Chunky Creamy Tomato Soup

This is a pretty easy recipe and cold divas can enjoy hot soup for many nights afterward.  I don't like things too sweet, so you can adjust the amount of sugar up to 6 Tbs. depending on your taste. I use just a bit to cut the acidity of the tomatoes.

Chunky Creamy Tomato Soup

1/2 onion, chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes

1 bottle (46 oz.) tomato juice

3 Tbs. sugar

2-3 chicken bouillon cubes

pepper

1 cup sherry

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

basil

parsley

Saute onion and garlic in a large pot or Dutch oven until soft.
Add tomatoes, tomato juice, bouillon, and pepper.
Add sugar.
Stir and heat almost to a boil.
Turn off heat.
Add sherry then cream.
Sprinkle with basil and parsley.

Options:  Add in corn or white beans.

Make it a meal:  Serve with a darling grilled cheese sandwich.

Wine:  Chianti or Gamay

Clam Chowder

There are many recipes out there for New England Clam Chowder.  This one is tried and true and simple.  You might want to make a double batch, because this one's a crowd-pleaser.  The chowder is quite rich and thick, so you might want to only serve it to your guests in a small cup rather than a bowl. 

Clam Chowder

4-6 strips of bacon

3 cans clams

2 cups diced potatoes


1 1/2 sticks of butter

 3/4 cup wheat flour

1 1/2 cups light cream or half and half

1 can evaporated milk (low-fat works)

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped onion

2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

salt & pepper to taste

a few sprigs of thyme from your herb garden

Drain the juice from the cans of clams into a pot and add the potatoes;  cook until potatoes are tender.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon, crumble, and set aside.
Drain most of the bacon grease, then add celery and onion;  cook until tender.
In another large skillet, melt butter and slowly add the flour whisking until you have a smooth roux.
Add softened vegetables.
Whisk in cream and evaporated milk slowly; heat through, but do not boil.
Stir in clams just before serving--they don't need much cooking.
Stir in vinegar.
 Garnish with thyme.

Options:  Toss in some cooked lobster and shrimp to make it a seafood chowder.

Make it a meal:  Serve as a main dish with fresh, sourdough bread or as an appetizer ahead of Chicken Chardon (see recipe).

Wine:  Chardonnay

Creamy Burrito Casserole

My husband loved this.  He went back for thirds!  Make this on a rainy Sunday and have it for lunches all week.  Ole!

Creamy Burrito Casserole

1 pound hamburger 

onions, diced

1 package taco seasoning (I prefer to make my own)
 
3 large flour tortillas
 
1  can refried bean

shredded cheddar cheese

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup sour cream

Optional:
1 tomato, diced
sliced olives
 

Brown hamburger and onions. 
Drain off grease. 
Stir in taco seasoning, refried beans. 
Mix soup and sour cream in a pretty bowl. 
Put 1/2 sour cream mixture in the bottom of a casserole dish. 
Tear 1 1/2 of the tortillas in small pieces and spread over sour cream mixture. 

Put 1/2 the meat mixture on top of that.

Add a layer of cheese.

Repeat the layers.

Top with cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. 

Options:  Top with tomatoes and black olives and garnish with guacamole.

Make it a meal:  Serve with a small side salad.

Wine:  Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec

Chicken with Saucy Cranberry

The ingredients sound weird, but this easy recipe is tangy, sweet, and saucy.  This saucy diva also appreciates the nice presentation.  And did I say easy?  Serve it up with some mashed potatoes your man whipped up, and get the sauce all over. 

Chicken with Saucy Cranberry 

1 lb. chicken breast

1/2 can whole berry cranberry sauce

1/2 bottle (or a bit less) Thousand Island dressing

A pinch each of paprika, parsley, dried onion

Lightly grease a baking dish.
Place chicken in dish.
Salt & pepper if you wish.
Mix the rest of the ingredients in a pretty bowl.
Pour mixture atop chicken.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Uncover and bake another 15 minutes until chicken is done.

Make it a meal:  Serve with mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach.

Wine:  Tough call.  When in a pinch, go with Chardonnay, of course!

