Sweet Hot Love

Recipes for cranberry salsa are making the rounds again. I've seen the raw, the cooked, the Minnesota mild. I prefer my salsa to have a good hit of heat, which was tough to accomplish this summer as our local chili peppers bore the gentle warmth that comes from enduring goofy summer weather. To turn up the temp on your own salsa, add the seeds from your chili peppers as well as a shot of your favorite hot sauce.

This cranberry salsa is great with chips and nachos, cuddled with pork or chicken tacos, or ladled over a bowl of white chili. I mixed leftover chicken breast with nearly an equal portion of salsa for a bright lunch salad. (I was out of regular sugar and used brown in this recipe. Either works, as will honey.)

Cranberry Salsa
1 cup cranberries, halved
1/4 cup sugar
Juice from 1 orange
1/2 red onion, chopped fine
1 green onion, chopped
1 red chili pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
1/2 sweet bell pepper (red, yellow, or orange), chopped fine
1 Roma tomato or 5 cherry tomatoes, chopped fine (optional)
I garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lime
Salt and pepper

In small saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, and orange juice. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Mix cooled cranberries with remaining ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste.