Cranberry Salsa Dip with Chevre (Goat Cheese)
Adapted from Food for Thought—Healing Foods to Savor
Cranberry Salsa Dip with Chevre
This beautifully-colored dip is refreshingly delicious with a surprising mixture of flavors! You can prepare this appetizer on crackers for your guests, or let your guests serve themselves.
- 3 cups fresh cranberries (1 12-oz. bag with soft/damaged berries discarded), rinsed, drained
- 4 green onions, minced (1/2 cup)
- 2 small jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced (about 2 tbsp.)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
- 2 tbsp. fresh ginger, finely grated
- 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 8-oz. pkg. goat cheese
- A few fresh cranberries (for garnish)
- Sprigs of cilantro (for garnish)
Rinse, drain, and pick over the cranberries, discarding all that are soft or bruised. Place them in your food processor and pulse until finely chopped, but not mushy. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in green onions, jalapenos, sugar, cilantro, ginger, and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours to allow the flavors to blend and develop. If you taste this dip immediately after making it, you will find the flavor too sharp and tart. The flavor mellows and sweetens over time.
To serve, arrange the salsa around the block of chevre cheese. Garnish the top of the cheese with a few sprigs of cilantro and a reserved cranberry for color. Serve with your favorite crackers.
Makes 2 cups or 32 portions (each with 1 tbsp. salsa and 1/2 tbsp. cheese). Count each portion as a 1/4 fruit serving. Each portion provides about 25 calories, 1 gram protein, 0 grams fat, 5 grams carbohydrate, 0.5 gram fiber.