Corn Salsa

Health, health, health!  Summer's bounty works great here.  There is nothing bad in this!  It's all sweet, spicy goodness.  Divas can be sweet and are always spicy.  Goodness?  Hardly ever, darlin'.  Serve this with chips as an appetizer or as a spicy side dish.

Corn Salsa

Corn--fresh, roasted, canned, frozen, whatever

Jalapeños, diced

Red peppers, diced

Red onion, diced

Red pepper flakes

Avocado, cubed

Lime juice

Honey

Apple cider vinegar

Olive oil

Just toss it all together and refrigerate a bit.

Make it a meal:   Serve ahead of Mini-Greek Meatloaf with Feta Sauce (see recipe)


Wine:  Tough one with the vinegar taste.  Champagne works!  Make it pink and dry!

Mini-Greek Meatloaf with Feta Sauce

These are darling, and my man couldn't stop at two.  He said he didn't need anymore, but they were so good, he ate two more.  And EASY.  Serve these as a main dish or just one as an appetizer at a cool Spring cocktail party.

Mini-Greek Meatloaf with Feta Sauce 

 Loaves

1/2 lb. ground lamb

1/2 lb. hamburg

1/2 onion, chopped

1/3 cup bread crumbs

1 egg

4 cloves garlic, minced

Thyme

Mint

a tiny bit of Allspice

Crushed red pepper

Salt & pepper

Sauce

1/2 cup Greek yogurt (I like Fage 2%)

2oz. Feta cheese

Thyme

1 glug olive oil

lemon juice of 1 lemon

Combine all the ingredients for the loaves in a pretty bowl.
Smoosh into muffin tins sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake at 450 degrees for 7 minutes.
Broil for 3 minutes.
Put all the sauce ingredients into a blender.
Blend.

Make it a meal: Serve with a Greek salad of chopped tomatoes and cucumbers tossed with a vinaigrette.

Wine:  Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz

Chicago Hot Dogs

While I'm not a huge fan of hot dogs in general, I will eat a good one.  I like Hebrew National, Pearls, and Nathan's.  Recently I heard that President Obama has a thing for Chicago dogs, and I decided to check it out.  The last time I heard a president like grilled food, it was about Bill Clinton who liked his hamburgers with onions that had been marinating in Balsamic Vinegar.  I was not led astray.  This was a great tip. 

Yet I was skeptical about a hot dog with all those vegetables.  Boy, have I been missing out!  This has been delicious and filling in a good way.  Also, I did not know and still don't know what sport peppers are.  I substituted pepperoncini peppers.  Absolutely fabulous.

Chicago Hot Dog

 1 all-beef hot dog (see above recommendations)

 hot dog bun (I like wheat)

dijon mustard

dill  relish

chopped onion

tomato slices

a few dill pickle slices

a few pepperoncini peppers
 

Taco Soup

This dish is quick, easy, and fabulous--everything cooking should be.  You can whip this up in no time with ingredients mostly on hand.

Taco Soup

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 onion chopped

taco seasoning to taste

16 oz. tomato sauce

 15 oz. diced tomatoes

1 cup corn

1 cup kidney beans

2 cups water

shredded cheese to taste

sour cream to taste

Fritos or Corn chips

Saute ground beef and onion.
Transfer mixture to large pot, draining fat as you go.
Add taco seasoning, tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, corn, and water.
Simmer for 20 minutes.
Serve up with sour cream, cheese, and Fritos!

Make it a meal:  Serve soup with some nice bread.

Wine:  Some sort of Spanish red would be lovely.

Mini Frittatas

Frittatas are quiches without the crust.  You can make them as healthy or as decadent as you want.   Here’s one of my favorite combinations.  It is quite rich, but that is precisely the way a diva likes everything in her life!  Make a batch and eat them all week. 

      8 ounces turkey Jimmy Dean-like sausage

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced and a few cloves of garlic, chopped

1/4 cup onions, sliced

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

5 eggs

3 egg whites

1 cup 1% milk

Grease a muffin tin.

