Beyond The Holidays

Many consumers believe that cranberries are only for the fall and holiday season, well we’re here to tell you this is FAKE NEWS! Cranberries are for all seasons! You may not see them in the produce aisle, but you will find them in the freezer aisle! Thanks to Cape Cod Select you can get your daily dose of whole healthy cranberries year round, and you should! Cranberries are America’s Original Superfruit and a good source of the antioxidant vitamin C and a good source of fiber. Did you know cranberries have even more antioxidants than blueberries? You can learn more about healthy cranberries here.

 

So how can you use cranberries outside of the “traditional holiday recipes”? It’s as easy as tossing a handful of cranberries in your daily smoothie. (Check out our smoothie blends too! No washing, peeling or cutting necessary, no added sugar, just the whole frozen fruit ready to blend.) Want to get more creative than that? Here’s a few of our favorite recipes that will have you LOVING cooking with cranberries in new fun ways!

 

Cranberry Sweet & Sour Shrimp Skewers

Something about Cape Cod cranberries and shrimp that just go great together and who doesn’t love cooking on the grill in the summer?  See we told you cranberries aren’t just for the holidays! Make this recipe for a cookout or just to enjoy for family dinner on the patio you won’t be disappointed.

Cranberry Pesto Pasta

You likely have never thought to put cranberries in your pasta but we’re here to tell you, you need to! This recipe was submitted to us in a food blogger recipe challenge and we thought it was an odd combination too. It is now one of our favorite recipes to make! In fact, if you ask Brand Manager, Patrick what his favorite cranberry dish is, he’ll say Cranberry Pesto Pasta! Give it a try and let us know what you think.

 

Cranberry Turkey Chili

Another recipe that may surprise you - Cranberry Turkey Chili, it’s even award winning! It’s a simple recipe to follow and we know you’ll make it over and over again. It’s more of a “sweet chili” than a hot and spicy chili so adjust the flavors to your preference. It’s great to make for a crowd. We like to serve it with some cornbread for a hearty meal.

 

Cranberry-Maple Glazed Shrimp & Scallop Tacos

Did we mention shrimp and cranberries go really well together? These tasty tacos will elevate any Taco Tuesday to a whole new level. You won’t find these specialty tacos at Taco Bell, that’s for sure! Another awesome recipe submitted to us in a food blogger recipe challenge. See how diverse cranberries can be? You just have to think a little outside the box!

 

Cranberry Corn Fritters

Did you ever think to pair cranberries with guacamole? Probably not, but we recommend it with this amazing appetizer recipe. We can honestly say we have never had corn fritters until 2018 when this recipe was first introduced to us. They’re so good! There are probably thousands of corn fritter recipes out there but how many incorporate frozen cranberries? Maybe just this one? Definitely give these a try.

 

Cranberry Pop-Tarts

We have to say, these do not compare to those Pop Tarts you find in the grocery store, they’re WAY better! Made with puff pastry and homemade cranberry filling … These are a MUST try recipe. Don’t you love the icing with the sprinkles? You can use different colored sprinkles for different occasions. Red and pink for valentines day? Green for St. Patrick’s Day? How fun would these be for a gender reveal, pink vs blue!

 

Cranberry Breakfast Cookies

These are no brainer! Cookies for breakfast? Yes please! Make a batch on Sunday and have them for the week. Let’s face it, mornings are busy and you don’t always have the chance to fry an egg or even toast a bagel. Grab a cookie or two and hit the road. These are especially perfect for the school year!

 

Cranberry Rosemary Focaccia Bread

Okay, confession here - I made this when the recipe was submitted to us to make sure it was as good as it looks and my husband and I ate the whole thing in a day. It was that good! We dipped it in olive oil with parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes and it was incredible. It was surprisingly easy to make too. Homemade bread always seems so intimidating. Give this one a try, you won't be disappointed.

 

Grilled Pork Chops with Cranberry Pineapple Sauce

This recipe actually won our "Family Dinner" category in our 2020 food blogger recipe challenge. A great recipe for grilling season (which depending where you are may be year round!) The blogger in fact as quite a few deliciious cranberry recipes on her blog you can check out here

 

Cranberry Brussels Sprouts

This A side dish you can make year round. The balsamic glaize, gorgonzola cheese, pecans, and cranberries give this dish an elevated flavor profile that will make even picky eats like Brussels sprouts. We often bring this as a side dish to family dinner and it's always a hit. Give it a try!

 

Are you feeling inspired to experiment with frozen cranberries in your recipes? If you try these or create your own cranberry recipes tag us on social media! We love seeing your creations. 

@CapeCodSelect