Spinach and Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken

My man says that everything tastes better with bacon. I think everything tastes better with goat cheese. This recipe does it for us both.

The amounts of this recipe are up to you. It depends on how many you are serving. These can be prepared hours ahead of time. The man in my life is fabulous at grilling. I have trouble flipping things properly. That goes for pancakes and omelets, too. I guess I’m more of a scrambled egg girl. If I had to do this myself, I would bake the chicken at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Spinach and Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken

2-4 chicken breasts

several slices of Prosciutto

fresh spinach leaves

a few spoonfuls of goat cheese

Using an extremely sharp knife, butterfly the chicken.
Layer the Prosciutto, spinach, and goat cheese inside the chicken.
Close up chicken. Sometimes I need to secure it with a toothpick, because I tend to over stuff.
Grill or bake as usual.

Options: Substitute roasted red peppers for Prosciutto.

Make it a meal: Serve with more spinach, sautéed. Skip the starch tonight. Have another glass of wine.

Wine: Chardonnay is nice with grilled chicken or Shiraz to pick up the spicy taste of the Prosciutto and goat cheese.

Shrimp Dip

This can be made completely ahead of time, which is good for divas. It means they have more time to get ready for guests.

Shrimp Dip

8 oz. cream cheese

1 can shrimp

2 Tbsps. onions, chopped

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 squirt lemon or lime juice (I use lemon and save lime for margaritas)

1 tsp. seafood cocktail sauce

a few slices red bell pepper, chopped


Mix and spread on crackers or sliced baguette.

Make into a meal: Serve ahead of a big holiday feast or with brunch. I recently served this to guests at a BBQ, then spread it on my wheat mini-bagel the next morning for breakfast. My favorite breakfast is last night's appetizers.

Wine: Crisp Chardonnay from Argentina or Pinot Noir but maybe not for breakfast. Only Champagne for breakfast, darling.

Salmon Croquettes with Tartar Sauce

Croquette is a fancy word for cakes. These are like crab cakes, only bigger. I make these the size of a burger, but I didn’t want to call them salmon burgers. This diva prefers to serve her guests salmon croquettes. You can make them ahead of time, too.

You don’t have to serve these with any sauce. Some like a dill or mustard sauce. My recipe is simple. Some divas like to mix it all in a food processor. That’s an extra step. I just stir well.

There are so many options with this recipe that it is hard for a diva to decide. Fry or bake? Onion or shallot? Chives or scallions? Sauce or sans?

I saw one recipe that called for corn and catsup. Yuck. Must be a southern thing.

Of course fresh salmon is best, but sometimes divas don’t always have time to shop for and mash fresh salmon.

Salmon Croquettes with Tartar Sauce

Tartar Sauce

3 big spoonfuls mayonnaise

1 small spoonful relish

½ capful of vinegar (I like champagne vinegar)

1 small spoonful capers

1 dollop Dijon mustard

Croquettes

1 can salmon

1-2 tbsp. chives

2-3 pinches dill

squeeze of lemon juice

¾ cup bread crumbs

1 shallot, chopped, sautéed

dashes of salt and pepper

options: red pepper, onion, , scallions, onion powder, garlic

Mix all the other ingredients.
Form into 4-5 patties.
Refrigerate if you are making them ahead of time.
Fry patties in olive oil about 1 ½ minutes per side until golden brown.

Alternately the patties can be baked at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes until golden brown.

Make into a meal: Serve atop ½ wheat bun with greens that have been drizzled with a vinaigrette. Or skip the bun altogether.

Wine: Pinot Noir

Wine Poached Pears

This is such an elegant presentation. I recently served this to friends after we dined outside under my white and pink lighting that are draped all over the porch. It was a sweet, fruity, gorgeous treat. Everyone was impressed. (photo by David Blaine)

Wine Poached Pears

4 pears, skinned with stems intact

1 liter burgundy

1 c. sugar

1-2 cinnamon sticks

4 whole cloves

4 whole coriander

1 tsp. all spice

Arrange pears, on their sides, in bottom of Dutch oven.
Cover with remaining ingredients and simmer about 3 hours or until pears are slightly tender.
Turn pears several times as they are cooking.
Remove and chill pears.
Reduce sauce to thicken.
Serve pears by pouring a few tablespoons of sauce on a dessert plate.
Dribble sauce over each pear.
Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Wine: Sherry or Prosecco depending on your mood, of course, divas are always in the mood for anything sparkly including wine!

