This is the kind of thing that happens to me in the middle of the week. I’m minding my own business, just trying to roast an easy chicken with some veggies and I get an idea: How about some figs roasted in with those veggies — can you roast dried figs? I sure don’t know the answer but I’m betting my dad does.

A call to Steve Degon with a cooking question is never that simple, and instead of knowing whether or not I can roast a dried fig (answer: not unless you reconstitute it, and then I’m still not convinced), I’m left with the makings for an amazing fig and port sauce.

I’m hardly complaining, because it was super-easy and more delicious than I could have possibly imagined. I can just feel it — this is going to be one of our new go-to sauces. It’s that good. It probably helped some that it complemented the garlicky chicken perfectly. You really need to try this one, and even though it’s a piece of cake to make, you can serve it to company and let the ooing and ahhing commence.

The roasted chicken is inspired by a Cooking Light recipe in an old cookbook I have of theirs. I’ve never tried it until tonight, but I love the way the chicken comes out when you cook it on a high heat for 30 minutes. It sort of sears the skin and makes for a really moist chicken.

Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Chicken with Fig and Port Sauce

Ingredients:

For chicken

• a whole chicken
• 8 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• olive oil
• 2 onions, quartered

For sauce

• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup port wine
• 4 large dried Turkish figs, chopped
• 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• 2 tablespoons butter

Preheat over to 450 degrees. Place chicken breast side up in a roasting pan and push the garlic and rosemary under the skin of the breast and drumsticks. Also put some inside the cavity. Brush the skin with olive oil and salt and pepper the skin and the cavity. Bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes. Then, turn down the oven to 350 degrees, add the quartered onion to the roasting pan, and cook for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 180 degrees and drumsticks move freely in their sockets.

When you’ve got about a half hour of cooking time left, put all sauce ingredients into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until figs are mushy and breaking apart. Remove from heat and stir in the butter.

Carve your chicken and serve over a bead of spinach with the roasted onions and the sauce. You could also include onions of shallots in your sauce, or chop the roasted onion and add it to the sauce before serving. Mine tasted so perfect the way it was that I didn’t want to mess with it, but it accompanied the onion wonderfully.

I’ve got quite an advantage over most of you reading this post, because you can’t call up Steve Degon any old day of the week and get inspiration like this. It’s my duty to pass on his brilliance!

What is it with America and its meatloaf? I’ve never made a meatloaf until the other night, and with this one simple act, I think I’ve solved many of this country’s problems.

Meatloaf is not a quick and easy meal. Seriously people, if this is the way you all cook, it’s no wonder that America eats out 4-5 nights a week on average. I’d eat out too if all of my meals took multiple steps and over two hours from start to finish. Put a piece of fish on a grill pan and roast some broccoli and sweet potatoes. You’ll have a delicious, healthy meal in a half hour.

It is not fun to make a meatloaf. It’s fun playing in a sandbox. I enjoy rolling ginger cookies into balls and coating them with sugar. I do not ever again want to take my wedding rings off in order to plunge my hands into two pounds of cold, raw meat and mix. With. My. Hands. I may as well have been swimming in Maine’s oceans, for crying out loud. We’re talking severe pain deep within the blood vessels, too cold for words. I’m so sure this was a job for my KitchenAid. I’ve washed my hands three times and there is still crusty raw meat stuck under my fingernails.

But it’s all OK, because I’ve just made the world’s most delicious meatloaf and I’m beginning to understand what you people see in this dish.

I never, ever watch the news, but when I saw Stephi’s of Boston’s recipe for cheddar meatloaf, I decided it was finally time for me to participate in this American pastime of meatloaf-making. As usual, my recipe looks absolutely nothing like hers in the end; I don’t even use cheese. I will always thank Stephi for her inspiration and perhaps I’ll even attempt the cheese someday.

Debbie’s Gourmet Meatloaf

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground turkey, dark meat
• 1 pound ground beef, 85%
• 1 egg
• 1 medium onion, chopped and caramelized
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 2 teaspoons grainy mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
• 1 slice of bread toasted and food-processed (or 1/2 cup bread crumbs)
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the egg and the next 6 ingredients in a large mixing bowl and then add the meats, oregano and basil and salt and pepper to taste. Mix with your hands (or for crying out loud, try your KitchenAid) until completely blended. Fold in bread crumbs until just blended.

