Parker's Sangria

This has become a staple at our house parties. Everyone loves it, but no one remembers it. It's effective. 

1 lemon

1 lime

1 orange

1 1/2 cups spiced rum

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 750 mL bottle dry red wine

1 cup orange juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Have the fruit, rum, wine, and orange juice well chilled. Slice the lemon, lime and orange into thin rounds and place in a large glass pitcher. Pour in the rum, vanilla, and sugar. Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours to develop the flavors.

When ready to serve, crush the fruit lightly with a wooden spoon and stir in the wine and orange juice. Adjust sweetness to taste.

Chicken Divan for Two

Be sure to use an oven-safe skillet. You can substitute dry white wine for the sherry.

5 teaspoons vegetable oil
12 ounces broccoli florets, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 (6-8 ounce) boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, trimmed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (3/4 cup)
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in 10 inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add broccoli and cook until spotty brown, about 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup broth, cover, and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer broccoli to plate and wipe out skillet with paper towels.

Place 2 tablespoons flour in shallow dish. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour, shaking to remove excess. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook chicken until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate.

Reduce heat to medium, add butter and shallot to now-empty skillet, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in remaining 1 cup broth, cream, sherry, and Worcestershire and bring to simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Return chicken to skillet and simmer until it registers 160 degrees, 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking.

Adjust oven rack 9 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Transfer chicken to cutting board and continue to simmer sauce until reduced to 1/2 cup, 5 to 7 minutes. Off heat, whisk in 1/4 cup Parmesan and lemon juice. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Cut chicken into 1/2 inch thick slices and stir chicken and broccoli into sauce in skillet. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and broil until spotty brown, about 5 minutes. Serve.

Rhubarb Pear Spritzer

Emma and I came up with our own concoction yesterday. She thought it was so delicious, she declared "I will never go back to lemonade again!"

Vanilla Pear Simple Syrup

1 pear
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 a vanilla bean
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1. Peel the pear. Set the peel aside and quarter the pears, removing the core
2. Combine the sugar and water in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat immediately and let simmer, stirring constantly until all sugar granules are dissolved.
3. At the lowest heat, add the pear pieces, pear peel and ginger to the pan. Slice the vanilla bean, scraping out seeds from one half and adding the seeds and the scraped bean to the pan. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Remove the bean and the pear skins. Using an immersion blender, blend the pears into the syrup until smooth.
5. Pour through a fine mesh strainer and into a container. Let cool in the refrigerator.

 Mix pear syrup with rhubarb juice (we juiced ours in our kitchenaid juicer) and a splash of club soda.