Sweet and Tart Cranberry Vegetable Relish

No holiday table is complete without a good cranberry dish. The canned varieties were never on my must use list and making it from scratch calls for an overload of sugar. Even if you substitute Splenda in the recipe it has the aftertaste that often occurs when using large amounts of it. I racked my brains trying to think of a flavorful way to increase the sweetness and add to the volume without affecting the taste or increasing the carbs. I think I found it.

This recipe harkens back to the day when Jello became famous and many kitchens in America were filled with those little boxes and an assortment of shapely molds. This is not exactly your mother's 50's style recipe but rather a modernized version that enriches and sets off the tart cranberry against sweet cherry. It has the addition of fresh crisp vegetables and walnuts for a nice contrast in texture. With less than 6 grams of carbs in a serving and the net carbs less than 4 grams, I am sure you will want to include this on your Thanksgiving table. I hope you enjoy.

Sweet and Tart Cranberry Vegetable Relish

Ingredients:

1 - 12 ounce package whole fresh cranberries (about 2 cups)
1 Tbsp. orange zest
2 cups water
1 - 0.3 ounce package sugar free cherry Jello (small box)
1 cup cucumber, seeded and diced (preferably an English cucumber. If a regular cucumber is used then also peel it.)
1 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 Tbsp. Splenda, optional
Place cranberries, orange zest and water in a 2 quart sauce pan on medium high heat and bring to boil. Simmer until the cranberries have popped, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the Jello and stir well. Remove from heat and set aside for about 10 minutes to cool down slightly. Refrigerate for
1 1/2 hours until completely cool.

When cooled fold in the cucumber, celery and walnuts and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours or overnight. If too tart add the Splenda with the vegetables and then refrigerate. This can be made a day ahead for your holiday table.
　

Nutrition Facts
8 - 1/2 Cup Servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories 66.8
Total Fat 5.0 g
Saturated Fat 0.5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3.6 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.7 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 26.0 mg
Potassium 119.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate 5.8 g
Dietary Fiber 2.0 g
Sugars 1.4 g
Protein 1.6 g