There is nothing like seeing fresh cranberries in the supermarket to signal the start of the holiday season. These delicious and healthful fruits are a holiday favorite. If you're looking for a creative way to enjoy cranberries this year, try one of these terrific fresh cranberry recipes. If your only exposure to cranberry dishes until now has been the canned variety, you are in for a real treat!

Fresh Cranberry Relish Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 package fresh cranberries (12 ounces)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar or Splenda, depending on your preference
• 2 tablespoons of grated orange rind
• 3/4 cup of orange juice
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions:

Place all ingredients in a large saucepan on high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cook for three minutes. Cool and serve chilled.

Holiday Yams with Fresh Cranberries

Ingredients for main recipe:

• 6 large yams
• 1/3 cup of brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 2 cups of fresh cranberries
• 1 cup of orange juice

Ingredients for pecan topping

• 3/4 cup chopped pecans
• 3 tablespoons of melted butter
• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place yams in a large stock pot of water and boil until tender, approximately 30 minutes.

While yams are cooking, make the pecan topping. Simply mix the spices in a small bowl, and then add the pecans and melted butter, tossing to make sure nuts are completely covered.

Drain the yams and cut them into slices about 1/4 of an inch thick. Place the yam slices in a 10 X 13 baking dish. Sprinkle brown sugar over the yams. Slice the butter and spread equally over yams and sugar. Cover with cranberries and then pour the orange juice over the top. Sprinkle the pecan topping over the top. Bake for 50 minutes.

Recipe variation: Add a few miniature marshmallows to the top of the dish during the last 10 minutes of cooking for an extra touch of sweetness!

Hint About Fresh Cranberries:

Even though you can only find fresh cranberries in the supermarket during November and December (at least in my part of the world), you can cook with them throughout the year. Simply purchase several extra packages and place them in the freezer. Fresh cranberries freeze very well. If you keep a few packages of fresh cranberries on hand, you can enjoy many different types of great cranberry recipe ideas all year long!