December 2012
Easy Solutions:
Crock pot meals are a great plan for saving time, money and stress at dinner time. Click here for handy tips about using your crock pot, also called a slow cooker.
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Seasonal Choice: Cranberries!
Cranberries are bright red berries that grow on trailing vines like strawberries. They don’t grow in a field like strawberries, though. The growing ‘field’ for cranberries is called a bog and it is like a very watery, fresh water, sponge with layers of sand, peat, gravel and clay. In North America, cranberries grow primarily in northern states such as MA, NJ, WI, OR and WA, and in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Quebec. These same areas now grow cranberries commercially, with a growing season from April to November. A different variety of cranberry grows in Central Europe, Finland and Germany.
Unlike strawberries, cranberries are very firm and have a tart flavor when ripe. Typically, bags of cranberries appear for sale in grocery stores and outdoor markets in late fall, just in time for November and December holidays. There are fun recipes you can make with cranberries, some that require cooking and some that do not. Also, cranberries make beautiful table decorations and kid-pleasing holiday projects.
Nutritionally, fresh cranberries are an excellent way to get your vitamin C and other antioxidants that strengthen the immune system. They are also a good way to get vitamins E and K. By eating a 3-4 oz serving of cranberries, you’ll get less than 50 calories, 12 grams carbohydrates and 5 healthy grams of fiber. Now you know, it’s the sugar we add to fresh cranberries that makes the calories shoot up!
Easy Recipes for Everyone!
Fresh Cranberry Sauce in a Jiffy
Makes: 2 cups
Ingredients:
12 ounce bag fresh cranberries
3/4 cup orange juice
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
Rinse cranberries in cold running water. Pick out and discard any mushy or discolored berries.
Place all the ingredients in a sauce pan and cook on medium-high for 15-20 minutes or until most of the liquid has reduced – stirring occasionally. You’ll hear the cranberries popping – don’t worry, that’s what you want them to do.
Remove from heat and serve or chill for later.
Note: Taste cranberry sauce and season, if you wish, with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon before serving. Garnish with grated orange zest (very outside of rind) for color, nutrition and more flavor.
Adapted by Cindy Silver, Registered Dietitian, LLC from SavorySweetlife.com
Fresh Cranberry Pork Loin in the Crock Pot (Slow Cooker)
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
3 – 4 pounds pork loin roast
salt and pepper
1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped
1/4 cup honey
1 orange, juice and grated zest (very outside of rind)
1/4 teaspoon whole cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 sweet potatoes, peeled, left whole
1 1/2 pounds broccoli or green beans
1 tablespoon butter
Cut excess fat off pork loin and discard. Place roast in crock pot (or slow cooker) and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, combine cranberries, honey, orange juice, orange zest, cloves and ground nutmeg. Pour over pork.
Place whole sweet potatoes on top of pork. If you leave potatoes unpeeled, then rub a little olive oil into the skins.
Cover with lid of crock pot (slow cooker) and cook on LOW for 8 hours.
Strain juices and use this ‘au jus’ at the dinner table.
Make it into a meal:
Mash sweet potatoes and season with a little butter, salt and pepper to serve as a side dish.
Microwave broccoli or green beans and season with a little butter, salt and pepper for a side dish.
Adapted by Cindy Silver, Registered Dietitian, LLC from Food.com
Nutrition Inspiration!
Where do you get inspiration to eat nutritiously? Outdoor farmer’s markets may be found all over the world and their colors and freshness are a feast for your eyes and your meal plate. This market is in the 1st District of Vienna, Austria. ‘Suppen Gemusse’ means Soup Vegetables in German. Does this give you any new ideas for making homemade soups or hearty stews for a delicious family meal? I hope so!
Take Action Now!
Jump on board with a healthier lifestyle for you and your family! Please LIKE my facebook page and read my weekly blog for everyday solutions to a healthier meal plan, grocery list and home kitchen. And, be sure to bookmark my website as a trusted destination for tasty and sensible nutrition and wellness information.
Please note that I am an in-network provider of nutritional counseling for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina.* I am accepting new clients in January 2013 and will be delighted to help you achieve your health and nutrition goals. Contact Cindy to find out more or to set up your first appointment!
*Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
Thank you for trusting me as your nutritionist for 2012.
Happy and Healthy Holidays to All!
Cindy