Cranberry Salsa

Chef Wendell: Cranberry Salsa
www.wishtv.com/dpp/living/recipes/Chef_Wendell_Cranberry_Salsa

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) -
If you are in good health, be thankful. To maintain your good health, this season please toss out the canned, cooked and sliced jellied cranberry presentation and make room for a real nutritional Diva! Ain't nothin' like the real thing baby. Cranberries rock with health enhancing virtues.. Why? The deep red orb has been discovered to keep urinary tract infections at bay, speed-bump the aging process, prevent Alzheimer's and peptic ulcers, put off tooth decay, and foil atherosclerosis. Most impressive, however, human breast cancer cells showed significantly lower incidence of tumor development when the experimental group's diet was supplemented with cranberries. Although these results are very preliminary, compounds in cranberries may prove to be a potent cancer fighter. (University of Western Ontario) Bear in mind, Thanksgiving is not an "all-you-can-eat- buffet." Thanksgiving is about being grateful for the family, friends and love we all share.

While the day is centered on a banquet, it's the togetherness that counts most. Healthy eating is about making intelligent choices. Holiday eating is no exception. By simply weighing your options when it comes to holiday foods, you will be able to keep your waistlines after weeks of festivity. A meal including turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, a roll with butter, pumpkin pie and wine can easily add up to nearly 3,000 gut busting calories!

Don't go to the Thanksgiving dinner hungry. We often eat quicker and more when we are hungry - so eat a wholesome breakfast and lunch on the day to avoid gorging at dinner time. Eat more under-cooked vegetables with the meal. Do not overcook them, please. Fill your plate half with yellow and dark green vegetables, one quarter with a lean meat and the rest with a starch of your choice. Ditch the skin and gravy. Eat slowly and stop when you are full. Burp!

Ingredients:
1 (12 ounce) bag cranberries, fresh or frozen
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 bunch green onions, cut into 3 inch lengths
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 limes, juiced
3/4 cup Sucanat* or Stevia powder (Sweet Leaf Brand @ Kroger's and Health Food stores)
1 pinch salt

Directions:
Wash the cranberries, green onions, pepper and lime to remove field contaminants.
Combine cranberries, cilantro, green onions, jalapeno pepper, lime juice, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Chop or pulse to medium consistency. Don't turn it into soup. Cover and refrigerate if not using immediately.
Serve at room temperature as you would regular salsa or spread it on that dried out fruit cake.
*Sucanat is evaporated cane juice found at all health food stores. It is unprocessed, raw sugar.

Chef Wendell