Better-than-other Cranberry Sauce

Fresh Cranberry Sauce

1 C water

3/4 C sugar

3 C fresh cranberries

1 scoop Blendfresh Reds (optional, but tastes better!)

Zest of 1 orange

In a medium sauce pan bring water and sugar to boil.  Add fresh cranberries and reheat back to boiling.  As they heat, the cranberries will begin to pop open, releasing natural pectin which will thicken the sauce.  It's a fun, festive sound!  Continue to cook about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir gently as it cools.  Sauce will continue to thicken.  Add the zest of an orange for color and flavor, then add a scoop of Blendfresh Reds and stir to combine.  Serve in a nice bowl.  

I like to make this right as the dinner is being placed on the table so the sauce is fresh and warm, but it can be made ahead and refrigerated for convenience.  It goes nicely with a salty meat like turkey or pork, and makes a delicious sandwich spread too.

This is a fun twist on the traditional Ocean Spray recipe I've been making for years.  It has slightly less sugar, the added citrus texture, plus a whole new set of flavors from adding the 12 fresh dried fruits and vegetables found in Blendfresh.  

This is the first year I have added Blendfresh to the recipe and several people at our family dinner asked what I had done differently this year because the cranberries were so good.  Thank you very much Blendfresh :)

Click here to learn more about Blendfresh or click here to get your own Blendfresh.

Mashed Cauliflower is a great sub for Mashed Potatoes

I made cauliflower like this once and asked my family how they liked the new mashed potato recipe. They all agreed it was delicious and had seconds.  I didn't tell them it was really cauliflower until the dishes were done!

Mashed Cauliflower

Mashed cauliflower is a delicious, low-starch alternative to mashed potatoes. This cruciferous vegetable is an excellent source of vitamin C, containing almost as much as oranges.

Ingredients

1   lg head

cauliflower, chopped into florets and steamed

2   tbsp

low-fat milk

1⁄4   cup

low-fat sour cream

2   oz

reduced fat cheddar cheese

1⁄2   tsp

kosher salt

1⁄4   tsp

ground black pepper

If you have a pre-programmed Blendtec blender, just add the ingredients to the blender jar in the order listed and secure the lid. Press "Sauces" or blend on Medium Low (Speed 3 or 4) for 30 seconds and serve.

Some people feel that adding butter instead of sour cream gives it a more traditional mashed potato taste, and if you're not using dairy products, try substituting coconut milk or yogurt instead of milk and sour cream.

Chef Kristi leaves out the cheese and adds "nutmeg with a touch of roasted garlic and 1 tsp of balsamic glaze, which I make by reducing the balsamic vinegar by 3/4 of its starting volume, it adds the hmmm factor really nice" so there are a few variations and gourmet idea.

As originally posted here are the nutrition facts for the recipe:

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

• Servings 5.0
 
• Sodium 340 mg
• Serving Size 3/4 cup
 
• Carbohydrates 9 g
• Calories 90
 
• Fiber 4 g
• Fat 4 g
 
• Sugar 5 g
• Saturated Fat 2 g
 
• Protein 7 g
• Cholesterol 10 mg

This recipe is from the www.blendtec.com recipe section.  Make it with confidence!

*As a side note, if you store leftovers in the fridge, the high water/low starch content starts to show and the water begins to separate off.  Plan to make a cauliflower soup with it the next day!