Traditional Cranberry Orange Sauce

Yield: 6-8 side servings

You’ll never consider buying canned cranberry sauce again after trying this easy recipe for a sweet and punchy topping for potatoes, poultry or tempeh. For a nice garnish, grate a little of the orange peel and sprinkle it over the sauce just before ready to serve. The orange can also be replaced by a small handful of seasonal kumquats – thinly slice them, peel and all, and toss them into the pot.

1 orange, peeled and chopped (keep the peel)
3 whole cloves
8-12 ounce bag fresh, organic cranberries
1/2-3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup apple juice
1 cinnamon stick
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons arrowroot powder mixed with 2 teaspoons water

Poke the whole cloves into a 2-inch piece of the orange peel. Place the peel, along with the cranberries, maple syrup, apple juice, cinnamon stick and nutmeg in a saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes. Stir the berries occasionally and mash them with the back of a wooden spoon until they pop.

Whisk the arrowroot with the water and slowly drizzle it into the cranberries, whisking briskly to prevent clumping. Cook another 2-3 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly and has a glazed look to it. Remove the orange peel and cinnamon stick. Taste, adding more maple syrup for sweetness, as desired. Serve warm.