No-Sugar Cranberry Ginger Chutney and Cranberry Sauce

This chutney makes an excellent companion for cashew cheese and crackers- an "I-can't-believe-it's-not dairy" experience!

Do you have leftover Christmas ingredients in your fridge? We bought three punnets of cranberries to use over the festive season, two of which ended up as cranberry sauce to go with our nut roast on Christmas Day, and one of which I rediscovered lurking in the fridge several days later. Not wishing to waste the lovely fruit I decided to make a chutney. It goes really well with vegan cheeses and crackers, or in sandwiches, and this recipe makes a small jar full- which won't last long, if our family's reaction is anything to go by...

Cranberry Sauce (no sugar):
200g fresh cranberries
200g agave nectar

• Wash the cranberries and put into a sturdy saucepan with what little water is still clinging to them.
• Heat them gently. the juices will come out and the fruits will gradually break down.
• When the fruit has broken down stir in the agave. Continue to simmer until it reaches setting point. This doesn't take long at all- keep testing by dropping a little into a cup of cold water. If it sticks together, it is done.
• Bottle in a sterilised jar and keep in the fridge.

Cranberry Ginger Chutney:

2 tabs cold-pressed sunflower or olive oil

1 tab cumin seeds

1/2 tsp compound hing

1 tsp salt

a pinch of black pepper

1 tab grated ginger

1 tab soy sauce

200g fresh cranberries, washed but left whole

1 rounded tab sultanas

150ml agave nectar

• Cook the spices and ginger in the oil.
• When the spices are giving off their aromas but are not overcooked, add the cranberries and sultanas.
• Simmer gently until the cranberries have broken down; add the agave and continue to setting point, as for the cranberry sauce (above).
• Bottle and keep in the fridge.

What do you do with festive leftovers? Nut roast sandwiches? Brussels sprout and curried parsnip soup? We'd love to know...