Sunday Dinner with Airbnb South Side Passport

There is nothing like planning for Sunday dinner, especially when the guest has just attended worship services and bypassed their own home to come to my home just to meet. Sundays are reserved for family, resting, and getting ready for the workweek.  So, this Sunday, I made an entire course dinner, starting with appetizers and dessert for a special friend who does so much in her community. She is planning a reception and fundraiser to support the Wakanda Conference in July, held here in the Bronzeville Art District.

Guest: Suzetta Whittaker is the co-chair of Airbnb Chicago Southside Passport. She is an active host and business owner of Airbnb and one of the group's founders. She coordinates events and gatherings for the Airbnb owners on the Southside of Chicago. The members meet to discuss policies and support each other's business endeavors in a social environment.

Menu

Appetizer:

Lemon, cucumber, lemon, mint water

Stuffed Hawaiian Bread with Artichoke Jalapeno Dip

Spring Mix Salad with Tomato Basil Dressing, pecan, cranberry

Meal: Smothered Rotisserie Chicken, 

Low sodium Mashed Potatoes

Grilled asparagus

Sparkling White Grape Party Punch

Dessert: Lemon Merage pie

Women's history month I'm celebrating my friends by pulling out all the stops when preparing simple Sunday dinners and asking them to join me for a one-on-one experience.

Let’s all agree that it’s nothing like coming home to a fully prepared meal, starting with appetizers and ending with dessert.

Lemon, cucumber, lemon, mint water

1 cucumber
1 lemon
2 limes
1 bunch of mint
Slice them all and divide the ingredients between four 24 oz. Water bottles and fill them up with filtered water. Drink daily. Not only does this taste delicious and help flush fat, but it also counts toward your daily water intake!

Lemons: Help absorb sugars and calcium and reduce your cravings for sweets.

Cucumbers act as a diuretic and flush fat cells. In addition, it is alkalizing to the body (if you have an alkaline body, no diseases can live there) and increase your energy levels.

Limes promote a healthy digestive tract.

Mint is a natural appetite suppressant that also aids in digestion.

Hot  Artichoke Dip in a Bread Bowl

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1/4 cup mayo
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1 15 oz can quarter artichokes chopped and drained
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 KING'S HAWAIIAN® sweet round bread

Instructions from scratch- I used a premade dip omitting all the hard work.
Chop artichokes into small pieces and place them into a large bowl.

Microwave cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute.
Mix cream cheese, yogurt, mayo, garlic, grated parmesan cheese, and salt.
Add cheese mixture to bowl with veggies and mix together until well combined.
You can cut the middle section out of the bread bowl, leaving a small layer of bread on the bottom so the mixture doesn't leak through.

Could you add the mixture to the center of the bread bowl? Top with shredded parmesan cheese.
Wrap bread bowl sides with aluminum foil (leaving the dip portion uncovered).
Broil in the oven for 1 minute or until cheese is browned and gooey.
Remove from oven and serve with cubed KING'S HAWAIIAN® sweet round bread that you cut out of the middle of the bread bowl earlier.1 jar (6-1/2 ounces) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped.

Grilled Asparagus

Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook garlic in butter for a minute, but do not brown. Add asparagus, and cook for 10 minutes, turning the asparagus to ensure even cooking. (I used spray-on olive oil, didn't use the butter, added sea salt to season, and used my grill skillet to make the grill marks on the asparagus.)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cloves minced garlic
1 pound fresh asparagus spears, trimmed

Smothered Rotisserie Chicken

After trying a similar chicken dish in a restaurant, I re-created it home. I used a rotisserie chicken, to begin with. Then, I used some oxtail broth I had saved, red salsa, jalapeno peppers, and red onions. This savory dish comes together in no time and uses the ingredients I usually have. And since it cooks in one skillet, it's a cinch to clean up!

 But if you are one of those who need to do it from scratch, here is the recipe.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup 2% milk
8 bone-in chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), skin removed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
2 cans (8 ounces each) of tomato sauce
1 cup of water
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin

In the same skillet, sauté onion and jalapenos until tender. Add the tomato sauce, water, and spices. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or thickened, stirring occasionally. Pour over chicken and serve on a bed of mashed potatoes.

Sparkling White Grape Punch 

This classy Sparkling White Grape Punch Recipe will be perfect for your next dinner party!

Ingredients
1 bottle (64 ounces) of sparkling white grape juice, chilled.
1-1/2 cups of S. Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water
2 liters lemon-lime juice, chilled.
Cane Sugar to taste
Seedless red or green grapes are optional.

Ingredients- to give it a kick,
1 pint of Moscato White Wine
2 liters Ginger Ale, chilled
64 ounces White Grape Juice, chilled

1-1/2 cups white cranberry juice, chilled.