Resolved: Make Yogurt in 2009

Years ago when I cooked for hikers, climbers and skiers in remote mountain huts in the Canadian Rockies, I used to make homemade yogurt. It was special treat because, without electricity and refrigeration, we had no fresh dairy products. As I recall, the recipe called for powdered milk, canned evaporated milk, water and some yogurt starter. I used a wide-mouth thermos to incubate the yogurt.

These days, I cook in a modern kitchen and enjoy the convenience of several well-stocked supermarkets down the road, but I have decided to take up yogurt making again. The cost of homemade yogurt is slightly less than half that of commercial yogurt. Although you don't need a yogurt maker to make yogurt, I purchased a Donvier Yogurt Maker. If it is more convenient, I will be more apt to do it. I figure that the savings on homemade yogurt will cover the cost of the yogurt maker within a year

My first few batches have been highly successful. I have been using 2% milk from Monument Farms, a local dairy. The yogurt is rich-tasting, similar to full-fat yogurt and has a consistency closer to "Greek" (drained) than standard yogurt.

The procedure couldn't be simpler. Scald 1 quart milk. Remove from heat and place thermometer in milk. Let cook until to lukewarm (about 115 degrees F.)I usually set the saucepan in a large bowl of ice water to speed up cooling process. Stir in 1 heaping tablespoon prepared plain yogurt until blended. Pour into containers of yogurt maker and set timer for 10 hours. Alternatively, pour into a large glass bowl, cover with foil and several kitchen towels. Place bowl on a heating pad set at medium. Let incubate overnight.

Plain yogurt is an important staple in our house. My husband and I start each day with a bowl of yogurt and fruit. I also love it in sauces, such as the raita in the Dahl with Spinach recipe below. This is one resolution I won't have trouble keeping.

Dahl with Spinach

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 45-50 minutes

When the fridge seems bare and there is no time to stop at the market for fresh provisions, I often turn to this simple vegetarian stew, which is made from pantry and freezer staples. The base of the dish is a pulse is yellow split peas, a valuable source of soluble fiber and vegetable protein. A cooling raita (yogurt sauce) finishes the dish beautifully. It is sure-fire winner for your health—and your taste buds.

Dahl:

1 cup yellow split peas or chana dahl (see Ingredient Note), sorted and rinsed

3 cups water

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 cup chopped onion (1 medium)

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground fenugreek (optional)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes (not drained)

1 package (10 ounces) or half a package (16-ounces) frozen cut-leaf spinach

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Raita:

1 cup low-fat plain yogurt

4 teaspoons lime juice

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1. To make the dahl: Combine the split peas (or chana dahl), water and turmeric in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Partially cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook until the split peas are tender, 40 to 45 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 10 to 20 seconds. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, fenugreek, if using, and cayenne; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 20 to 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Cook the spinach according to package directions. Drain, pressing out excess moisture.

4. When the split peas are tender, stir them (and any remaining cooking liquid) into the tomato mixture, along with the spinach. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes to blend the flavors. Season with the salt.

5. To make the raita: Mix all the raita ingredients in a small bowl. Serve the dahl with raita. One serving is 3/4 cup dahl and 2 1/2 tablespoons raita. Leftover dahl will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a little additional water, if necessary.

Serves 6

Per serving: 199 calories, 12g protein, 33g carbohydrates,12g fiber, 4g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 412mg sodium.

Note: Dahl turns up frequently in Indian cooking and it is one of those confusing terms that refer to both a preparation and an ingredient. The preparation, dahl, is a dish like this one, made with seasoned, stewed pulses. As an ingredient, dahl encompasses a wide variety of dried pulses, including lentils and split peas, all of which are valuable sources of soluble fiber and vegetable protein.

Ingredient Note: Chana dahl are split chick peas. You can find them in Indian markets and on the internet at web sites, such as www.kalustyans.com or www.namaste.com

Beautiful Buenos Aires!

The highlight of 2008 for my husband Dick and me was a trip to Buenos Aires in November. We rented an apartment in the leafy neighborhood of Recoleta and devoted ourselves to exploring the bustling barrios of this fabulous city. The streets are alive with tango rhythms and filled with aromas of grilled beef. We got hooked on dulce de leche (a creamy, thick caramel sauce), which is ubiquitous in Buenos Aires supermarkets. To keep the memory of our trip alive, we have been enjoying dulce de leche as a dipping sauce for fruit. Here is a recipe for an easy dessert and my slide show tribute to the city. ¡Buen provecho!




