Best Cranberry Orange Relish Ever

Tonight's mini-feast was chicken piccata--created from a Macaroni Grill boxed dinner: my fresh chicken breasts, MG's seasonings, wine sauce and angel hair pasta. Dear husband is quite fond of the MG dinners and I agree they are tasty. Some are a bit salty for my taste, but the piccata didn't seem so. The boxed dinner was from my discount grocery store (DGS), as were the fresh spinach (cooked) side dish and the basil infused olive oil that I tossed with the pasta. Alas, just one box off my crowded shelves, plus a very large container of spinach out of the fridge. Only a little of the bottle of oil has been used, so it is still taking up space in my larder. The oil, BTW, is Drogheria and Almentari's basil infused olive oil. We are basil fanatics and we love this oil. It is produced in Florence and is a bit expensive: $3.80 for a 2.7 oz bottle--but I paid 55-cents at the DGS!

It's obvious that I have no problem using "helpers" when I cook. I don't want to spend an hour making dinner--there are too many other things I'd rather spend my time doing. So, yes, I use a lot of convenience foods but usually dress them up a bit with additions of meat, veggies, herbs and spices. And, I cook lots of fresh vegetables as accompaniments.

My husband thinks this Thanksgiving's cranberry relish is the best it has ever been--the perfect balance of tart and sweet. Although I begin with a recipe, most years I end up adding another bag or two of cranberries and then sweetening by taste. That didn't happen this year, so I know exactly what went into it. It's a good idea, I think, that I record the formula before I forget it.

OUR FAVORITE CRANBERRY ORANGE RELISH

2-12 oz. bags fresh cranberries (if using frozen, do not thaw before chopping--messy)

1 lg. unpared apple (I used Fuji), cored and cut into chunks

1 lg. unpeeled seedless naval orange (thin rind preferred) quartered and chunked

2 c. granulated white sugar

1 c. finely chopped pecans

I have a very old (about 38 yrs. old) and small Moulinex food processor, so chopping must be done in several small batches. The ingredients can be chopped in a processor or put through a grinder, if you have one, or use a good quality food chopper.

I begin with the cranberries, pulsing until a fine to medium chop has been achieved. Place in large mixing bowl. Next, the apple. Chop and transfer to bowl. Finally, the orange. Pulse or chop so no largish pieces of rind remain and add to bowl. Add sugar and pecans and stir thoroughly. Chill before serving. Sometimes I add a few drops of red food coloring to achieve a better color, but I didn't do that with this batch.