Reap the goodness of red fruit: sure, they look pretty and taste great. But did you know red fruit also protect you against serious health problems?

Natural Health, May-June, 2002 by Cheryl Redmond

12 ounces fresh cranberries
  (about 3 cups)
1/2 cup maple syrup
Minced zest from 1 navel
  orange (about 2 teaspoons)
1 pint strawberries, hulled
  and sliced thin (about 2
  cups)
1/3 cup agar flakes
  Pinch salt
2 cups naturally sweetened
  cranberry beverage
1/2 cup fresh-squeezed
  orange juice
1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed
  ginger juice (optional)
1/2 package (6 ounces) soft
  silken tofu
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Process cranberries, 6 tablespoons syrup,
and orange zest in food processor until cranberries
are finely chopped, about three
10-second pulses. Divide sliced strawberries
among 6 small bowls or parfait glasses.
2. Bring 1 cup water, agar, and salt to a boil
in medium saucepan. Reduce heat, cover,
and simmer until agar is dissolved, about
10 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in
cranberry beverage.
3. Stir cranberry mixture, orange juice, and
ginger juice, if using, into warm cranberry
liquid. Reserve 2/3 cup and divide remainder
among the 6 bowls. Cool until firm, like
Jell-O, about 2 hours at room temperature
or 1 hour in the refrigerator.
4. Place reserved gelled mixture, tofu,
cinnamon, and remaining 2 tablespoons
syrup in medium bowl and beat with electric
mixer until soft and creamy, about
1 minute. Spoon thin layer of creamy mixture
onto each bowl; serve immediately.

PER SERVING: 195 CALORIES, 2 G PROTEIN, 1 G FAT,
<1 G SATURATED FAT, 45 G CARBOHYDRATES, 5 G FIBER,
26 MG SODIUM, 6% CALCIUM
Raspberry-quinoa Salad

SERVES 4 TO 6

This beautiful pink salad, which makes an
ideal lunch, uses raspberries in the dressing
and as a garnish.

Salt
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
  in fine sieve
2 pints fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons lemon juice
  cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 celery stalk, diced small
1 cucumber, seeded and
  diced small
2 scallions, white and green
  parts, sliced thin
1/2 cup unsweetened dried
  cranberries
1/4 cup coarsely chopped
  fresh mint leaves
6  ounces mesclun, washed
  (about 8 cups)

1. Bring 1 3/4 A cups water to a boil in medium
saucepan. Add salt to taste and stir in
quinoa. Return to a boil, reduce heat to low,
cover, and simmer until water is absorbed,
about 15 minutes. Fluff with fork and set
aside, covered, for 5 minutes. Spread quinoa
out on baking sheet and cool to room temperature,
about 30 minutes.
2. Place 1 pint raspberries, lemon juice,
2 tablespoons water, oil, mustard, and salt
to taste in blender. Puree until blended and
thick, about 15 seconds.
3. Place quinoa, celery, cucumber, scallions,
cranberries, and mint in large bowl. Drizzle
dressing over quinoa mixture and stir
gently with rubber spatula until mixed well.
Season with salt to taste.
4. Place mesclun on platter or individual
serving plates. Spoon quinoa salad over
greens and sprinkle remaining raspberries
over quinoa. Serve immediately.

PER SERVING (4 SERVINGS): 385 CALORIES,
8 G PROTEIN, 17 G FAT, 2 G SATURATED FAT, 54 G CARBOHYDRATES,
10 G FIBER, 58 MG SODIUM, 10% CALCIUM
Strawberry-Almond Smoothie

SERVES 2

Buy organic strawberries if possible, to avoid
the high levels of pesticide residues found in
conventional berries. You may substitute
8 ounces of frozen strawberries and skip
step 1. If you can't find vanilla-flavored
almond milk, use 3/4 cup of any red berry juice
plus I teaspoon vanilla extract. It will be just
as thick and have a more vivid color.

1 pint fresh strawberries,
  washed and hulled (about
2 cups)
3/4 cup vanilla-flavored
  almond milk

1. Place strawberries in single layer on
baking sheet and place in freezer until
frozen, about 60 minutes.
2. Place berries and milk in blender and process
at high speed until thick and completely
smooth, about 1 minute. Serve
immediately.

PER SERVING: 78 CALORIES, 1 G PROTEIN, 2 G FAT,
<1 G SATURATED FAT, 16 G CARBOHYDRATES, 4 G FIBER,
58 MG SODIUM, 10% CALCIUM
Grapefruit and Avocado Salad
with Cumin-Lime Dressing

SERVES 6

This salad has an appealing combination of
textures and flavors: crunchy, velvety, sweet,
and spicy. Be sure to capture the juice when
cutting the grapefruits into sections. You'll
need 2 tablespoon of juice for the salad dressing;
you can drink the rest.

