BY JUDY e. BUSS

Special to The Press

The limelight shines on cranberries during the winter holiday season. There is, however, no reason why you can’t enjoy their goodness year-round! These colorful culinary jewels are studded with high levels of vitamins, minerals and a number of powerful antioxidants. The later are natural weapons that help prevent cancer, urinary tract infections, are anti-inflammatory and boost cardiovascular health.

Consuming whole cranberries rather than the juice, drink or dead-on-arrival canned cranberry sauce, is, by far, more beneficial. Individuals taking a blood thinning medication or folks who are at risk of oxalate kidney stone formations should consult their doctor before eating cranberries.

Buy extra bags of cranberries during their short October-December season. Freeze the cranberries in sealed and dated plastic bags and enjoy them at any time of the year. Here are some yummtastic tips and recipes for you to try:

* Use home-cooked cranberry sauce in a sandwich with sliced roasted chicken or turkey and Romaine lettuce leaves on whole grain bread, (for sauce, see recipe below).

* For a delicious snack or as part of your breakfast, mix a tablespoon of home-cooked cranberry sauce with a portion of nonfat, plain Greek yogurt.

* Add a handful of dried sweetened cranberries to your breakfast oatmeal instead of raisins.

* When baking muffins, quick bread loaves, scones or cookies, add chopped raw cranberries.

EASY CRANBERRY SAUCE

Yield: about 4 cups

Don’t insult your taste buds using cranberry sauce that looks like a can and tastes like a can ... make the real deal in only 15–20 minutes!

1 (12-ounce) bag fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed if frozen

1 cup water

3/4 cup raisins

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

1 tablespoon honey (or more to taste)

Check cranberries and discard overripe ones and debris. Rinse cranberries in a colander. Drain. In medium saucepan, combine the water, raisins and cranberries. Cover and bring to a gentle boil. Cook slowly until all berries have popped (about 10 minutes), stirring occasionally. Stir in cloves, allspice and cinnamon. Remove from burner and stir in orange zest and honey. Cool completely and refrigerate in airtight container for at least 24 hours.

RICE PILAF WITH CRANBERRIES AND NUTS

4 servings

1 cup roasted, coarsely chopped walnuts

2 cups uncooked brown rice

4 cups water

4 tablespoons olive oil (not extra virgin)

1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped

½ cup dried sweetened cranberries, chopped

2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest

¼ cup orange juice

Rinse rice in a strainer, then drain. Place in medium saucepan and add the water. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until all the water has been absorbed (about 45 minutes.) Remove from burner.

Meanwhile, in large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Stir in onion, cover, reduce heat and cook 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent. Add the cranberries and orange zest. Mix well. Cover and simmer 1 minute. Add the juice and stir onion mixture and nuts into the rice. Cook 2 more minutes.

FESTIVE GREEN SALAD WITH CRANBERRIES AND NUTS

4 servings

¾ cup roasted, coarsely chopped walnuts

2 navel oranges

8 cups shredded mixed salad greens (two or more kinds: Romaine lettuce, spinach, red leaf lettuce, or arugula)

6 tablespoons dried sweetened cranberries

DRESSING:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice or wine vinegar

¾ cup orange juice

2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon peeled, finely grated ginger root, (from about 1-1/2-inch piece)

TO ROAST THE NUTS:

Heat large, ungreased skillet over medium heat. Add nuts single layered. Toss frequently to prevent them from burning. Roast until nuts are fragrant and very slightly browned; 5-8 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces. Immediately remove from burner and transfer to a plate. Let cool.

Tip: roasting nuts can be done in advance while cooking another meal.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients. Set aside.

TO PEEL THE ORANGE:

With a sharp serrated knife, cut off the top and bottom of the orange. Now make several skin-deep cuts from the top to the bottom, about 3/4-inch apart. With your fingers, pull back and remove each peel segment. Separate the orange sections. Cut each section in half, discard the seeds and add the orange to the dressing. Mix in the greens and place salad on four serving plates. Top with the nuts and cranberries.

Judy E. Buss is a syndicated eating-for-health columnist and blogger, speaker and nutritional cooking instructor.