SAVORY CRANBERRY RELISH

Even though Christmas is really my favorite time of year, I absolutely love fall! The colors, the smells, everything about it seems cozy. It's the part of the year where it's not quite as hot and the mad rush seems to slow down to a leisurely stride. (Isn't the imagination a wonderful place?) My mother made a point a few days ago when she mentioned I should start planning ahead for Thanksgiving so that I could get all of the recipes out in time for people to do their own meal planning! So, over the next couple of weeks you will see some of my ideas for that Paleo Thanksgiving Feast. 

This relish is very easy to make and can be paired with chicken, turkey, or lamb. Lamb may not be a normal pairing with cranberries, but it is delicious! (Guess what I'm eating for lunch tomorrow!)

SAVORY CRANBERRY RELISH
1 cup fresh or frozen whole cranberries
1/2 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp minced or finely chopped onion
2 tsp finely chopped rosemary
1-2 large fresh sage leaves, finely chopped (about 1 tsp)
2 tsp finely chopped orange rind
1 tsp raw honey
1/4 tsp salt

Put all of your ingredients into a small sauce pan and cook over medium heat. From start to finish it took me about 35 minutes for everything to cook down. As the sauce thickens you will need to stir it more frequently so that it does not burn. When it starts to lose that glossy appearance and is really thick, it is done. I placed my pan in an ice bath and stirred the relish occasionally before putting it in a plastic container for storage. It can be served hot or cold.

Yield: 1/2 cup of relish

This project takes a little more attention than some others so that is does not burn, but it makes up for it by being super easy and super tasty. As the mixture cooks down and the water in the orange juice boils off, the relish will become sweeter so a teaspoon of honey really is plenty! 

If you are making this just for a meal with lamb, and not a more general purpose, try adding in some fresh chopped mint in place of the sage!