I used were quite small)
Olive oil – 2 tbsp
Rosemary – 1/2 sprig (or thyme 1-2 sprigs)
Garlic – 3 cloves
Salt
Pepper
Lemon – 1

Pre heat oven to 400. Take a rosemary sprig and pull half the leaves from the stalk. Cut each baby potato in half. If your potatoes are larger, quarter them.

In an oven proof dish, combine the potatoes, rosemary, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil. Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes. Cooking time will depend on the size of your potatoes. Check the potatoes half way through, stir them with a wooden spoon and return to oven. Check doneness using a fork.

Zest the lemon, taking care not to zest the bitter white part. When potatoes are done, sprinkle the lemon zest over the hot potatoes, stir to combine and serve.

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Rose Pomegranate Fizz

Zesty Rosemary Baby Potatoes