Apple-Cranberry Chutney

As the days get shorter and it starts to gets dark even before I leave work, I begin to yearn for heartier fall meals. I want things that will fill my kitchen with wonderful smells, really fill me up and  leave me satisfied. But in trying to keep my waistline in mind, I can’t automatically veer towards nightly mac n’ cheese or baking cookies all the time (very tempting though!) This apple-cranberry chutney is my answer. It fills my kitchen with great smells while it cooks, satisfies my sweet tooth, and the combination of apples and cranberries makes it the epitome of a fall addition to any meal.

The chutney is really versatile too. It is a great topping for baked chicken or pork tenderloin, mixes well with roasted squash and makes a wonderful addition to a turkey sandwich. You can also warm up leftovers and use it as an appetizer with goat cheese and crackers. There is a bit of upfront prep work in terms of chopping/dicing, but fear not, after you combine the ingredients into the saucepan, it pretty much makes itself!

Makes approximately 3 cups

1/2 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 crisp apples, diced
1 lemon, juice and zest needed
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon ginger, grated (I grate it using my microplane)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon all spice
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (mine were frozen since I had them from last winter’s CSA box)

After chopping, dicing, mincing and zesting all of your ingredients, combine everything except the cranberries in a small saucepan. The apples take longer to break down than the cranberries, so need to simmer longer. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring regularly. After 20 minutes, add cranberries and continue to simmer an additional 15 minutes for a total cooking time of 35 minutes. Let cool and enjoy.

Tagged as: apple, chutney, cinnamon, cranberry, dressing, Recipes, sauce, side dish, zest