On a cookie sheet lined with foil, form a loaf with mixture and coat with salt and pepper. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour, fifteen minutes or until 160 degrees in the center.

I served my meatloaf with a giant mesclun salad and that’s all. Well, OK, the five-year-old dipped it in ketchup, but he does that with everything.

Is there anyone who doesn’t love cheese? OK, I’m not talking to you vegans, unless you count that fake soy cheese as remotely edible. But the rest of us love cheese. You don’t know how happy I was when I got pregnant and my lactose intolerance mysteriously disappeared. Owen’s birthday marked a day much more special than just becoming a mom — I could eat cheese again!

Many of us entertain to celebrate the New Year, and I’ve already given you nineteen ideas for easy and festive appetizers you can prepare. Now, the CliqueClack Food staff has banded together to give you some of our favorite cheese platters. After all, everyone should have a little Clique in their New Year.

Bob says, “I really like serving jelly with cheese. In particular there is a hot pepper cranberry jelly that is amazing with both brie (or St. Andre, another favorite) and extremely sharp cheddar. I also like to serve a selection of hard cheeses (Gruyere, Manchego, etc) with some paté.”

Keith loves meat with cheese too, like assorted hard cheeses (some spicy!) with cured meats, like salami, gourmet sausages and prosciutto.

Cate says in Portugal, where she lives, “people like to serve cheese with plain cakes, like an un-iced pound cake — sounds really weird but it’s totally delicious. It’s especially good with super-soft buttery cheeses. It’s that sweet/salty combination that makes it work, like Bob’s cheese and jelly or that feta with peppered honey. Other than that they pretty much just do a basic antipasto platter — cubes of cheese, slices or chunks of prosciutto, olives, fresh crusty bread, and lots of wine!”

Back to the jelly with cheese: my brother has been serving brie with apple butter to great raves, and two favorites of mine are Manchego with fig jam and Gouda with roasted onion and garlic jam.

Kona says, “I like to have an assortment of hard and soft cheeses with fruit, like grapes and Granny Smith apples. Blue cheese and granny smiths are great together. I also always make sure to have goat cheese and Dubliner on hand.”

Since Owen and I don’t eat wheat, we’ll use rice crackers, but like Kona, fruit works best. Here are some of my favorite combinations:

• figs and feta
• Gala apples and gouda
• red grapes and gorgonzola
• strawberries with goat cheese

Kelly, the new kid on the block here at CliqueClack, loves to serve Alouette garlic and herb spread with crackers. Her family also loves Cabot extra sharp cheddar, and they will accept no substitute.

Jen‘s got some cheese and bread pairings for us (but why would we expect anything different from the genius behind the “Let’s Get Baked” column): “We like to pair Camembert with a good crusty Italian bread, sliced pears, and OLIVES!  But gorgonzola melted onto bread slices under the broiler is always a great favorite, especially paired with a nice Shiraz.”

A few other super combinations that are easy to put together for guests:

• Manchego, Marcona almonds and raw honey (you could also do a fried goat cheese with this combo)
• Goat cheese, olives and roasted red pepper
• fresh mozzarella with sun-dried tomato tapenade

Even Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa herself, got together with us to share some of her cheese platter ideas. OK, not really, but the link is out there for the world to see and I had you there for a minute, didn’t I?

If you’re serving wine with your cheese appetizers, we’ve discovered several rosé Cote du Rhones that go amazingly well with cheese. You also can’t miss with a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

There are no rules for the cheese platter, but we hope that some of our favorites will make your New Year’s gathering even more special. Happy New Year from CliqueClack Food, and be sure to share your favorite combinations in the comments!

How will you be ringing in the New Year? If you’re at home with a young one, like Keith and I, you’ll probably be hoping for an early kid bedtime so you can enjoy your rack of lamb in peace, but you definitely won’t be partying. That doesn’t have to keep you from enjoying appetizers that practically scream, “Best. Party. Ever.”

Even if you’re not saddled with child, these appetizers will appeal and make your party (or your bring-along) a huge gastronomical hit.

