Not your same old bird.

The Diva understands that chicken is for many the go-to weeknight meal: its cheap, cooks fast and tastes like, well...chicken. But it can get boring very fast. The routine is the same: thaw out a breast or thigh, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then bake or grill until cooked. If you're feeling particularly ambitious, maybe a side of broccoli or Minute rice.

Don't deny it, we've all been there. Snore.

Well boys and girls, it's time for a variation on a theme...and you can still go wild with the side of broccoli.

Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts


















2 chicken breasts (or cutlets)
4 ounces goat cheese, at room temperature
1 small onion, sliced thin
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped fine
salt and pepper to taste
butcher's twine or toothpicks

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small saute pan, heat butter and 1 tablespoon of oil over low heat until melted. Add onion, salt and pepper and, stirring occasionally, cook on low until onions turn translucent and begin to caramelize. This can take anywhere from 10-15 minutes depending on the heat of your stove. Remove from heat.

If using chicken breasts, place each between layers of plastic wrap and pound them out (using a meat tenderizer, rolling pin, whatever) to approximately 1/4 inch thick (If using cutlets, just make sure they are even in thickness!).

In a small bowl, combine onions, parsley and goat cheese and mix well. Be sure to taste this mixture and add additional salt and pepper as needed.

To assemble, divide the onion mixture between each chicken breast and spread it out evenly. Slowly roll up the chicken breast and fasten with toothpicks or butcher's twine. Season the outside of the chicken with salt and pepper.

In the same saute pan you used for the onions, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat. Sear the chicken on each side. Don't rush this step! The chicken will let you know when it's time to flip, and release easily from the pan. If it's giving you trouble, just relax and give it another minute before trying again.

If you're using a stainless steel or oven safe pan, transfer the pan to the oven and let the chicken cook through. Cooking time will depend on the size of your breasts (insert snickering giggles here...you know you want to). Ahem, er...if you have a meat thermometer, feel free to use it.

When the chicken is cooked through, slice and enjoy!

Fabulous Feasting,
The Diva.

Making food fun for the kiddies

The Diva doesn't have any kids yet...but that doesn't mean she's ignorant to the struggles some parents have with getting the kiddies to eat their peas (and other foods). Enter, Constructive Eating's bulldozer pusher, fork lift fork and front loader spoon!


I think these are absolutely adorable, and it makes me wish there were more little tykes around for me to buy little holiday presents for! According to the company's web site (www.constructiveeating.com), the utensils are textured, have easy-grip handles and are modeled to scale. Parents can appreciate that they are dishwasher safe and are made with FDA-approved that are are PVC free, phthalate free and free of Bisphenol A (BPA).

The utensils come in a set that retails for about $15-$20 and can be purchased online from Creative Eating, or a number of other online retailers. You can find them locally at Kitchen Arts on Newbury Street in Boston (both as a set and sold individually).

A must for any pint-sized future foodie on your list!

Fabulous Feasting,
The Diva.

Butternut Squash Ravioli

Like clockwork, the changing fall leaves bring about this annual craving for butternut squash. Whether it’s mashed with brown sugar and butter or in these raviolis, I’ll take it any way I can get it. My recipe for butternut squash ravioli is stripped down, simple and no fuss. I cheat and use small wonton wrappers, but they are just as good – if not better – than using homemade pasta dough to make them. Also, by using store-bought wontons, it makes this recipe possible to throw together on a weeknight.

Butternut Squash Ravioli














For the Ravioli
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into half-inch cubes
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh sage, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 package wonton wrappers
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

For the Sauce
4 tbsp butter (can be either salted or unsalted)
fresh sage leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil and preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine squash, oil, sage, garlic, salt and pepper. Toss well to combine and spread in one even layer on the baking sheet. Roast until tender and starting to brown, about 30-40 minutes. Remove any large pieces of sage and, using a potato masher or food processor, mash mixture until no large pieces of squash remain. Cool completely.

At a clean workspace, combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl. To make the ravioli, place a rounded teaspoon of the squash mixture in the middle of a single wonton wrapper. Using a small pastry brush (or your finger), moisten two edges of the wrapper with the cornstarch mixture.
Gently fold the wrapper into a triangle, joining opposite corners and taking care to remove any air bubbles and not push the squash mixture out of the edges. Using a sharp knife, trim the edges of the wonton, if necessary.

If not cooking immediately, place the completed ravioli on a parchment lined baking sheet or cutting board.

Freeze completed raviolis on a baking sheet for approximately 30 minutes or until firm and then transfer to a ziplock freezer bag.

To cook, bring a large saucepan of water to a rolling boil. Add a small handful of salt and return to a boil. In a small skillet melt butter over medium heat and add sage, salt and pepper and cook until butter begins to brown, about 3 minutes. In the meantime, add ravioli to the saucepan, one at a time, so that none overlap. When ravioli begin to float and turn translucent, remove from water using a slotted spoon. Transfer ravioli to the skillet and toss in butter sauce to coat. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes
Because these raviolis are a two-step process (roasting the squash and then assembling), it’s a good recipe to split up. I always end up roasting the squash and then tossing it in the fridge for a day or two before tackling the ravioli.

Since the squash is roasted and not boiled, it doesn’t get mushy or watery if refrigerated. That doesn’t mean you can’t make this with frozen squash or homemade mashed squash (or using some other type of squash) - I’d just recommend giving it some time to drain off or using cheesecloth to wring out some of the liquid. Trust me, you’ll be less likely to have ravs that fall apart when boiling.

I always end up with triangular ravs when I use wonton wrappers. You can use two wrappers to make a square ravioli, but I find the squares quite large and hard to handle when making and cooking. Personal preference.

Fabulous Feasting,
The Diva.