I’m betting you have a party or two to attend this month, and you just might have been asked to bring “an appetizer or dessert to share.” Yes? Okay good. No need to fret. Let’s get you set up to shine.

This recipe has all the savory goodness of wild mushrooms, shallots, goat cheese, fresh herbs, and sherry giving it high impact flavor. And yet, it leverages premade phyllo cups (you’ll find them in the freezer aisle) to keep it simple. You can whip up the filling before you leave the house , but if you’re bringing this to a party, I would take the warm filling in a bowl and fill the shells when you arrive so they don’t get soggy.

Creamy Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Cups

Adapted from Cooking Light

Makes: 30 filled cups

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped shallots (about 2 large)
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh sage
3/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound exotic mushrooms (such as shiitake, cremini, and oyster) chopped
1 1/2 Tablespoons minced garlic
1/3 cup dry sherry
1 teaspoon lower-sodium soy sauce
3 Tablespoons light sour cream
3 Tablespoons half-and-half
2 ounces goat cheese (about 1/4 cup)
2 (2.1 ounce) packages frozen mini phyllo shells thawed (30 shells)
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Directions

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add shallots, and saute 1 minute.  Add sage, 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper, and mushrooms; saute 4 minutes.  Add garlic, and saute until mushrooms are lightly browned and liquid almost evaporates (about 5 minutes).  Stir in sherry and soy sauce; cook for 30 seconds or until liquid almost evaporates.  Place mushroom mixture in a medium bowl.  Stir in the remaining 1/8 teasp0on salt, sour cream, half-and-half, and goat cheese.  Spoon about 2 teaspoons mushroom mixture into each phyllo shell.  Garnish with fresh chives.

As originally posted November 2011.

I’m going to go out on a limb and say  that by this point in your life, you’ve probably read enough about how to use leftover turkey. So rather than add yet another tired idea to that list, I’m instead offering a recipe to get you back on track after your Thanksgiving feast. I hope you enjoyed every bite of it, including the late night cold turkey sandwich, but tomorrow is another day! And I’d like you to start it feeling energized and alive, instead of sluggish and weighed down. If you’re ready to lighten up after Thanksgiving’s heavier fare, this green smoothie is for you.

Just a quick whir in the blender transforms these fruits and greens into a refreshing drink that will get your Black Friday off to a healthy start so you’ll have plenty of energy to hit the stores in earnest. Happy shopping!

PS – You may want to keep these ingredients on hand for any other “recovery” mornings in the weeks ahead!

Back-on-Track Smoothie

adapted from Real Simple

makes 1 serving

Ingredients:

3/4 cup chopped kale, ribs and stems removed (or 1 cup of fresh spinach leaves)

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1/2 banana

1/2 cup apple juice

1/2 cup crushed ice

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend till really smooth. Drink up!

This is my go-to soup when I need a big pot of something warm and healthy around all week. It makes a brimming stockpot from which we can get several meals for the five of us. Besides, you know those days when your kids come home from school STARVING? This makes the perfect after-school snack – hearty and filling and healthy!

This uses vegetable broth to keep it vegan, but you can substitute chicken broth or beef broth if you prefer. I also include some pasta to make it really hearty, but if you’re not eating pasta, you can omit that altogether without sacrificing much.

Vegetable Minestrone Soup

Serves: Many!

Ingredients:

2T olive oil
2T butter
1 large onion, diced
3 large carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 medium potatoes, diced
½ lb green beans, cut into 1” pieces (or frozen Italian green beans)
8 c. vegetable broth (or chicken or beef)
½ small head cabbage, shredded
1 28 oz can undrained San Marzano style tomatoes
2 medium zucchini, diced
½ lb ditalini pasta (ideally whole wheat)
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Directions

1. In a large soup pot, heat oil and butter and cook onion, carrot, celery, potato, and green beans until softened, about 20 minutes.

2. Add broth, cabbage, tomatoes , zucchini. Heat to boiling. Add pasta.

3. Reduce heat to low and simmer 40 minutes until all vegetables are very tender and pasta is cooked.

4. Stir in beans and cook till heated through.