Roy’s Light Orange-Ginger Cranberry Sauce

9 servings        0 Better Balance Bites/WW Points

Calories 23      Fat 0g   Sat. Fat 0g   Protein 0.1g   Carbs 26.9g   1.4g   1.9g

Ingredients:

· 1 (12-ounce) bag of fresh or frozen cranberries

· 1 cup sugar substitute (or to taste)

· 1/4 cup water

· 1/4 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice OR water (see notes)

· 1 Tbsp fresh, finely grated ginger (see notes)

· 1 Tbsp fresh orange zest

· A small pinch of salt

· Optional Thickeners: 1/4 tsp xanthan gum OR 2 tsp cornstarch (see notes)

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, add the cranberries, 0-calorie sweetener, water, fresh orange juice, and grated ginger.

2. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it's boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer.

3. Continue simmering, stirring occasionally, for about 10-15 minutes. The cranberries will burst and the sauce will begin to break down and thicken naturally from its own pectin.

4. Once most of the berries have burst and the sauce has started to thicken, remove it from the heat. Stir in the fresh orange zest and the pinch of salt. (Adding the zest at the end preserves its bright, aromatic flavor).

5. Transfer the sauce to a bowl. Important: The sauce will thicken significantly as it cools down, especially once refrigerated.

Notes

· Each serving is about 1/4 cup.

· Fruit juices tend to have bites/points due to the fact that drinking calories is not as satiating (filling) as eating them. The plans add points to juices to discourage you from drinking 8oz of juice (4 points) instead of eating a 0-point orange. However, when juice is used as an ingredient, and not as a beverage, I do NOT count it! You can, if you’d like, count the orange juice. Or, if you do count it and would rather keep this at 0-bites/-points, use more water.

· If you replace the orange juice with water, add in 1 tsp of orange extract along with the zest.

· You can omit the ginger if you're not a fan or don't have any.

· The Secret to a Guaranteed Thick Sauce

o   If you find the sauce is thinner than you'd like after simmering (before you cool it), the

xanthan gum is your zero-point solution.

o   How to use xanthan gum:

1. While the sauce is still hot, take the 1/4 tsp of xanthan gum and sprinkle it very

lightly and evenly over the surface of the sauce.

2. Whisk immediately and vigorously for 30 seconds. Do not dump it in one spot, or it

will clump.

3. It will thicken up almost instantly. Let it cool as described above.

o   If you’d rather use more readily available cornstarch, it will not add bites/points per

serving, but the entire recipe will be 1 bite/point.

o   How to use cornstarch:

§  Unlike xanthan gum, you cannot sprinkle cornstarch directly into the hot sauce, or it

will clump instantly. You must make a "slurry" first.

1. Cook the cranberries, sweetener, water, orange juice, and ginger as described

(Steps 1-3).

2. Once the cranberries have burst but the sauce is still simmering, take a separate

small bowl. Add 2 teaspoons of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of cold water. Whisk

this together until it's a smooth, milky liquid with no lumps.

3. While whisking the hot cranberry sauce, slowly pour in the cornstarch slurry.

4. This is the most important step. You must bring the sauce back up to a boil, stirring

constantly. Let it bubble for 1 full minute. This cooks off any starchy flavor and fully

activates the cornstarch's thickening power.

5. Remove from the heat and stir in the orange zest and salt as planned.

o   The sauce will be noticeably thicker with the cornstarch and will continue to set up

beautifully as it cools. This method will give you that thick, rich texture you're looking

for!

o   IF you find the cranberry sauce too thick after refrigeration, simply add a few

tablespoons of water and microwave about 1 minute. Stir the water in to loosen the

sauce.