These well-known urinary tract infection fighters are also good for your heart and can help boost beneficial HDL cholesterol
Crazy-Healthy Cranberries
Think outside the can! Now's the height of the cranberry harvest—the perfect time to give these tiny tart treats a try. Buy firm, vibrant red berries (deep color indicates antioxidant potency) and toss any that are soft or shriveled. This highly acidic fruit stays fresh in the fridge for 6 weeks (freeze for up to a year). Cranberries are as delicious in savory dishes as they are in desserts; just temper the tang with a sweetener according to your taste. Cooking the berries until they pop releases their pectin, a type of fiber that helps create a thick sauce.
More from Prevention: What's Healthier: Cranberries or Raisins?, How to Prevent UTIs
Winter Salad With Cranberry-Orange Dressing
Combine 1 cup fresh cranberries, 1/4 cup orange juice, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 Tbsp honey, 2 Tbsp chopped shallot, 1 Tbsp water, and 1 tsp grated fresh ginger in food processor. Pulse until finely chopped for dressing.
Toss 4 cups winter salad greens, 1/2 cup orange segments, and 1/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries* in large bowl with enough dressing to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Nutrition (per serving): 97 cal, 1 g pro, 25 g carb, 3 g fiber, 0.5 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 17 mg sodium
*Versatile and convenient, sweetened dried cranberries are packed with antioxidants and at the ready year-round. Sprinkle on salads, toss in a bowl of cereal, or use in place of fresh berries in baked goods (reduce the amount by a quarter). Our testers liked the sweet-tart taste and moist texture of Paradise Meadow (decascranberry.com for store locator) and Good Sense Organic (amazon.com) brands.
Spiced Cranberry Chutney
Combine 6 oz (1 3/4 cups) fresh or frozen cranberries, 1/2 cup hot or sweet pepper jelly, 1/4 cup golden raisins, 2 Tbsp each dark brown sugar and cider vinegar, 1/2 tsp each coriander and mustard seeds, and 3" strip of lemon zest in saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup chopped red onion. Simmer, stirring, until thickened, 5 minutes.
Nutrition (per serving): 154 cal, 1 g pro, 39 g carb, 3 g fiber, 0 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 15 mg sodium
Transfer to bowl and chill until cold. (Makes 1 3/4 cups.) Use as a sandwich spread or serve with roasted meat.
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Chicken With Cranberry Gravy
Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Season 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Cook in skillet, turning, until golden and cooked through, 10 minutes. Transfer to plate.
Melt 1 Tbsp butter in skillet. Add 1 chopped small shallot and cook until tender. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp flour into pan. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add 1 cup cranberry juice and 1/2 cup chicken broth, whisking until smooth. Stir in 1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries and 2 1/2 Tbsp honey. Simmer, stirring, until thickened, 10 minutes. Season. (Makes 1 cup.) Serve with chicken.
Nutrition (per serving): 318 cal, 32 g pro, 25 g carb, 1 g fiber, 10 g fat, 3 g sat fat, 186 mg sodium
More from Prevention: 30-Minute Chicken Recipes
Mini Cranberry-Brie Tarts
Divide 1 1/2 oz Brie evenly among 12 store-bought prepared mini phyllo shells.
Bake on sheet pan in middle of a 400°F oven until cheese melts, about 5 minutes.
Divide 2 Tbsp Spiced Cranberry Chutney (recipe at left) among tarts (1/2 tsp per tart) and garnish with chopped fresh chives.
Nutrition (per serving): 99 cal, 4 g pro, 7 g carb, 0 g fiber, 6 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 91 mg sodium
More from Prevention: Dozens of Holiday Cookie Recipes
Cranberry Fizz
Combine 1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, 1/4 cup each sugar and water, and 1 star anise (optional) in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until cranberries break down, about 5 minutes.
Discard star anise if using. Stir in 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice. Chill.
Divide mixture among 4 glasses. Pour 3 cups chilled prosecco into glasses and serve.
Nutrition (per serving): 200 cal, 0 g pro, 19 g carb, 1 g fiber, 0 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 10 mg sodium
Lori Powell
Food Director Lori Powell develops Prevention’s recipes and styles the food photography that appears on the magazine’s pages. She has more than 22 years of experience in the food world, including stints at Gourmet, Martha Stewart Living, Real Simple, and Ladies’ Home Journal. In her free time, Lori enjoys being a chef-instructor for a kids cooking program, Kids Cook, at McKinely Elementary School in Allentown, PA.
