Roasted Vegetables with Wine

I love the flavor of wine in my food--sauces, marinades, and here on vegetables. Besides, the recipe only calls for 1/2 cup of wine, and what's a girl to do with the rest? Cheers!

Roasted Vegetables with Wine

2 potatoes, diced

a couple handfuls of small brussels sprouts

1/2 butternut squash, diced

a couple handfuls pearl onions

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 glugs olive oil

1/2 cup dry white wine

salt & pepper to taste

a few sprinkles parsley

a few sprinkles of Parmesan cheese

Mix everything except cheese in a pretty bowl.
Put in the oven at 425 degrees covered for 25 minutes.
Uncover and roast for 20 more minutes.
Serve with Parmesan cheese on top.

Make it a meal: Serve with chicken that has been marinating in Mojo Criollo (see Food Recipe article for The Best Marinade).

Wine: Whatever is leftover.

Creamy Avocado Dip

You can whip this one up in moments. That leaves more time for wiping lipstick off the orange juice container. (photo by Gaetan Lee)

Creamy Avocado Dip

1 avocado

1 spoonful mayonnaise

1 spoonful low-fat sour cream

1 clove garlic, minced

1 squeeze lemon

a few sprinkles cayenne pepper

Mash and mix everything.
Sprinkle cayenne on top.
Serve it with tortilla chips or baby carrots.
I prefer the chips.

Make it a meal: Serve ahead of Gourmet Meatloaf with Burgundy Sauce (see recipe).

Wine: Pinot Blanc or Champagne

Chicken & Ham Bake

I make this when I have leftovers. It is easy and fairly quick. If you don't have leftover ham at the same time as your leftover chicken just buy a ham patty all shrink-wrapped and chop it up or use a few deli slices.

Chicken & Ham Bake

3 cups leftover chicken, cubed

2 cups leftover ham, cubed

a bunch of sliced mushrooms

1 cup cheese, shredded (Swiss is nice, but whatever is leftover works)

salt & pepper

pinch of paprika

1 can cream of mushroom soup

½ cup sour cream

1/4 cup white wine

Grease a casserole dish.
Place chicken in the bottom, then the ham, then the mushrooms, then the cheese
Salt and pepper as desired.
Sprinkle with paprika. (I go around twice.)
Mix the soup, sour cream, and wine, then pour over it all.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until it is heated through.

Make it a meal: Serve with steamed asparagus and biscuits.

Wine: Whatever is leftover…as if. Open a lovely Chardonnay or Pinot Noir.

Gourmet Meatloaf with Burgundy Sauce

Tired of the same meatloaf you've been making for your man for years? While my man loves my BBQ meat loaf, he even puts in on bread and eats it like a sandwhich (eewww), try this grown-up version for a change. If meat loaf can be elegant, here's how.

Gourmet Meatloaf with Burgundy Sauce

Meatloaf

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 onion

1 egg

3/4 cup breadcrumbs

handful of chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

2 garlic cloves, minced

sprinkle of basil

sprinkle parsley

Sauce

1/4 cup red currant jelly

2 tbsp. red Burgundy wine

1/2 tsp. flour

Mix all the meatloaf ingredients together and smoosh into a loaf pan.
Cook at 375 degrees for 50-55 minutes.
Meanwhile prepare the sauce by bringing the sauce ingredients to a boil.
Cook for 5 minutes until the jelly melts.
Drizzle over the meatloaf.

Make it a meal: Serve with green beans and mashed potatoes.

Wine: The rest of the Burgundy!

Carrot & Ginger Soup

A friend of mine ordered this at a ski area restaurant called The Birches in Killington, VT. I went online to try a few recipes, and when I tweaked a bit, I came up with this wonderful combination.

Carrot & Ginger Soup

¼ stick butter or olive oil for sautéing

1 tbsp. ground ginger

4 cups chicken stock

2 cups carrots, chopped

pinch curry powder

½ onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup white wine

drizzle of honey

Parsley for garnish

Melt butter or oil in a stock pot, and sauté onion, ginger and garlic.
Add chicken stock, wine and carrots, and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer uncovered over medium heat until carrots are tender, about 45 minutes.
Puree the soup in a blender in batches if necessary.
Season with curry powder, salt and pepper.
Drizzle honey on top.
Garnish with parsley.
This can be served hot or cold.

Make it a meal: Serve with focaccia bread slathered with butter.

Wine: Chardonnay

Firefly American Bistro and Bar

Firefly American Bistro and Bar

The Firefly Restaurant is a fairly new eatery that opened up on Concord St. in Manchester, just off the city’s main street called Elm. The first, most wonderful aspect you will notice is PARKING. They have their own parking lot. In downtown Manchester that is huge. Not Boston huge, but NH huge.

The décor is casual chic. They make good use of the historic brick walls. They have two separate dining rooms and a bar area that people like to squeeze into. The clientele seems to be mainly people in their 30s and 40s and professionals. I have been in several times now and have seen hair salon owners, area restaurant owners, politicians, and people who work in the downtown area who pop in for lunch. The exception last night was the four women a bit older drinking martinis and laughing raucously. It made me want to order a martini.

I didn’t, however. I started with their own Firefly Pinot Noir and an order of the addiction-causing go-go bread. This is not a complicated dish. It is simply fried bread that is dipped into Gorgonzola sauce. I need to run a half marathon today to undo the damage done. We ran out of bread, not sauce. If I had not been brought up the way I was, I would have licked the bowl clean with my finger. Alas…

For dinner, I had the Bourbon Street fettuccine that consisted of blackened shrimp, crawfish, and andouille sausage with tomatoes and green onions in a Cajun cream sauce for $16.95. The sauce was not too creamy and had a bit of spiciness. My companions had the bacon wrapped bistro steak which was pan-seared, finished with a Tennessee bourbon barbeque sauce, onion straws, smashed potatoes and vegetable for $19.95 and an alfredo seafood pasta special which I do not remember the price. They were both wonderful. The steak was cooked perfectly and the BBQ sauce was a tad sweet. I found the alfredo sauce quite creamy, but that’s the point.

We did not save room for dessert. I tried feverishly to get my companions to order something so I could have a bite. I failed.

Our overall dining experience was fabulous. We will make Firefly American Bistro and Bar one of our regular stops. (http://www.fireflynh.com/)

White Bean & Artichoke Dip

Beans are an important source of protein and lower bad cholesterol. Divas are all about good health. This is a hearty dip to reward your man for cleaning the snow off your car before you drive off to your massage--a major part of your healthy lifestyle.

White Bean & Artichoke Dip

1 can cannellini beans, drained

a couple of squeezes of lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

a small handful of rosemary

1 can artichoke hearts, cut up

1/2 cup cheese, shredded

Put the beans,lemon juice, garlic, and rosemary in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
Use a glug of olive oil if needed.
Scoop the mix into a pretty bowl.
Mix aritichoke hearts and cheese.
Transfer to an ovenware dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.
Serve with baked pita chips or crackers.

Make it a meal: Serve ahead of White Chicken Chili (see recipe)

Wine: Chardonnay or Chablis

Sweet Potato with Maple-Pecan Butter

The health benefits of sweet potatoes are amazing. I've been trying to incorporate more into my diet. Of course, the way I prepare them, I tend to negate all healthful strides. If you use this butter in moderation, however, you should be fine. If not, diet tomorrow.

Some recipes say to roll the butter into a log and wrap in plastic wrap. That's too hard. I smoosh mine into a little custard dish that has a lid for afterward.

Sweet Potato with Maple-Pecan Butter

2 medium sweet potatoes

7 tbsp. butter

1 shallot, chopped

1/4 cup pecans, chopped

2 squeezes maple syrup

1 small handful thyme

Saute the shallots in butter or olive oil and set aside.
In a pretty bowl, combine 6 tbsp. butter, cooled shallots, pecans, syrup, and thyme.
Blend with a fork until it all looks even.

Make it a meal: Serve with grilled pork and a side salad.

Wine: Chardonnay

Trout with Mushroom Sauce

A man my husband works with knows we like fish and gave us a 4 lb. trout. After my husband cleaned and skinned the fish,this is what I did with it. I was unable to clean and skin the fish; I had just gotten a manicure.

Trout with Mushroom Sauce

2 lbs. of trout filets

1/2 onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup white wine

a couple knobs of butter

a small handful of rosemary

a small handful of parsley

a sprinkle of paprika

Cut the filets into serving size portions.
Saute the onion and mushrooms in butter or olive oil.
In a bowl, combine the wine, milk, rosemary, and soup.
Add the trout filets to the onion and mushroom mix.
Pour the soup mixture over the filets.
Simmer for 15 minutes until the fish flakes with fork.
Serve on individual plates and sprinkle with parsley and paprika.
That makes it look so nice.

Make it a meal: Serve with rice and steamed broccoli.

Wine: Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc

Crock Pot Herb Chicken

Cold weather is the perfect time for a warm comfort-food casserole. I reduce this recipe by half for just the two of us. My man appreciates a hearty meal after he’s done shoveling up a foot of snow. I appreciate my man.

