Recipe: Cranberry-jalapeno cream cheese dip

This dip is sweet, creamy and spicy. The cream cheese helps to tamper the spice of the jalapeno in this dip, but you don’t lose the zesty flavor. Make it for your next holiday gathering.

Serves 24

Ingredients

• 12 ounces fresh cranberries, rinsed, picked through and towel-dried
• 5-6 green onions (or ½ cup sweet onion), chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, clean and pat dry
• 1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ to 1 teaspoon cumin (or to taste)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 medium-large lemon)
• 1 (12-ounce) tub of whipped cream cheese
• 1 medium jicama, sliced ¼ inch thick, cut into cracker size pieces or cut with cookie cutters
• 1 large English cucumber, sliced
• Whole wheat crackers

Directions

Chop the cranberries by hand or in a large food processor or blender until coarsely cut. Add the green onions or sweet onion, cilantro, jalapeno, sugar, cumin, salt and lemon juice and pulse until ingredients are well combined and finely chopped. Transfer mixture to a covered bowl and refrigerate for 4 hours (or up to overnight) so the flavors can develop, and cranberries lose some of their tartness.

When ready to serve, spread the cream cheese in an even layer on a serving plate or 9-inch pie plate. Top with the cranberry-jalapeno mixture, spreading evenly over the top of the cream cheese.

Refrigerate up to 1 hour before serving.

Arrange jicama and cucumber slices and whole wheat crackers around or next to the serving plate.

Nutrition Facts (per serving):

59 calories, 2g fat (1g saturated fat), 8 mg cholesterol, 80mg sodium, 9g carbohydrates, 1g protein, 6g sugar, 1g fiber

Recipe from Jendy Newman, Registered Dietitian at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center.