Wilmington's Nutrition Expert | Diane Boyd, RD LDN, Sports Nutritionist

Diane Boyd, M.B.A., R.D., L.D.N. Wilmington, NC nutrition counselor specializing in sports nutrition, weight management, and wellness; dianeboydrd@gmail.com, (910) 508-5037, 6019 Oleander Dr., Wilmington, NC

Cranberry Shrub

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A cranberry shrub served over ice, and topped off with sparkling water is the go to holiday beverage for those commited to health  and fitness goals. Cranberry ShrubIf you’re like me, you make fresh cranberry sauce once a year. If there happens to be any leftover, it’s sinful to waste. Adding it to turkey sandwiches is a plus, and this year I’m expanding my cranberry inspiration by making cranberry shrubs.

My first attempt at making a  shrub was three years ago when I made this strawberry mint shrub following the simple  template for the beverage: one part fruit, one part sugar and one part vinegar. If you have leftover cranberry sauce after Thanksgiving, you already have the first two ingredients!  All that’s necessary is the addition of vinegar (the so called star of the shrub). Now at first glance you might think this is a sugar bomb, but it  absoulutely is not! You eventually strain off the cranberry sauce. I did not send this off to a lab, but my best guess is there still is a good bit of sugar remaining in the cranberry sauce (yes, I tasted it. It was vinegary, but also had some sweetness.) This cranberry shrub has some of the cranberry flavor, without a heaping amount of sugar. It’s fat free, cholesterol free, saturated fat free. Plus, there is no alcohol, which by the way , is more calorie dense (per gram) than sugar. 

Stick to your fitness goals this holiday season; celebrate with a cranberry shrub .

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Cranberry Shrub

Cranberry Shrub is a terrific mocktail.

A cranberry shrub served over ice, and topped off with sparkling water is the go to holiday beverage for those commited to health  and fitness goals.

  • Author: Diane Boyd
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup cranberry sauce
  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
  • ice
  • 24 ounces sparkling water
  • one dozen fresh cranberries

Instructions

Place cranberry sauce in a glass container. Pour vinegar overtop. Cover and refrigerate overnight. After at least eight hours, strain cranberry mixture by pouring into a container through a cheese cloth or paper filter. To make each serving, add ice to glass. Pour 2 ounces of cranberry shrub on top of ice. Finish with 6  ounces sparlking water.  Garnish each glass with fresh cranberries.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 8 oz.
  • Calories: 40
  • Sugar: trace
  • Sodium: trace
  • Fat: 0
  • Saturated Fat: 0
  • Unsaturated Fat: 0
  • Trans Fat: 0
  • Carbohydrates: 10 grams
  • Fiber: 0
  • Protein: 0
  • Cholesterol: 0

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Festive Red Berry Crostini

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 Short•cut  noun: a shorter, quicker, or easier way  to do something

This holiday season,  my survival plan involves taking some short cuts. I’m not talking about traveling the back roads (although all Wilmington locals know this is how we roll). I’m talking about cooking short cuts… to make healthy eating… and entertaining less stressful. It occurred to me, last week when I made my ‘colder weather red berry sauce’,  this could  be doubled and frozen for putting together festive appetizers like these red berry crostini.

Shortcut to Festive Red Berry CrostiniThis simple short cut allows you to  serve  your family and friends appetizers with the same standards you have for the rest of the meal:  made with fresh ingredients,  superb in taste, and  stylish. Join me in making a double batch of this healthy and delicious red berry sauce for Thanksgiving, freezing half, and  making festive Red Berry Crostini in December.  What cooking short cuts are you taking to survive the holidays?

Shortcut to Festive Red Berry Crostini 

 
 

 

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Festive Red Berry Crostini

Red Berry Crostini

Cranberries and raspberries are used to make a fruit sauce in the slow cooker that’s served over goat cheese and toasted baguettes for a delicious crostini appetizer.

  • Author: Diane Boyd

Ingredients

Scale

for the slow-cooked red raspberry cranberry sauce

  • 12 ounce package of frozen red raspberries
  • 12 ounce pakcage of fresh cranberries
  • 1/4 cup water

for sweetening, option 1/Traditional

  • 1 cup sugar

for sweetening, Option 2/Reduced Sugar

  • 1/3 cup Monk Fruit in the Raw Bakers Bag
  • 1/3 cup Stevia in the Raw
  • 2 Tablespoons Agave Nectar

for the crostini

  • 1 French baguette, sliced into 1/4 inch slices (about 60)
  • 3/4 cup olive oil(for brushing)
  • sea salt
  • 2 cups red raspberry cranberry sauce (recipe below)
  • 12 ounces goat cheese
  • 1 cup chopped pistatchios
  • 1/2 cup parsely, chopped

Instructions

for the slow-cooked red raspberry cranberry sauce

1. Add frozen red raspberries, fresh cranberries and water to a 3 or 4 quart slow-cooker. Stir to combine. Place the lid on slow-cooker and set on low for 8 hours.

2. Stir once or twice during cooking; replace lid to cover completely.

3. At the end of cooking, the berries will have cooked and formed a sauce. Now add either sugar or alternative sweeteners. Cool and use as topping for crostini.

For the crostini

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange baguette slices on two large rimmed baking sheets; brush both sides with oil and season with salt.

2. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. (If undersides are not browning, turn crostini over once during baking.) Let cool on baking rack.

 

3. Spread each crostini with goat cheese and top with a spoonful of red raspberry cranberry sauce. Sprinkle with parsely and chopped pistachios. Serve immediately.

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

phone (910) 508-5037
dianeboydrd@gmail.com

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