Desperately seeking phenomenal munchies to wow your Super Bowl guests?

Wing it without breaking the bank. Beyond Buffalo wings, we’re making over an old standby that will leave them gasping O-M-G.

O-M-goodness, O-M-gooey orange maple and ginger wings are marinated overnight, then tossed on a smokin’ hot grill until perfectly crisp and caramelized.

If you can find, garnish these babies with adorable kumquats, thinly sliced, along with scallions and a flourish of toasted sesame seeds.

They are spicy, sweet, salty and gloriously sticky, so indulge in a blissful bite or two. And don’t forget to lick your fingers (napkins are so overrated).

Orange Maple Ginger Wings

Serves 8 as an appetizer

3 tablespoons ginger paste

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 teaspoon fresh orange zest

3 tablespoons sesame oil

1 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup hoisin sauce

1 teaspoon sriracha, or more to taste

4 pounds chicken wings (drumettes and flats, separated at the joint)

Scallions, toasted sesame seeds and kumquat slices, for garnish

Combine ginger, garlic, orange juice and zest, sesame oil, maple syrup, hoisin and sriracha, whisking until smooth. Reserving 1/2 cup marinade for basting, pour remaining marinade into a large ziptop bag. Add wings, tossing until evenly coated; refrigerate overnight.

Prepare the grill by oiling cooking grate; heat to medium-high.

Place wings directly on cooking grate in a single layer; discard marinade. Turn wings occasionally, basting with reserved marinade until skin is caramelized and nicely charred, 12 to 15 minutes. Wings are fully cooked when flesh separates easily from the bone and juices run clear.

Mound wings onto a serving platter, garnishing with scallions, toasted sesame seeds and sliced kumquats, if using; serve warm. If making ahead, cover with foil and keep warm in a low oven.

DIVA CONFESSIONS: CHICKEN TENDERLOINS

Comply with those newly minted 2012 resolutions and swap chicken wings for bad-to-the-boneless chicken tenderloins. Marinate overnight and grill until tender, basting with the reserved marinade. Our vegan and veggie readers may wish to grill tempeh and veggie kabobs. Marinate cubed tempeh then build kabobs with colorful veggies of your choice.

Buddha’s Delight can be your delight, too.

A tempting treasure trove of Mother Earth’s most precious jewels, crisp colorful veggies lightly sautéed in a gingery glaze, this traditional vegetarian dish was used for self-purification during the first five days of the Chinese New Year. (Fast forward to 2012: Chinese New Year will be celebrated on Monday.)

After the holiday binge (and bulge) of all things cookies and cocktails, a bit of nutritional mindfulness will restore sanity, serenity – and the Buddha’s signature smile.

Follow our recipe, or purify your post-holiday fridge as well, tossing in leftover bits of this or that.

Serve with nutty, whole-grain brown rice or noodles, a spoonful or two of chili garlic paste for heat, and, of course, chopsticks.

Divas’ Delight

Serves 2 amply as an entrée; 4 to 6 as side dish

FOR THE SAUCE:

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon sriracha, optional

3 tablespoons ginger paste

1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon rice vinegar (may substitute white vinegar)

4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

FOR THE STIR FRY:

Vegetable oil for stir frying

3 broccoli crowns, florets separated

2 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

10-12 shitake mushrooms, sliced

1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 cup sugar snap or green beans, trimmed

1 large sweet onion, roughly chopped

1 bunch scallions, green and white parts, sliced

Toasted sesame seeds, to garnish

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, sriracha (if using), ginger paste, soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar and garlic; set aside.

Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. (If you don’t have a large skillet, cook veggies in batches, dividing sauce accordingly.)

When pan is hot, coat bottom with vegetable oil. Add broccoli and carrots and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Drizzle in 2 tablespoons water and cover to steam for 2 minutes more.

Add mushrooms, bell pepper, beans and onion; stir-fry for 1 minute, then cover and steam for 2 or 3 minutes more, adding more water if necessary.

Pour in sauce, add scallions and continue to stir-fry until veggies are coated and sauce begins to thicken slightly, about 2 minutes.

Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve hot. For more tender veggies, remove the pan from heat, cover, and allow to steam until desired doneness.

DIVA CONFESSIONS

For do-ahead entertaining with ease, prepare veggies ahead, blanching in boiling water for a minute or two.