Crock Pot Herb Chicken

1 can cream of celery

1/2 cup dry white wine or sherry (have a sip for yourself)

a dash parsley

a dash thyme

Dash pepper

4 chicken breasts

1 ½-2 cups seasoned stuffing crumbs

4 knobs butter

Combine the soup, wine, parsley, thyme, and pepper.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the stuffing crumbs over the bottom of the cooker and add two knobs butter.
Top that with half of the chicken, then half of the remaining stuffing crumbs.
Drizzle with half of the remaining butter and spoon half of the soup mixture over that.
Repeat with remaining chicken, stuffing crumbs, butter, and soup mixture. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 7 hours, or until chicken is cooked through.
Sprinkle a bit of parsley on top when serving. It looks pretty.

Options: Substitute chicken broth for wine, use cream of anything else instead of cream of celery.

Make it a meal: Serve with French bread and spinach and roasted potatoes or brown rice.

Wine: Sauvignon Blanc, or whatever you put in the recipe.

Marinated Artichoke Salad

I came across a version of this recipe as part of a liver-cleansing fat flush diet. I didn't like anything else on the diet, but this one is tasty. If you don't have flaxseed oil, just heat up some flaxseed in olive oil instead. Flaxseed is easy enough to find in grocery stores. I add a bit to sauces and muffins and cereal as part of my healthy eating program. And then I have a margarita. (Photo by -Marlith-)

Marinated Artichoke Salad

2 cans artichoke hearts, drained

1 garlic clove, minced

3 tbsp flaxseed oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 1/2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

greens (Romaine or mesclun are great)

Mash four of the artichoke hearts with the garlic.
Stir in the oil, lemon, venegar, and cayenne.
Quarter the rest of the artichokes and mix well with the rest.
Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
Arrange on a bed of pretty greens.

Make it a meal: Serve with a hamburger.

Wine: Well, this is part of a fat flush, so perhaps you should skip the wine (and the hamburger) and drink some water with lemon instead. But if you must, make it champagne.

Chardonnay’s Favorite Quotes on Food & Dieting

Chardonnay’s Favorite Quotes on Food & Dieting

I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number you get in a diamond. ~Mae West

I'll try anything once, twice if I like it, three times to make sure. ~Mae West

I've been in more laps than a napkin. ~Mae West

If I asked for a cup of coffee, someone would search for the double meaning. ~Mae West

Too much of a good thing can be wonderful. ~Mae West (At least I think she was talking about food!)

Go to the "all you can eat" and "all you can regret it later" buffet. ~Maxine

When one hosts a dinner party, it is essential that all the place mats match or, at the very least, that they all come from the same restaurant. ~Maxine

Nothing in the world is quite so entertaining as pouring old milk into new containers before having guests over. ~Maxine

Entertaining in your backyard? The key to a nice-looking lawn is a good mower. I recommend one who's muscular and shirtless. ~Maxine

I'd eat more fruits and vegetables if they tasted more like microwaved burritos. ~Maxine

Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the 'Titanic' who waved off the dessert cart. ~ Erma Bombeck

The 2nd day of a diet is always easier than the 1st. By the 2nd day you're off it. ~ Jackie Gleason

Never eat more than you can lift. ~ Miss Piggy

Statistics show that of those who contract the habit of eating, very few survive.
~ Wallace Irwin

Cutting Boards by Richard Cowell

These boards are gorgeous. I received one as a gift, and I am now giving one as a gift. Richard Cowell of Manchester, NH is the carpenter/artist that creates them. Check out more of his work at http://cowellcarpentry.com/. Prices range from $150 to $20 for replacement slide-outs.

Turkey Sandwich with Pesto Mayo & Craisins

Here’s a new twist on an old favorite. I have always loved turkey sandwiches with stuffing and cranberry sauce. It occurred to me Craisins or dried cranberries could deliver some of that same sweetness and flavor without opening up an entire can. The first time I tried this, I was conservative with the Craisins. Don’t be. Go nuts!

Turkey Sandwich with Pesto Mayo & Craisins

1 whole wheat bagel or other hearty bread

1 spoonful store-bought pesto

1 spoonful mayonnaise

1 small handful Craisins or dried cranberries

a couple slices Deli turkey

a few slices cheese (Havarti is nice and so is brie.)

lettuce

Toast the bagel.
Mix the pesto and mayo together; spread on both sides of the bagel.
Put the Craisins on the bottom bagel slice.
Add the turkey and top with cheese and lettuce.

Make it a meal: Serve with chips!

Wine: This depends on the cheese you choose. Havarti and brie go nicely with Chardonnay or Pinot Noir.