Cranberry Recipes: More Than A Holiday Side Dish
It’s that time again where we see fresh cranberries everywhere – on grocery store shelves, on our plate, and as decorations. This tart, little fruit has gone hand-in-hand with holidays and holiday feasts for generations. Thanksgiving wouldn’t seem complete without some form of cranberry sauce or relish, right?
Here at Simple Well Being, we were interested in learning more about this overlooked fruit and how to enjoy all the health benefits it has to offer beyond the classic sugar-laden cranberry sauce or juice. We set out to experiment with the pretty ruby berry and summarized what we learned below (recipes included).
Cranberries have a long growing season, from April to November, and historically harvested just in time for holiday meals. Grown in bogs – beds of acid peat soil and plenty of fresh water – 95% of the cranberries in the world are produced in either the U.S. or Canada. Nearly 90% of those berries will be pressed into juice or preserved through drying.
Native Americans and early settlers in the U.S. believed that cranberries were medicine. They found the fruit could fight infection, internally and topically, and cure scurvy. They thought bitter food was infection-fighting. Though incorrect reasoning, it was actually the vitamin C that prevented disease, and helped prevent and heal infections.
More recently cranberries have been studied for their other health-promoting benefits. The vibrant red color is the key. Researchers have identified many beneficial chemical compounds in cranberries – about 18 of them – all due to the red skin color. Cranberries, like all berries, are known for their antioxidant properties which give this tiny fruit a powerful, disease-fighting punch against intestinal and urinary tract bacteria, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.* So eat up!
Just remember to be a savvy consumer, as many cranberry products are loaded with refined sugar. And although this berry requires some added sweetness to be enjoyed, you can upgrade the nutrition quotient in some of the classic cranberry dishes by using less refined sweeteners such as honey, sucanat, coconut palm sugar and pure maple syrup.
Below are four of my favorite recipes to enjoy fresh or frozen cranberries.
I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!
References:
NCBI
Whole Foods
My Favorite Cranberry Recipes
Cranberry Cure Tonic
This is an excellent way to enjoy raw cranberries without the added sugar. The pear adds a light sweetness and lime is the perfect balance of flavor. It also makes a great cocktail mixer!
Ingredients
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 pear
1 lime
Directions:
Put everything through a juicer and pour over ice. If you don’t have a juicer, put all the ingredients in a blender along with 1 cup of filtered water and blend on high. Pour through a fine metal sieve to extract the juice from the pulp.
Dr. Hyman’s Whole Food Protein Smoothie
I love using frozen cranberries in my smoothies. This smoothie is filled with nutritional goodness that keeps you energized and satiated for hours (ideal before long days of holiday shopping or cooking).
Ingredients:
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen cranberries
1/2 organic lemon with rind
1 tablespoon raw almond butter
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds (preferably soaked)
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon hemp seeds
2 raw walnuts (preferably soaked)
2 raw Brazil nuts (preferably soaked)
1/4 avocado
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin coconut butter
1 cup unsweetened almond or hemp milk
1/2 cup filtered water
Directions:
Put all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend on high.
Cranberry Chutney (from Terry Walters)
The combination of fruits and vegetables along with the spices in this recipes creates a fantastic twist on the classic cranberry sauce. I can’t wait to serve this with the Turkey this year.
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup organic raisins
1/2 cup sucanat
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 cup water
1 small onion, chopped
3 medium apples, cored and chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 tsp grated lemon peel
Directions:
1. Combine cranberries, raisins, sucanat, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and water in Dutch oven or medium sized pot. Place over medium heat and cook 15 minutes.
2. Stir in onion, apples and celery and cook 15 minutes more.
3. Remove from heat, fold in lemon peel, and serve.
Chutney can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the freezer.
Makes 4 cups
Cranberry Salsa
This is another twist on the traditional cranberry sauce or an alternative to gravy with the turkey. I also like to serve this salsa with corn chips (non-GMO) as an appetizer.
Ingredients:
2 16 oz cans whole berry cranberry sauce or double batch of this easy low sugar Homemade Cranberry Sauce
1/2 cup chopped jalapeno pepper
3-4 chopped scallions
1/2 chopped cilantro
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp lime juice
Directions:
Mix all ingredients together and chill before serving.