Start with broccoli and carrots, removing after 1 or 2 minutes and place in an ice water bath. Blanch bell pepper and sugar snaps for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then place in ice bath.

Drain and refrigerate veggies until ready to sauté just before serving. Mix sauce, heat pan and add oil for a quick sauté, adding mushrooms and onions with blanched veggies.

Toss in sauce until nicely coated and sauce is slightly thickened.

Have you discovered agave nectar on your grocery store shelves?

If you’re trying to cut out artificial sweeteners and avoid white sugar, agave is made from the Mexican agave plant – sweeter than honey but with a low Glycemic Index of 32, meaning that it causes less of a blood sugar spike.

Agave nectar is best kept at room temperature, and is good for at least a year once opened. Gluten and allergen-free, use 1/3 cup for every 1 cup of sugar in a recipe. And it’s delicious in iced tea.

Put down the cookies, step away from the fridge.

It’s hard to go cold turkey in the New Year, so stock up with satisfying, healthful eats, like this zingy lemony hummus that makes celery and carrot sticks more of a meal.

Make this creamy hummus from scratch with canned garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas), a firm, chewy, slightly sweet bean.

This dip is less expensive than the store-bought kind, and full of protein, low in unsaturated fat and high in fiber. And you can throw it together in about 10 minutes.

Make-Your-Own Lemony Hummus

Make 2 cups

15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

3 tablespoons water

4 tablespoons lemon juice

1 clove garlic, peeled

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons coriander

1 teaspoon paprika, plus more for garnish

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth, scraping sides of bowl.

Transfer to a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika. Cover and refrigerate up to a week.

Meander down any burgeoning soup aisle and it’s plain to see that we can’t get enough of the slurpy stuff.

With a nip in the air, and, oh, 30 minutes to spare, it’s easy to craft your own soup masterpiece.

With pantry-friendly stocks, beans, dried pasta and leftover veggies, it’s conceivable to satisfy a soup craving completely on a whim.

Pasta fagioli, or, less romantically, pasta and beans, is a traditional Italian peasant dish.

Unable to procure pricy cuts of meat to grace the table, earthy Italian divas relied on their gardens, inherent spice IQ and economical beans to create a robust meal in a bowl.

And though the dish was once considered humble fare, it is now served in trendy Italian bistros (with trendy bistro pricing) across the land.

Grab a crusty loaf, toss a simple green salad and ask guests to bring the wine-in this case, a fruity Italian chianti. Mangia!

Pasta Fagioli

Serves: 6 to 8

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

2 carrots, scrubbed and chopped

Coarse salt, cracked black pepper, to taste

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon fennel seed

1/2 cup dry white wine

28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

14-ounce can cannellini or navy beans, drained and rinsed

14-ounce can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup cooked elbow pasta

1 cup prepared spaghetti sauce

1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving

Fresh basil, to garnish

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large soup pot.

Add onion, celery and carrots and sauté until fragrant and softened, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring often. Add oregano, basil and fennel seed and stir to combine.

Pour in wine and reduce by half, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes and bring to a simmer; season again with salt and pepper, to taste. Add beans and stock and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pasta, spaghetti sauce and cheese; cover and simmer for 5 more minutes.

To serve, pass with grated cheese and basil.

Note: If soup becomes too thick, thin with extra stock.

Diva Confessions

For entertaining (or just because can), whip up a batch of basil walnut pesto to either drizzle atop soup or spread on bread.

Combine 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup walnuts, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 cup Parmesan and salt, to taste, in a blender.

Puree until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.

The Divas are experts at keeping cool – we love leaving the oven off and making homemade goodies that only look complicated, a splurge with such little effort.

This dreamy recipe has a little bit of everything: chocolate, salty pecans, peanut butter and whipping cream – what’s not to love?

Forget a bottle of wine as a hostess gift. Wrap these bars in a pretty container, and share the love.

Happy holidays!

Makes 3 dozen cookies

6 tablespoons butter, melted

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

1 cup crushed chocolate graham crackers

2 cups butterscotch chips

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup chopped salted pecans

Grease a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan and set aside.

Mix butter, peanut butter and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl until blended. Stir in wafer crumbs. Press into prepared pan, pressing down and smoothing surface; refrigerate.

