Introducing an easy hack to boost immunity, flavor and nutrients in under a minute! (Immune-boosting Cranberry Ice Cubes)
As identical twins, who are both registered dietitian nutritionists and personal trainers, you may wonder if other things in our lives are as identical as our career paths. While some things are quite different–Lyssie is obsessed with sardines, while Tammy only likes them 😉 and Tammy never misses a day with her red pepper snack, Lyssie does have days where shes skips them, and Lyssie often runs around town straight after the gym with not a stitch of make up on, while Tammy would never be caught in public running around town without going straight home to shower and doing her makeup ;)), some other things are almost exactly the same.
We both love almost all red colored foods. And although Tammy never skips her red peppers, we both do like to add lots of red goodies into the mix! We’re not talking the ones that have been colored with red dye #40 (although those red mericchiano cherries that our health-minded mom never allowed us as kids, always did call our names 😉 ). We’re talking about those straight from nature that are packed with health-boosting benefits. And wow, cranberries are definitely an item to brag about!
So, check out what we’ll be whipping up, and why!
Cranberry BBQ Sauce! And Cranberry Juice Cubes!
Betcha didn’t know that cranberries, the all-American superfruit, are one of three commercially cultivated fruits native to North America, and this is just one reason they’re ideal if you’re looking to minimize your carbon footprint rather than importing from other countries.
And with their gorgeous bursting red color, comes quite the nutrition bang. Check out these awesome cranberry health facts:
- All cranberry products, including fresh and frozen cranberries, cranberry juice cocktail, dried cranberries and sauces, contain unique, health-promoting flavonoids called PACs. PACs help reduce the incidence of certain infections, maintain a healthy urinary tract, improve heart health and reduce inflammation associated with chronic disease and aging.
- A new study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that drinking 8-ounces of cranberry juice a day reduced the number of symptomatic UTIs by nearly 40 percent in women with recurrent UTIs.
Cranberry Juice Cubes
These little magical delights are simply cranberry juice frozen in ice cube trays. They jazz up water or seltzer with great flavor and nutrients—and make the holiday glasses look even more festive.
Cranberry BBQ Sauce
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup minced yellow onions
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. chili powder
1 ½ Tbsp. tomato paste
1 ½ cups cranberry sauce
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. dark molasses
¼-½ cup water, if needed
Directions
- In a sauce pan, heat oil over medium-high heat; add onions and sauté 2 minutes. Mix in garlic, mustard and chili powder and continue cooking 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 more minute.
- Add cranberry sauce, vinegar and molasses and bring to a simmer, whisking often until mixture becomes smooth. Lower heat and simmer 15-20 minutes or until mixture reduces and thickens. Add water to mixture if it gets too thick. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Place in a covered container and refrigerate until ready to use. Reheat before using.
Serving suggestion: Use as a condiment or on grilled vegetables, lean meats or poultry.
Nutrition Information Per 2 Tbsp. Serving: Calories 120, Calories from Fat 20, Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g, Total Fat 2g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 25mg, Total Carbohydrate 24g, Sugars 19g, Dietary Fiber 1g, Protein 0g, Vitamin A 2%, Vitamin C 2%, Calcium 2%, Iron 4%
“Recipe courtesy of the Cranberry Marketing Committee”
Note: Cranberry products, including cranberry juice cocktail, dried cranberries and sauces, offer the same health benefits of fresh cranberries, but may be sweetened to satisfy a variety of taste preferences
For more health information or research, please visit CranberryInstitute.com
