Healthy Thanksgiving Alternatives: Fresh, Quick and Easy Cranberry Sauce

With the new boon to local kitchens, , we've got a lot of new options for exotic Thanksgiving dishes to serve up.

Check out today's pick for the tastiest and healthiest Thanksgiving recipe alternatives to help you save on the extra holiday pounds without cutting back on flavor!

Recipe #5

Fresh Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry sauce recipes. Ah, delicious tart taste it adds to your turkey, your biscuits, and your stuffing. What else screams Thanksgiving like this dish? Try this easy, homemade recipe that may forever change the way you look at cranberries.

Yes, the recipe calls for sugar, but it’s still only half the amount you would get in the canned version, with no artificial flavoring or preservatives. This quick and easy cranberry sauce is ready to serve in just 15 minutes and keeps for 3 days.

Serves 8

Ingredients

        1 cup of cranberries

1 1/4 cups water

1/2 cup sugar

4 Tbsp sweet orange marmalade

1/2 tsp maple extract

1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries and water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer cranberries until they pop and begin to soften, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove pan from the heat. Stir in sugar and orange marmalade. Let mixture cool.

Stir in maple extract and vanilla. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate. Can be made 3 days ahead, kept covered and chilled.

Recipe provided by St. Francis Medical Center

For more of Patch's picks for healthy Thanksgiving alternatives, check out:

• Healthy Thanksgiving Alternatives: Spicy Pumpkin Soup
• Healthy Thanksgiving Alternatives: Wild Rice Shiitake Stuffing
• Healthy Thanksgiving Alternatives: Cauliflower Mashed "Potatoes"