I’ve recently made four dips that are perfect for partying: tahini miso dip goes well with snap peas or sesame crackers, and white bean dip with sun-dried tomato and roasted garlic is magical with crostini laced with pecorino romano and extra virgin olive oil. Alton Brown’s olive tapenade and this sun-dried tomato tapenade are spectacular with just about anything edible.

My cousin’s wife makes a warm goat cheese in tomato sauce dip that is easy and crowd-pleasing. To this basic recipe, I’d add a bunch of fresh basil, chiffonade style and probably even some Kalamata olives.

Some of Bob’s favorite Food Network recipes are appetizers, like Bobby Flay’s flatbread with white bean hummus and Alton Brown’s spinach artichoke dip. One spinach artichoke dip you don’t want to make is Food Network’s lightened up version; a great idea but a flavor failure.

Now I’m thinking of my perfect hummus recipe, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with paprika. It’s perfect for serving just like that, with pita triangles, or using on bruschetta with sun-dried tomatoes and Kalamata olives, and maybe a fresh basil leaf, for a one-bite appetizer.

Speaking of one-bite or individual serving sized appetizers, I like these mini-quiches in prosciutto cups. This recipe is so ridiculously easy and so deliciously gourmet that it’s hard not to want to make them every night of the week.

If that’s too complicated for you, try wrapping dates or figs or asparagus in prosciutto with a little blue cheese sprinkled in. Bake until melty goodness is achieved and you’ve got yourself an appetizer.

You can even get fancy with some store-bought pesto, or your own homemade pesto. Spread eggplant rounds with pesto and top with a sun-dried tomato and slice of fresh mozzarella. Bake as above … you know, until melty goodness is achieved. Try the same on sliced baguette with roasted red peppers and goat cheese, or any combination that pleases you.

Don’t rule out the world’s easiest sushi rolls; I don’t know many people who wouldn’t pop those delightful little seaweed-wrapped nuggets like candy. We like avocado with just about anything stuffed inside, and you might be better off using cooked ingredients when serving a crowd. We can’t all claim to have friends with good taste.

Here’s an easy one that our guests brought to our house the other night: simple fried polenta sticks dipped in marinara sauce, courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis. Fun and appealing to just about everyone. Come to think of it, the fried polenta would be amazing with the sun-dried tomato tapenade I mentioned above.

What are your favorite appetizer ideas? Have you tried any of the above?

As fun as that may be, it sounds a little ambitious for my liking, yet roasting a leg of lamb with rosemary is just so … classic. Not that there’s anything wrong with that; sometimes, though, I like a little unexpectedness in my menu.

So I’ve got three ideas for you: they’re easy lamb dishes to prepare, but each one has that little surprise that will knock your — and your guests’ — socks off.

Have you seen the post about my spectacular lamb rub yet? It’s a keeper — it even pleased the top chef in my family: my dad. Grilling a butterflied leg of lamb is a fun alternative to roasting, especially if you’ve got the hankerin’ for some of the spring weather we’ve been having. And no one will expect the middle eastern flavors on Easter, trust me.

If you’re having a smaller crowd or just enjoy making individual portions for each of your guests, I suggest lamb chops with cherry balsamic sauce. This is a recipe that Keith and I make often, and it’s recently gotten rave reviews from said dad as well.

Finally, I stumbled across this crock pot recipe for lamb chops in apricot curry. Just like the middle eastern flavors in the rub, no one will expect curry on Easter, and the apricot nectar adds a celebratory springy touch, don’t you think? Besides, preparing your meal and leaving it to cook on its own is a rather tempting prospect….

What are you preparing for Easter dinner this year?

Your pantry is uber-stocked like mine, right? Dig out that tube of polenta and those frozen sausages for Sausage Polenta Bake, crack open that can of garbanzo beans and break open the frozen spinach for Middle East Vegetarian Delight, or defrost that pound of ground beef or turkey for a Shortcut Pasta Bolognese.

Even if you don’t have all those ingredients handy, these are quick and easy recipes with few ingredients, so you’ll want to add them to your repertoire. These dishes would all work beautifully with a side salad.