Roasted Pears with Dulce de Leche

Roasting coaxes out the sweetness in sturdy winter fruits. For a truly simple yet elegant winter dessert, finish the fruit with a drizzle of dulce de leche (caramel sauce) or bittersweet chocolate, some toasted nuts and your favorite ice cream.

3 firm but ripe Bosc pears
½ lemon
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons butter
¼ cup sliced almonds
2 cups vanilla ice cream, preferably Edy’s Slow-Churned Light
¼ cup dulce de leche, homemade (recipe follows) or store-bought

1. Preheat oven to 425˚F. Coat a 7x11-inch (or similar 2 ½ quart shallow) baking dish with cooking spray. Peel, core and quarter pears lengthwise, rubbing cut sides with cut side of lemon half as you work. Place pears in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with sugar and toss to coat. Dot with butter. Bake pears until tender and caramelized in spots, 40 to 45 minutes, turning from time to time.
2. Meanwhile, spread almonds in a small baking pan. Toast in the oven until light golden and fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool.
3. About ½ hour before serving, place ice cream in refrigerator to soften slightly.
4. Just before serving, place dulce de leche in small microwaveable dish; warm in the microwave at High just until pourable, 30 to 40 seconds. Scoop ice cream onto each of 4 dessert plates or dishes. Arrange 3 pear quarters beside ice cream. Drizzle with dulce de leche and sprinkle with almonds.

Serves 4

Dulce de Leche

When you have dulce de leche on hand in your refrigerator, you will find myriad uses for it. Serve as a dip for fruit, topping for ice cream, or filling for crepes. It is Latin America’s answer to our maple syrup.

You can find prepared dulce de leche in specialty stores. But, it is easy to make your own. Not only does homemade taste even better than commercial varieties, it is far less expensive. I had excellent results with this recipe adapted from one of my most treasured cookbooks, The South American Table by Maria Baez Kijac (Harvard Common Press 2003).

1 quart whole (3 ½% milk fat) milk
1 ¼ cups sugar
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 vanilla bean

Combine milk, sugar and baking soda in a heavy 4-quart pan. Make a slit in the vanilla bean with a paring knife. With the tip of the knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into the milk mixture. Add the vanilla bean to the milk. Bring to a simmer, stirring over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is caramel colored and thick. This will take 1 to 1 ¼ hours. Stir almost constantly towards the end of cooking. Transfer to a bowl. Dulce de leche will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. If duce de leche hardens when it is chilled, simply warm it in the microwave or over a larger pan of barely simmering water.

Makes about 1 ½ cups

Welcome Winter Market

What a treat! The Burlington Farmers' Market is now offering winter markets once a month. When I visited the December market, I was delighted to discover a fabulous array of local winter produce, eggs, meats, cheese and breads. Within minutes I had filled my basket with hearty root vegetables and greens. At home, I cranked up the oven and made this simple roasted root vegetable side dish, which captures the sweet earthy flavors of the vegetables beautifully.

Roasted Roots

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

4 cups assorted diced (1/2 x 3/4-inch pieces) peeled root vegetables, such a carrots, parsnips, celery root, rutabaga and/or turnip (1 pound, 3 ounces)

Preheat oven to 425˚F. Coat a baking sheet with sides with cooking spray. Toss vegetables with the oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread on the prepared baking sheet. Roast vegetables, turning several times, until tender and lightly browned, 35 to 40 minutes.

Makes 4 (½-cup) servings.

Cookies Take Over the Kitchen

Sugar Cookies

Like a little black dress, a rolled sugar cookie recipe is an essential in any baker’s repertoire. Dress up the cookies with Royal Icing and colorful sprinkles, or enjoy then unadorned with a cup of tea. Here is my healthful rendition that stretches the butter with canola oil and incorporates whole-wheat flour.

¾ cup white whole-wheat flour

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons canola oil

½ cup sugar

1 large egg

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Beat butter, oil and sugar in an electric mixer at high speed until blended. Add egg and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Add flour mixture and beat at low speed just until a crumbly dough forms. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or for up to 2 hours.

2. Place dough on a sheet of parchment paper. Cover with another sheet of parchment and roll to a thickness of slightly less than ¼ inch. Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter. Place sheet of parchment on a baking sheet, cover with the second sheet of parchment and place in the freezer until very firm, at least 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350˚F. Lift away scraps of cookie dough, leaving finished shapes. Bake cookies until starting to brown around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet on wire rack for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack and let cool completely. Reroll dough scraps and repeat.

