Craving More Cranberries. And Xagave N Cookbook Giveaway

If the previous post wasn't enough ,here are some more of the appetizing dishes with the phenomenal cranberries, that always crave me for more.Why not ,these are incredibly healthy and cheapest this season.Make the most of their abundance in the markets,devour them in sweet or savory ,the berry is very adaptable in everyday cooking.The recipes are also part of Health Nut challenge: Healing foods.

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Cranberries have long been valued for their ability to help prevent and treat urinary tract infections. Now, recent studies suggest that 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..Read more about its health benefits at whfoods.org

Cranberry Salsa with Baked Sweet Potatoes

Serves 3-4
Both Recipes adapted from My Own Sweet Thyme
1 cup cranberries,chopped
1 small tomato,finely chopped
1/2 a medium onion,finely chopped
1-2 jalapeno or any other hot peppers, seeded and finely chopped
2 Tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon orange zest
1 Tablespoon orange juice
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Method
mix all the ingredients and let sit for an hour for flavors to infuse.Serve with any baked chips or as a relish.

Baked Sweet Potato Chips
Ingredients
1 large sweet potato (approximately 8 ounces)
1 table spoon of extra virgin olive oil or canola oil
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Method
Peel the sweet potato and slice crosswise into 1/8 inch slices using a very sharp knife or other vegetable slicer.
In a mixing bowl mix the slices with salt ,oil and chili powder.Use hands to rub oil in to each one of the slices.Arrange the sweet potato slices on 2 baking sheets in a single layer.
Bake at 375 degrees ,while turning once ,for about 18-20 minutes.Cool and immediately transfer in air tight containers.Chips tasted best on the same day,if store properly are good for a week or two.

Cranberry Lentils

Recipe adapted from Cham's Cranberry Dhal(lentil)
Ingredients
1 cup split yellow Moong lentil
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric
1/2 teaspoon Salt
Tempering(tadka)
1/2 cup Fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 a medium onion,finely chopped(about 2 tablespoon)
2 dry red chillies
2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil or canola oil
1/2 teaspoon each of Mustard seeds and Cumin seeds
few Curry leaves
Method
Cook the lentils in a 2 cups of water ,turmeric,chili powder and salt until lentils are soft. May take 8-10 minutes in a pressure cooker or 25-30 minutes in a covered skillet. Now mash the cooked lentil mixture.
To prepare the tempering, heat oil in a smallest pan in the kitchen. Add the berries,onions,dry chillies,mustard seeds ,garlic and curry leaves and chillies. Turn off the heat when the mustard seeds start to splutter and berries start to pop.Mix this in to the lentil mixture.Serve with any kind of bread.


Cranberry Vegetables

Include cranberries with any kind of spicy sauteed vegetables,I add the berries towards the end of the cooking process and cook for another 5-6 minutes.

Spicy Cranberry sauce Chicken

The tangy cranberries with spices and herbs enhance the flavor of chicken.I remember tasting this dish with turkey at one of my friends place,the recipe also worked perfectly with chicken.

Recipe
Ingredients
2 pounds Skinless Free range chicken,whole or cut in medium pieces
1 teaspoon spice mix(I used Shan Tikka masala or use any other chicken seasoning)
1 teaspoon salt
for the sauce
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 teaspoon each of cumin and coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon hot chili powder
1/2 cup fresh herbs,cilantro or mint or parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
Method
Marinate the chicken in the spice mix and salt for an hour.
Prepare the sauce,blend all the ingredients under sauce in a food processor or blender.Cook the mixture on medium heat for 15-20 minutes until thickened.
Preheat oven to 325F.T
Transfer the chicken in an baking dish.Bake for about 35 minutes. Get the dish out of the oven and pour the sauce all over the chicken.Cook for another 25-30 minutes until tender and cooked through.Serve warm as a side dish.


Xagave(Agave Nectar) and Delicious Meet Nutritious Cook book give away!

I've tried and loved the wonder product,now is a chance to win this awesome package of Xagave and the Delicious Meet Nutritious Cook book :
*Leave a comment on this post about the favorite agave recipe from the list I tried or from the Xagave blog.
*Spread the word ,if you own a blog ,mention about the giveaway or tweet about it.
You have until next Monday(30th November) to enter.One lucky winner will be announced on next day.Good luck!

Updated:The lucky winner is tasteofbeirut.Congrats!Please claim your prize by December 5th.Drop me your address at YasmeenHealthnut@gmail.com.