This make-ahead cranberry relish takes only a few minutes to prepare using a blender or food processor and is fresh tasting with its mixture of cranberries and an orange. The ginger isn't critical, but it gives a nice zing to the relish, if you'd like to use it. Start with just a little ginger and add more to your taste. Almost any red fruit-flavored jello will work in the recipe, but I usually go for strawberry or cranberry, which seem to best accompany the ground orange. Orange jello also is great, if you'd prefer a stronger orange flavor. The relish improves in flavor and texture as it sits, so feel free to make it up to a week ahead of when you plan to serve it. The recipe makes plenty for dinner, and you'll probably have some relish left over. The leftover relish is great in sauces, breads, and muffins as well as alongside meats. Or add some of the relish to a yogurt smoothie for a holiday treat.
Cranberry-Orange Relish with Crystallized Ginger -- Makes 2+ cups
1 bag of cranberries, washed and picked over (12 ounces)
1 whole orange or two clementines, quartered and seeded
1 large package of strawberry or orange jello (with sugar)
1/2-1 cup of sugar
2-6 pieces of crystallized ginger (about an inch or two each in size)
Put the cranberries and seeded orange pieces in a blender or food processor and whir them until they're well chopped. Add the jello and 1/2 cup of sugar and pulse everything together until the sugar and jello are blended into the cranberries. Add the ginger and pulse again to chop and incorporate the ginger. Taste the relish and add more sugar if you want sweeter relish. Refrigerate the relish for at least a day and preferably longer to let the flavors blend.
