Everyday Cranberry and Pear Relish

I am not usually a huge fan of cranberry sauce.  The obligatory sickly sweet red goo that accompanies turkey on Thanksgiving has never been my fave.  However, given the task of bringing cranberry sauce to our potluck holiday dinner, I decided to experiment with recipes.  Looking through the internet and magazines, I found two versions that piqued my interest. This version was given a thumbs-up by my family and, most importantly, by our hosts Jennifer and Brad.  Cranberries, pears, and citrus fruits are fall and winter seasonal foods which is a bonus when shopping for local produce this time of year.  I modified the sugar asked for on the cranberry bag by half because the pears provide perfect sweetness.  Try this on roast pork and chicken instead of just turkey.

Three pears allow for minimal sugar required to sweeten the berries.

serves 10-12                     prep time: about 30 minutes

3 pears, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 bag cranberries, rinsed

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup dried cherries

Squeeze of lemon, optional

Into the pot they all go.

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a slow boil.  Stir regularly with a wooden spoon.  As pears soften and cranberries "pop", squish them down.  After about 15-20 minutes, you should have a fairly smooth mix.  Turn off the heat and use a potato masher to further reduce any lumps.  Cool and serve.

This is almost fully cooked.  A little more time, then a mashing,
and the sauce/relish is ready.  A surprise occured when all the kids
at the table gobbled it up.  Cool!

When I calculated calories (fitday.com) I came out with about 780 calories for the whole batch which includes about 25 g. fiber, and a measly 1 g of fat.  Divide by 10 or more, and you get about 80 calories, 3 g fiber, and 20 g carbs per serving.  Don't forget the value of cranberries for urinary tract health and antioxidant properties.  Cheers!

-Kim Fielding