A Thanksgiving side that goes with many dishes

If you're like most of us you've done a lot of thinking about Thanksgiving and what to serve. But the truth is that you may not have actually cooked any dishes for that magnificent meal for friends and family where you'll give thanks for some good that has come to  you during the year.

Now, a few days before you sit down at the table, you can make one of my favorites, cranberry sauce. Not the stuff in the can. Instead cranberries made according to the supremely simple recipes below go not only with turkey, but also with pork, chicken, tofu, the dressing, and with yogurt, on pancakes, on sandwiches, and anything you might like to add it to. 

Cranberries are so easy to cook or to blend with orange and honey. They are a Super Food, like blueberries. When you taste these two versions, you won't ever go back to canned.

Recipes from Even You Can Be Healthy
Cranberry Sauce, Cooked with Cinnamon

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1 12-ounce package of fresh or frozen cranberries

1 whole cinnamon stick or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons frozen orange juice, not reconstituted or orange juice from one orange

 ¾ cup packed brown sugar or more to taste

Method

Wash cranberries and place  in a medium-sized saucepan with the cinnamon stick, orange juice, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. After 4 to 5 minutes the berries will begin to pop and the sauce begin to thicken. Continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes and remove from heat. Take out the cinnamon stick, if using, and pour the cooling sauce into a jar or plastic container and cool. When the sauce has cooled so you can lift the jar or container, put on the lid and place into the refrigerator. Serve with turkey, pork, tofu, pancakes, and just about anything.

No-Cook Cranberry-Orange Sauce

 Make this version at least one day ahead of your planned use so the flavors blend and mellow. This version can be used on many kinds of meats and in plain yogurt.

Serves 6-8    

Ingredients

1 12-ounce package fresh or frozen cranberries

1 naval orange or 1 seeded juice orange

1 container frozen orange juice, un-reconstituted

2 tablespoons honey

Method

Wash cranberries and place in the bowl of a blender or food processor. Wash orange and cut into 4 to 6 pieces. If using a naval orange, add the pieces with peel to the blender bowl, food processor, or a bowl for using the immersion blender.

If using a juice orange, cut open, remove the seeds, and cut away the white pith between orange segments. Do not peel. Place the orange segments with the cranberries in the bowl of the blender, food processor, or the bowl for using the immersion blender. Blend or process until the cranberries and orange segments are chopped and blended. There should be no large pieces in the blend.

Add the honey and frozen orange juice a tablespoon at a time. Taste for desired sweetness and add more as needed. Blend after each addition, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides.

When the flavor is to your taste, scrape the mixture into a covered plastic container or a jar with a lid. Refrigerate overnight or until used.