The Wonderberry

One of my favorite fruits are cranberries. I know this may sound surprising, if you have ever popped one in your mouth their tart flavor probably resulted in you pulling a lemon face and either quickly spitting it out or quickly swallowing it. On their own, they may not be great, but when you garnish your recipes with them, they are fabulous. Of course, they also have many health benefits. They are known as THE wonderberry for a reason. They are at the top of the list for fruits with the most antioxidants, they have more antioxidants in them than wild blueberries! They also have an antibacterial quality that help prevent bacteria from "sticking" in certain areas in the body. Thus they help prevent and treat UTI's and bladder infections, help prevent against kidney stones and guard against food borne illness. This same quality may also help prevent against tooth decay. Cranberries may also help prevent against heart disease, strokes and cancer. The bad news...cranberries are only in season October-December. However, don't dismay, they freeze really well, so stock up now! And now.....here are some of my absolute favorite recipes that use cranberries,

Cran-Raspberry Smoothie

1 1/2 cups skim milk

4 oz. fat free vanilla yogurt

3/4 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen

1/4 cup frozen raspberries

1/4 of an orange, peeled

2 ice cubes

1/4 cup wheat germ OR oats (optional)

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Cranberry Nut Bread

2 cups flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped cranberries
3/4 cup orange juice (I squeeze the juice out of an orange)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp grated orange peel

Pre-heat oven to 350°F.

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped cranberries and walnuts to coat with the flour mixture. Mix together orange juice, butter, egg, and orange peel. Add to flour, cranberry, nut mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just blended. Pour into a greased 9x5 or 8x4 loaf pan. Bake at 350°F for 55 to 60 minutes or until done (a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean). Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

*This is actually what I am giving out to my neighbors for Christmas this year, tied up in some festive ribbon. I double the batch and bake 4 mini loaves in my pampered chef mini loaf pan. They turn out beautiful!*

Cranberry-Orange Sauce

Zest and juice of 1 orange

1/2 cup sugar, plus more if desired

Pinch salt

One 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries, rinsed

In a medium saucepan, heat 1/2 cup water with the orange zest, orange juice, sugar and salt over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the cranberries and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the cranberries burst and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 7 minutes. Sweeten with more sugar, if desired. Let the sauce cool to room temperature before serving. *Serve in orange peel for presentation*

Chicken with Cranberries

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup butter
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup water
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 dash ground nutmeg

In a shallow bowl, combine flour, salt and pepper; dredge the chicken. In a large skillet, cook chicken in butter until browned on both sides. Remove chicken and set aside.
In the same skillet, combine the cranberries, water, brown sugar, vinegar and nutmeg; cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Place chicken on top; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. To serve, spoon cranberry mixture over chicken. *Note, I double the sauce and serve over rice*

Cranberry Cheesecake

2 cups crushed shortbread cookies
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

FILLING:
3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

TOPPING:
3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted

In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and sugar; stir in butter. Press onto the bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 325° for 6-8 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.

In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in the orange juice and peel, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over crust. Return pan to baking sheet. Bake at 325° for 45-50 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.

In a large saucepan, combine the cranberries, sugar and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Combine cornstarch and orange juice until smooth; stir into cranberry mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; cool to room temperature. Stir in pecans. Spoon over cheesecake. Refrigerate until chilled. Remove sides of pan.

Fresh Cranberry-Apple Jam

1 lb + 2 oz. frozen or fresh cranberries
1 cup superfine sugar
1 medium lemon (finely grated rind and juice)
1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled and cored

Grate rind of lemon and set aside. Juice lemon into small bowl. Rinse berries. Drain well and put them in a non-metallic bowl with the sugar. Add lemon juice and toss. Cover with plastic wrap, and leave on counter overnight, turning once or twice.

Coarsely grate the apple and put it into a heavy based saucepan with the grated lemon rind. Strain in all the juice from the berries- scrape out all of the sugary stuff and add it to the pan. Add two big spoonfuls of berries, leaving the rest of the berries in the bowl for now. Add ½ cup of water and simmer 20 to 30 minutes, or until the apple is very soft and the mixture has thickened. Add the rest of the berries and heat through for 10 minutes.

Pour into sterilized jars. Seal tightly and turn upside down. Cover with a cloth and leave to cool completely before turning upright and storing in a cool place. The jam will keep for a couple of months, but once open it should be kept in the fridge and used up fairly quickly. *Another great Christmas gift for the neighbors*