3 small pink or red grapefruit,
  skin and white pith cut off,
  segments removed from
  membranes and cut in half
  (juice reserved)
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  Salt
1/4 cup canola oil
1 bunch fresh watercress,
  chopped (about 3 cups)
1 head Bibb or Boston lettuce,
  torn into bite-size pieces
  (about 6 cups)
1/2 small jicama, peeled and
  diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 avocado, peeled, pitted,
  and diced
  small red onion, minced
  (about 3 tablespoons)
1/2 medium jalapeno chile,
  stemmed, seeded, and
  minced (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh
  cilantro leaves

1. Whisk together 1 tablespoon grapefruit
juice, lime juice, honey, cumin, and salt to
taste in small bowl. Slowly drizzle in oil and
whisk until emulsified, about 1 minute.
2. Place watercress, lettuce, pinch of salt,
and half the dressing in medium bowl and
toss until greens are evenly coated. Place
on individual plates or serving platter.
3. Using now-empty bowl, mix half the
grapefruit sections with the jicama, avocado,
red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, pinch of
salt, and remaining dressing. Spoon equal
portions on top of the greens and place
remaining grapefruit segments on top.
Serve immediately.

PER SERVING: 211 CALORIES, 3 G PROTEIN, 15 G FAT,
1 G SATURATED FAT, 20 G CARBOHYDRATES, 5 G FIBER,
16 MG SODIUM, 7% CALCIUM
Cherry Crisp

SERVES 6

This luscious fruit dessert is best served warm.
If you use tart cherries, increase the cane
sugar in the filling to 3/4 cup.

Almond Topping
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose
  flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
  cup organic cane sugar
  (like Sucanat)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  teaspoon salt
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons water
3 ounces almonds, chopped
  coarse (1/2 cup)

Cherry Filling
2 pounds sweet cherries,
  stemmed and pitted
1/4 cup red berry juice (cherry,
  raspberry, or strawberry)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon arrowroot
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
  (like Sucanat)

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and
heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place flour, oats, cane sugar, cinnamon,
and salt in large bowl or work bowl of a food
processor. Whisk together or pulse six times.
3. If making by hand, drizzle in oil and water
and stir until completely combined. If using
food processor, remove cover and drizzle oil
and water evenly over dry ingredients.
Cover and pulse 10 times, each pulse lasting
2 seconds. Add almonds and quickly
mix in or pulse 3 more times. Topping will
look like clumpy wet sand.
4. Mix together cherries, juice, vanilla, lemon
juice, arrowroot, and sugar in medium bowl.
Scrape cherry filling into 1 1/2 quart shallow
baking dish or casserole. Sprinkle topping
evenly over cherries.
5. Bake for 40 minutes. Increase oven temperature
to 400 degrees and bake until fruit
bubbles and topping turns deep golden
brown, about 5 minutes. Serve warm. (Crisp
may be set aside at room temperature for a
few hours and then reheated in a 350-degree
oven until warm, about 15 minutes.)

PER SERVING: 441 CALORIES, 7 G PROTEIN, 19 S FAT,
2 G SATURATED FAT, 68 G CARBOHYDRATES, 6 G FIBER,
91 MG SODIUM, 7% CALCIUM
Watermelon Gazpacho

SERVES 4

This gazpacho is best served well chilled. If
you like, you can refrigerate the gazpacho
overnight, but wait to add the herbs until
serving time.

3 pounds watermelon, rind
  and seeds removed (about
  1 3/4 pounds or 6 cups)
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin
  olive oil
  Salt
1 medium cucumber, seeded
  and diced small
1 medium red pepper, stemmed,
  seeded, and diced small
1/2 small red onion, minced
  (about 3 tablespoons)
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1/2 medium jalapeno chile,
  stemmed, seeded, and minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil,
  mint, or parsley (or any
  combination)

Place watermelon, lime juice, oil, and salt
to taste in food processor and process until
smooth, about 1 minute. Using a rubber
spatula, scrape watermelon puree into large
bowl. Add cucumber, red pepper, red onion,
garlic, jalapeno, and herbs and stir to blend.
Season with salt to taste. Refrigerate until
ready to serve. (The flavors will improve over
a few hours.)

PER SERVING: 160 CALORIES, 30 PROTEIN, 8 G FAT,
1 G SATURATED FAT, 23 G CARBOHYDRATES, 3 G FIBER,
9 MG SODIUM, 4% CALCIUM