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'Tis the season for tomatillos! I agree with your grilling method, really warms up the flavor. Happy Cinco de Mayo!

This savory salad would complement the rosemary in your chicken dish:

Stacked Portobello Mushroom Salad
with Pumpernickel Crisp and Blue Cheese

1 ½ ounces prosciutto, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 large portabella mushrooms, brushed clean, stemmed, sliced into ½-inch thick slices
6 ½-inch thick slices pumpernickel bread
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Salt and freshly ground pepper
6 cups arugula
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup crumbled blue cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place pumpernickel slices on baking sheet. Brush with melted butter and bake 14 minutes in oven, turning halfway through baking time. Set aside.

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add prosciutto and sauté until lightly browned. Add portabella slices, garlic, and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Sauté 4 minutes.

Place arugula into a shallow salad bowl. Whisk together lemon juice, oregano, mustard, Worcestershire and olive oil. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Drizzle over arugula and toss well.

To assemble:
Divide arugula evenly between 6 plates. Top with a pumpernickel crisp. Place mushrooms over each crisp. Top with blue cheese.

6 servings

Here's a dessert recipe to try:

Warm Pear Tart with Cinnamon Cream

1 17.3 –ounce package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
2 large D’Anjou pears, peeled, halved, cored, cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch- thick slices
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
4 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll out 1 pastry sheet on a floured work surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Using 6-inch plate as aid, cut out 2 rounds. Repeat rolling and cutting with second pastry sheet, forming 4 rounds total. Place rounds on heavy large baking sheet, spacing apart. Using 1 pear half for each tart, fan out pear slices in center of each round. Brush tarts with melted butter; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake until pears are tender and pastry is golden, about 22 minutes. Transfer tarts to plate. Drizzle each tart with *cinnamon cream sauce.

4 servings

CINNAMON CREAM SAUCE
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and boil rapidly 6 to 8 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Serve warm.

Enjoy your dinner party!

Here is a quick version of Shrimp and Grits. Cheese may not be included in the classic Shrimp and Grits recipes, but it sure does add an element of excitement.I add chipotle white cheddar cheese to mine. Try this recipe at home, and look for American wild shrimp.

Shrimp and Grits

3 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup quick cook grits
1 cup (4 ounces) chipotle white cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 pound thick sliced bacon, cut into 1/4-inch matchsticks
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound shelled and deveined large shrimp
3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

In a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a boil. Whisk in the grits and cook over moderately high heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and grits are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the cheese and butter, season with salt and pepper and whisk until the cheese is melted.

In a large skillet, heat oil until shimmering. Add the bacon and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the fat is rendered and the bacon is slightly crisp, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a towel-lined plate to drain.

Pour off all but 4 tablespoons of the bacon drippings in the skillet. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and add to skillet. Cook shrimp 1 minute, flip to other side and add garlic to pan; cooking an additional minute or two, until shrimp is beginning to curl. Add parsley and reserved bacon; season with salt and pepper and serve over chipotle white cheddar grits.
4 servings

1. My favorite 8" Wustohf chef's knife
2. Large wooden cutting board
3. 12" All-Clad saute pan
4. Microplane graters
5. Cuisinart food processor
6. KitchenAid stand mixer