mizchef

posted by admin on Nov 18

Hi, gang. Well, just a few more days and it will be the holiday that some people love and some people hate: Thanksgiving. This is my last installment before the big day and I’m dedicating it to cranberry sauce. Like the holiday, some people love it and some people hate it. I happen to love it because it is so diverse. It’s not just for turkey anymore—you can do so many things with it.

Photo by Mariluna

First of all, I’m not talking about the stuff that you have to plop out a can. I know that some people say that it’s not Thanksgiving without that log-shaped, gelatinous stuff with the can ridges going all the way around. But once you’ve had fresh, homemade cranberry sauce, there’s no going back. And it’s incredibly simple to make. Here is my favorite recipe, but keep in mind that you can add different things, like chopped walnuts, orange zest, rum, etc.

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Cranberry Sauce

2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 (16-oz.) bag cranberries
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tsp butter

Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat; lower the heat and let simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Add the cranberries and orange juice; partially cover and simmer until cranberries have popped, about 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the butter and mix well. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.

Serve or store in a jar in the refrigerator. Will keep several weeks.

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Now that that’s done, let’s talk about leftovers. The turkey’s all gone, what do you do with the cranberry sauce? No need to throw it out—here are 10 things you can do with leftover cranberry sauce

10 Things to do with Cranberry Sauce

1. Mix a tablespoon of it into chicken or tuna salad.
2. Use it as a sauce for meats, vegetables, and (my favorite) vegetarian “chicken” patties.
3. Mix about ½ cup to 1 cup of it into cheesecake before placing it in the oven. (Just swirl it in; don’t overmix.)
4. Dollop some on top of slices of pound or angel cake.
5. Stir about 1 cup of it into a big pot of chili.
6. Make ketchup out of it—add it to a traditional homemade ketchup recipe.
7. Turn it into salsa by adding some minced jalapeno or some chili powder and cumin to it, or a chutney by adding other dried or fresh fruits, such as raisins, chopped dates, or chopped apple.
8. Use it as jam for toast, muffins, or bagels.
9. Mix about ¼ cup into muffin batter (these will be the best cranberry muffins ever!).
10. Use it as an ingredient in homemade ice cream.

And with that, I’ll leave you to your Thanksgiving feast. I hope everyone has a fun, festive, safe holiday. I’ll see after turkeys all over the country breathe a collective sigh of relief.

Peace out.