Layered Salad

I like to serve this in a glass bowl so all the layers and all their colors can be appreciated. It's pretty. Divas like anything pretty. (photo by viZZZual.com)


The man in my life particularly likes this dish because of the bacon. He believes anything tastes better with bacon. It is a sort of mantra for him. My newest favorite way of cooking bacon, which applies to this recipe, is to cut it up into 1-inch pieces with kitchen scissors and throw it all into a skillet and swish it around a bit until it's crisp.

This recipe does involve a bit of chopping, but I found it's not bad with a bottle of cold chardonnay nearby and Jimmy Buffet singing to me. Plus most of the chopping can be done ahead of time.

Layered Salad

1 bag (2 cups) of your favorite lettuce (I use Romaine)

6 bacon strips, cooked, crumbled (or use bacon bits in a jar)

1 cucumber, diced and seeded

a bunch grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 red onion, chopped

1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese

1 avocado, diced

Layer these ingredients any way you like. Or you can toss them together. I put the lettuce on the bottom and the bacon on top. For the rest, anything goes. Some like to toss this all with dressing. I like to serve the dressing on the side. I serve this with a vinaigrette, but anything creamy works, as well.

Other fun ingredients: yellow, red, or orange peppers; blue cheese; sprouts; chick peas

Make into a meal: Add shrimp

Wine: any cold white wine or rose

Bourbon Salmon

Susan is a fellow golfing and skiing diva. At a recent tournament, Susan brought this gorgeous dish which we quickly handed off to our grill master with strict instructions not to overcook.

This salmon is strong and bold. This is big flavor fish. Do not serve this at garden parties. It is much more suited for the night before a serious 9-hole golf tournament where everyone follows the rules. Along with this recipe Susan instructs us to eat well and laugh often. We complied.

Bourbon Salmon

4- 6 oz salmon fillets or steaks

3/4 cup bourbon whiskey (Maker's Mark used)

1/3 cups brown sugar, packed (Spenda brown sugar used)

3 Tablespoon honey

2 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Rinse salmon & pat dry.
Gently place salmon in large plastic bag.
In small bowl stir together the rest of the ingredients.
Pour sauce over salmon in bag.
Marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour or more.
Salmon may come apart if marinated more than a day.
Spray grill with non-stick. Save marinade.
Place fish on the grill.
Grill fish for 8-10 minutes while brushing with marinade.

Make into a meal: Serve salmon atop slightly wilted spinach (which has been steamed or sauteed). A mild pasta such as pasta primavera would be nice too.

Wine: Pinot Noir or something a little more bold like Cabernet Sauvignon.

Asparagus in Prosciutto

I am not sure I will ever have asparagus any other way again. Except perhaps marinated and grilled. The prosciutto adds a bit of salty flavor to the asparagus. There is no need for any other seasoning. The asparagus cooks in the fat of the meat, so there is no need for oil. This is delightful and SIMPLE recipe--two things diva cooks demand.

I have seen individual stalks being wrapped, but this takes too much time. I do it in bunches as shown here along with the bunch for the vegetarian. Sometimes I do 3-4 per bunch, but if they are thin, I'll do 5-6.

Asparagus in Prosciutto

1 bunch of asparagus

several (8-10) thin slices of prosciutto

Trim the woody ends.
Wrap 3-4 stems in prosciutto.
Roast in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes.

Make into a meal: Serve with poached salmon and roasted new potatoes.

Wine: Nothing pairs well with asparagus. Have a nice Pinot Noir with your salmon.

Pulled Pork Sandwich

This one is a man-pleaser. It is hearty and meaty and saucy and messy. The man in my life eats his like a sandwich. I prefer mine open-faced and use a knife and fork. It is the easiest recipe, especially if you buy the coleslaw already made. Divas don't have time for shredding cabbage and carrots. (photo by kyliecross)

Pulled Pork Sandwich

2-3 lbs. of a pork roast

1 bottle of BBQ sauce (I like Jack Daniels original)

Put hunk of pork in a slow cooker for 8 hours with half of the BBQ sauce.
Take the hunk of pork out and pull it apart with two forks and drain the slow cooker.
Put the pulled pork back into the slow cooker with the rest of the BBQ sauce. Cook for another 30 minutes.
Serve atop wheat buns.

Options: Substitute chicken for pork. Add chopped onions to the slow cooker.

Make into a meal: Serve with coleslaw. I like my coleslaw atop the pork.

Wine: Cheap rose.

Super Fast Potatoes

Diana, a skiing diva, reluctantly makes potatoes for her partly Irish husband. You read about Bob and his distaste for anything salad in an earlier post. This recipe is perfect for busy weeknights. Diana serves this with only salt and pepper as seasoning, but I like to add a bit of rosemary and thyme. Cajun spices are nice, too.

Super Fast Potatoes

3-4 large potatoes, sliced (Diana uses red, I use Yukon Gold.)

