White Zinfandel Cocktail

A colleague of my husband's came to our cocktail party with a big jug of White Zinfandel. It was quite sweet, but I hate the stuff. Apparently he was unaware of my nickname, the Chardonnay Queen. So this is what I did with it to make it more palatable.

This is also nice for those of us sick to death of Cosmopolitans but still like pretty pink drinks. It is a little lighter, too.

White Zinfandel Cocktail

2 oz. White Zinfandel

1 oz. Chambourd

2 oz. lemon or lime flavored soda water

Throw the White Zin and Chambourd into a cocktail shaker with ice.
Shake.
Pour into a pretty glass.
Top with soda water.

Make it a meal: Serve with hamburger sliders and green beans.

Artichoke and Crabmeat Triangles

These appetizers are quick and easy to make. The flavors are mild and gorgeous. Make them ahead of time, then pop into the oven when you are ready. They are the perfect finger food. (photo by Ian Ransley)

Artichoke and Crabmeat Triangles

½ can artichoke hearts, drained

1 can crabmeat

½ cup mayonnaise

1 shallot or a few onion slices, chopped

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 pinches Old Bay seasoning

3 English muffins, split open

Mix the first 6 ingredients in a pretty bowl.
Spread mixture onto English muffins.
Cut the muffins into quarters (hence the triangle in the name of the recipe).
Place triangles onto a baking sheet.
Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Make it a meal: Serve with seafood chowder.

Wine: Chardonnay

Baked Potato Salad

For your next get-together make this ahead of time, then pop in the oven when you are about ready. Dieters beware! Make sure to use light mayo and sour cream to counteract the cheese and bacon. As you can see from my picture, I have a little trouble crumbling bacon.

The horseradish and Dijon mustard give this potato salad zip. Divas know all about zip...and unzip. Especially unzip!

Baked Potato Salad

4 large potatoes, diced

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

1/2 tbsp. horseradish

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

salt & pepper to taste

6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

a sprinkling of chives

Boil the potatoes for about 15 minutes until soft.
Meanwhile, mix mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, and horseradish.
When potatoes are done, stir in mayonnaise mix.
Stir in cheese and chives.
Transfer it all into a 9 X 11 baking dish.
Top with bacon.
When ready, heat at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Make it a meal: Serve with burgers and dogs.

Wine: Chianti

Elegant Meatloaf

This is a mild, mature-tasting meatloaf. If it is too mild for you, only use half the sour cream and then a half cup of Ranch dressing. Also play around with the cheese. Goat cheese instead of Parmesan adds a nice kick.

Elegant Meatloaf

1 lb. ground beef

1 egg

1 cup sour cream

¼ cup red wine

½ onion or 3 shallots, chopped

5-6 mushrooms, chopped

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup Italian-style dried bread crumbs

a bit of cheddar, shredded

Mix all but the cheddar cheese in a pink bowl.
Smash into a meatloaf dish.
Cook at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Sprinkle on the cheddar cheese the last 10 minutes.

Make it a meal: Serve with green beans topped with garlic butter (see recipe).

Wine: Sauvignon Blanc or Chablis

Goat Cheese, Lemon, & Chive Turnovers

These turnovers look tough to put together, but they are really not. Assemble them a few hours ahead of time then refrigerate. When the girls come over for book club, pop them in and watch them get devoured. I ate five of them for dinner last night.

Goat Cheese, Lemon, & Chive Turnovers

4 oz. goat cheese

a small bunch chives, sliced (I use my kitchen scissors)

a few squirts of lemon juice

pepper to taste

flour for dusting

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

Mash the goat cheese with the chives, lemon, and pepper.
Flour your surface (for me, that’s my gorgeous granite counter top).
Unfold the pastry sheet and dust a bit more flour on.
Cut the dough into 9 squares.
Put equal amounts of goat cheese mix on each square.
Dip your finger in water and wet the edges of each square.
Fold the pastry over to form a triangle.
Press the edges closed with a fork.
Arrange the turnovers on a lightly greased baking sheet (I use Pam).
Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes until puffed and golden.

