Going to a holiday party and looking for a dip to take? If you have a leftover can of pumpkin puree from Thanksgiving, here’s a simple recipe worth opening the can for.

A 15-ounce can contains almost 1 3/4 cups of pumpkin, so you’ll have about 1 1/4 cups of pumpkin left over. Most quick bread recipes call for 1 cup of pumpkin, so plan on making a bread, too.

Serve this barely sweet dip with toast points or crackers, or use it as a spread on turkey sandwiches.

Cranberry Pumpkin Walnut Spread

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup dried cranberries, plus a tablespoon for garnish
3/4 cup toasted walnut or pecan pieces
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch salt

Method
1. Break the cream cheese up into chunks and drop into a food processor. Sprinkle with the cranberries and nuts. Spoon in the pumpkin puree and sprinkle with the spices and salt.

2. Pulse until almost smooth, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl down once. Transfer to a bowl and garnish with extra cranberries.

NOTE: You can make this 1 or 2 days in advance. Just cover and refrigerate. Let the dip sit at room temperature about 30 minutes before you plan to serve to soften just a bit.

Tags: cranberries, cranberry pumpkin dip, dips, pumpkin, walnuts
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My sister-in-law, Tish, turned me on to these sweet, savory bites.

In fig season, she also tops the crostini with a wedge of a fresh fig instead of grapes.

It’s hard to beat. A little slice of prosciutto wouldn’t hurt either.

If you can find both a local soft goat cheese and a local honey, all the better.

Look for goat cheese that comes in a round log, about 2 inches or so in diameter.

Honey & Goat Cheese Crostini

Serves 10-12

Ingredients
1 skinny baguette
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces goat cheese (in log form)
1/2 tablespoons honey
Handful of red, seedless grapes, sliced in half

Method
1. Heat the oven to 400°F.

2. Cut baguette into 1/2 inch thick slices, crosswise. Brush with olive oil and toast until lightly brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the log of goat cheese into 1/4 inch rounds.

3. Remove from oven and top with a goat cheese round. Place a grape half on top and drizzle each piece with about 1 teaspoon of honey.

4. Return crostini to oven and bake until hot, about 5 to 7 minutes. If bread starts to get too crispy, remove from oven. Drizzle with a little more honey and serve.

Tags: crostini, figs, goat cheese, honey
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Chimichurri is an Argentinian sauce served with grilled meats. Vibrant green from the herbs, it’s best to make this last minute, or the brilliant green turns into yucky army green.

This is by no means an authentic chimichurri, but it’s close enough.

Top these savory crostini with roasted red bell peppers and a sprinkling of crumbled queso fresco or grated mozzarella, or even Feta or goat cheese.

Just remember that the latter two cheeses are strong, and might take away attention from the chimichurri and sausage flavors.

Grilled Chicken Sausage Crostini with Chimichurri Sauce & Roasted Red Peppers

Serves 6

Ingredients
For the sausage crostini
1/2 of a Sourdough baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 pound chicken sausages links, preferably Italian-seasoned
1 batch Chimichurri sauce (recipe below)
1/4 cup finely chopped roasted red pepper
1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco*

*Queso fresco is a mild, crumbly Mexican cheese. You can substitute grated mozzarella (mild) or feta (strong).

For the Chimichurri Sauce
Makes 1 cup
1/2 onion, rough chopped
2 cloves garlic
1/2 jalapeno (or serrano for more heat)
1/2 small bunch of parsley leaves (about 2 cups)
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Method
1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Brush bread slices with olive oil and toast in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes.

2. Heat grill to medium high. Grill sausage until cooked through. Slice sausage diagonally to fit baguette.

3. Spoon 1 teaspoon of sauce on each slice of bread and top with one piece of sausage. Place a pinch of red peppers on top of the sausage, and sprinkle with queso fresco.

Make the Chimichurri Sauce
1. Pulse onion, garlic and jalapeno in a food processor until chunky. Add parsley, oregano and pulse until mixture is finely chopped. Add vinegar, salt, and pepper to processor and drizzle in oil as it is mixing. Let stand at room temperature at least 20 minutes before serving.

2. Keeps covered, in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, but it will lose its vibrant green color, and turn a dull dark army-green color within a day.

Tags: chicken sausage, chimichurri, roasted red peppers
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It is easy to make your own dippers and chips for your holiday spreads. For my Pumpkin Cranberry dip, using a cookie cutter, I simply cut out star-shaped pieces of multigrain bread, lightly brushed them with olive oil, and baked them in a 350°F oven until crisp, about 10 minutes. Cookie cutters in all shapes and sizes make adorable cut outs. You can make your own chips, too, using tortillas (flour or corn) or pita or flat breads.

For a sweet holiday treat, I cut out rounds of softened flour tortillas, brush them with melted butter, and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Again, just bake in a 350°F oven until crisp, about 10 minutes. I serve the cinnamon tortilla chips with a seasonally inspired grapefruit and cranberry salsa.
NOTE:  You can make the chips a few days ahead, just store at room temperature in an air-tight container.

Chef Gwen’s Holiday Salsa with Cinnamon Sugar Tostadas

Ingredients
For the salsa
3 navel oranges
1 pink grapefruit
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
2 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped mint
1/2 lime, juice only
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Method
Make the salsa
1. Cut peel and white pith from oranges and grapefruit. Cut into sections and then cut sections into small chunks.

2. Place fruit chunks in a large bowl with the remaining ingredients (cranberries through lime juice). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Rest 1/2 hour before serving with Cinnamon-Sugar Tostadas or blue corn chips.

Cinnamon-Sugar Tostadas
Makes 40 chips

Ingredients
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
10 (8-inch) fresh flour tortillas
4 tablespoons melted butter

Method
1. Heat oven to 375º F.

2. Mix sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.

3. Warm 3 stacked tortillas (wrapped in plastic wrap) in the microwave for 15 seconds.

4. Remove and quickly cut 4 sets of rounds with a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter.  Brush each round with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture.

5. Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake until edges begin to brown, about 6-8 minutes.

Tags: dippers for dips, salsa
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Pecan & Brie Quesadillas

4 servings

Ingredients
3 ounces Brie Cheese, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
2 flour tortillas, 8-inch
2 tablespoons chopped toasted pecans
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

Method
1. Sprinkle cheese over half of each tortilla.

2. Top with nuts and parsley.  Fold tortillas in half, pressing gently.

3. Cook quesadillas in a lightly greased skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly browned.

4. Cut into wedges and garnish with sour cream and red bell pepper.

Tags: brie, pecans, quesdilla
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