The ancients were great fans of mixing alcohol, wines and meat with food. While I am uncertain if you wish to mix cranberry and apples in juice or fruit form to vodka based drinks or are looking to infuse vodka into apple and cranberry sauces, both work equally well with the former making for fine evening cocktails and the latter for side dishes served with delicious roasts at dinner. Here are a few recipes for both side dishes and heady cocktails:
CRANBERRY SAUCE WITH VODKA
Makes for a tasty side dish with dinner roasts
Serves: 8 people
Preparation time: 10 minutes, plus time for cooling
Ingredients
450 gm fresh or frozen cranberries
1 lemon, juice and finely grated zest
5 tbsp vodka
75 gm castor sugar
Directions to make:
1. Add the cranberries, lemon zest and juice, and vodka into a cooking pan on heat.
2. Bring to a boil and simmer for five minutes, stirring continuously till the cranberries begin to split.
3. Stir in the sugar, stir for a few brisk minutes, and remove from heat.
4. Set aside to cool, and serve at room temperature with dinner roast.
CRANBERRY FIELDS COCKTAIL
Ingredients
40 ml vodka
10 gm cranberries
20 ml cranberry juice
10 ml honey
Directions to make:
1. Add the vodka, cranberry juice and honey to a glass tumble, and mix together with a stirrer.
2. Add cranberries and crushed ice to the glass tumbler, stir and serve chilled.
APPLE SAUCE WITH VODKA
Makes for a delicious side dish with dinner roasts, with the cooking method much the same as with cranberries.
Serves: 8 people
Preparation time: 10 minutes, plus time for cooling
Ingredients
450 gm fresh apples, peeled and diced
1 lemon, juice and finely grated zest
5 tbsp vodka
75 gm castor sugar
Directions to make:
1. Add the apple cubes, lemon zest and juice, and vodka into a cooking pan on heat.
2. Bring to a boil and simmer for five minutes, stirring continuously till the apples soften.
3. Stir in the sugar, stir for a few brisk minutes, and remove from heat.
4. Set aside to cool, and serve at room temperature with dinner roast.
SUMMER LOVE COCKTAIL
Ingredients
20 ml vodka
20 ml rum
40 ml apple juice
20 ml orange juice
Half a melon, sliced
Strawberry syrup
Directions to make:
1. Fill a glass tumble with one-third ice to the top
2. Add the melon slices to the top
3. In a shaker, mix the vodka, rum, apple juice, orange juice and syrup. Mix well.
4. Add to the glass tumbler, stir and serve.
