Cranberry Sauce

Bubbling away... I love when they begin to pop!

When I go food shopping I need a game plan. I need to look at the circular well before I go, look in my fridge to take inventory, decide what the week’s menu will be- and then shop. I’ve tried making lists- hard copy and on my trusty iPhone, I’ve tried winging it and just going for what I’m feeling at the moment- but I’m most productive when I’ve got my menu in hand and nothing else to distract me.

But… it still doesn’t stop me from being distracted entirely. And this week, I was distracted by the cranberries. I absolutely love cranberries, but am so used to eating the dried out variety that I was intrigued by it in its natural form. What would I do with it? How could I incorporate it into a meal in a fun and different way. I searched for recipes online but came up flat. Did you know there are very little recipes that call for the cranberry in its true form. So I did what I thought I would never do. I made cranberry sauce.

The first time I tried Cranberry Sauce was last Thanksgiving. Seriously. My family never made cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving- they just didn’t get it. And I didn’t either, really, until last year. And even then, I didn’t fall in love. But this cranberry sauce? Perfection!

I love lemon zest!!

Very Berry Cranberry Sauce

1/2 bag of fresh cranberries
1/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of water
The zest of  lemon, The juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
(optional) 1 handful of frozen berries

1. Add water and sugar to saucepan and put on medium heat. When the water begins to boil add the cranberries, lemon juice and zest, and reduce bring to a simmer.

2. Allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until all of the cranberries have burst and a sauce has formed.

3. Transfer sauce to bowl and add frozen berries. Allow berries to defrost in sauce for a few minutes. I used raspberries and blackberries but you can use any berries you prefer. Add walnuts and stir. Serve warm or allow to cool at room temperature, chill, and serve cold.

Isn’t it so pretty? It went perfectly well with the Stuffed Portobello Mushroom and tasted even better the next day warmed and spooned over a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. I was seriously obsessed with the stuff for a few days until it was gone, and then made the rest of the bag to hold me over for the rest of the week. I’m all out now but tomorrow is Sunday, my food shopping day, so I’ll definitely be planning to get distracted in the fruit isle!

Warm Cranberry Sauce over Vanilla Bean Ice Cream