A Delicious Salad Recipe and Some Interesting Tidbits From the Cranberry Institute

I am excited to share this new and yummy salad recipe forwarded to me by the Cranberry Institute.  Check it out along with some other cool info about cranberries they provided too!!

A Fresh Salad for the Start of Spring!

CRANBERRY and CILANTRO QUINOA SALAD

Try a delicious and simple Cranberry & Cilantro Quinoa Salad (recipe below) for meatless Monday this week.

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

2 cups water

Pinch of salt

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 cup dried cranberries

½ cup minced carrots

½ cup chopped red bell pepper

½ cup chopped yellow bell pepper

3 Tbsp. finely chopped red onion

3 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro

3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

¼ tsp. salt

Pinch ground red pepper

Directions

1.       In a small sauce pan, bring water and pinch of salt to a boil over high heat; stir in quinoa, reduce heat and bring to a low simmer. Cover pot and cook until all liquid is absorbed (about 13 minutes).

2.       Remove from heat and transfer to a medium bowl. Cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

3.       To the bowl of quinoa, stir in cranberries, carrots, red and yellow peppers, red onion and cilantro until mixed.

4.       In a small bowl, mix together lime juice, oil, salt and ground red pepper and pour over quinoa-cranberry mixture; toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Does not have to be served cold.

Nutrition Information Per Serving: Calories 150, Calories from Fat 30, Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g, Total Fat 3.5g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 115mg, Total Carbohydrate 29g, Sugars 11g, Dietary Fiber 3g, Protein 3g, Vitamin A 40%, Vitamin C 45%, Calcium 2%, Iron 6%

Recipe courtesy of the Cranberry Marketing Committee, uscranberries.com

Cranberries Go Global 

Swap out a few basic ingredients in the above Cranberry & Cilantro Quinoa Salad recipe and see how cranberries can fit into any international cuisine.

·         Asian: Swap out red onion, cilantro and lime juice, for scallions, ginger and soy sauce.

·         Greek: Swap out carrots, cilantro and lime juice for tomatoes, olives and chickpeas. Make it even better—add feta! 

·         Indian: Swap out carrots, peppers, cilantro and lime juice, for winter squash, sweet potatoes, pecans and curry paste. Add an extra kick with cayenne pepper!

·         American: Swap out peppers, cilantro and lime juice, for celery, turkey breast and thyme. Who knows? Quinoa could become your new favorite Thanksgiving leftovers recipe.

Tasty Tidbits about the Tiny, Tart Cranberry

·         Cranberries may help reduce the risk of stomach ulcers by reducing H. pylori levels in infected subjects.

·         The unusual PACs found in cranberries have an A-type linkage structure that sets them apart from most other vegetable and fruit PACs, and is responsible for their bacterial anti-adhesion properties.

·         Not only do cranberries have PACs, but dried cranberries are also a good source of fiber – 10% of the Daily Value – with 2.3 grams per serving (40 gram serving).

Science Bites: News from Cranberry Scientists 

Drinking Cranberry Juice Cocktail is Associated with Less Inflammation and Normal Weights!

Cranberry products, such as cranberry juice cocktail, are rich in polyphenolic compounds (i.e., flavonoids) and have been studied for their link to health benefits. Cranberries are naturally low in sugar and high in acid content; therefore, they are frequently sweetened for palatability. The final product, such as with cranberry juice cocktail, is one that contains similar or lower amounts of sugar than commonly consumed 100% juices. Despite the added sweetener, researchers have found that cranberry juice cocktail has several health benefits. Most recently, a cross-sectional study found that U.S. adults who consume cranberry juice cocktail had statistically significant lower levels of C-reactive protein, an indicator of inflammation, compared to those that did not drink cranberry juice cocktail. Cranberry juice cocktail drinkers also trended toward lower weight and waist circumference, BMI levels, fasting glucose, insulin, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. This research indicates that drinking cranberry juice cocktail was associated with healthier anthropometric measures and less indication of inflammation. Although more research is warranted to validate these findings, drinking cranberry juice cocktail was not associated with higher weight, increased likelihood for being overweight or obese or a higher total energy intake compared to non-consumers.

Reference: Duffey, KJ, Sutherland, LA. Adult consumers of cranberry juice cocktail have lower C- reactive protein levels compared with nonconsumers. Nutr Res. 2015 Feb;35(2):118-26. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2014.11.005. Epub 2014 Dec 3.

RESOURCE REMINDER! 

USDA-Reviewed Cranberry Health Research Review 

The USDA recently reviewed an updated cranberry nutrition and health review published in the Cranberry Health Research Library on CranberryInstitute.org.  

Cranberry Health Research Library 

Browse the selections by year to find the most recent publications: http://cranberryinstitute.org/doclib/doclib_search.cgi

Comprehensive Review of the Health Benefits of Cranberries in Advances in Nutrition Available for Continuing Education Credits through Today’s Dietitian. Ends April 7, so register now! 

o   “Cranberries and Their Bioactive Constituents in Human Health,” published in Advances in Nutrition, provides in-depth information about the bioactive compounds in cranberry and the pathways by which they may help protect against urinary tract infection, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The Cranberry Institute and Today’s Dietitianpartnered to create a continuing education course for registered dietitians with permission from Advances in Nutrition. Registered dietitians will receive four credits after studying the review and completing a multiple-choice exam. 

o   Click here to read for continuing education: http://ce.todaysdietitian.com/CranInst