Phyllo Tartlets (recipe follows)
8 cups chopped onions (about 4 pounds)
1 cup beef broth
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 slices lean turkey bacon, cooked and chopped
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

PHYLLO TARTLETS
1/4 cup apple juice
2 tablespoons reduced-fat margarine
4 frozen phyllo sheets (13 × 9 inches), thawed

Prepare Phyllo Tartlets. Cook remaining ingredients except cheese in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat 20 minutes; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook uncovered 50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all liquid is absorbed and onions are consistency of marmalade. Heat oven to 400º.

Fill each tartlet with 2 teaspoons onion mixture. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle each tartlet with 1/2 teaspoon cheese. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until cheese is light brown. Serve hot.

PHYLLO TARTLETS:

Heat oven to 400º. Heat apple juice and margarine over low heat until margarine is melted. Cover phyllo sheets with waxed paper, then with damp towel to prevent them from drying out as you work. Brush 1 phyllo sheet at a time with apple juice mixture. Fold sheet crosswise into thirds, overlapping the sides; cut into 10 pieces.

Place pieces in ungreased small muffin cups, 1 3/4 × 1 inch, making pleats as necessary to fit into cups. Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until brown. Remove from pan to wire rack; cool.

Serves: 10

A lot of people love the idea of improvising but are terrified of it, so I tried to make a book that was not a chef’s book about improvising but a real home cook’s book with a real home cook’s pantry, supermarket ingredients, that sort of thing. ~ Sally Schneider