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I left Nashville and flew into Iowa to be with my family for thanksgiving.  My brother and his family drove in from Texas, and my sister and her family were in from Wisconsin.  It is not often these days that we all end up in the same place at the same time! I had a lot of fun putting my nieces and nephews to work in the kitchen, only one managed to slip thru with out contributing! We had all the traditional fixings, lots of them! Therefore we ended up with lots of leftovers.

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I think Thanksgiving is one time when leftovers are appreciated! As we worked thru our leftovers in the form of turkey sandwiches and pot pies, we put a pretty good dent in most of them.  The one thing we had an abundance of was the homemade cranberry sauce.  My brother in law had been given a venison back strap from a buddy at work and had asked me to help him cook it.  Looking thru the fridge for inspiration I came across the cranberry sauce and decided to doctor it up and serve it with the chili crusted venison.  This would also be great with pork, chicken, or lamb!

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups homemade cranberry sauce
1/2 cup your favorite BBQ sauce
2 diced chipotle peppers from a can in adobo sauce plus 1-2 Tablespoons of the adobo sauce ( use more if you like it spicy, and less if you want it a little milder)

METHOD:

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Mix all the ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a gentle simmer.  Cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes to infuse the flavors.

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Serve with your favorite grilled or roasted meat!  I served this with the back strap that I crusted with a heavy amount of my sisters homemade taco seasoning, butternut squash purée, roasted broccoli, and sautéed Kale.

About Chef Alisa:

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Viaggio Charter is excited to introduce Chef Alisa Jestel, the newest member of the Viaggio team! Chef Tristin was offered an exciting land based opportunity in Seattle that was too good to pass up. With Tristin moving ashore, Captain Trig found himself in need of a new chef so he turned to his long time friend and prior co-worker Alisa.

Alisa has been cooking professionally around the Seattle area for the past fifteen years, the last six of which have been spent aboard a variety of luxury yachts cruising the Pacific Northwest! Alisa thrives on the abundance of local products available in the area and enjoys creating memorable dining experiences at every opportunity! She customizes each and every meal to the individual needs of VIAGGIO’s guests, and loves taking time to share her passion and knowledge for food with anyone that is interested. Alisa has been known for giving impromptu cooking classes on cooking what you catch, fresh pasta making, and seasonal cooking.

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Alisa spends her free time during the off season traveling and exploring her love for food in other countries. She finds her self often revisiting Italy for more extensive training on pasta making and other old world culinary arts! Viaggio Charters is excited to welcome Alisa aboard and looks forward to sharing her culinary delights with you!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAViaggio Yacht Charter – Captain Trig in SE Alaska

For more information visit:  www.viaggiocharter.com

 Seasoned Crew – Custom Designed Itinerary – Relaxation – Majestic Alaska Beauty

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www.boatingpugetsound.com/salty-dog-rally-alaska-seattle-to-wrangell-ak-june-2014

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!