Holiday Party foods – great tasting and filled with nutrient perks….the perfect choice to please holiday guests. Add some red to your spread – with antioxidant-rich tart red cherries and make a sweet-tart punch with half the calories of a regular punch. Triple Cherry Sauce pairs well with lean pork tenderloin or lean ham. Add green to your holiday spread with Super Spinach Dip filled with more spinach and lower-fat versions of sour cream and mayonnaise. Happy Holidays to all.
Merry Cherry Punch
6 cups 100% tart red cherry juice
3 cups pure-pressed natural apple juice (Simply Apple)
5 cups Sprite Zero ®
Starfruit slices or lemon and lime slices for garnish (optional)
Combine two juices in large pitcher or punch bowl. Add soda right before serving. Garnish if desired.
Makes 14 (1 cup) servings
Per serving: 75 calories,19 g carbohydrate, 25 mg sodium.
Super Spinach Dip
2 packages (10 oz.) Kroger frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 ½ cups reduced fat sour cream
1 ½ cups light mayonnaise
1 cup Kroger low-fat or non-fat plain yogurt
1 cup chopped green onion
1 can (8 oz.) sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 package (1.4 oz) Knorr® Vegetable recipe mix (dry mix)
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; stir well. Serve immediately, or chill at least 2 hours to allow flavors to blend together even more. Serve with fresh vegetables and whole grain crackers.
Makes about 6 cups dip (approx. 24 servings of ¼-cup each).
Triple Cherry Sauce
1 can (14.5 to16 oz) Kroger unsweetened tart cherries
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ to 1 cup tart cherry juice
¼ cup brown sugar
3/4 cup dried tart cherries
2 teaspoons stone ground mustard
Drain cherries and reserve juice. Add enough tart cherry juice to make 1 1/3 cups total. In a small bowl, stir cornstarch into ¼ cup juice mixture. Add cornstarch to a small saucepan along with drained cherries, remaining juice, brown sugar and dried tart cherries. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in mustard. Makes about 2½ cups.
www.choosecherries.com for other great cherry recipes.