Crab Stuffed Flounder

I have never cooked flounder before. Wow, is it easy! It comes in these gorgeous thin filets that cook up in moments. Dazzle your company with this recipe. Divas always dazzle.

Crab Stuffed Flounder

1 lb. flounder filets

1 can crab meat

1 dash dry mustard

1 dash Worcestershire sauce

1 dash salt

1 dash white pepper

4 Ritz type crackers, crushed

2 dashes parsley

1 egg white

1 tbsp. mayonnaise, light is nice

14 cup butter, melted

paprika for garnish

Rinse the filets and pat dry with a paper towel.
Place them in a lightly greased baking dish; I use spray Pam.
In a pretty bowl, combine crab, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, white pepper, crackers, and parsley.
Add the egg white and mayonnaise to this mixture.
Brush the flounder with some melted butter.
Spoon the crab mixture over the filets.
Drizzle any extra butter on top of each filet, and sprinkle with paprika.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Make it a meal: Serve with steamed broccoli and cubed sweet potatoes with sage butter (see recipe).

Wine: Chardonnay

Tetrazzini for Two

This is my favorite dish for leftover turkey. It is decadent. It is loaded with calories. Sometimes a diva just doesn't care. This diva cannot resist all that cheesy creaminess. Diet tomorrow.

Tetrazzini for Two

1/2 package wheat spaghetti, cooked

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup wheat flour

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 cups cream

pepper

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 cups cooked turkey, chopped

1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs

Melt the butter in a saucepan.
Add the flour and garlic.
Add the broth and the cream.
Sprinkle with pepper.
Bring it all to a boil.
Add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese and remove from heat.
Grease a casserole dish and put the cooked pasta in.
Top that with the chopped turkey.
Pour the cheese mixture over it all.
Top with the rest of the cheese and the bread crumbs.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour until it is lightly browned.

Make it a meal: Serve with wine.

Wine: Chardonnay

Herb Butter

I had a dinner party last night and wanted to do a little something different and easy with the green beans. The answer was herb butter. I made it earlier in the day, then let it melt over the fresh green beans right before serving. This diva reveled in the compliments.

Herb Butter

1/2 stick of butter, softened

1 small clove garlic, minced

1 dash each garlic powder, parsley, oregano

a bit of white wine

Mix everything together and smash into a ramekin.

Make it a meal: Serve atop green beans or other vegetables and along with roasted duck and Cheesy Creamy Potatoes (see recipe).

Wine: Chardonnay for the beans and potatoes, Cabernet Sauvignon for the duck

Pumpkin & Apple Soup

Once again I am trying to emulate something wonderful I had a restaurant. This time it was the Pumpkin & Apple soup at the Barley House in Concord, NH. This is sweeter than I usually like my soup; it was almost dessert. But to have just a cup before our meal was divine.

Pumpkin & Apple Soup

2 apples, peeled and diced

butter

cauliflower puree (see recipe)

2 cans pumpkin

1 tbsp. each cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and sugar

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup apple cider

1 cup heavy cream

Sauté the apples in butter until they are soft.
Add the cauliflower, pumpkin, spices, chicken stock, and cider.
Heat up for a bit.
Lastly, add the cream and heat.
Put it all in the blender; you may need to work in batches.
Thin with more chicken stock if needed.

That’s it.

Make it a meal: Serve ahead of roasted duck and green beans.

Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon

Dipping Oil with Herbs

The best dipping oil I ever had was at a little tavern at Jay Peak, VT. We had been skiing all day and were famished. The fresh bread and spicy dipping oil and the three glasses of wine did the trick.

Dipping Oil with Herbs

Olive oil

parsley

oregano

red pepper flakes

pepper

garlic, minced

Parmesan cheese

Mix it all together on a lovely plate and serve with fresh bread.

Make it a meal: Serve ahead of Cod with Lemon and White Pepper (see recipe)

Wine: Chardonnay

Roasted Vegetables & Rice

I adore roasted vegetables. They are so crispy and flavorful. This can be a side dish, in which case, I'd skip the dressing. It makes a lovely vegetarian meal. I use brown rice for extra fiber and nutrients. This heart-healthy dish is one my hearty man will eat on occasion.

I use whatever vegetables I have on hand, but really anything goes. These I chose for the gorgeous color combination. I also add a couple of chicken bouillon cubes to the water the rice is cooking.

Roasted Vegetables & Rice

1 cup rice

1 small head broccoli, chopped

1 orange pepper, chopped

a bunch of grape tomatoes

3 garlic cloves minced

red pepper oil

a pinch of shredded cheese like cheddar

Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil

a few splashes red wine vinegar

a small spoonful Dijon mustard

parsley

oregano

pepper

Cook the rice according to directions (mine takes forever).
After you've chopped your vegetables, toss them in a pretty bowl.
Add the garlic.
Drizzle red pepper oil over and toss the mess of it.
Put it all in a roasting pan and roast at 355 degrees for 45 minutes or so.
Meanwhile, put all the dressing ingredients into a closed container and shake.
Mix the cooked rice with the dressing.
Add some cheese.
Toss in the roasted vegetables.
Ciao!

Make it a meal: Tis a meal. Lay off the meat for one night.

Wine: Chardonnay