Caramelized Onion Cauliflower Tart: My favorite side

I don't know about you but side dishes are my favorite part of Thanksgiving. My plate generally is separated into piles of green bean casserole, stuffing, sweet potatoes and above all else my mom's mashed potatoes (although my MIL makes a mean one too) and two measly pieces of turkey.  Since Thanksgiving is just around the corner, I wanted to share one of my favorite fall recipes that would make a fantastic, unique side dish for your Thanksgiving meal. I offered to bring this tart to my in-laws last year but got lazy and didn't make it...I am one amazing daughter-in-law/house guest aren't I?  Anyway, here is the original recipe, with my lazier adaptation below.  You won't be disappointed, the smell alone is worth it!

Cast of Characters:
- 1 small head of cauliflower, chopped into small florets
- 3 and 1/2 tbsp of olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Truffle oil or truffle salt*
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream**
- 1 8oz container of mascarpone cheese***
- 1 cup of grated Gruyere cheese (Swiss is a good substitute, I used cheddar as I had it on hand but a milder cheese is your best option)
- 1/4 tsp of black pepper
- A sprinkle of nutmeg
- 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard
- 1 frozen deep dish pie crust
- Grated Parmesan cheese for sprinkling

1) Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees. Chop your cauliflower and add to a bowl containing 2.5 tbsp of olive oil. Coat cauliflower with oil, add salt and pepper and pour onto a baking sheet.  Place in the oven for 15 minutes, stir and roast for an additional 15 minutes (10 in my oven) until brown and tender. *Drizzle with truffle oil or truffle salt and let cool. You can absolutely skip this step; I have every time until this one because truffle anything is PRICEY but my co-worker Ro gifted me some truffle oil a few weeks ago. Thanks Ro!

2) Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Add remaining 1.5 tbsp of olive oil to a large skillet, add sliced onion, salt and pepper. Cook onions down over medium-low heat for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and soft.

3) Meanwhile spread 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard across the bottom and along the sides of the pie shell. I needed just over 1 tbsp to accomplish this.

4) In a bowl whisk together eggs, mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, 1/4 tsp of black pepper and grated nutmeg in a bowl.  Stir in grated Gruyere/Swiss/whatever cheese you use.

5) Place pie pan on a baking sheet to prevent spill over, and then layer onions on the bottom, cauliflower in the middle and thecheese/egg/cream mixture on top.  Sprinkle grated Parmesan on the top.  Bake for 40 minutes at 325, until firm and golden brown.

This tart is creamy and tangy. The combination of Dijon mustard, onions and roasted cauliflower is delicious.  It's great hot or cold, and also makes for a delicious brunch option with a side salad.  **You can use light cream or even milk if you are trying to be calorie conscious, but the tart is best with heavy cream.  *** Sour cream can be substituted for marscapone cheese in a pinch if you can't find it.  Also, if you are an overachiever, you can make your own dough, but in my humble opinion pre-made pie crust has come a long way and works just fine for this tart.  If you do make your own, make sure to make it big enough for a deep tart pan as the filling needs a lot of space.
 
What are some of your Thanksgiving favorites?  Sides, turkey and gravy, pumpkin pie?  Do you stick with tried and true family recipes, or try something new for an audience?

Wednesday's Wardrobe: Kelly Made Me Wear It

I'm pretty sure Kelly Kapowski was onto something when she did the forecast way back when. In fact, she was such a good weather(wo)man she nailed D.C.'s weather this week, fifteen years later. It's been wild round these parts; cool and crisp in the morning, warm and balmy in the afternoon. Rainy and windy one minute, gorgeous the next. Incidentally my looks have changed almost as frequently as Kelly's in the clip above. Layer upon light layer has been the name of the game this week. Here's a few of my favorites weather-driven looks.

When Kelly tossed on a hot pink winter coat for colder weather, I paired a hot pink long sleeve top with one of my favorite polka dot skirts, black tights and booties.

Top - Forever 21, Skirt - Old Navy, Tights/Bracelets - Target, Booties - Steve Madden, Purse - Hype, Earrings - Craft Fair

It finally warmed up one day and Kelly shed her puffer jacket for a black and neon bathing suit. As no one needs to see me in a high-cut bathing suit, I simply reverted back to sleeveless tops and ballet flats.

Top - Target ($4!), Jeans - J Brand, Necklace - Ann Taylor Loft, Shoes - Old Navy - ($4 too!), Bag - Cole Haan, Bracelets - Gifts

We had several days of windy, cold rain and unlike Kelly, I did my best to avoid freezing and getting drenched with a blazer and scarf.

Blazer - Gap, Black Tee/Scarf - Target, Jeans - Marmalade, Flats - Tory Burch, Hoop Earrings - Filene's Basement

Since it was storming outside and I had newly straightened hair, I grabbed my J.Lo-esque hat to head out for the Phillie's game/dinner/a friend's birthday drinks.

Hat - Marshalls, Purse - Dooney & Burke (gift from my Mother in Law)

In conclusion, I think we can all learn a thing or two from Ms. Kapowski; Zack is a total hunk, neon is hot again and dressing for the weather is the best way to stay comfortable during this transitional season. How do you match your wardrobe to the changing weather patterns that fall brings?

The First of Many: Pumpkin Granola

I'm fairly certain this will be the first of many pumpkin/winter squash recipes featured here.  I only began pumpkining two or three years ago, so when the season comes I tend to wear it out like my favorite pair of fall boots.  Hopefully you'll indulge me a recipe or two this season.

I stumbled upon this recipe over at A Lovely Escape but the original recipe comes from here.  Both blogs are beautiful if you are in the market for new reading material.  I made this last Sunday, and it has been a wonderful addition to my Greek yogurt breakfasts all week.

Cast of Characters: 
5 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
¾ tsp. salt
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup pumpkin puree*
¼ cup applesauce
¼ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried cranberries (I used Trader Joe's dried orange cranberries), chopped
1/2 cup pepitas
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (not photographed, they were a game time addition)


1)  Combine rolled oats, spices and salt in a large bowl.

2) Add pumpkin puree, applesauce, maple syrup, vanilla and brown sugar to a medium bowl.  Whisk until combined and sugar is dissolved.

3) Pour oats into the wet ingredients mixture and toss until the oats are fully coated.

4) Spread oat mixture onto a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet.  Place in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for 20 minutes.

5) After 20 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven and stir.  Return to the oven for an additional 20 minutes or until golden brown and crisp (Note: I baked mine for 40-45 minutes and it is sticky, I might bump up the bake time to 45-50 minutes to dry it out further, just watch it!)  Remove from the oven, add in cranberries, pepitas and walnuts.  Set aside to cool. 


This recipe makes a whole lotta  granola, which is delicious on its own, with milk or yogurt.  


*As you can see in the ingredients picture I used pumpkin pie filling instead of straight pumpkin puree.  Since pumpkin pie filling is already spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, I omitted the spices.  Take a note from my mistake and taste your pie filling if you use it in lieu of puree. Mine was bland, bland, bland and I didn't taste it before baking the granola so my granola isn't as flavorful as I imagine it could be.  Also,
save the remainder of your pumpkin puree, I'm hoping to have a homemade pop tart recipe for you next week!   


Have a wonderful weekend, I have a girly two days with an early morning shopping event, fabric store trip, girl's night out and photo shoot planned!