Tango with the mango to yield an awesome cranberry-sauce version

Cranberry-sauce time is upon us again; doesn’t every holiday table need some of the tart, crimson mixture to enliven the Christmas turkey and dressing?

I found a version with such an unusual twist, I just had to share it—Mango Cranberry Sauce, with such healthy and diverse ingredients that it definitely got my attention when I saw it in my Taste of Home Thanksgiving Recipe Cards book. Only healthy elements all around—mangos, whole cranberries, chopped cilantro, tangerine, pineapple, red onion, and jalapeno.

Makes for a terrific combination; my booklet says it will “wow your gang” when you put it on the table. I’m serving it for tomorrow night’s Christmas Eve dinner. We’ll see if my gang is wowed—certainly hope so. It also keeps very well, so it can accompany leftovers for several days.

Instructions with the recipe contain the reminder to be sure to wear disposable gloves when cutting hot peppers and to avoid touching your face. An important caution that can save you lots of grief! This is the first time I’ve ever seen a recipe contain this heads-up alert, but talk about something that quickly could turn your Christmas tearful—using your hands to swat away a stray eyelash immediately after chopping up a jalapeno!

This post does it for The Newfangled Country Gardener until after Christmas, but I already know of two can’t-miss, scrumptious dishes I’ll be sharing in the days ahead. I can guarantee these will be must-tries!

Merry Christmas—and happy and healthy cooking! May your tables reflect all the goodness that preparing foods the garden-fresh way has to offer—and may our hearts all reflect the reason for the season!

Mango Cranberry Sauce

1 1/2 cups whole-berry cranberry sauce (I instead used fresh cranberries and prepared them according to package directions; then I measured 1 1/2 cups of the cooked whole berries)

3 tangerines, peeled, seeded, and chopped

1 medium mango, peeled and diced

1 cup diced fresh pineapple

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, and finely chopped

In a large bowl combine all the ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until you serve it. Makes 4 1/2 cups sauce.