Make it a meal: Serve ahead of Slow Cooked Lemon Chicken (see recipe)

Wine: Champagne or Sauvignon Blanc

Horseradish Spread for Burgers

Do you get bored with ketchup on your burgers? My man never tires of it, but I am always looking for new flavors. Whisk these few ingredients together for a zesty, grown-up burger.

Horseradish Spread for Burgers

sour cream

2 dashes horseradish

parsley

dill weed

chives

lots of pepper

Whisk it all together and slather atop your favorite burger.

Make it a meal: Add tomato and lettuce to the burger and serve with Brave Potatoes (see recipe).

Wine: Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon

Garlic Butter

I love garlic bread, but I don't love the frozen garlic bread. Mine is better. Rich and smooth...the way I like my men. Many herb butter recipes order you to roll it into a log and wrap it in clear wrap. Forget it. Way too messy. I smash mine into ramekins my sister-in-law gave me with little lids. Easy.

Use this garlic butter on pasta or burger buns before you grill them lightly. It's also not bad atop white fish or vegetables.

Garlic Butter

1 stick of butter, softened

1 clove of garlic, smashed & chopped

1 shallot, chopped

2 pinches parsley

Mix it up in a pretty bowl, then smash it into a lovely ramekin.

Make it a meal: Serve with Seafood Chowder (see recipe)

Wine: Chardonnay, dahling!

Crock Pot Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo

Crock Pot Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo is an elegant recipe in a creamy Alfredo sauce. The vegetables pack in nutrients, and hopefully you can find low-fat Alfredo sauce. My own nearby supermarket does not stock it. Go even healthier with whole wheat pasta. I use linguine.

Crock Pot Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 carrots, sliced

1 bunch broccoli florets

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces

1 (16-ounce) jar Alfredo sauce

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1 (10-ounce) package frozen fully cooked shrimp, thawed

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 (12-ounce) package pasta

Mix all but the last three ingredients into the crock pot.
Pour Alfredo sauce over all.
Cook on low for 6-7 hours or until chicken is cooked and vegetables are tender.
During the last 20 minutes, add shrimp.
Serve over hot cooked pasta.
Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Make it a meal: Serve with garlic bread.

Wine: Chardonnay

Fruit Dip

This one is fun for kids. Experiment with different flavors of yogurt. I used an apricot and peach flavored Yoplait. For my little skewers, I chopped up cantaloupe and strawberries and topped them with grapes using toothpicks.

Fruit Dip

2 cups sour cream

1 cup fruit flavored yogurt Swiss style (any flavor – play around)

½ pack vanilla instant pudding dry mix

Mix all ingredients and chill.
Serve with grapes, strawberries, kiwi, and cantaloupe on toothpicks.

Make it a meal: Serve ahead of marinated lamb and a baked potato.

Wine: For kids? Forget it.

Mountain Chili

It has been cold here in New England. Normally I serve up chili in the colder seasons, but geez! I've been cold at work and reluctant to turn on the heat at home in June, so this hit the spot last night.

This recipe is different from others in that it contains chunks of steak instead of ground beef. The slow cooking makes the beef uber tender. Sometimes divas have a tender side.

Take this recipe on your next ski vacation. Skiers live on such cuisine.

Mountain Chili

1 lb. sirloin, cut up into bite-sized pieces, fat trimmed

1 onion, chopped

4-5 cloves garlic, chopped

2-3 scallions, sliced

2 beef bouillon cubes

1 can tomato paste

3 tbsp. chili powder

3 tbsp. brown sugar

4 squirts Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

dash salt & pepper

3 cans diced tomatoes

2 cans pinto beans

shredded cheddar and/or sour cream for garnish

Throw this all into the crock pot, mix, and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
Serve with cheese and sour cream.

Options: Add some ground sausage to the mix.

Make it a meal: Serve with corn bread.

Wine: A hearty Cabernet Sauvignon or spicy Shiraz