Makes: about 16 cookies.

Cookie Photo Gallery

Custom Cookies

What could be better than a holiday cookie made just for you? Is a child (or adult) in your life into dinosaurs, horses, skating, skiing? You can probably find a cookie cutter that matches the passion of the recipient. Fill the kitchen the warm spicy aromas of my healthy gingerbread cookie recipe, decorate with the following royal icing, and above all, have fun!

Wholesome Gingerbread Cookies

Honor your family’s holiday baking tradition with this updated version of a classic gingerbread cookie. The full flavor comes from a rich blend of spices—just 1 Tbsp butter gives the cookies lovely finish—and whole-wheat flour complements the spices.

1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or white whole-wheat flour (See Ingredient Note)

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground allspice

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 large egg

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup canola oil or mild olive oil

1/4 cup molasses

1 Tbsp. butter, melted

1. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl until blended. Whisk egg, brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, molasses, and butter in a large bowl until smooth. Gradually stir in flour mixture with a wooden spoon until incorporated. (Mix with your hands, if necessary, to form a firm, but slightly sticky dough. Divide dough into 2 pieces; form each one into a ball, then flatten slightly. Dust dough rounds lightly with flour and wrap each one in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 1/2 hours or for up to 2 days.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or coat with cooking spray. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 round of dough with a flour-dusted rolling pin to a thickness of slightly more than 1/8-inch. Use a cookie cutter (or improvise with a clean tin can or a glass) to cut out desired shapes. Carefully place cookies, at least 1 inch apart, on a prepared baking sheet. Bake until cookies just begin to brown around the edges, 8 to 11 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet on wire rack for 2 minutes, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough and dough scraps. Decorate cookies as desired (See Tip.)

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Ingredient Note: Whole-wheat pastry flour is milled from a soft variety of wheat, which has less gluten-forming potential than regular whole-wheat flour, and is therefore an excellent choice for tender baked goods. White whole-wheat flour is a special variety of hard wheat. Although it has a lighter color and sweeter flavor than regular whole-wheat flour, this flour contains all benefits of whole-grain flour because it is milled from the entire wheat berry. Both types of flour are available in natural foods sections of supermarkets or through web sources, such as kingarthurflour.com or bobsredmill mill.com. Store all whole-wheat flours in an airtight container or bag on the refrigerator or freezer.

Royal Icing

This is the traditional icing for decorating cookies, special cakes and gingerbread houses. It is perfect for piping or it can be thinned with water and painted over cookies. It dries to a beautiful matte finish. To avoid health concerns associated with uncooked eggs, use pasteurized egg whites. You can find both refrigerated cartons of pasteurized egg whites, such as Papetti Foods All Whites, and convenient pasteurized dried egg whites, such as Just Whites, in most supermarkets.

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

6 Tbsp. pasteurized liquid egg whites or equivalent reconstituted dried egg whites (3 egg whites)

Food coloring (optional)

Water for thinning, if needed

Sift sugar and cream of tartar into a large mixing bowl. Add egg whites. Using an electric mixer, beat at low speed until mixed. Increase speed to high and beat until icing has thickened and holds peaks, 8 to 10 minutes. (Keep icing covered with a damp tea towel to prevent it from drying out while you are working.)

Makes about 2 cups

Tip: To decorate dinosaur cookies: Spread cookies on a sheet of wax paper. Spoon about 1 1/4 cups Royal Icing or Egg-Free Decorator Icing into a small bowl and tint with green food coloring. Thin to a painting consistency a little water. With a pastry brush or clean water color brush, paint cookies with green icing. Tint remaining icing with yellow food coloring and thin to a painting consistency. Before green icing has set, use water color brush to dab yellow spots on cookies. (Alternatively, pipe dots of unthinned yellow icing over cookies.) Melt 1 oz. chocolate chips (or chopped dark chocolate) in microwave or in small bowl over barely simmering water and spoon into a paper decorating cone (see directions below). Pipe chocolate eyes and smiles on each dinosaur. If desired, pipe an outline of chocolate around edge of each cookie. Carefully transfer cookies to a wire rack and let stand until icing has set, 30 to 45 minutes.

To Make a Paper Decorating Cone: Cut a triangle from parchment paper or wax paper measuring about 11 inches by 8 inches by 8 inches. Grasp the center of the triangle along the long side, bring one corner up to center tip, then wrap the other corner around to meet the other corner and form a cone. Make sure cone is completely closed. Fold tip under to secure. Spoon in filling and fold open end over several times to enclose filling. Snip a small hole in tip.

