Blood Orange Cranberry Sauce
I’ll be real with you guys:
I’m starting to hate cranberries.
Just kidding, I actually really love them; but through the process of developing these Thanksgiving recipes, testing and retesting the recipes, and filming the whole series…I have gone through well over 10 lbs of cranberries.
TEN POUNDS OF CRANBERRIES!!!
At this rate, I better be fully immune to UTIs. Honestly…at this rate, everyone within a 10 mile radius of me better be immune to UTIs.
Anyway, this cranberry recipe is different though because it’s a sauce, not a jelly. It’s inspired by one of the Thanksgiving recipes that my mom’s student gave to her when we first moved to America, only I swapped dates for sugar because HEALTH; and I swapped blood orange for the regular orange because LUXURY; and I added shallots for an extra flavor boost + prebiotic boost.
This Dish
blood orange cranberry sauce made sugar free!
The Benefits
this cran sauce is really good for gut health & mood:
by substituting sugar & corn syrup for whole medjool dates, this cran jelly preserves the antioxidant & prebiotic benefits of cranberries, while still tasting good
cranberries are rich in polyphenols, which have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. These compounds support a healthy gut microbiome by promoting beneficial bacteria like Bifidobacterium & Akkermansia. In fact, cranberries are one of the best foods for supporting akkermansia, a type of probiotic that you can’t get from a supplement. Akkermansia is great for not only gut health, but also metabolic health, supporting healthy blood sugar, and metabolism.
they can also act as a natural diuretic, encouraging the body to eliminate excess water; which reduces water retention and eases bloating; and they contain organic acids like benzoic acid, which can have a gentle laxative effect. these acids stimulate the digestive system, helping with the breakdown and smooth passage of food through the intestines.
Blood oranges are rich in anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants that support gut health by reducing inflammation in the digestive tract and promoting beneficial bacteria. This antioxidant action may also support mood regulation by lowering oxidative stress in the brain, a process linked to improved emotional well-being: High levels of vitamin C in blood oranges play a role in producing neurotransmitters like serotonin, which directly impacts mood. Vitamin C also supports immune function in the gut, which can enhance overall gut health and resilience
both shallots & red onions contain fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and inulin, two fibers that promote the growth of beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Akkermansia. these fibers help regulate gut motility and improve nutrient absorption, key factors in gut health
The Recipe
Ingredients:
2.5 cups fresh cranberries
2 blood oranges (save the skin for zest)
1 red onion
1 shallot
1.5 cups pitted medjool dates
1 cup water
a little avocado oil
optional garnish: orange zest, orange slices, rosemary, cinnamon sticks, star anise
Instructions:
heat up some avocado oil in a saucepan on medium-low heat
thinly slice your onions & sauté them
while the onions cook down, slice your shallots and add them
keep sautéing both until they cook down and start to caramelize. the longer you let them caramelize, the better the flavor, but if you're impatient, you can just wait until they are browning
add the cranberries & cover to let them cook
meanwhile, blend your dates & water until you get something super smooth
peel your oranges & chop them up
add the oranges to the cranberry mixture
add the date caramel, and let everything cook together. use your wooden spoon to burst the cranberries so you don't get lots of pockets of tart; bursting them lets the sweetness spread and the flavor even out
optional, but garnish with a spring of fresh rosemary, some cinnamon sticks, star anise, and blood orange slices
Logistics:
You can make this ahead of time. Mine have lasted in the fridge for over a week
Hard to gauge how many it will feed because it really depends on how much cranberry sauce people eat? but the yield is like 2-3 cups?
Links:
I love this brand of dates-- IMO they have the best caramel-y flavor
Hopefully I didn’t miss anything, but just in case, here is a roundup of links to my common recipe ingredients
For More on Gut-Friendly Recipes
If you like this recipe, you may also enjoy my Miso Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Pumpkin Spice Granola from the Thanksgiving series; the Thanksgiving-Themed DeBloat Gummies; my Truffle Potatoes; and my canned-style cranberry sauce;
and
If you want more recipes that will help you debloat & eliminate regularly, I highly recommend checking out my [free] Gut Health Cookbook, which has 5 yummy, gut-friendly, recipes. You can download it here.
