I loved cranberry sauce until I realized how much sugar it had. With some recipes, cranberry sauce is just an excuse to eat jelly by the spoonful. It seems people are afraid of the natural flavor of cranberries. Did you know Craisins® contain more sugar than cranberry?
But if you like tart, berried flavors, then there's no need for extra sugar. In fact, the tartness of this recipe makes it a perfect accompaniment to pancakes, oatmeal, yogurt...even wine for a wintry sangria.
The cava is a bit of a sly chef-y trick. The cranberry sauce of my youth had Grand Marnier in it, and I always think cranberry sauce needs a boozy element. In the spirit of lightening up the recipe (and using up a leftover bottle), I used cava.
RECIPE:
Juice and zest one orange into a saucepan. Add a 12 oz bag of cranberries and 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook on medium-high heat for 7 minutes, until cranberries burst and the sauce becomes viscous. Chop one ripe pear and add to saucepan. Add 1 cup of cava and cook for another 7 minutes.
Serve warm or cold. Above, it's served with vanilla yogurt and a walnut half.