Healthy Eats: Food Network's Healthy Eats: Healthy Recipes, Weight Loss Tips & Nutrition Information

Cranberry-Citrus Chutney - Photograph by Jonathan Kantor/Food Network Magazine

Chutney is a simmered-down or pureed combo of fruit (or veggies), spices and herbs. Instead of deep-frying or drowning your fish, pork or meat in heavy sauces, opt for a tangy bite of chutney instead.

Recipes to try:

• Cran-Citrus Chutney (pictured)
• Fresh Green Chutney
• Cranberry, Apple and Ginger Chutney
• Mango Chutney
• Carrot Chutney

Homemade Pickles

Not sure what to do with those extra cukes sitting around? My grandma used to make batches of homemade pickles. We’d have jars lining the fridge shelves. Dill, spicy, sweet or sour — oh, the possibilities!

Get our pickle tips and recipes »

Homemade Red Pepper Relish

My market is overflowing with pickles, pickled beets, jams, and salsas – it’s the farmers’ way of getting more mileage out of their seasonal goodies. Try out a savory take on jam with a personal fave – tangy pepper relish.

Sweet and spicy relish is made from cooking down fresh and dried sweet peppers and chilies, onions, vinegar, sugar, and spices. Spread it on sandwiches or add a tablespoon to homemade vinaigrette or hummus. For a simple and delicious appetizer, pour relish over low fat cream cheese or goat cheese and serve with whole grain crackers or thin slices of crusty baguette.

Recipe to try:
Green Salad with Red Pepper Relish Dressing
Red Pepper Relish

5-Ingredient Cucumber Salad

We’re teaming up with other food and garden bloggers to host Summer Fest 2010, a season-long garden party. Each week we’ll feature favorite garden-to-table recipes and tips to help you enjoy the bounty, whether you’re harvesting your own goodies or buying them fresh from the market. To join in, check out awaytogarden.com.

Cucumbers and zucchini are in the same family, but they each have characteristics all their own. Cucumbers are classified based on whether they’re good for slicing and eating fresh or for pickling. We love cucumbers because of their nutritional benefits: Each medium cuke is 96 percent water and has only 40 calories, plus more than 60 percent of your daily vitamin K needs. Although you can find cucumbers at your market year-round, the peak season is from May through August. We love them in a simple cucumber salad — our nutritionist Toby’s version has only 5 ingredients!

See our favorite cuke and zuke recipes »

We’re celebrating all the ways to hold on to summer’s bounty this week, so we called upon our pal and food preservation guru Sherri Brooks Vinton for some wisdom on drying seasonal foods.

When I say the words “food preservation” I can often see listeners’ eyes widen and their head start to shake “no, no, no” at what they think is a daunting, all-day, steamy kitchen affair.  “Oh, I don’t have time for that,” they’ll say. But home food preservation doesn’t have to be difficult or time consuming. As a matter of fact, some recipes, like the one after the jump for making chile ristras, take no more than 10 minutes from start to finish. With that amount of time and a length of string, you can turn a bowl of destined-for-the-compost-because-I-couldn’t-make-that-much-salsa-if-I-had-all-day chilies into a year’s supply of clip-and-use dried peppers. You can use the same method for all manner of herbs such as rosemary, thyme, oregano and lavender.

Get Sherri’s food drying tips »

Dana's Bourbon-Macerated Cherries

You may think of drying, canning or jam-making to preserve fresh fruit – how about a little booze? Macerating is simply soaking fruit in alcohol — here’s how it’s done.

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Parsley Hummus with Whole-Wheat Pita Chips from Kalyn's Kitchen

This week, we asked you all to share your favorite hummus recipe and dipper.  From Facebook to Twitter, you gave some absolutely delicious responses and suggested some new flavor combos to try. While some seemed to go with traditional hummus, others had some unique ideas that really got us excited.  Without a doubt, we’ll be making your favorite hummus recipes this week!

See all our favorite recipes »

Food preserving is the hottest trend, especially with many more folks growing their own fruits and veggies at home and preserving the extras. But with home preserving comes possible food poisoning — something everyone should be cautious about. Here’s how to can your own food, safely.

Get food safety tips for canning »

Trail mix is one of our favorite in-the-car snacks.

It’s the heart of the summer, which is prime time for family road trips. One of the most popular kid laments (besides “Are we there yet?) is “I’m hungry.” Rest stops, gas stations and the drive-through may seem convenient, but a little extra pre-trip planning can keep the kids (and you) happy, healthier and satisfied until you reach your destination. Here are some of my top pack-and-go snack ideas the whole family will love!
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Dana's Homemade Fruit Leather

We’re celebrating food preserving this week on Healthy Eats. Today: Make homemade fruit leather! Check the labels on many of those packaged fruit leathers and you’ll find upwards of 15 ingredients including corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils (a.k.a. trans fats) preservatives, and artificial colors and flavors. Our homemade version has only three ingredients (okay, four if you count water), and fresh, satisfying flavor.

Get our easy fruit leather recipe »