Cranberry Chutney in the Crock Pot/Slow Cooker

I used organic produce for this. I am only specifying because choosing organic makes me better than you.......HA......I'm totally kidding.......please don't leave me*. Organic fruits and veg are sometimes smaller than their conventional counterparts. The two organic apples I used would probably be equal to one standard granny smith apple, and I only used about 7oz of cranberries, if memory serves most cranberries are sold in 12oz bags. You could always use half a bag, or double the recipe......which I intend to do later this week. :)

This recipe works very well in a small dip style crock pot, but you can use anything. Watch your cook time, it will cook down and become an ugly tasty mess, but you don't want it to burn.

I used

7oz cranberries

2 apples washed and diced

1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins

1 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup sugar

1/8 tsp cloves

1/8 tsp cardamom

1/16 tsp nutmeg

1/4 cup water

Mix everything together in the crock pot and cook on low. All of the cranberries should burst and the dried fruit should plump. You can add more water if you need too. I cooked this for about two hours on low and then removed the lid for another hour of cooking. All crocks cook differently though, so I am hesitant to say exact cooking times.

You should totally make this. The chutney smelled wonderful cooking, and it's much better than a scented candle because you get to eat it afterwards......

you shouldn't eat scented candles.....

they taste a lot like wax......

and 409.....

this is totally better.

Also it's yummy on sandwiches. My husband thought so too, so you don't have to take the word of a girl who licks scented candles. You could even try it on top of an unmeatloaf!

*Sometimes I think I may have no social life because I'm a jerk, then I remember how awesome I am and realize that surely this isn't the case.

Our Thanksgiving Menu

If I were a good blogger, I might already have an abundance of side dish recipes tested and pictures taken......but I haven't done that. In fact I have nothing for you but a link and a list. Maybe that will help to get your creative juices going though.

This is my first year blogging through the holiday season and I'm quite excited. Not only am I thrilled to share with you our favorites, but I can't wait to see what you all are cooking up in your kitchens!

I've done many different things over the years on Thanksgiving since becoming a vegetarian. One year I made acorn squash ravioli in a gorgonzola cheese sauce, grilled zucchini, and onion bread....this was of course the Thanksgiving before we had children and I had time to do things like shower on a regular basis, and make my own ravioli. One year we had an Indian feast, and a few of the years we have dinned at friends houses and I have brought a side dish. I toyed with the idea of making Persian food this Thanksgiving, but as the day has drawn closer I am once again leaning toward a "traditional" menu, and this had better be my last leaning because the day draws near.

So what might the main dish at this vegetarian Thanksgiving be? Well, in my humble opinion, the celebration roast from Field Roast Grain Meat Co. is the only way to go. It's tasty, soy free, complex in flavor, and goes perfectly with a side of mashed potatoes and gravy. I would love to hear if you try it out, especially if you happen to be a carnivore. Let me know what you think.

The rest of our menu

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Gravy

Cranberry Chutney

Balsamic and Brown Sugar Baked Carrots

Broccoli Soup

Struessel Topped Sweet Potatoes

Sourdough, Caramelized Veggie, and Cornbread Stuffing

Sourdough Dinner Rolls

Pumpkin Pie

Cran-Raspberry Pie

What does your Thanksgiving menu look like?