RSBC Week 3: A Tangy Cranberry Jezebel Sauce

So far for RSBC we've made Gluten and Dairy Free Acorn Squash Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting, and some Gluten Free White Bean Pancakes. It's crunch time these days. And when the going gets tough, I generally lose the downloading cord for my camera.

The challenge for this week was to use cranberries in an appetizer. We're big cranberry fans around here, and fresh and dried cranberries tend to make their way into all sorts of creations in this kitchen. I have to say though, this was not the ordinary challenge. I've made cranberry sauce, but that's the Thanksgiving kind. I wanted a cranberry sauce that would not be so cliche, and could hold its own with crackers. Gluten free crackers (my first time eating Mary's Gone Crackers gluten free crackers, and they're pretty darn tasty). And this is what happened in the kitchen:

It's tangy, complex, savory, and does not need to be served next to an overcooked turkey.

Cranberry Jezebel Sauce
Adapted from this recipe

1/3 cup water
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1-2 tablespoons diced green chiles
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
dash ground cloves
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Combine water and brown sugar in a small saucepan, and warm on medium heat until the brown sugar is dissolved. Add cranberries, green chiles, and spices, and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the cranberries start to pop. (That's my favorite part!) Remove it from the heat, and stir in the mustard. Let the mixture cool, and then refrigerate. Serve on crackers, combined with other toppings of your choice.

Cracker combinations:

Mary's Gone Crackers original gluten free crackers
Nutella
topped with Cranberry Jezebel Sauce

Mary's Gone Crackers original gluten free crackers
Neufchatel (less fat cream cheese)
topped with Cranberry Jezebel Sauce

Mary's Gone Crackers original gluten free crackers
hard boiled egg, sliced
topped with Cranberry Jezebel Sauce

After taste testing each one of these options, they're each great for their purpose. I could see serving each of these at a party, maybe on a tray altogether. This sauce would also be great as the sauce in which party meatballs are simmered. I'll have to try that.

So far, I've run 18.5 miles. I'm feeling stronger by the day. I also really need new shoes.