In addition to packing immune-supporting vitamin C and dietary fiber, raspberries contain antioxidants. Boasting one of the lowest sugar contents compared to other berries, red raspberries are simply gorgeous. Their ruby red hue makes this festive fruit a perfect choice for a number of holiday dishes. But even when their color is masked by cocoa, you can feel good about incorporating raspberries’ nutrients into a new version of a traditional treat.
Keep a few bags of frozen red raspberries in the freezer throughout the holiday season. Simply thaw and add to various dishes as a garnish, from sparkling water to a garden salad or chocolate pie. Or incorporate these gems, which contain under 80 calories but a whopping 6 grams of fiber per cup, into the seasonally-inspired recipes below.
Shrimp Skewers with Sweet and Spicy Raspberry Sauce
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- ½ cup frozen Washington red raspberries, thawed
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon apple cider rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed mandarin orange juice
- ½ tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 12 medium peeled, deveined shrimp, with tails
Instructions:
- In a small food processor, combine raspberries, 1 tablespoon oil, vinegar, mandarin juice, honey, garlic, ginger and black pepper. Pulse until desired sauce consistency is reached. Set aside.
- Place three shrimp each on four wooden skewers. Brush with remaining olive oil and broil in preheated oven for 4-5 minutes per side, or until shrimp are cooked through and opaque.
- While shrimp are cooking, heat raspberry sauce in saucepan over low heat.
- Serve shrimp with warm sauce on the side for dipping.
Cinnamon Raspberry Mint Hot Cocoa
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 cup frozen Washington red raspberries
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
- ¼ cup cocoa
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 fresh mint leaves
- Whole cinnamon sticks
Instructions:
- Set aside four whole frozen raspberries to thaw.
- In a blender, combine raspberries and almond milk. Blend until smooth.
- Transfer to a saucepan and add cocoa, maple syrup, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Bring to a brief boil, then reduce to a simmer for 3 minutes.
- Pour cocoa into four serving mugs and garnish each with fresh mint, cinnamon sticks and thawed raspberries.
