Fig-alicious!

When you see grocery stores stocking up on figs, you know the holidays are upon us. Now, how many of you actually buy figs on the holidays, or ever? I don't. I'm not really a big fig eater, however I did change my mind when I came across these two recipes I'm about to give you. These appetizers are delicious(!!) and very simple to make. I promise you your guests will eat every last one of them up! :)

Bacon-Wrapped Figs Stuffed w/ Goat Cheese and Pecans

Ingredients:

• 6 dried or fresh figs, whole
• 1 tub of crumbled goat cheese
• 6 pecan halves, toasted
• 3 slices of bacon, cut in half

Instructions:

1. Preheat the broiler. With a knife, make a slit in each fig and stuff them with goat cheese.

2. Press the pecan into the cheese. Then wrap half a slice of bacon around each stuffed fig.

3. Place the figs on a baking sheet and broil them for 5 minutes or until the bacon is evenly brown and crisp. Serve! (but be careful, they're hot!)

Prosciutto-Wrapped Figs

Ingredients:

• 4 large whole figs, halved
• 1 tub of goat cheese (if you're making both recipes, one tub will be more than enough for both)
• 1 package of prosciutto
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Fill each halved fig with goat cheese.

3. Take a prosciutto slice and tear it in half . Wrap 1 half around each cheese-stuffed fig and set on the parchment paper, evenly spaced. (Use a toothpick to hold it in place, if needed.)

4. Combine the pumpkin pie spice and honey in a small bowl and drizzle the honey evenly over each fig.

5. Place on the top rack of the oven and roast for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove and serve immediately!

Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole

It's time for recipe #2 of my Thanksgiving Recipe Series!

This is a grown folks sweet potato casserole! And there's nothing more that I like than adding my favorite liquor to a Thanksgiving classic. ;)

Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

• 6 medium sweet potatoes, cut into large chunks with skin
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup of butter or margarine (I used Smart Balance Light)
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup bourbon (Jim Beam!!)
• 1/2- 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 cup miniature marshmallows

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. In a large pot, cook the sweet potatoes in boiling water until they're tender. Drain and let them cool before you peel off the skin.

2. Place the peeled sweet potatoes in an oven-safe dish and mash them. Add and mix the mashed sweet potatoes with the brown sugar, butter, orange juice, bourbon, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.

3. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove from heat and sprinkle the marshmallows all over the top. Broil just long enough to give the marshmallows a golden color.

Voilá!

Thanksgiving Recipe Series

Hello peoples!! Are you as excited as I am that the most delicious holiday of the year is right around the corner??!! I thought that it would be a good idea to do a Thanksgiving Recipe Series for the next couple of weeks leading up to the BIG day. I know lots of people are scrambling trying to find those crowd-pleaser recipes guaranteed to impress the fam, so I'm gonna try to help you out.

Since 2004 when I moved to DC and my friends and I were forced to make our own Thanksgiving together, I've been trying out all sorts of different recipes, some that I've liked, others that I (and my dinner guests) could've done without. So follow me these next couple of weeks as I share my favorite Thanksgiving recipes, including my mom's bacon-wrapped oven-roasted turkey recipe. Yes, I said BACON-wrapped!

For today, we're going to start off with probably the easiest soup you've ever made. It's Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup. You can serve it as an appetizer or as part of the main course. You can even substitute the sweet potatoes for butternut squash, which I've done on numerous occasions. Best thing about this soup... ZERO fat! Kinda helps make up for the other, not so health-conscious recipes. :)

Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup

Ingredients:

• 4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 red peppers, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 quart vegetable stock (I used Kitchen Basics Vegetable Stock b/c it's lower in sodium than many other stocks)
• 1 1/4 cups dry white wine
• 1 cup sherry wine (if you don't have sherry, just add 1 more cup of veggie stock instead)
• hot sauce, to taste
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

1. Put the sweet potatoes, red peppers, carrots, onions, garlic, veggie stock, and wine in a saucepan. Bring to a boil.

2. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the veggies get soft.

3. Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and a generous dash of hot sauce (if you like a little kick). Serve warm.

More to come!!! Stay tuned...