Simple Roasted Cranberries + {Cranberry Guac}

Have I told you lately that I am OBSESSED with fresh organic cranberries?! I've been making pumpkin cranberry relish to adorn turkey, paleo shortbread cookies dipped in a chocolate cranberry ganache, a citrus-y kale and brussels salad topped with roasted cranberries, and today I'm fancifying one of my favorite appetizers with them. First of all a how-to. I mentioned this on Facebook last week and one of my readers was totally surprised you even COULD roast cranberries. "But won't they burst?!" she said. Yes, yes they will. In a beautiful smooshy kind of way.

How to Roast Cranberries:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a small mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup fresh cranberries with 1/2 tbsp oil (olive or sesame will work).
Lay the cranberries on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet in a single layer.
Bake for 8 minutes, then sprinkle the roasting cranberries with 1/2 tbsp of sugar (coconut or white).
Bake for another 6 minutes, then remove from heat and let them cool completely. Voila:

Then, grab a few perfectly ripe organic avocados.

And whip them up into this super healthy, super festive holiday appetizer everyone will love!

Introducing Cranberry Guac:

This idea came to me when I was thinking about what to bring to a recent holiday party and I couldn't get my peach guac off my mind. But since that is soooooo summer-y, I decided to swap out the fruit for a more wintery favorite: roasted cranberries.

And I'm sooooooooo glad that I did! The cranberries add a bit of sweetness (and tang) to the rich and creamy guacamole. And of course I love the reds and greens!! #sofestive

Question:

Do you think about being healthy during the holidays, or just postpone that and start fresh after the new year?

Cranberry Guac

Description

Cranberry Guac -- the perfect holiday appetizer! // via Nosh and Nourish

Ingredients

2 large avocados

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 tablespoons Salsa

1 tablespoon diced cilantro

1 tablespoon diced red onion

1⁄4 cup roasted cranberries*

1 tablespoon Plain greek yogurt (optional -- omit if you want to keep it vegan)

Notes

*To make the roasted cranberries:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
In a small mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup fresh cranberries with 1/2 tbsp olive oil.
Lay the cranberries on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer.
Bake for 8 minutes, then sprinkle the roasting cranberries with 1/2 tbsp of coconut sugar (or white sugar), evenly.
Bake for another 7 minutes, then remove from heat and let them cool completely.