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