Ignite Restaurant

We had a great time at Ignite in Manchester, NH. There was a show going on at the Palace Theatre, but we were seated in a reasonable amount of time (1/2 glass wine). Meanwhile we sat/stood at the bar. After being seated, we didn't have to clear our bar tab as the bartender became our server.

We started with the mussels special which was fabulous! A bit spicy and we fought over the bits of garlic and tomatoes to mop up with the garlic toasts.

I had an ostrich burger. The server recommended I go rare instead of my usual medium rare since ostrich cooks quickly. It was too red for me. I would do medium rare next time. They gave me a side salad instead of a starch.

My dining companion had the filet mignon. It was good. I'm used to that cut being seasoned. His needed a shake of salt. His garlic mashed potatoes were real and lovely. We ate it all.

Food: Quite good
Service: Excellent
Decor: Gorgeous
Prices: Fair value

Lemon Butter

This is my favorite butter to use for garlic bread. Use it on pasta vegetables, or fish for fabulous flavor. Tonight I'm putting it on top of tilapia.

Lemon Butter

1/2 cup butter

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley

Make it a meal: Serve atop cooked orzo with a side of steamed broccoli. Put the butter on the broccoli too!

Wine: Chardonnay

Easy Chicken Satay

I made this while in a pinch staying at my ski chalet. I had taken chicken out to cook, but night after night, my gorgeous husband took me out to eat. We were having guests the following night, so I decided to make a chicken appetizer with what few ingredients I keep at the Chardonnay Chalet. I whipped this together and it was a surprising hit! (photo by mtcarlson)

Easy Chicken Satay

2 tablespoons peanut butter

½ cup soy sauce

½ cup lime juice (which I keep around for mojitos)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1 lb. chicken cut up into bite-sized pieces

Whip the first seven ingredients in a pretty bowl.
Add the chicken and marinate at least 2 hours, but overnight is best.
Grill or sauté and serve with little toothpicks stuck in them.

Make it a meal: Serve ahead of Mountain Chili (see recipe) which will keep you warm at the ski chalet.

Wine: Gewürztraminer

Crab & Orzo Salad

Salad or pasta dish? I think of salads as being cold. This can be served either warm or cold. Divas can be warm or cold. It depends if you bought them a convertible for their birthday or cleaning equipment.

Crab & Orzo Salad

1 cup orzo

½ onion, chopped

1 can crab meat

12 Roasted Grape Tomatoes (see recipe) or 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped

½ cup mayonnaise

2 tbsp. chili sauce (I use Thai chili sauce)

1 squeeze lemon juice

salt & pepper

3 drops hot pepper sauce

Cook orzo according to directions.
Sauté onion.
Combine orzo onion, crab meat, and tomatoes.
In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, chili sauce, lemon juice, salt, pepper and hot sauce.
Pour the spicy sauce over the orzo mixture and serve.

Make it a meal: This is a great light lunch on its own or it can be a side dish with Baked Trout with Parmesan (see recipe).

Wine: Sauvignon Blanc

Roasted Grape Tomatoes

Divas love versatility in their cooking, wardrobe, men, and jewelry.Divas will love this simple dish for the same reasons. I make these ahead of time and then pop them out and throw them into various recipes. They also work fine on their own as a side dish. You can also freeze them. Variety!

Roasted Grape Tomatoes

1 carton grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes cut in half

2-3 glugs olive oil

oregano, thyme, or basil

garlic cloves, minced

Put everything into a pretty bowl and mix.
Pour it all into a roasting dish.
Roast it all at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes.
That's it!

Make it a meal: Serve alongside Chicken & Stuffing (see recipe)

Wine: Sangiovese

Chicken & Stuffing

Super easy comfort food! Make this in the morning and dish it out to hungry family members in the evening. My man loves this. He had two helpings tonight!

3 celery sticks, chopped

3-4 boneless chicken breast

1 cup chicken broth

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of celery soup

1/4 cup milk

3 cups stuffing mix

4-5 pats of butter

salt and pepper to taste

Toss celery into the bottom of the crock pot.
Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper, and place in the slow cooker.
Pour chicken broth over chicken breasts.
Combine both cans of soup and milk.
Pour soup mixture over the chicken.
Sprinkle stuffing mix over all.
Put butter on top.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Make it a meal: Serve with steamed broccoli.

Wine: Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay

Carmelized Onion with Thyme

This is a healthy, anti-oxidants side dish. If you like vinegar as much as I do, you are going to adore this dish. (photo by Darwin Bell)

Caramelized Onion with Thyme

1 onion, sliced

2 glugs olive oil

salt & pepper

1/4 cup white wine

dash thyme

dash champagne vinegar

Toss the onions on a large pan; salt and pepper.
Add olive oil and sauté briefly, then cover the pan.
Stir the onion often for about 10-15 minutes until onion is soft.
The onions should be golden brown.

Reduce the heat to medium-low.
Add the wine and stir until wine is evaporated, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the vinegar and thyme.

Make it a meal: Serve with roasted chicken and green beans.

Wine: Sauvignon Blanc