Healthy Cherry Recipes

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best cherry recipesYou know summer is here when fresh cherries are available at farmer’s markets and your local supermarket. Lucky for me, I’ve bought two bags of fresh sweet cherries in the past week. I’ve been popping them like candy while I work, but also started adding to my post-workout shake (YUM!!).

Enjoy these healthy cherry recipes now, because their season is short—from May through August.

Cherry Nutrition 411

A serving of sweet cherries (5 ounces/ 1 cup or about 21 cherries) provides 90 calories, 3 grams fiber, and is a good source of potassium and vitamin C. They’re also a great source of anthocyanins, bioactive compounds that provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, cardiovascular and other benefits. Research also shows that melatonin, catechins and flavanals in cherries also contribute to the fruit’s healthfulness.
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Cherry SpritzerScreenshot 2016-06-01 12.28.02

by Amie Valpone, of The Healthy Apple and author of Eating Clean.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 2 Tbsp. honey
  • 2 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 2 Tbsp. lime zest, plus more for garnish
  • 4 fresh mint or basil leaves
  • 2 cups fresh cherries, pitted
  • 1 tsp. chia seeds
  • 2 cups sparkling water or seltzer
Instructions
  1. Juice cherries using a juicer or a blender into a large glass.
  2. Strain through a sieve, pushing juice through with a spatula. Discard cherry solids.
  3. Pour cherry juice into a large pitcher. Add remaining ingredients; mix well to combine.
  4. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
  5. Serve chilled with additional lime zest, if desired.
Notes
Servings: 4 Serving Size: 1 Cup
Calories: 84.2 Cal • Cal Fat: 0.4 g • Protein: 1.1 g • Carb: 21.4 g • Fiber: 2.5 g • Sugar: 18.1 g • Sodium: 0.5 mg
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Screenshot 2016-06-01 12.34.37Grilled Chicken with Cherry-Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

From EatingWell magazine.

Makes: 8 servings

Active Time:

Total Time:

  • 1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) dark sweet cherries, pitted and chopped (see Tips)
  • 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/3 cup cherry preserves
  • 1/3 cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, (see Note), or more to taste
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
    Preparation
  1. Stir cherries, broth, preserves, ketchup, vinegar, chipotle peppers, thyme and allspice in a small deep bowl. Transfer to a shallow nonreactive dish (see Note) large enough to hold chicken. Add chicken and turn to coat well. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
  2. Preheat grill to high. Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Remove the chicken from the marinade. Transfer the marinade to a medium skillet.
  3. Bring the marinade to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the sauce is reduced by about half, 12 to 15 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, reduce the grill heat to medium and grill the chicken until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 7 to 9 minutes per side. Let the chicken cool slightly; serve with the sauce.

Tips & Notes

  • Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 1. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
  • Tips: Be sure to measure frozen cherries while still frozen, then thaw. (Drain juice before using.)
  • To pit a cherry, halve it with a paring knife then pry out the pit with the tip of the knife, or use a cherry pitter.
  • To oil the grill rack, oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.) When grilling delicate foods like tofu and fish, it is helpful to spray the food with cooking spray before placing it on the grill.
  • Notes: Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce are smoked jalapeños packed in a flavorful sauce. Look for the small cans with the Mexican foods in large supermarkets. Once opened, they’ll keep up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.
  • A nonreactive pan—stainless steel, enamel-coated or glass—is best for acidic foods, such as lemon, to prevent the food from reacting with the pan. Reactive pans, such as aluminum and cast-iron, can impart an off color and/or off flavor in acidic foods.

Nutrition

Per serving: 180 calories; 3 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 63 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrates; 24 g protein; 1 g fiber; 179 mg sodium; 272 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (29% daily value)

Carbohydrate Servings: 1

Exchanges: 1 other carbohydrate, 3 very lean meat

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