Tapioca with Cranberries

Tapioca Pudding.

For a long time those words made me think of two things: old British nursery stories and gelatinous snacks in my summer-camp lunch bag. So whatever possessed me to make some at home, I do not know, but I was possessed and we did and what a revelation.

Mostly milk, light on the sugar, and easy to make, it’s a great base for lots of flavors or savored on its own.

We just use the recipe on the box and I've found that stationing a kid-chef at the stove for the part that requires "stirring constantly"  is a great way to include them in the dinner prep while I'm doing something else.

Since the pudding has to chill after cooking, we dish it out into small servings and stash those in the fridge while we eat.  By the time the dishes are done, they're ready.

Cranberries are a great complement and our quick sauce is simple:

Combine in a non-reactive saucepan 1 bag of cranberries (washed and any soft ones discarded) with 1/2 cup water and 1/3 cup sugar.  Stir occasionally and cook until the berries have popped, about 10 minutes.  You can reduce the liquid further by continuing to cook a few minutes longer.  Good seasonings include cinnamon, cardamon, orange or lemon.

A couple of spoonfulls of cranberry sauce livens up poultry or pork dishes as well as granola, yogurt and....tapioca!