Cranberry Sauce with Ginger

This is a "go to" Thanksgiving recipe. I usually triple the ingredients...

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

12 ounces fresh cranberries
Zest and juice of 1 orange
1 cup sugar

Preparation

1. In a large saucepan, warm oil over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add ginger and sauté for 1 minute. Add cranberries, orange zest and juice, sugar and 3/4 cup water, stirring until sugar dissolves.

2. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce has thickened slightly and berries have popped, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature before serving.

Thanksgiving Sweet Potatoes

3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 4 large)
1 t vanilla
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup pecans
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for preparing baking dish
3/4 cup agave syrup, preferably amber or molasses
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup whiskey

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and cook the potatoes whole, do not pierce. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Lightly squeeze the potatoes - if they are soft, they are done. Let cool.

Scoop out the flesh of the potatoes and using a fork lightly toss and combine the the vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.

In a small saute pan over high heat, add the pecans and lightly toast. Add 4 tablespoons of butter, reduce the heat to medium, add the agave and spices, and allow to simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the whiskey and continue to simmer for 5 minutes more.

Butter the bottom and sides of an 8 by 8-inch baking dish. Spoon the sweet potatoes into the pan and pour the whiskey-pecan mixture over the top and place in the oven.

Bake for 30 minutes, basting the top with the whiskey sauce once at 15 minutes.

Remove and serve immediately.