Gingered Cranberry Sauce

The health benefits of cranberries are numerous and quite well-proven in studies - so don't just eat these tart little berries one day of the year! Try this cranberry sauce any night as a side dish, or with vegan turkey slices (such as LightLife) on a sandwich.

In a saucepan, combine 1 and 1/2 cups raw sugar with 1/2 cup water, 1/3 cup chopped crystallized ginger and 1 (12-ounce) package of fresh cranberries. For the ginger, I like Whole Foods' organic brand, because the cane sugar is organic/unfined.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 9 minutes or until the cranberries 'pop'. I cooked mine an extra 5 minutes or so, realizing I initially turned the heat too far down.

Cool completely, and serve at room temperature. This makes enough for 12, 1/4 cup servings of 120 calories each. If you do want to prepare it for un-Turkey Day, you can make it up to a week in advance and store, covered, in the fridge.

Cost:
raw sugar $3.39
crystallized ginger $4.99
cranberries $2.49