Chicken Sausage Pasta with Pesto and Spinach

This simple meal made my man happy. Divas love a happy man. Happy men buy diamonds, emeralds, and Marmot ski jackets for their beloved.

Chicken Sausage Pasta with Pesto and Spinach

2/3 box whole wheat penne

1 package of chicken sausage (4)

1 handful of grape tomatoes, halved

fresh spinach

2 spoonfuls store-bought pesto

1 handful Parmesan cheese

Cook penne and drain.
Meanwhile, saute sausage and tomatoes.
Set aside.
Add spinach to saute pan and heat with a bit of olive oil.
Combine spinach, cooked penne, sausage, and tomatoes.
Mix in pesto.
Mix in Parmesan.

Make it a meal: Serve with bread.

Wine: Chardonnay or Pinot Noir

Oven-Baked Apples

Many recipes I see for baked apples call for the apples to be peeled. I prefer the skins on, in this case, because I like the crunchy texture next to the soft, baked fruit. Sometimes a diva likes skins off, but not here.

I cannot resist this dessert in the fall with the variety of apple types. If there is anything a diva knows about, that's variety. If there is anything a diva fails at, that is resisting dessert. Add resisting variety. Indeed, a diva craves variety.

Oven-Baked Apples

5-6 medium to small apples, diced
¼ cup brown sugar blended
½ tsp. cinnamon
2 squirts lemon juice
½ stick melted butter
½ cup golden raisins, (soaked in rum for 30 minutes optional)
¼ cup pecans, crushed

Toss the apples in a bowl with sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, and melted butter.
Add raisins and pecans.
Let sit 3-4 minutes while the oven heats and absorb flavor.
Pour apples into baking dish and bake at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes.
Apples are done when apples are tender but hold their shape.
Serve as is or with heavy cream, sour cream, whipped cream, Greek yogurt or ice cream.

Make it a meal: Serve after a lovely harvest meal of Butternut Squash Pasta (see recipe)

Wine: Chardonnay or Pinot Blanc

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

Garlic-y Crab Dip

A bit of garlic and Old Bay make this dip divine. This conjures up images of foamy ocean waves and salty skin. Oh my. Serve it quick, before summer is over.

Garlic-y Crab Dip

8 oz. cream cheese (I use light)

1 can of crab meat

1 big spoonful of mayonnaise (more light)

1 spoonful sour cream (again with the light)

3 pinches of Old Bay Seasoning

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire

2 dashes hot sauce

Mix all the ingredients together and serve at room temperature.
Serve with crudités (raw vegetables) or crackers.

Make it a meal: Serve with a bunch of other appetizers. It's too hot for an entire meal.

Wine: Chardonnay

Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts

Everyone loved these at my latest garden party complete with white mosaic tiki torches and custom painted purple chairs. There are only four ingredients and a few easy steps. I finished this before Koko Taylor had finished telling her man not to let her catch him with his drawers down. (photo by GoodNCrazy)

Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 Tbsp. sugar

8 ounces whole water chestnuts, drained

8 slices bacon, cut in half

Mix the soy sauce and the sugar.
Add the water chestnuts and marinate for 30 minutes.
Wrap each chestnut with ½ strip of bacon and secure with a toothpick.
Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Make it a meal: Serve ahead of grilled chicken thighs and brave potatoes (see recipe).

Wine: Shiraz

Pickled Carrot Salad

So easy! This recipe is so good, I actually eat my carrots. I feel so healty!

Pickled Carrot Salad

1 10 oz. bag julienned carrots

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/3 cup water

1 tablespoon sugar

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

In a saucepan, cook carrots in a small amount of water for about 10 minutes.
Drain and transfer to a serving dish.
Combine remaining ingredients in the saucepan.
Heat for a few minutes until the sugar dissolves.
Pour over carrots; cover and refrigerate for overnight.

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

Wine: Sauvignon Blanc

Antipasto

This was such a hit at a family get-together, I will absolutely make this again for company. It requires little work and a patient deli counter service person. There's a little something for everyone in there.

Just be careful with how much dressing you put on and when you are serving. You don't want the lettuce to get soggy.

Antipasto

1 bag Romaine lettuce

a few sprinkles garlic powder

1/4 lb. of deli meat sliced thin--Choose 3: Capicola, salami, ham, roast beef, prosciutto (I used the first 3 for mine)

1/4 lb. Provolone cheese

1/2 can artichoke hearts, quartered

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes

1/4 cup marinated mushrooms

1/4 cup pepperoncini

1/4 cup mozzarella balls

Light Caesar salad dressing to taste

Spread the lettuce around the edges of a pretty serving dish.
Sprinkle the lettuce with garlic powder.
Drizzle the lettuce with Light Caesar dressing.
Roll up the deli meats and stack in the middle.
Roll the Provolone and put in the lettuce like the spokes of a wheel.
Make piles of the artichoke hearts, tomatoes, mushrooms, pepperoncini, and mozzarella balls in sections atop the lettuce.
Refrigerate for a bit or serve right away.

Options: Add black and green olives.

Make it a meal: Serve aside pasta with marinara sauce and warm bread.

Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon or Chianti