Patriotic Picnic Ideas

One of the few fruits native to America are cranberries. So why not make it a patriotic picnic by featuring cranberries for Memorial Day dishes.

Here’s two of my favorites:

Cranberry Potato Cucumber Salad

Cranberry Potato Cucumber Salad

www.uscranberries.com
A flavorful salad with amazing texture! Use red, white and blue potatoes for patriotic color.
Course Salad
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 8 oz. small red, blue and yellow-skinned potatoes
  • 1/2 cup non-fat plain Greek-style yogurt
  • 2 T reduced-fat mayonnaise
  • 1 T white balsamic or cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp.  hot red pepper sauce
  • 1/3 cup  dried cranberries
  • 1 cup diced seedless cucumber
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions

Instructions
 

  • Wash potatoes and cut into quarters for small potatoes. Boil with skin on for 15-20 minutes or until almost tender. Remove from heat and drain. Cool.
  • In a bowl, whisk together yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar and pepper sauce. Stir in cranberries and let stand 20 minutes to soften cranberries slightly.
  • Stir potatoes, cucumber and scallions into yogurt-cranberry mixture and toss to coat. Adjust seasoning as needed. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Cranberry BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
 

Cranberry BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

www.uscranberries.com
Don’t let the amount of ingredients scare you, it’s an easy recipe that’s worth every bite!
Course Snack
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 cup minced yellow onions
  • 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
  • 1 tsp. dry mustard
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • 1 ½ Tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1 ½ cups cranberry sauce
  • ¼ cup cider vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp. dark molasses
  • ¼-½  cup water, if needed
  • 10 oz. cooked white chicken meat, diced or shredded
  • 1 cup Cranberry BBQ Sauce*
  • 6 whole-grain buns, split
  • 1 ½ cup prepared creamy coleslaw

Instructions
 

  • For Cranberry BBQ Sauce, in a sauce pan, heat oil over medium-high heat; add onions and sauté 2 minutes. Mix in garlic, mustard and chili powder and continue cooking 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 more minute.
  • Add cranberry sauce, vinegar and molasses and bring to a simmer, whisking often until mixture becomes smooth. Lower heat and simmer 15-20 minutes or until mixture reduces and thickens. Add water to mixture if it gets too thick. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Place in a covered container and refrigerate until ready to use. Reheat before using.
  • For sandwich filling, heat prepared Cranberry BBQ Sauce*. Add chicken and bring to a simmer. Keep warm.
  • To assemble sandwich, for each sandwich, scoop ½ cup BBQ chicken onto a bun and top with ¼ cup coleslaw. Replace bun top on sandwich and serve.

 Four Things You May Not Know about Cranberries

· Cranberry products, including cranberry juice cocktail, dried cranberries, cranberry sauce and fresh/frozen cranberries, contain proanthocyanidins (PACs).
· PACs are flavonoids that are unique to cranberries because they have a different structure than the PACs found in other fruits.
· PACs prevent bacteria from sticking to the cell walls – for example, they prevent E. coli from sticking to the walls of the bladder which is associated with urinary tract infections.
· Cranberry products are usually sweetened because, unlike other berries, cranberries are naturally low in sugar and high in acidity so they require sweetening to be palatable. In fact, fresh cranberries have similar sugar content to a lemon.

Ways to Use Cranberries You Haven’t Thought of Before

· Sprinkle dried cranberries on cereal or yogurt
· Add tartness to barbecue sauces by stirring in cranberry sauce
· Puree frozen cranberries with sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes or other veggies
· Add dried cranberries to muffin and bread mixes
· Combine cranberry sauce with cheese for a sweet and quesadilla filling
· Blend frozen cranberries into fruit smoothies

I am a Cranberry Bog Blogger, I did not receive compensation for this post but did receive ingredients for the recipes.  Opinions are my own.  Images credit to www.uscranberries.com

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