Fresh Cranberry Orange Sauce with Toasted Walnuts

I’ve enjoyed this cranberry sauce for years.  My Mom started making this version of a Thanksgiving side dish when I was young.  It’s ridiculously simple to prepare and, in my opinion, certainly better than canned or other cooked homemade relish.

When you combine fresh fruit with sugar, it draws out the natural juice from the fruit and is then converted into a syrup type substance. This syrup covers the fruit and protects it from exposure to air that would otherwise lead to oxidation and discoloration.  It's basically a preservative.

Therefore, letting this sauce sit a few days actually makes it better.  The tart, ruby tinged syrup intensifies in flavor and color.  If you are anything like me, getting a couple of dishes completed before Thanksgiving day is key.  The timing and complexity of the meal can make any competent cook go a little bonkers.

I added a few toasted walnuts for flavor, crunch and texture.  The richness of the nut compliments the tangy fruit.

You never know, if you get a few things done before the big day you may even be able to watch the parade, catch a quarter of a football game or take a few extra minutes to be thankful for all you have.

Fresh Cranberry Orange Sauce with Toasted Walnuts

Yield: 2 1/2 cups
Ingredients

• 2 cups cranberries
• 1 orange, cut in eighths and seeded
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts

Cooking Directions

1. Place half of the cranberries and oranges into your food processor. Pulse until evenly chopped - not pureed. Transfer to bowl and repeat with other half of fruit.
2. Stir sugar and walnuts into fruit.
3. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Pull Up a Chair - Food Network's Communal Thanksgiving table:

Cocktails, Appetizers, Salads and Breads: 
Haute Apple Pie: Apple Jack 
Cooking With Books: Spiced Couscous and Walnut Salad 
Mooshu Jenne: Honey Bacon Potato Pops 
Food For My Family: 
Roasted Beet and Lacinato Kale Salad With Lemon Vinaigrette 
Big Girls, Small Kitchen: Super Seeded Cornbread Main: 
FN Dish: Black Pepper-Pomegranate Molasses Glazed Turkey 

Sides: Feed Me Phoebe: Cornbread and Wild Rice Stuffing With Hazelnuts and Cranberries 
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Chorizo, Cornbread and Tortilla Dressing 
Sweet Life: Apple Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing 
And Love It, Too: Paleo Green Bean Casserole 
Jeanette's Healthy Living: Sweet Spiced Winter Squash Casserole 
Red or Green?: Corn, Peppers and Onion Saute 
Simple Bites: Honey Pomegranate Glazed Brussels Sprouts 
Virtually Homemade: Fresh Orange and Cranberry Sauce With Toasted Walnuts 
What's Gaby Cooking: Sweet Potato Gratin  
The Heritage Cook: Cauliflower Gratin 
Creative Culinary: Creamy Mushroom Bake With Parmesan and Panko 
Bacon and Souffle: Spicy Carnival Squash 

Desserts: I Am Baker: Pumpkin Bars in a Jar 
Add a Pinch: Caramel Pie Chez Us: 


Pumpkin Cheesecake With Chocolate Swirls