Project Description

According to Alex, it’s not Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce. I’ve always loved this delicious holiday side dish, which I also think of as a treat, and it is strongly associated with the holiday in our family. There’s something about the orange and the touch of cinnamon that takes this recipe to a whole new level. Who knows, it could become one of your family favourites!

Photo by Theresa Nicassio

 

Orange Cranberry Sauce
 
Author:
Recipe Type: Condiment
Serves: 3 ½ cups
Ingredients
  • 2 ½ cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
  • 1 orange
  • water
  • ¼ tsp orange zest, packed
  • ½ cup xylitol, coconut sugar or other favourite sweetener, to taste. (If you use Chicory-Root Inulin with Stevia, use only a very small amount and add to desired sweetness.)
  • 4 tsp agar agar flakes (optional, for a thicker jelly)
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon
  • ⅛ tsp Himalayan salt
Instructions
  1. Peel the orange and purée the sections in a blender.
  2. Add enough water to the orange purée to make 2½ cups liquid.
  3. Pour into a large saucepan and add all of the remaining ingredients, stir and heat on high until it reaches a rolling boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and boil for another 7 minutes, stirring very frequently to keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
  4. Reduce the heat to low and mash the cranberries with a potato masher to your desired consistency.
  5. You can serve immediately while hot or refrigerate for a chilled dish later. If you’ve used the agar agar and would like an extra special presentation, pour the hot orange cranberry sauce into decorative silicone molds and chill in the refrigerator to set.
Bev's Bit
Cranberries have delicious anti-cancer properties! To reap the most benefit from cranberries, eat them in their whole form, rather than dried or as juice.

Theresa's Tip
Xylitol is usually made from birch bark or corn cobs and is a low-calorie, low-glycemic (low GI) option that is an ingredient that many individuals wanting to better manage their blood sugar like to use. It is best to choose a brand that is birch-derived. I like to use Xyla when I cook and appreciate their approach to extraction and that their product is pure, with no fillers or other additives.

Xylitol is a wonderful ingredient if you are able to enjoy it (some individuals are sensitive to it) and there is some interesting research around other uses of it, such as around dental health and ear infections that you might like to discuss with your healthcare professional, if this is of interest to you. If you are unsure whether it is a food you are sensitive to, like anything new, start with using just a little at first to make sure!

 

 

Dr. Theresa Nicassio is a registered psychologist (#1541) and author of YUM: plant-based recipes for a gluten-free diet (Sept 2015). Embracing a holistic perspective of health and certified as a gourmet raw food chef, nutrition educator and integrative energy healer, Theresa focuses her time providing psychotherapy to clients in her private practice in Vancouver.

YUM: plant-based recipes for a gluten-free diet (Sept 2015)
www.yumfoodforliving.com
info@yumfoodforliving.com
www.facebook.com/AuthorTheresaNicassio
Twitter: @TheresaNicassio

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