Mom’s Cranberry-Avocado Salsa
Salsa is standard party fare, but this fresh, holiday-themed version with chopped jalapeño, red onion, avocado, cranberries, and cilantro is a delightful surprise. It went quickly when mom took it to a recent holiday get-together.
Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
Butternut squash is one of my favorite foods, and I love any opportunity to make it the star of a meal. For this dish, roast diced butternut squash with maple syrup and dried cranberries, and then dress it with a mixture of apple cider vinegar, shallots, and Dijon mustard. Combine with arugula, walnuts, and Parmesan cheese.
Curried Chicken Salad
Chop chicken (grab a rotisserie chicken at the market), grapes, apples, and pineapple. Add shredded carrots, curry powder, and toasted almonds for a truly special chicken salad. Serve on wheat bread, with crackers, or in pita pockets.
Cranberry-Spinach Salad
An easy salad of spinach, dried cranberries, and mandarine oranges.
Jeanne-Marie’s Stuffed Pork Chops
These chops are smothered in a mixture of bacon, onions, apples, and cranberry sauce, and then baked.
Cranberry Pie
This double-crust pie is filled with cranberries, sugar, orange zest, and orange juice. I made this pie one Christmas intending to take it to the family celebration, but found out too late that there were already a lot of pies on the menu. I froze it and served it for Valentine’s Day instead. Even having been frozen, it was still amazing.
Spiced Cranberry Sauce
Don’t work hard to create the perfect holiday dinner and then un-can a jelly loaf of cranberry sauce to serve with it. This recipe made from fresh cranberries and spiced with cinnamon, ground ginger, and nutmeg is the real thing.
Dried Cranberry Coffee Cake
I’m not a fan of raisins, so I often substitute dried cranberries for them in recipes. This coffee cake is especially good.
Cranberry Margaritas
This frozen margarita with cranberry juice, frozen cranberries, lime juice, and Grand Marnier is tart and refreshing.