Sauté the mushrooms, garlic, and onions in a bit of olive oil.

       Brown up the sausage, then add to the mushroom mixture, then add the cheese.

In another bowl, whisk eggs, egg whites and milk.

Divide the egg mixture evenly among the prepared muffin cups.

Plop a heaping tablespoon of the sausage mixture into each cup.

Bake at 325 degrees until the tops are just beginning to brown, 25 minutes.

Make it a meal:  Serve with coffee and tomato juice to enjoy while reading your morning horoscope.

Wine:  Mimosas!

Pomegranate Sauce for Lamb

We had lamb for Easter and cooked enough to feed a small army--very small. So small Rhode Island could beat it in a war. Making this quick sauce put a tasty twist on leftover lamb.

Pomegranate Sauce for Lamb

1/4 cup onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/3 cup red wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup pomegranate juice
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. flour


1. Saute onion and garlic to pan.

2. Add red wine; bring to a boil. Cook until liquid almost evaporates, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.

3. Stir in broth, juice, and sugar; bring to a boil.

4. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 10 minutes), stirring occasionally.

5. Add flour, stirring until smooth; bring to a boil.

6. Reduce heat and cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Serve sauce with lamb.

Make it a meal: Serve over lamb with steamed green beans and roasted potatoes.

Wine: Shiraz or Pinot Noir

Healthy Hash Browns

I'm back, dah-lings! It has been a while, and in my world you have all been terribly worried about me.

I could eat this dish everyday. It can be as easy or time-consuming as you want. I had a little time, and I actually grated two potatoes for this. It took all of seven minutes, but I kept banging my giant pink sapphire ring, and I don't like that. I may use frozen next time. I did use leftover previously frozen spinach.

My husband said there was too much spinach in this, but he hates vegetables in the morning or in eggs or on pizza or anything else! Surprise, surprise, he thought it needed more bacon. Absolutely hopeless.

Make this for when the girls are coming over for brunch.

Healthy Hash Browns

3-4 slices bacon or turkey bacon
1/4 cup chopped onion
3 cups chopped spinach
2 cups russet potato shreds (about one 2 medium potato's worth), thoroughly patted dry
3 Tbsp. sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained, patted dry, chopped
Dash salt
Dash black pepper
3 dashes garlic powder

1. Cook bacon, cool, and crumble. Drain most of the fat.


2. Add onion and cook until slightly softened, about 3 minutes.

3. Add spinach to the skillet, stir often, about 3 minutes.

4. Add cooked bacon, potato shreds, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to the skillet. Mix. Evenly spread out the mixture in the skillet, and gently press down with a spatula.

5. Without stirring, cook until potatoes have browned, 5 - 7 minutes. (Use a spatula to check under the edges for browning.)

6. Working in sections, flip mixture over in the skillet with the spatula so the other side can brown. Cook for another 3 - 4 minutes, until thoroughly cooked and browned.

Options: Serve with low-fat sour cream and or hot sauce. I use both. You know me, too much is just enough.

Make it a meal: Serve with an egg on top--poached is nice is someone poaches it for you (too messy for me).

Wine: Champagne or Mimosas, Dah-ling!

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

I love the flavor of buffalo wings, but I hate gnawing at them in public. I also can't stand that they are basically skin and fat. This is a bit healthier version and a hundred times less messy than the original.

I hate touching raw meat, so my man did all the heavy rolling. The original recipe I saw made 16 meatballs out of 1 pound of meat. My man made big manly-sized balls out of it. There were only seven. Bless him.



Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

1 lb. ground chicken

3-4 cloves garlic

2-3 slices onion, chopped

a bit of Italian-style bread crumbs

some fresh chives from the garden

buffalo sauce (I use Texas Pete's)

a few pads of butter

Mix the chicken, garlic, onion, bread crumbs, and chives together.
Form into meatballs and bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
Remove from oven and put in a crock pot.
Cover the meatballs with the sauce and butter.
Cook on high for about 30 minutes.
Serve with blue cheese or ranch dressing.

Make it a meal: Serve with celery and carrots.

Wine: Beer