Cranberry Sauce for Winos
Thanksgiving wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without the cranberry sauce. It’s tartness perfectly cuts the richness of the side dishes and it is amazing with turkey and sweet potatoes. So, if your taste buds are ready for something more than the canned stuff, which I still love, BTW, but if you want to elevate things a bit without much work, this is for you!First, the gut health benefits…Cranberries are one of the richest sources of polyphenols! I can hear it now, “I don’t care, this has wine in it, but ok, I’ll play along, what are polyphenols?” So, polyphenols are a type of antioxidant that are able to act as prebiotics in your gut - substances that selectively support the growth of friendly gut bacteria, and help murder pathogenic gut bugs.Which is a big old YAY! But guess what else?!Studies confirmed that long-term polyphenol intake contributes to body weight loss, lower body mass index (BMI), and decreased waist circumference. Yup. These little tart treats can help the body shed excess lbs… you know the sugar won’t but if this is a goal, sub out Lakanto Golden Monk Fruit and you won’t even taste the difference.The downside? You’re gonna have leftover wine. I hope you’ll find something to do with it. Wink. ????????????
Ingredients
- 1¾ cup red wine such as red zinfandel
- 1 bag fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 - 1¼ cups brown sugar, to taste or sub out monk fruit golden
- 6 whole cloves
- 6 whole allspice
- 2 sticks cinnamon
- 1 large orange, juice and zest
Instructions
- Open the wine and taste it to be sure it’s good.
- Combine everything except the berries in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and stir to combine.
- Boil until sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Strain out cloves, allspice – remember, there are 6 of each, and grab out those 2 cinnamon sticks as well. Trash that stuff, you’re done with it.
- Add berries and cook until berries burst, about 6 minutes. Feel free to smash them against the side of the pan with your wooden spoon if they’re not cooperating. If you like your sauce on the thicker side, cook a few additional minutes.
- Remove from heat and cool. Store in the fridge. Save the hassle on Thanksgiving and make this ahead of time. It’s even better the next day.