I adore pumpkins – especially pumpkin pie.  Since I am gluten-free, I had to find a substitute for my traditional fall favorite.  I tried several crustless recipes and finally came up with one that is rich, delicious, and holds it shape so you really feel like you’re eating a slice of pumpkin pie.  It really makes a difference in the taste if you cook your own pumpkin but it’s still a great pie with canned.  Just be sure to use plain canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filing.  I’ve made this pie with butternut squash and it’s amazing – tastes really similar to pumpkin and the color is even better (a touch brighter).  I like to roast the pumpkin or squash in a 425 degree oven, cut in half and cut side down on a cookie sheet lined with foil and nonstick cooking spray, for about 45 minutes, or until it’s soft.  I usually put the pumpkin through a food mill or mesh sieve, but pureeing it should be sufficient.

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

15 oz. pumpkin puree

14 oz. sweetened condensed milk (fat free, low-fat or regular)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

¾ tsp. ground ginger

½ tsp. vanilla extract

¼ tsp. ground allspice

1.            Preheat oven to 350°F.  Spray 9” pie plate with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2.            Whisk pumpkin, condensed milk, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and vanilla in large bowl.  Whisk in eggs until well combined.  Pour into prepared pie plate.  Bake in preheated oven until filling is set in center, about 50 minutes.  Cool slightly before serving or let stand at room temperature for up to 2 hours.  (Pie can be 1 day in advance and refrigerated.) Serve with dallop of spiced whipped cream.

Imagine the best olive mix you’ve ever bought.  The marinated olives you can make at home are infinitely better.  Combine a few simple ingredients that you probably already have in your house (garlic, wine, bay leaf, oregano, etc.), bake them with your favorite mix of olives, and serve them with crusty bread for a simple tapas-style appetizer.  The smell of these olives cooking will elicit moans from anyone in the vicinity of your kitchen.

Mediterranean Baked Olives

1 cup Kalamata olives

1 cup green olives, such as Picholine

1 bay leaf

3 cloves garlic, 1 sliced and 2 minced

1 tsp. oregano

1 Tbs. parsley

1 ½ Tbs. olive oil

½ cup dry white wine

1 ½ Tbs. olive oil

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1.            Preheat oven to 350˚F.  Combine olives, bay leaf, sliced garlic and wine in baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Bake in single layer, covered, for 45 minutes or until olives are fragrant and swollen.

2.            Meanwhile, combine minced garlic, parsley, oregano and olive oil in mortar and pestel until it resembles a thick paste.   When olives are done baking, pierce each olive with a knife or fork, and add parsley mixture, along with olive oil and crushed red pepper, tossing to combine.  Serve immediately or cool and store at room temperature for up to a week.

Serves 6-8

You don’t need a menu filled with ghoulish dishes for a festive Halloween party. Use seasonal flavors in creative ways to create a hip party menu that will please the adult palate.

Hip Halloween Menu

Pumpkin hummus served with blue corn tortilla chips

http://hiphostessblog.com/2009/10/25/pumpkin-hummus/

Fried pumpkin ravioli

http://hiphostessblog.com/2010/10/28/pumpkin-ravioli-appetizer/

Black olive tapenade crostini

http://hiphostessblog.com/2008/04/12/savory-black-white-cookies/

Lamb chop lollipops with chimichurri sauce

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chimichurri-Sauce-107159

Carrot raisin salad

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/kathleen-daelemans/carrot-quik-slaw-recipe/index.html

Maple-spiced nuts

http://hiphostessblog.com/2008/03/06/go-nuts-for-maple-spiced-nuts/

Pimiento-stuffed green olives (store-bought)

Try this simple pumpkin ravioli recipe and serve these bite-size bundles as an appetizer at any fall gathering. Pumpkin ravioli are sold in the fresh pasta section of many grocery stores and Italian specialty markets. Often, the filling has a bit of sage in it, which pairs beautifully with pumpkin.

This fried ravioli technique can be used with any kind of store-bought ravioli. If you’re using a cheese based filling try serving with a warmed marinara dipping sauce.

Fried Pumpkin Ravioli

Canola oil, for frying
¾ C. low-fat buttermilk
2 C. bread crumbs
1 package store-bought pumpkin ravioli (about 2 dozen ravioli)
¼ C. fresh-grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Fill dutch oven or deep frying pay with 2” canola oil. Heat over medium heat until oil reaches 325 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer.
2. Cover a baking sheet with waxed paper or parchment and set aside. Put buttermilk and bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls. Dip ravioli in buttermilk and coat completely, gently shaking off excess buttermilk over bowl. Next, coat each side of ravioli in bread crumbs, then place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining ravioli.
3. Fry the ravioli in batches (6 at a time) in hot oil. Turn ravioli once, until golden brown, after about 2 minutes, and continue cooking (about 1 minute). Transfer fried ravioli, with slotted spoon, to paper towel to drain excess oil. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Transfer cooked ravioli to baking sheet and keep warm in preheated oven until ready to serve. Best served shortly after frying.

Mashed potatoes are made into cocktail party fare when served in a martini glass.  Set up a topping bar by setting out bowls of shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, sour cream, crispy onions and fresh chives.  Let guests top their taters with whatever they please.  Make sure you include spoons. 

On a practical note: Rinse the martini glasses shortly after the party is over to spare yourself the trouble of scraping dried potatoes off your glassware (trust me, it’s no party). 

Photo source:  http://loveandsplendor.wordpress.com/2007/10/25/danielle-paul-august-07/

No need to order a fancy arrangement from a floral shop.  Making a lovely Thanksgiving centerpiece isn’t as hard as it looks.  Here’s how:  Buy 3 bunches of flowers, choosing fall colored flowers in coordinating shades, and make sure each bunch provides a varying texture to the arrangement.  Start by holding three of the bushiest or tallest flowers (same type), and begin gathering the other stems, one by one, in a vaguely symetrical pattern around the center stems.  Continue until you have used all the stems (or save a few for a small bed-side arrangement).  Trim stems at an angle under cold running water, and place in a vase filled with sugar water.

Creamy brie, sweet onions and tart craisins combine to make an extraordinary quesadilla.  Think of these as a hip twist on traditional baked brie. Serve these quesadillas at a fall cocktail party, or as a Thanksgiving appetizer.  The onions can be prepared up to two days in advance; the quesadillas can be cooked several hours in advance, and warmed in a 250 degree oven before serving.

Brie, Caramelized Onion & Craisin Quesadillas

1 Tbs. butter

½ Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced

8 whole wheat flour tortillas, 8 inch

12oz brie cheese, cut into ¼” slices

1/3 C. craisins or dried cherries

1/3 C. cilantro, chopped

cilantro sprigs, for garnish (optional)

1.            Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Line a sheet pan with tin foil and set aside.  Melt butter with olive oil over medium-high heat in a large non-stick skillet.  Add onions; cook until golden brown and soft, about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat, place onions in a medium bowl to cool.  Onions can be made up to two days in advance and kept in the refrigerator until ready to use.

2.            Wipe skillet clean and heat over medium-high heat.  Place 1 tortilla in the skillet, top with ¼ each of the brie, onions and craisins.  Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and top with another tortilla.  Cook until bottom tortilla is slightly brown and crisp; flip and cook other side.  Place cooked quesadilla on prepared sheet pan and keep warm in the oven.  Cook remaining 3 quesadillas, keeping each warm in the oven until finished cooking.  Cut each quesadilla into 6 wedges.  Serve immediately, garnished with sprigs of cilantro, or keep warm in oven until ready to serve.

Serves 12 as an appetizer (2 wedges per person)