With the holidays right around the corner, these savory Caramelized Onion and Cranberry Puff Pastry Bites are a perfect hors d’oeuvre for any holiday party or meal!

Makes 24 pieces

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pound sweet yellow onions (about 2 very large), very thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons sweet butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme (lemon thyme is especially good)
• 1 tablespoon sour cream or crème fraîche
• 1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted but still cold
• 24 fresh, whole cranberries
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

1. In a large skillet, heat the onions, butter, and olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes until the onions begin to shrink down a bit.

2. Lower the heat to medium-low. Stirring every few minutes, caramelize the onions for 30 minutes. Add in the sprigs of thyme and continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes, still stirring regularly and lowering the heat as necessary, until the onions reach a uniform toasty brown color. Cooking them slowly over a low heat will help make the onions sweet and evenly browned, so take your time.

3. Remove the onions from the heat. Carefully remove the thyme stems. Stir in the sour cream or crème fraîche.

4. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Directly on a Silpat or on parchement paper, roll out the pastry sheet to about 12 inches by 8 inches. Score the sheet into 2-inch by 2-inch squares. Place the Silpat or parchment on a baking sheet.

5. Top each square with a heaping tablespoon of the caramelized onions. Place a whole cranberry atop each mound of onions.

6. Sprinkle salt and fresh pepper very lightly over the squares. Bake for about 15 minutes, rotating the pan about halfway through cooking. The bites are done when the edges of the puff pastry have browned and the cranberries have shrunken.

7. Cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe and photo from www.food52.com

This no fuss slow-cooker recipe is perfect for those busy fall nights. With it’s rich tomato broth, savory Italian sausage, nutrient-rich kale, and hearty mashed potatoes, this stew is sure to be a hit with everyone!

Serves 6
Hands-On Time: 15m
Total Time: 8hr 30m

Ingredients

• 1  pound  sweet Italian sausage links, casings removed and broken into pieces
• 1  large onion, chopped
• 1  28-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 2  tablespoons  tomato paste
• 2  cloves garlic, chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2  large russet potatoes (about 1 pound)
• 1  small bunch kale, stems discarded and leaves torn (about 7 cups)
• 1/2  cup  milk
• 1/2  cup  olive oil, plus more for serving

Directions

1. Combine the sausage, onion, tomatoes and their juices, tomato paste, garlic, 1 cup water, and ¾ teaspoon each salt and pepper in a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Nestle the potatoes in the liquid and top with the kale.

2. Cover and cook until the potatoes are tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours (this will shorten total recipe time). Transfer the potatoes to a medium bowl. Add the milk, oil, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper to the bowl and mash.

3. Serve the stew topped with the mashed potatoes. Drizzle with more olive oil, if desired.

Tip

To make the morning less hectic, prep this the night before: Combine everything but the sausage and kale in the slow cooker and refrigerate, covered. In the morning, just add the sausage, top with the kale, and start stewing.

Recipe and photo from www.RealSimple.com

“Another way of dealing with the slight sweetness of pumpkin is to add some spice to the dish to help cut through it. Curry and pumpkin is a very popular combination and this Thai influenced version of Pumpkin soup does a fabulous job of layering on the flavor and building on the sweetness of the pumpkin without creating a sweet dish.”

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup sliced onion
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 chopped plum tomato
• 1 15-ounce can pumpkin purée
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup roasted butternut squash, roasted and diced
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• Steamed rice
• Cilantro
• Lime zest
• Fried shallots

Preparation:

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and ginger; sauté until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic; cook for 1 minute. Stir in plum tomato and pumpkin purée; cook, stirring frequently, until pumpkin is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add vegetable broth, coconut milk, curry powder, and cayenne pepper; simmer for 20 minutes. Add butternut squash, shrimp, and lime juice. Simmer until shrimp are cooked and squash is warm. Serve with steamed rice. Top with cilantro, lime zest, and fried shallots.

Recipe and photo from: www.epicurious.com