Cranberry Sauce

Fresh cranberry sauce was one of the first things I learned how to make and it was my contribution to our family Thanksgiving dinner for years.  

And it's SO easy! There's no need to buy canned or pre-made sauce.  All you need is a $2.00 bag of fresh cranberries, some sugar and some water to make a tasty sauce.  I added a few extra flavours but they're totally optional. 

This recipe makes a lot of cranberry sauce, but it keeps for months in the fridge or freezer so use the whole bag.

When you cook the cranberries you'll hear them pop.  Cranberries are full of pectin so the sauce will thicken up as it cools.  

You can make this ahead and chill it for Thanksgiving day!

Here's the recipe: 

340 g (12 oz) bag fresh cranberries, rinsed well
1 cup water
3/4 cup - 1 cup sugar 
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (optional)
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest (optional)

Place the cranberries, water, sugar, ginger and zest in a medium pot. Cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes until cranberries pop.  Remove from heat and cool.

Cranberry Ketchup!

Every year at Thanksgiving and Christmas I'm responsible for making the cranberry sauce.  I usually make a very simple whole-berry sauce with just cranberries, sugar and water.  Sometimes I add a little orange zest.  

I had plenty of cranberries left and Natrel Organic was kind enough to send me a preserve kit with jars, tools and labels for canning.  

Turkey Meatloaf with Cranberries

Here's a healthy turkey meatloaf packed with vegetables and topped with a cranberry glaze.

Here's what you need:

1 pound ground turkey
1 onion

4 large stalks celery

8 oz mushrooms

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage or 2 teaspoons dried
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup cooked bulgur
1/2 cup cranberry sauce (canned, homemade or I used leftover cranberry agrodolce)

Chicken with Cranberry Agrodolce

Here's another healthy recipe that's still very tasty and even a little fancy.  It is based on this recipe from the Bon Appetit food lovers cleanse. 

The sauce is called agrodolce, which is a traditional Italian sweet and sour sauce, similar to a French gastrique.

Here's what you need:

For the sauce:

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium red onion
• Kosher salt
• 1 Granny Smith apple
• 2 cups fresh (or frozen, thawed) cranberries
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

For the Chicken:

• 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
• Kosher salt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 8 fresh sage leaves (optional)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Let's start with the sauce.  It can be made in advance.