Cranberry Chewy Nut Bars

In the latest commercial from Ocean Spray, the famous grower-owned cooperative declares the cranberry as the “official unofficial fruit of the holidays.” At Great Care, we love that idea!

Cranberries are healthy and tart, perfect for holiday meals and to stay hydrated any time of the year. According to nutritiondata.com, cranberries are a good source of vitamin C, dietary fiber, and the essential dietary mineral, manganese. They are cholesterol and fat-free, and low in sodium. Cranberries have been proven to enhance memory, as well as treat urinary tract and other bacterial infections homeopathically, important for seniors.

The beauty of cranberries is that they’re versatile, and can be featured in appetizers, side dishes, entrees, drinks, desserts, and more. Ocean Spray averages about 30 percent of Americans relish cranberries in their dessert dishes. Cranberry sauce is a traditional accompaniment to turkey at Thanksgiving and Christmas meals in the U.S. and Canada.

This year, Ocean Spray says six in 10 Americans will blend old traditions with new favorites, flexing their culinary tastes between traditional delights and new, unique dishes.

“Nearly half of all holiday hostesses will serve something healthier, spicier or globally inspired this Thanksgiving,” the co-op says.

Those who don’t want to sacrifice calories for flavor can have the best of both worlds with Ocean Spray’s recipes for Individual Cranberry Stuffing Cups and Guilt-Free Sangria on the table. Bon appetite!:

Individual Cranberry Stuffing Cups

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Makes 12 servings

Ingredients
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup butter
6 cups seasoned stuffing cubes
1/2 cup Ocean Spray® Craisins® Original Dried Cranberries
1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
6 ounces bulk sausage, cooked, drained and crumbled
1 cup chicken broth
1 egg, beaten
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 350º F. Lightly coat a 12 cup muffin pan with nonstick spray.

Cook onion and celery in butter over medium heat until translucent. In a large bowl, combine stuffing cubes, dried cranberries and thyme. Add cooked vegetables, sausage and chicken broth. Mix well. Add egg and stir until well mixed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon stuffing into muffin cups, using about ½ cup stuffing per cup. Press lightly to fill the cup. Stuffing can be mounded.

Bake 20 minutes or until set and browned. Remove from pan and serve. Makes 12 servings.

TIP: The stuffing cups can be prepared the day before they are baked. Prepare as directed, without adding the egg, and refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, add egg, mix well, and scoop into muffin cups.

Guilt-Free Sangria
Ocean Spray 2011 Sparkling Recipe Contest Finalist Wendy Isbell

Ingredients
1 peach
1 cup watermelon
1 cup grapes (cut in half)
1 bottle Prosecco or any Asti sparkling wine
2 cans Ocean Spray® Diet Sparkling Cranberry Juice Drink

Directions
Cut peach and watermelon into bite size chunks. Add grapes and put in large see through pitcher.

Pour Prosecco and Diet Sparkling Cranberry over top.

Put in refrigerator 1/2 hour to 1 hour to chill and to let fruit flavor come out. Serve in big glasses with a spoon or fork (you’re going to want to eat that fruit cocktail!)

These fine cranberry recipes from uscranberries.com (Cranberry Marketing Committee) are a perfect addition to any festive meal this holiday season:

Cranberry Salsa
Makes 2 cups

Salsa with cranberry red onion, jalapeno pepper, orange and lime will be a hit at your next get together.

Ingredients
2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup cranberry cocktail
1 T sugar
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 medium jalapeno pepper, diced
2 medium orange
1 tsp lime peel, grated
1 tsp orange peel, grated
1/4 cup lime juice
1 T honey
2 T orange juice
salt and pepper

Directions
In a medium sauce pan, combine the cranberries, cranberry cocktail and sugar. Bring to a boil over med-high heat, reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes. Add the dried cranberries and simmer 2 min. longer. Remove from heat.
While the cranberries are cooling, peel and segment the oranges, cutting between the membranes over a small bowl to catch the juice. Dice the orange segments. In a medium bowl, combine the cranberry mixture with the remaining ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cranberry Waldorf Salad
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Makes 4 servings

Cranberries add an original twist to this American favorite salad.

Ingredients
2 cups turnips finely sliced
2 stalks of celery with green
1 pear
3 oz. dried cranberries
1 oz. walnuts
1 1/2 lemon
3.5 oz. mayonnaise
3.5 oz. low-fat plain yogurt
1 tsp. honey
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Chop walnuts and toast in a small pan without oil. Peel turnip and cut into fine strips. Squeeze juice out of lemons. Mix turnips with 1 Tbsp. lemon juice. Cut pear into quarters, peel, remove core, and cut into pieces. Wash and clean the celery and cut into fine strips including the green. Mix celery with pear, cranberries, and walnuts.
Mix mayonnaise with lemon juice, yogurt and honey. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the prepared ingredients and gently mix together. Serve immediately.

Cranberry and Turkey Stuffing Casserole
Makes 6 servings

Delicious casserole with turkey, gravy and stuffing with cranberry sauce on the side.

Ingredients
1 T vegetable oil
¾ cup minced yellow onion
¾ cup minced celery
½ tsp. poultry seasoning
⅛ tsp. ground black pepper
¾ cup low-fat, reduced sodium chicken broth
3 cups whole grain bread, cut into 1-in. pieces
12 oz. cooked, diced turkey
1 cup prepared turkey gravy
1 ½ cups cranberry sauce
Steamed broccoli spears, optional

Directions
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; add onions and celery and cook 2 minutes. Mix in poultry seasoning and pepper and continue to cook 30 seconds. Pour in hot broth and heat through.
Stir in bread pieces and mix to combine. Cook until stuffing mixture is moist and heated through. Remove from heat and hold.
Combine turkey and gravy and spread evenly in the bottom of a 2-qt casserole dish. Next, spoon half of the cranberry sauce (¾ cup) on top of the turkey-gravy layer. Gently spread the reserved stuffing mixture evenly on top of cranberry sauce.
Bake in a 350°F oven for 30-35 minutes or until heated through and firm. Top will be slightly crunchy.
Scoop a 1-cup portion of casserole onto a plate and serve with an additional 2 Tbsp. of cranberry sauce on the side. Serve with steamed broccoli, if desired.

Cranberry Chewy Nut Bars
Makes 12 bars

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup sweetened, dried cranberries
1 1/3 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a 9 x 13 pan melt butter in the oven.
Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over melted butter, and then pour condensed milk evenly over the graham cracker crumbs.
Top with remaining ingredients, and press down firmly.
Bake 25 minutes, cool, and cut into bars. Store in airtight covered container at room temperature.

The professionals at Great Care are available to talk with you and your family about all of your home care needs, including respite care. Great Care is a non medical in-home care agency providing quality and affordable elder care in Fishers, IN and the surrounding areas. Call (888) 240-9101 for more information.