light, local, & luscious:
holiday cranberry recipes
What would a seasonal table be without the cranberry? And it turns out they’re healthy too! Cranberries have long been valued for their ability to help prevent and treat urinary tract infections. Now, recent studies suggest this native American berry may also promote gastrointestinal and oral health, prevent the formation of kidney stones, lower LDL and raise HDL (good) cholesterol, aid in recovery from stroke, and even help prevent cancer. Recent research even suggests they may show promise as an antibiotic.
We asked local chef Jim Capone of Irondequoit’s Deliciously Different Catering to provide a few original holiday cranberry recipes for us to sample. Enjoy!
Roasted Cranberry Spinach Salad with Cranberry-Fig Vinaigrette
Yield: 4 portions |  |
2 cups fresh cranberries
2 tsp Splenda® brand artificial sweetener
pinch cayenne pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
pinch Mrs. Dash® salt-free seasoning
2 Empire State apples, cut into wedges
1 head radicchio lettuce
6 oz bag spinach leaves
1 lb cooked turkey meat
Cranberry-Fig Vinaigrette
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup roasted cranberries
2 fresh figs, remove skin and chop into small pieces
1 tsp dried thyme
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp honey
To roast the cranberries, preheat your oven to 400. In a bowl, combine the cranberries, Splenda®, and cayenne and toss with olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. When done, remove from oven and let cool.
While the oven is still at 400, toss the pumpkin seeds, olive oil, and Mrs. Dash® together and place on a sheet tray. Bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown.
To make the vinaigrette, in a food processor add vinegar, roasted cranberries, figs, dried thyme and pulsate on high, slowly incorporating the oil. At the end, add the honey and mix until dissolved.
Now prepare the rest of the ingredients. Cut the apples into wedges, leaving the skin on and removing the core. With a chef’s knife, rough chop the radicchio and mix with spinach.
To assemble, place the greens in a bowl and top with sliced apples, roasted cranberries, turkey meat, and pumpkin seeds, finishing with the cranberry-fig vinaigrette.
Nutritional Value of the Salad with Dressing: Calories per serving: 462 calories; Protein per serving: 39 grams; Fat per serving: 14 grams; Carbohydrate per serving: 41 grams; Fiber per serving: 13 grams; Sodium per serving: 583 grams
Balsamic Cider Cranberry Sauce
Yield: 6 portions |  |
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp fennel seed
1/4 tsp ground ginger
10 whole cloves
1/2 tsp whole pepper
3/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup apple cider
2 tsp Splenda® brand artificial sweetener
3 cups fresh cranberries
1 cinnamon stick
Wash cranberries and set aside. Grind the spices, minus the cinnamon stick, in a hand-held coffee grinder until fine. Bring the white wine, balsamic vinegar, cider, and Splenda to a boil. Add cranberries, ground spices, and cinnamon stick. Simmer over a high flame, stirring frequently, until berries pop open. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 5 minutes or until it has a syrupy consistency. Cool and serve.
Nutritional Values: Calories per serving: 186 calories; Protein per serving: 1 gram; Fat per serving: 5 grams; Carbohydrate per serving: 39 grams; Fiber per serving: 3 grams; Sodium per serving: 0.8 grams
ROCHESTER RESOURCE Deliciously Different Catering, 2012 Ridge Rd. East #153, Rochester, NY 14622 (585) 338-9283, www.deliciouslydifferent.com