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

pats of butter

sprinkling of rosemary and thyme

In a microwave-safe dish, layer the sliced potatoes, onion, and butter.

Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and your favorite herbs.

Nuke 'em for about 12 minutes.

Make it a meal: Serve potatoes with a grilled steak and a Caesar salad.

Wine: Chardonnay goes well with the buttery Yukon Gold potatoes, Chablis with the red potatoes.

Steak or Chicken Marinade

Gorgeous Lis is at it again. Actually she gave this recipe to me years ago. The amounts are for about a pound of meat. I like it better with beef. I don't really measure the honey--way too messy. I just squeeze in what looks like 2 tablespoons.

This one gets compliments all the time. Divas need to be complemented all the time.

Steak or Chicken Marinade

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup olive oil or salad oil
6 cloves garlic, minced (so I use 7)
2 tbsp. honey
2 tsp. dry mustard

Mix and marinate 30 min. to several hours.

Make into a meal: Serve steak with baked potatoes; serve chicken with potato salad.

Wine: Cabernet Savignon or Zinfandel with steak or Sauvignon Blanc with chicken

Crab Cakes with Caper Sauce

When the man in my life has been extra good, I make him his favorite--Crab Cakes. One of the great things about this recipe is that you can make most of it ahead of time. Another great thing is using an ice cream scoop makes this so easy.

Plan ahead. Once you've formed the crab cakes, they need to be refrigerated for at least an hour and up to one day. The sauce can be made two days ahead.

Fresh crab is best, but divas don't always have time to shop for fresh Dungeness Crab on Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco or cook it or smash it. (photo by paper or plastic?)

Sauce

½ cup mayonnaise

2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1-2 tbsp. drained capers, coarsely chopped

1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1 tbsp. chopped fresh chives

Just mix this all up and serve in a pretty dish.

Cakes

2 6-oz. cans crab meat

1 shallot, chopped and sautéed

2/3 cup (plus extra for coating) breadcrumbs

1 tbsp. chopped parsley

2 tbsp. Dijon mustard

3-4 tbsp. mayonnaise (enough to bind cakes)

1 large egg, beaten to blend

1teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

oil (for frying)

Gently mix all of the ingredients.
Use an ice cream scoop to create the perfect-sized crab cakes.
Place them on a cookie sheet.
Refrigerate on to 24 hours.
Coat them with some more breadcrumbs.
Fry in oil about 2 minutes per side.
Keep early batches warm in the oven.
Serve immediately.

Make into a meal: Serve with fresh pea pods.

Wine: Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris

Gourmet Spinach Salad

I learned this recipe from my waiter at a local restaurant many moons ago. Everyone adores this salad. Everyone but Bob. My friend Bob calls salad "rabbit food." That's all right, though, because Bob drools over my chowders. Divas often make men drool.

Usually I serve the salad in place of an ordinary garden salad with a meal, but it could be a complete meal by adding some grilled chicken.


Gourmet Spinach Salad

1 bag Baby spinach

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1/2 red onion, chopped

bacon bits

1 tbsp. brown sugar

2 splashes Brandy

butter for sauteing

Italian dressing

1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded


Warm the spinach.
Saute mushrooms, onion, bacon, and sugar in the Brandy and some butter.
Add the sauted mixture to the spinach.
Toss with Italian dressing or your favorite vinegarette.
Sprinkle cheese on top.

Make into a meal: Add grilled chicken

Wine: Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris

Grilled Asparagus

This is one of the best ways to have asparagus, especially in the summer. Divas can marinate these ahead of time, then ask a friend to grill them. Divas are better at serving drinks and sparkling conversation than tending to a hot grill. (photo by K.I.T.)



Grilled Asparagus

1 bunch of asparagus

3 glugs soy sauce

3 glubs olive oil

2 glugs balsamic vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

ginger to taste

salt & pepper to taste

Trim and wash the asparagus. Microwave it for 2 minutes.
Put the rest of the ingredients together and pour over the asparagus.
Marinate for 2 hours.
Grill.

Even easier: In the Asian section of the supermarket, I have found a garlic flavored soy sauce. This eliminates the need to mince garlic.

Make into a meal: Serve with any grilled meats or fish.

Wine: Uugghh. It is impossible to pair asparagus and vinegar with wine. Make a martini.

Panna Cotta Martini with Blueberry Compote

This dessert is beautiful. It does take a little more time than most of my recipes, but quite worth the effort. You can serve this in little dessert dishes, but martini glasses are so much more appealing.

The recipe has two parts. It is very important that each part is cooled before you put them together in a martini glass. Otherwise you won't get the lovely layering effect.

