More Condiments For The Winter Table

I like having tasty side dishes in the freezer, ready to spark up a meal. Here are a few recipes that I depend on to add a little zing to the plate.

Frozen Applesauce I'd prefer to make this from scratch but have been settling for unsweetened applesauce in a jar for several years now and it works fine.

Needed:
About 12 4 oz. containers (saved from individual fruit cups/applesauce previously used)
Or about 6 Ziploc sandwich bags plus one gallon freezer bag
1 - 50 oz jar unsweetened applesauce
Cinnamon powder (to taste, I go heavy as cinnamon is suppose to help diabetics with blood sugar)

Remove about 1 cup of applesauce from jar and set aside. Into the jar add as much cinnamon as you wish (1 1/2 teaspoons would be about 1/8 tsp. per serving, 3 tsp. would be 1/4 tsp each)
Using a long handled ice tea spoon, stir in powder so it gets wet. Then cap the jar and shake vigorously until the powder is well dispersed and the color is even.

If using the 1/2 cup containers, put a tablespoon of the plain applesauce that you set aside into the bottom of each container, then pour in additional sauce from the jar to fill. Do not overfill as contents will swell some when frozen. Place filled cups on cookie sheet and place flat in freezer. When frozen, either wrap individually with plastic or just take as is and store all in a gallon Ziploc. If using Ziploc sandwich bags, add a little of the plain applesauce first, then measure in a "short" cup. Carefully remove air from bags, seal, and flatten. Place in the gallon freezer bag and freeze flat.

How to serve for dessert: One of us really likes frozen applesauce so often it's served as dessert in our house. Let it sit out on a counter for 15 - 30 minutes to defrost some and then eat with a spoon. If you have popsicle containers, freeze as popsicles and use completely frozen.

How to serve for condiment: Again, defrost at least 30 minutes or more ahead of time. If serving in individual cups, stir each one, breaking up any large frozen chunks that remain. If using the bags, gently squeeze bag to break up frozen pieces and then split between two or three plates or small cups. Goes nicely with chicken, pork, and ham.

Cranberry Relish - it's not just for holiday meals. This brings a visual and taste sensation to your meal while also being very good for you. Make extra at Thanksgiving when cranberries go on sale and use for the rest of the year.

4 cups cranberries (1 lb)
1 orange
1 apple
1 1/2 - 2 cups sugar (absolutely fine to substitute Splenda for part or all of the sugar)

Wash and sort cranberries. Wash, quarter and core apple and orange (leave skin and peel on).
Put all three fruits through a medium blade of meat grinder (the kind that granny use to clamp to the table). Be sure your bowl slips well under the front of the grinder to catch the juice. Mix ground fruit together and add sweetener of you choice (I use about 1 cup sugar & 1 cup Splenda).
Stir well.

Freeze either in 1/2 cup containers or in 1 cup portions in Ziploc sandwich bags as noted in above recipe. This recipe freezes fine so you can freeze in larger amounts for family gatherings.

NPR's Cranberry Sauce - This can be made at the same time as the above Cranberry Relish and is quite interesting. I think that I actually used the above cranberries/apple/orange mix for the fruit base and then followed the rest of this recipe.

2 cups raw cranberries, washed and sorted
1 small onion
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 TBSP horseradish (not sauce, real grated horseradish from a jar)

Grind together cranberries and onion, stir in sour cream, sugar, and horseradish. This recipe MUST be frozen before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Freeze in the quantities that you like, then defrost and serve as a side for turkey, chicken, pork and ham. I like it, my husband isn't sure where he stands so usually I give him the standard cranberry relish while I use this.