Turkey Time

Brined Roast Turkey with Apple Cider Gravy

In addition to brining, a few tricks make this turkey especially moist and flavorful. Stuffing fresh herbs between the skin and breast meat gives the meat an extra dimension of flavor and roasting the turkey breast side down for the first hour allows the juices to collect in the breast. The turkey browns beautifully as it finishes cooking breast side up. Turning the turkey over may sound tricky, but it is actually easy when you grasp the turkey with a pair of oven mitts that have been covered with ziplock bags.

1 recipe Basic Brine for Turkey (recipe follows)

1 12-to 20-lb. turkey, thawed, if frozen

1 recipe Giblet Broth (recipe follows)

3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley, plus 4 sprigs

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme, plus 6 sprigs

3 Tbsp. olive or vegetable oil, divided

Freshly ground pepper

1 medium onion, peeled and quartered

1 apple, cored and quartered

2 cups water

1 1/3 cups apple cider, divided

¼ cup all-purpose flour

At least 7 hours or the night before roasting, make Basic Brine for Turkey. Remove giblets and neck from turkey cavity, and reserve for Giblet Broth. Reserve the liver for another use (you can poach it and give it to your dog for a treat). Rinse turkey inside and out with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Brine turkey as directed in recipe Basic Brine recipe.

While turkey is brining (or while it is roasting), make Giblet Broth and reserve for turkey.

Set oven rack in the bottom of the oven and preheat to 325°. Coat a wire roasting rack, preferably a V-shaped rack, with cooking spray. Set the rack in a large roasting pan. Mix chopped parsley, chopped thyme, 2 tbsp. oil and pepper in a small bowl. Place turkey on a cutting board. Separate turkey skin from breast meat with your fingers, taking care not to pierce the meat. Smear the herb mixture between flesh and skin on both sides of the breast bone. Rub the remaining 1 tbsp. oil all over the outside of the turkey. Stuff cavity with parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs, onion and apples. Tuck wing tips behind back and tie drumsticks together with kitchen twine. Set, turkey breast side down, in the prepared rack. Add 2 cups water to the roasting pan.

Roast turkey for 1 hour. Remove turkey from oven. Protect your hands with oven mitts, then cover with large clean zip-close plastic bags (or use a silicone oven mitt). Carefully turn turkey, so that is breast side up. Baste with pan juices. Return turkey to oven and roast, basting with pan juices every half hour and replenishing water as needed, until an instant-read thermometer registers 180° in the thigh and 170° in the breast. Plan on roasting a 12-lb. turkey about 2 hours longer; a 14-to18-lb. turkey 2 3/4 to 3 1/4 hours longer; an 18-to-20-lb. turkey 3 1/4-to-3 1/2 hours longer.

Transfer turkey to a large serving platter or carving board. Cover loosely with foil and let stand at least 20 minutes before carving. Pour off drippings in the roasting pan and discard. (Drippings for a brined turkey are too salty to be used in gravy). Place roasting pan over 2 burners and pour in 1 cup apple cider. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring to scrape up any browned bits. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes to intensify flavor. Stain cider into a medium saucepan. Add Giblet Broth and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer for several minutes to intensify flavor. Remove from heat. Mix flour with remaining 1/3 cup apple cider in a small bowl; add to the sauce and whisk until smooth. Return to medium-high heat and simmer, whisking constantly, until lightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove kitchen twine from turkey and carve. Serve with gravy. Makes 3 cups gravy and enough turkey to serve eight, with leftovers.

Note: Since it is difficult to determine how exactly how much sugar and salt are absorbed by the turkey, we do not offer a detailed nutritional analysis. However, if you would to estimate your caloric intake, here are the basics:

One 3-oz. portion cooked turkey breast without skin plus 1/3 cup gravy has 174 calories, 3g total fat and 1g saturated fat.

One 3-oz. portion cooked turkey breast with skin plus 1/3 cup gravy has 201 calories, 6g total fat and 2 g saturated fat.

One 3-oz. portion cooked turkey leg without skin plus 1/3 cup gravy has 199 calories, 6g total fat and 2g saturated fat.

One 3-oz. portion cooked turkey leg with skin plus 1/3 cup gravy has 235 calories 10g total fat and 3g saturated fat.