Panna Cotta Martini with Blueberry Compote

For the compote:

1/4 cup water

2 tbsp. sugar

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (raspberries or blackberries work, too)

For the panna cotta (Italian for cooked cream):

1 3/4 cups buttermilk

1 envelope of powdered gelatin

1 1/4 cup cream

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

First make the compote by combining the water and sugar in a saucepan and cook over medium heat.
Add 1/2 cup of the berries and cook for 3 minutes, stirring and smashing the mixture.
Remove from heat and stir in the rest of the berries.
Divide evenly among 506 martini glasses.
Chill well.

Next the Panna Cotta:

Pour the buttermilk into a mixing bowl.
Sprinkle the gelatin over the milk and leave for 1 minute, then stir. Set it aside.
In a saucepan, stir the cream and sugar until it boils. Remove from heat.
Pour the hot cream mixture over the buttermilk. Add lemon juice and vanilla. Stir.
Let buttermilk cool to room temperature.
Pour buttermilk atop compote and chill entire dessert for 2 hours.

Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream or a mint sprig.

Thai Beef Pitas

This is fun food. You always have these ingredients on hand, so there is no special shopping to do. Although divas love shopping, they feel under-appreciated wearing their new Coach scarf in the supermarket. Pitas are great for the diva watching her waist, because you can only fit so much into the pocket. Make it healthier with whole wheat pitas. (photo by VirtualErn)

Thai Beef Pitas

1 lb. ground beef

2 medium red peppers, sliced

2 tbsp. ginger

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tbsp. peanut butter

2 tbs. lime juice

2 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. sesame oil

4 pita pockets

Brown the beef 5-6 minutes.
Add peppers, ginger, garlic, and flakes for another 5-6 minutes.
In a small bowl whisk the peanut butter, lime, soy sauce, and oil.
Stir into beef.
Scoop mixture into pita pockets.

Make it a meal: Add lettuce to the pita pocket.

Wine: A spicy Zinfandel

Fresh Corn on the Cob

My gorgeous sister-in-law noted there were not enough vegetable offerings on my blog. She sent me this recipe which is fabulous for summer as soon as the corn arrives.

"There is nothing like fresh corn on the cob, quickly boiled, spread with lots of sweet butter, and sprinkled with salt. Two ears per person may seem like a proper serving, but appetites run high when corn is in season and freshly picked," writes Lisa.

I have seen some people cook corn in the microwave, and although it comes out fine, it just ain't the way New Englanders do it. Just before cooking, husk the corn, pull off the silky threads (my husband always leaves a few to get in between your teeth), and cut out any blemishes with a pointed knife. Drop the corn into a large pot filled with boiling salted water. Cover the pot and let the water return to a boil again, then turn off the heat and keep the pot covered. After about 5 minutes, remove enough ears for a first serving. You can keep the remaining corn warm in the water for another 10 minutes without its becoming tough. Serve with lots of butter and salt.

Make into a meal: Serve with lobster cooked by a friend and a baked potato with too much sour cream and chives on it. Forget about a salad or any other steamed greens. No one eats salad when there is lobster and corn on the table. My mother insists on a salad. No one eats it.

Wine: Chardonnay

Seafood Chowder

One of the things I love about this recipe is how the fish gets steamed. Make this for your friends to eat on the beach at night around a fire. No skinny dipping! Who am I kidding? Divas love to skinny dip. (photo by VirtualErn)

Seafood Chowder

1 lb. Salmon or your favorite white fish

1 lb. Shrimp, cooked

1 lb. potatoes, diced

5-6 bacon cut into small strips

few thick slices of onion

1 glass of white wine—2 if you're having one yourself

butter—depends (see below)

splash o’ sherry

1 can evaporated milk

Pour a glass of chardonnay, and keep nearby for sipping.
Fry bacon at the bottom of a cooking pot. Drain most of the fat.
Atop the bacon, layer potatoes, then onion, salt & pepper.
Repeat until potatoes and onions are gone.
Add wine and enough water to not quite cover the vegetables.
Place fish over the top, cover, and turn on the stove burner to medium.
Cook until the potatoes are tender and the fish flakes, about 20 minutes after the boil begins.

To the cooked chowder:
Add the can of evaporated milk, put in the butter (skinny people put in a few pats, I put in ½ stick or more), sprinkle pepper over the top to taste. Drizzle a spot of sherry. Swig a spot o’ sherry. Cheers!

When ready to serve:
Drop in cooked shrimp.
Reheat until the butter melts.

Make into a meal: Serve in deep bowls with bread, muffins or biscuits and a salad.

Wine: Chardonnay or a medium-bodied Sauvignon Blanc