Sweet Thankfulness - Cranberry Sauce

When I was a kid, cranberry sauce showed up at the table all uniformly ridged and can-shaped, threatening to wriggle itself off of the serving plate.  It was rubbery and sort of strangely tart/sweet and altogether unsettling. (I dare you to name another sauce that can be sliced.)

I certainly do not judge those that love canned sauce (there is a certain comfort to it) but last year I decided to take a stab at making homemade cranberry sauce using only the freshest, in-season ingredients I could find. (My only out-of-season concession was a lovely orange, for it’s zest and pulp.) I asked my friends for recipes, surfed the web and eventually crafted my own version for the ruby red sauce.  (Actually, it’s more of chutney.)  This recipe is easy and fun to make.  (Let the kids help!) It's tangy, fresh and sweet and the most beautiful color.  Pair with herbed turkey and garlic mashed potatoes and it's altogether delightful.

Please understand that this is a not a budget dish and costs about 6 times more than the rubbery can version. (Which is about a buck.)  However when you compare the taste, nutrition and the fun of cooking your own lovely, sweet cranberry sauce to the stuff that slithers out of a can there is no simply contest.

And the kids love it.

Proof:

This is the fun “What I’m Thankful For “ art that the kids created yesterday on the kitchen chalkboard. (Look closely at the left side, right about the middle…)

Yup, Sam drew a blob and asked me to label it “cranberry sauce.” 

Kid’s seal of approval: Priceless.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

CRANBERRY SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

12 oz. fresh or frozen cranberries

1 orange – zest (grated rind) and pulp (cut into small chunks)

1 apple – peeled and diced (I prefer Granny Smith)

1 cup orange juice

½ cup sugar

½ tsp. ginger

½ cinnamon

And away we go:

Combine all ingredients in saucepan, cook in medium high until bubbly then turn heat down to low and simmer until cranberries are soft. (I told you it was easy.)

Bubble, bubble…  Luscious yummniess…

Bright, fresh, tangy and sweet  = wonderful addition to your T-Day dinner…