Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Pear-Cranberry Sauce

I love cranberries and I love cranberry sauce, and I am a firm believer that this dish shouldn't make an appearance but once a year at the Thanksgiving table.  As soon as fresh cranberries hit the market (i.e. right about now) I like trying out new variations on this holiday staple.

The only reason cranberry sauce can be tricky is that most recipes in cookbooks feed a dozen people or more.  Luckily I spotted this little gem that makes just enough to serve 2.  Try it tonight as a side dish, or even as a compote for dessert, and make it again on Thanksgiving in larger quantities to feed a crowd.  I liked it alongside slices of vegan smoked turkey.  Since cranberries normally come sold in 12-ounce packages, you can refrigerate whatever doesn't get used in this recipe for up to 1 month, or freeze up to 9 months.

Ingredients:
  • 1/3 cup fresh cranberries
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 2 peeled and coarsely chopped Bartlett pears
  • 1 tablespoon vegan sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon grated orange rind
1. Combine the cranberries, water, and chopped pears in a small saucepan.  Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 25 minutes, removing the lid to stir occasionally.  By the end, the cranberries will have 'popped' (a beautiful sound!), and stained the pears a pretty pink.


2. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the sugar and the orange rind.  Cool to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition Info:
2 servings (about 1/3 cup), Calories 118

Tasting Notes:
Believe it or not, it was cranberry taste that I found missing from this dish!  The pears were wonderfully tender, and the small amount of orange rind infused the sauce with a wonderful note of orange, but the cranberries got a bit lost along the way.  If I made it again, I would increase the cranberries to even out the flavor a bit.  If you like, you could also use 1 apple and 1 pear to vary the flavor slightly.

Rating:
3

2 comments:

  1. Glad to know cranberries are finally out. I was searching for them a couple of weeks ago when I was thinking of making cranberry pumpkin pancakes, but couldn't find any.

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  2. Ooh cranberry pumpkin pancakes sound like a delicious idea! Yes, cranberries are indeed now out, and I can relate to your feeling; this past summer I was searching for plums about a week too early when I was *dying* to make a plum crisp... 'Tis one of the perils of eating seasonably I guess!

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