Cranberry Fennel Sauté

In addition to slow-cooking, consider the merits of the one-pan meal. I have better things to do than wash a stack of dishes, but refuse to compromise on food quality. I often use both of the aforementioned cooking methods--not at the same time--to achieve the best of both worlds. A one-pan meal, unlike slow-cooking, can be relatively quick and gives the chef more options than savory mush (but don't tell my Crock Pot I said that.)

Both cranberry and fennel have been on my mind (and in my fridge) lately, and I kept having the inkling they would make a winning team. During a wave of inspiration a couple of weeks ago, I gave this problem some focused thought, scanned the fridge, and got cooking. I produced the recipe shown here, which my family deemed an instant keeper. The recipe was, in fact, so tasty and seasonally appropriate, that it made its official debut at our Thanksgiving table. If you have a leftover bag of cranberries floating around in your fridge, you may have discovered their purpose.

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