Pork Chops with Cherry Sauce

3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
½ cup of dried Bing cherries
Or 1 pound fresh Bing cherries, pitted and roughly chopped
½ cup low sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
8 boneless pork chops, ½ inch thick
Kosher salt and pepper

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the cherries, broth, marmalade, vinegar, and red pepper. Simmer until the sauce thickens, 6 to 8 minutes. Season the pork with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. In 2 batches, cook the chops until golden brown and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Divide among individual plates and top with the cherry sauce.

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Spinach Salad with Dried Cherries

Dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Salad:

5 cups cleaned torn spinach leaves, stems removed
1 cup bite-size fresh pineapple wedges
1/2 cup dried tart or Royal Ann cherries
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
Crumbled feta cheese, if desired

For the dressing, combine oil, vinegar, honey and pepper in a medium bowl; mix well.

For the salad, combine spinach with pineapple, cherries and onion in a large salad bowl. Spoon dressing over spinach mixture; mix to coat salad with dressing. Serve topped with feta cheese, if desired.  Makes 4 servings.

Courtesy of the Cherry Marketing Institute
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Scrumptious Oatmeal & Dried Cherry Cookies

1 Cup butter or margarine, softened
1 Cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
11/2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Cups quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats, uncooked
1 Cup chocolate chips
1 - 5.5 oz. Bag of Cherry Country Dried Cherries

Put butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed 3 to 4 minutes, or until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Combine flour, baking powder and salt and add to egg mixture. Stir in oats, dried cherries and chocolate chips; mix well.
Place rounded tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 10-12 minutes. Let cool for 1 minute and enjoy!

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Italian Stuffed Chicken Breasts w/ Dried Cherries

4 large (6-8 oz) or 6 small (4-6 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4-6 thin slices of Proscuitto Ham
4-6 oz. Fontina Cheese, grated (Use Swiss if Fontina is not available)
5.5 oz Cherry Country Dried Cherries, Chopped
Fresh Basil Leaves, whole
½ - ¾ cup dry bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350°.  Coat the bottom of a baking dish with 1 T of EVOO and place dish in the oven to heat while preparing the chicken.

Clean chicken breasts of any visual fat and rinse with water, pat dry.

Using 1 piece of Proscuitto for each breast, place 1oz grated cheese in the center of the ham slice, add dried cherries and fresh basil to cover.  Fold Proscuitto to cover cheese and carefully place ham in pocket of chicken.  Fasten with a tooth pick or two depending on the size of the breast.  Roll the breast in the breadcrumb mixture and place in the heated oiled baking dish.  Bake for about 30-45 minutes until chicken is cooked thoroughly.  For maximum presentation, cut into slices to show the filled breast before serving.

Courtesy of our customer Joyce Thornton
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Dried Cherry Granola
Serve this tasty treat for breakfast or use it as a topping for yogurt or ice cream.

4 cups old-fashioned oats, uncooked
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 cup sunflower kernels
3/4 cup honey
6 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups dried Cherry Country cherries

Combine oats, pecans and sunflower kernels in a large bowl. Combine honey, melted butter, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over oat mixture, and stir until all ingredients are well coated.

Spread mixture on 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking pan. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 30 to 40 minutes or until golden, stirring mixture every 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Stir in cherries. Cool mixture completely. Store tightly covered at room temperature up to 1 week.

Makes 8 cups.

Cherry Peanut Butter Triangles: for a fun, filling snack, toast whole grain bread and spread with peanut butter, then top with Cherry Granola. Cut into triangles to serve.
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