Cranberry Cilantro Salsa for Turkey Sandwiches

CRANBERRY CILANTRO SALSA....great for a Holiday Party! 

Cranberry Salsa on Cream Cheese Dip

This is the most delicious dip for a party or family get together! It is made with fresh cranberries and cilantro with a little jalapeno, lemon juice, sugar and cumin. It is so easy but so tasty. If I make it I will hang out by this dip the ENTIRE night!  It is embarrasing when I find something I love I just can't stop eating it!  That's my downfall! FOOD!  go figure.....

Oh YUMMY is this stuff heavenly!  I could stand here and eat it all day!  I really like it with Wheat Thins because chips fall apart when you try to push them into the cream cheese....it may be better with soft whipped cream cheese...but it wouldn't look as pretty on the plate.....

Cranberry Salsa Dip with Cream Cheese

INGREDIENTS:
12 ounces or about 3 cups fresh cranberries chopped in blender or chopper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded, cored,  and finely diced (cut it in half if you don't like some HEAT)
3/4 cup sugar (you can add a whole cup but it is very syrupy and sweet...I'd knock it down to 3/4 cup)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 (8 ounces each) packages cream cheese, light or regular, softened
Wheat Thin Crackers, for serving or Tortilla Chips

Chop about 3/4 cup at a time in your blender on "pulse"...or use a food processor for speed....

You can freeze fresh cranberries in the bag to use all year...did you know that?  Yeah,
the cranberry salsa keeps in the freezer too....so I put half of it away in a tupperware for another party!  

It looks like a lot of cilantro when you are done...so you could go less on it if you wanted....
The sugar is really sweet....It would taste okay to use less if you are watching sugar intake....

My hubs bought the jalapeno and it was large so I only used about half of it
and saved the other half for chili I'll make later in the week (turkey chili with leftovers from Turkey day)....if you don't like the heat use  1/3 of a jalapeno instead of 1/2. 

I didn't have a lemon so I used lime juice....It was okay but I think lemon tastes better...
but lime will do in a pinch for sure! 

DIRECTIONS:
Pick over the cranberries looking for smashed or bruised ones. Then use your blender for the cranberries or a  food processor and  finely chop about 3/4 of a cup at a time.  Put into a bowl and add the sugar. Then chop the cilantro, jalapeno and add them in and mix up. Then add cumin, lemon juice and salt and mix. Transfer the mixture to a covered bowl or tupperware and refrigerate for 2 hours so cranberries lose  their tartness!

It's good on a fresh turkey sandwich too...hmmm.......I think I'll have to get on that!!

When you are ready to serve, put the block of cream cheese on a really pretty plate.  Top with the cranberry mixture.  Surround the plate with wheat thins crackers.  So very Yummy

  It's a great Thanksgiving or Christmas dip or relish. And not only because it is red and green, but it always tastes fresh and tart and sweet for a fun party or for anytime!