Chinese-Style Chicken Lettuce Wraps

To me, the ideal summer meal comes together relatively quickly without turning on the oven. These chicken lettuce wraps are just that; the most labor-intensive part is in chopping all the fresh produce, and then it cooks up in less than 15 minutes on the stovetop. It’s a wonderful family dinner or summer party finger food. I love the vibrant colors and flavors here, especially the kick of ginger and sweet hoisin sauce and the subtle notes of orange. Some lightly sautéed bell pepper and crushed peanuts give it some lovely crunch. I use romaine lettuce as I think it stands up better than traditional iceberg to hold all that delicious filling inside and to me has more flavor. Make these fresh & vibrant chicken lettuce wraps and you won’t ever crave the Chinese restaurant ones again!

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Shrimp in Kimonos

What could be a more festive starter than shrimp wrapped in prosciutto, tied with chives and smothered in a spicy maple sauce? As I made these, knotting the chives across the prosciutto-wrapped shrimp reminded me of tying an obi over a kimono during festivals in Japan. I think these would be great for entertaining — These little lovelies come dressed for your holiday party and are sure to please with their savory-sweet taste.

Baked Camembert with Thyme & Drizzled Honey

This  is best enjoyed by the flickering light & warmth of a fireplace among friends after a day playing in the snow. Open up some wine, slice up some apples, toast up some crunchy baguette slices, toss a bunch of grapes onto the platter, and let the reveling begin.