Shortcut Pasta Bolognese

Ingredients:

• 1 jar pasta sauce
• 1 pound ground beef, ground turkey or meat substitute
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup red wine
• optional if you’ve got them: fresh, sliced mushrooms, fresh chopped basil, toasted pine nuts, feta orparmesan cheese
• 1 pound pasta

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, saute the onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil until fragrant and tender, about three minutes. Add meat (and mushrooms if using) and brown well. Deglaze the pan with the red wine and scrape the brown bits off the pan. Stir in the pasta sauce, heat through, and toss with the pasta in a pretty pasta bowl. Sprinkle with basil, pine nuts and cheese. Serve.

If you use brown rice pasta and leave off the cheese, this meal is gluten-free and dairy-free.

Middle East Vegetarian Delight

Ingredients:

• 1 jar pasta sauce
• 1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
• 1 can chick peas, rinsed and drained
• 1 10-oz package of frozen spinach
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/3 cup raisins, golden raisins or currants
• cooked brown rice, quinoa or couscous, about 1 cup per person
• optional if you’ve got them: pine nuts or cashews, fresh cilantro or parsley

Saute the onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil until fragrant and tender, about three minutes.Add the spices and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add all other ingredients (not rice or optional) and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve over rice, quinoa or couscous, sprinkled with the nuts and fresh herbs.

If you use rice or quinoa, this dish is gluten-free and dairy-free.

Sausage Polenta Bake

Ingredients:

• 1 package precooked sausage, about 4 sausages, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 tube polenta, cut into 3/4-inch slices
• 1 jar pasta sauce
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• optional if you’ve got them: feta cheese crumbles, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, fresh parsley

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange sausage chunks and polenta slices in a greased casserole dish. Pour pasta sauce over them and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 15-30 minutes or until heated through. Arrance 2-3 slices of polenta and about 4 chunks of sausage on a plate, spoon some sauce over them and sprinkle with optional ingredients.

If you leave out the optional cheese, this dish is gluten-free and dairy-free.

First of all, if you choose to buy the tub of pre-made hummus from the grocery store, please throw away the container. It may be handy, but it is not for serving. Get a pretty dish. And might I suggest a shallow platter as opposed to a deeper bowl. Presentation is (almost) everything….

After you’ve conquered your dish challenge, try these simple dress-ups to elevate your average hummus dip to a culinary masterpiece:

• drizzle with raspberry vinaigrette, sprinkle with chopped fresh mint and decorate platter with fresh raspberries; serve with crispy crackers.
• drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with paprika and chopped fresh parsley and embellish with chick peas (as in photo); serve with traditional pita.
• make hummus with black beans instead of chick peas, and sprinkle with cumin and chopped fresh cilantro; serve with corn chips.
• like spokes on a wheel, arrange slices of smoked salmon on top of hummus, sprinkle with caramelized onions and capers, and serve with toast rounds.
• arrange Kalamata olives in an appealing design, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with chopped fresh basil and chopped tomatoes; serve with bruschetta.

See if you don’t get more compliments with these easy hummus alterations at your nest party. You’ll never serve hummus in the plastic container again!

What other combinations tempt your palate?

Yep, we’ve got ourselves a texture boy, one who’ll eat anything because he loves trying new flavors, but sometimes he just can’t get past the texture. Sure, I could give him spinach in a salad, I suppose, but he’s got a funny thing about big pieces of greens.

I’ve discovered the perfect way to prepare spinach for my mush-hater, and it’s something that can translate into an easy yet classy appetizer too.

How will my son devour spinach? When I take each leaf, fold it in half, roll it and put it on a toothpick. No stems can be sticking out, of course, but that’s easily remedied. So that’s kind of cute, right? And it really doesn’t take too long. Here are a few ideas of combinations you could add to the toothpick for a fun appetizer with lots of taste and a funky little presentation:

• a chunk of manchego cheese, prosciutto, a dried fig and rolled spinach.
• feta rolled into the spinach leaf, half a grape tomato, and a Kalamata olive.
• half a strawberry and goat cheese rolled into the spinach, with an aged balsamic dipping sauce.
• caramelized onions rolled into the spinach, a chunk of gouda and a slice of apple.
• jalapeno jelly rolled into the spinach and a chunk of brie.

The combinations are endless! So whether you’re preparing a quick and easy appetizer for some impromptu guests, or desperately trying to get your little one to ingest some leafy greens, the rolled spinach is sure to be a winner.

What other combination ideas do you have?