Cranberry-Orange Compote with Port

Although this dish works as a side anywhere you'd have cranberry sauce, small portions in pretty glass dishes or martini glasses also make for a great dessert! See my 'Melon Balls with Port' post for organic/vegan ruby port recommendations.

Combine 1 cup port and 1/2 cup agave nectar (in place of honey) in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then add 6 cups fresh cranberries. Cook for 6 minutes until the cranberries pop, stirring occasionally; I turned the heat down to about medium-high for this step although the original recipe didn't specify to do so.

Add 1 cup raw sugar, 1 tablespoon grated orange rind, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, 1/8 tsp. ground cloves, and 1/8 tsp. black pepper. Cook for 5 minutes; again, I took executive license to turn the heat a notch, this time to medium.

Cover and chill until serving time - 1/2 a cup of the compote is 220 calories, and you'll have about 8 servings. You can make this up to 5 days ahead and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cost:
cranberries $4.98
orange $1.07