Cranberry Salsa

I’m not going to be making Thanksgiving dinner this year. I thought about attempting it, but my mother offered to cook and I decided to take her up on it. I’m not so sure that everything would have gotten done in between snuggle time with the baby.  She likes to snuggle.  She also likes to scream when she is not snuggling.

Of course, the fact that I won’t be hosting Thanksgiving dinner didn’t stop me from stockpiling bags of cranberries on one of my trips to the grocery store. I adore cranberries, and I always stock up the freezer this time of year so that I have them all year round… Or, until about April, which is usually when I run out.

I couldn’t resist throwing together a few Thanksgiving-inspired dishes this week, though, and yesterday I decided to put a few of the cranberries to good use.  I had a bag of chocolate tortilla chips from Food Should Taste Good (from a 2012 Holidays’ Simple Survival Kit that was sent to me!) that were just begging to be eaten. Of course, regular salsa just wouldn’t do. The idea of a cranberry salsa had been marinating in my mind for a few days, so I decided to give it a shot.

The salsa turned out even better than I had expected.  It was so good that I sent my husband (who was working in his office upstairs) a message on Skype (yes, I regularly IM my husband when he is upstairs) to tell him to come down and taste the salsa. We both agreed that it was a winner. It’s nice and fresh with a hint of sweetness (from just a bit of honey) and a little bit of a kick. It would be great with regular tortilla chips, but if you can find chocolate tortilla chips, pick up a bag.  The pairing is just perfect.  I think the salsa would be pretty fabulous with the sweet potato tortilla chips, as well.

So, if you need a simple last minute snack for Thanksgiving (whether you are hosting hungry guests or want to have something to take along with you for your family and friends), I’d recommend picking up a bag of tortilla chips and whipping up a batch of this salsa. It’s a fun twist on the usual cranberry relish that is sure to please.  And, did I mention you can make it in about 5 minutes?

Cranberry Salsa
Makes about 3 cups

• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• 1 medium apple (with or without skin), cored and diced (about 2/3 cup)
• 1 small red onion, diced (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 orange, zest and juice
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
• Generous pinch of Kosher salt

Combine all ingredients in the food processor.  Pulse until ingredients are well combined. Adjust seasonings and serve with tortilla chips.

My Kitchen Addiction Product Review Policy and Disclosure–
I received the chocolate tortilla chips from Food Should Taste Good in a Simple Survival Kit provided at no cost to me by Food Should Taste Good and LARABAR.  Unless otherwise specified, I do not accept monetary compensation for reviewing or writing about products. I only review products that I have personally tested and used in my kitchen/home, and all opinions expressed are my own.