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Recipes
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Cherries and Cream Muffins
 2-1/2 cups frozen unsweetened tart cherries, divided
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup light cream, half-and-half or milk
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Granulated sugar
Cut cherries in halves while frozen. Set aside to thaw and drain.
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, almond extract and vanilla, beating well. Crush 1/2 cup cherries with a fork; add to batter.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Fold in half the flour with a spatula, then half the cream. Add remaining flour and cream. Fold in remaining cherry halves. Portion batter evenly into 12 paper-lined or lightly greased muffin cups (23&Mac218;4 inches in diameter). Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
Bake in a preheated 375 oven 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
Makes 12 muffins.
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Aloha Bread
1-1/3 cups maraschino cherries (1 10-ounce jar)
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts or walnuts
Drain maraschino cherries, reserving 2 tablespoons juice. Cut cherries into quarters; set aside. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
Combine butter, brown sugar, eggs and reserved cherry juice in a large mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed with an electric mixer until ingredients are thoroughly combined. Add flour mixture and mashed bananas alternately, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in drained cherries and nuts. Lightly spray a 9x5x3-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Spread batter evenly in pan.
Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 1 hour, or until golden brown and wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Remove from pan; let cool on wire rack. Store in a tightly covered container.
Makes 1 loaf, about 16 slices.
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Sweet and Sour Shrimp
1 21-ounce can cherry pie filling
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, well drained
1 pound peeled and cooked shrimp, well drained
Hot, cooked rice
Combine cherry pie filling, vinegar, brown sugar and ginger in a 2-guart saucepan; mix well. Cook over medium heat until hot and bubbly. Add green pepper, water chestnuts and shrimp. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until mixture is hot. Do not overcook. Serve over rice.
Makes 4 servings.
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Squash Bake
 2 acorn squash
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
1/4 cup chopped pecans
3 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Cut each acorn squash in half. Remove seeds and fiber. Place cut side down in baking pan with small amount of water in bottom. Bake in a 350-degree oven 45 to 50 minutes or until squash is tender and can be pierced with a fork. (Or place squash cut side down in a microwave-safe container. Add a little water. Microwave on High (100% power) 5 to 7 minutes, turning dish once. Continue cooking, if necessary, until squash is tender.)
Meanwhile, combine butter, cherries, pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon. Heat on top of stove or in microwave oven until butter melts. Fill center of each squash half with one-quarter of the cherry mixture. Mix some of the cooked squash with the cherry filling. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.
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Roast Loin of Pork with Cherry Stuffing and Cherry Pan Gravy
1 (2 1/2 pounds) boneless pork loin, butterflied
1 cup dried tart cherries, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup chopped green onions (including both white and green parts)
1 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme plus additional thyme for top of roast
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 cups dried bread cubes
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
In a small bowl, combine dried tart cherries and wine; allow cherries to marinate while getting rest of ingredients together.
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add green onions and celery; cook 7 to 8 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat; add 1&Mac218;2 cup marinated cherries without the liquid, parsley, thyme and allspice to onion mixture; mix well. Season with salt and pepper; allow mixture to cool. When cool, add bread cubes and egg to onion mixture. If stuffing appears dry, moisten with a little chicken broth or water.
On a flat board, lay out pork, fat side down. Spread stuffing evenly over pork. Roll up carefully; tie with butcher's twine. Season surface of pork with salt, pepper and thyme to taste. Place rolled pork roast, fat side down. In roasting pan.
Roast in preheated 425-degree oven 10 minutes. Turn meat over; roast 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees; roast 1 hour 15 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 165 degrees is reached. Transfer roast to carving board and allow to sit 15 minutes before carving.
Meanwhile, prepare pan gravy by adding 1 cup chicken broth to remaining marinated cherries; pour cherry mixture into roasting pan. Bring to a boil, stirring to loosen pan drippings. Dissolve cornstarch in remaining 1&Mac218;2 cup chicken broth; add cherry mixture in pan, stirring constantly until gravy returns to the boil. Cook 2 minutes. Serve over sliced pork loin.
Makes 6-8 servings.
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Chicken Cherry Wraps
 1/2 cup nonfat lemon yogurt
1 tablespoon honey Dijon-style mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 1/2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken (8 ounces)
1 cup dried tart cherries
1/2 cup seeded and fienly chopped cucumber
1/3 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup sliced green onion
4 (8- to 10-inch) whole wheat flour tortillas, tomato-flavored flour tortillas
Stir together yogurt, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, curry powder, salt and pepper in a medium mixing bowl. Gently stir in chicken, cherries, carrot, cucumber and green onion.
Mound about 3/4 cup chicken mixture just below center of each tortilla. Fold in sides, just covering edges of chicken mixture. Roll up from one side, jelly roll fashion. Serve seam side down on a plate.
Makes 4 servings.
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