Cranberry Orange Kibbe Cherry

Wait, Hannah, what did you just say? Kibbe Cherry with Cranberries and Orange!? How unorthodox! What a shonda! Sounds delicious! (all viable reactions). We all know the deal with regular Kibbe Cherry. It's sweet, it's tart, it's savory. What more could you want from a just-add-rice dish? Well, let me tell you the story of how my favorite Shabbat Kibbe got a fancy brand new upgrade.

My plans were to be away for Thanksgiving this year so I basically begged my Mother to make a Pre-Thanksgiving dinner on Shabbat. Everyone knows that Cranberries are abundant during this time of year. I got to thinking about the Cranberry sauce and how it's so very similar to a Kibbe Cherry sauce. I thought, why not combine the two?! Well I don't really need to explain to you why this was so delicious because, duh, it obviously was if I'm writing about it! The Cranberries added just a slight extra bit of tartness to the sauce, while the Orange zest and pieces added a beautiful citrus note. The perfect foil for my Cinnamon Stick and Nutmeg addition. By the end of an hour or so of cooking, all the flavors will mellow out and mesh together beautifully. Your family will be asking for seconds, and even thirds. It's almost Shabbos so let's get cooking!

Cranberry & Orange Kibbe Cherry

Olive Oil

1 Package of Kibbe Balls (kudos if you make your own-about 20 balls)

1 Red Onion, small dice

Pinch of Salt

Reserved Cherry Juice

2 Cups Water

4 oz. Cranberries

1 Tbs. Orange Zest

Half an Orange, cut into small triangle pieces, skin attached

1 Tbs. Sugar

1 Tbs. Ourt (Tamarind Paste)

1Tbs. Prune Butter

1 Cinnamon Stick

1/8 Tsp. Fresh Nutmeg

Half a Cup of Dry Red Wine (optional)

1 Can of Dark Pitted Cherries

In a medium pot, add a drizzle of Olive oil and turn the heat up half way. Add the Kibbe Balls and saute for a few minutes on each side just until they have a nice brown color (they should not be fully cooked at this point). Once browned, remove from pot and add diced Red Onion. Saute onion until translucent with a pinch of Salt. Deglaze pot with juice from the Cherries. Next add 2 cups of Water. Raise heat to Medium High. Add Cranberries, Orange Zest, Orange Pieces, Sugar, Ourt, Prune Butter, Cinnamon Stick, Nutmeg and Red Wine, if using. Add Cherries and Kibbe Balls back into the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least an hour. Serve over rice. Enjoy!