Basic Brine for Turkey

Soaking a turkey in a saline brine before roasting is an excellent way to ensure that it stays moist. When preparing a holiday meal, it can be difficult to free up enough refrigerator space to hold a large bucket containing turkey and its brine. To make the process more manageable, use a brining bag, a super-sized ziplock bag designed for brining a turkey. You can find brining bags on the internet at www.cooking.com and www.williams-sonoma.com. If there is not enough room in the refrigerator, place the bag in a cooler, fill with ice and set outside (temperatures in the Vermont at Thanksgiving are generally cooperative.)

Note: Do not attempt to brine a pre-basted turkey, such as Butterball, or a kosher turkey because these turkeys have already been treated with salt and the result will be too salty. (If you use pre-salted turkey for the recipe, skip the bringing step.) Another precaution to avoid salt overload: Do not stuff a brined turkey; bake it in a separate baking dish.

1 gallon warm water

2 cups kosher salt

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 gallon ice water

Whisk warm water, salt and sugar in a large bowl until salt and sugar dissolve. Add enough of the ice water to the brine to chill it thoroughly. Discard visible fat from turkey. Remove neck and giblets and reserve for Giblet Broth (recipe xx). Reserve liver for another use. Rinse turkey inside and out with cold water. Place turkey, breast-side down, in a large clean bucket or brining bag. (If using a bag, it is useful to have a helper to steady the bag.) Pour in brine. Top off with remaining ice water. Cover bucket or seal bag and refrigerate (or place in a cooler, surround with ice and set in a cool place) for 6 to 12 hours. (If you are not quite ready to roast the turkey, remove from brine, rinse thoroughly and refrigerate until roasting time. The longer the turkey sits in brine, the saltier it gets.

Remove turkey from brine. Discard brine. Rinse turkey thoroughly inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Makes 2 gallons brine, enough to soak one 12-to 20-lb turkey.

Giblet Broth

It is worth the few extra minutes it takes to fortify canned broth with turkey giblets and aromatic vegetables because the resulting giblet broth virtually guarantees a full-flavored gravy.

To make ahead: Make the broth up to 1 day ahead, cool quickly, then cover and refrigerate until needed.

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

Neck and giblets from 1 turkey, rinsed and patted dry

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped ( 1 cup)

2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped (3/4 cup)

1 14-oz. can reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 cups water

4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled

6 sprigs fresh thyme

1 tsp. black peppercorns, crushed

1 bay leaf

Heat oil in a heavy 4-to-6-qt. Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add turkey neck and giblets, and cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Add onion and carrots to pot and cook, stirring often, until browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Add broth, water, garlic, thyme, peppercorns, bay leaf and turkey neck and giblets. Bring to a simmer. Skim froth. Reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer for 1 hour. Pour the broth through a fine strainer into a medium bowl, pressing on solids to extract maximum flavor. Blot fat from surface with paper towel. Makes 2 3/4 cups.

Timing Big Bird

Use the guide from the National Turkey Federation for estimating the total time it will take to roast your turkey. Make sure that the turkey is completely thawed before roasting (as a rule of thumb, to thaw turkey in the refrigerator allow about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds). Give yourself about half an hour to prepare the turkey for the oven and let it rest for at least 20 minutes after roasting.

To roast an unstuffed turkey at 325°, estimate:

2 ¾ to 3 hours for an 8 to 12-lb. bird

3 to 3 ¾ hours for a 12 to 14-lb. bird

3 ¾ to 4 ¼ hours for a 14 to 18-lb. bird

4 ¼ to 4 ½ hours for an 18 to 20-lb. bird

4 ½ to 5 hours for a 20 to 24-lb. bird

5 to 5 ¼ hours for a 24 to 30-lb. bird

For additional information on roasting turkey, visit www.eatturkey.com.

Cranberry-Pear Chutney

Fresh ginger and spices give this cranberry sauce an interesting complexity while fresh pear tempers the tartness of cranberries. If you would like to have extra chutney on hand to perk up turkey leftovers and sandwiches, make a double batch.

To make ahead: The chutney will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

1 ripe Bartlett pear, peeled, cored and diced

2/3 cup water

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup cider vinegar

1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger

1/2 tsp. ground coriander

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper

2 2-inch x 3/4-inch strips orange zest

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often until cranberries burst and chutney has thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool and discard orange zest. Serves eight (2 cups).

Per serving: 78 calories, 0g protein, 20g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 0g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 7mg sodium.