Melt butterscotch chips and whipping cream in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth.

Spread over crumb mixture, and sprinkle with nuts. Refrigerate about 2 hours, or until set. Cut in bars, and store between layers of wax paper.

When it’s time to bake, be sure you have the right pan to make it easy – get rid of distressed pans, and invest in sturdy bakeware that’s made of steel or aluminum and doesn’t bend easily.

Thicker bakeware distributes heat more evenly. If you need to grease the pan, use a pastry brush, paper towel, waxed paper or your fingertips to apply a thin, even layer of butter, margarine or shortening to bottom and sides of the baking pan.

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Holiday-season veggies deserve a bit of wow factor.

So if it falls to you to bring a festive side, may we suggest you think outside the bean?

Homely traditions aside, there are some fabulous alternatives (with nary a can of "cream-of" soup) to add a bit of panache to a holiday menu.

Warm gooey goat cheese melted with tender yellow squash, sweet red peppers and slow-roasted Roma tomatoes is sure to elicit oohs and ahhs – if not thunderous applause.

Roast the tomatoes the night before. Oh, and you may want add to a few extra, as the intoxicating aroma filling your home will beg a taste or two.

Diva Confessions: Grating fresh mozzarella cheese can be a mess. To grate with ease, freeze cheese an hour or so before grating.

Squash, Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Gratin

6 Roma tomatoes, sliced lengthwise

Extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse salt, cracked black pepper

4 yellow squash

2 zucchini

1 red bell pepper

1 cup day-old bread crumbs

3 tablespoons butter

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 cup crumbled goat cheese

1 cup fresh mozzarella, grated

Juice of 1/2 lemon

12 fresh basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil, and place sliced tomatoes cut-side up. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, seasoning with salt and pepper. Roast for 2 1/2 hours; set aside and cool. (Can be done a day ahead.)

For casserole, heat oven to 350 degrees.

Dice squash, zucchini and red pepper, and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and microwave for 5 minutes. Toss and cook for 3 minutes more, or until tender. Remove from microwave, and slightly mash with a potato masher.

As vegetables cook, toast the breadcrumbs in butter over medium-high heat in a heavy skillet; remove from heat, and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add the beaten egg, cream and cumin. Stir in vegetables, bread crumbs, goat cheese and mozzarella, stirring to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Drizzle with lemon juice, top with roasted tomatoes and scatter with fresh basil leaves.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and raise heat to 450 degrees until topping is golden and bubbly.

Trick or treat – why not enjoy both?

Trick: 11 grams of fabulous fiber and protein all dressed up for fall, a healthy vegan supper the family (and the planet) will love-not to mention a bit of nutritional sanity to offset the ensuing candy binge. Using the irresistible colors of Halloween, you’ve rather deviously tricked them into trying something new.

Treat: Savory black beans and smashed sweet taters come together to create a most unusual taco, delicious to the point of (imagined) decadence. We love these garnished with diced ripe avocado, toasted pine nuts and dried cranberries. Set a festive Halloween table and allow friends and family to roll their own, costumes optional.

Sweet Tater and Black Bean Tacos

Serves: 6-8

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

Coarse salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon ground coriander, or more to taste

2 tablespoons vegan "butter"

1/4 cup soy milk

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely diced

1 small green pepper, seeded and finely diced

1 Roma tomato, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup white wine

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon Mexican oregano

1 tablespoon white vinegar (optional)

For serving:

3 Haas avocadoes, peeled and chopped

Lemon wedges

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Whole-grain tortillas

In a large saucepan, boil sweet potatoes over medium-high heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return to the pot, shaking over the burner until excess moisture has evaporated (the edges of the potatoes will begin to lighten in color). Remove the pan from heat. Using a potato masher, roughly smash, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Add coriander, vegan butter and soymilk, mixing well. Set aside.

As the sweet potatoes cook, prepare the black beans. In a medium saucepan, add olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering, add onion, pepper and tomato, seasoning with salt and pepper. Sauté the veggies until softened, about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and sauté 2 minutes more. Add the beans, wine, cumin and oregano, simmering for 15 to 20 minutes. Taste the beans and add vinegar, if desired.

Serve with whole-grain tortillas, avocado, lemon wedges, pine nuts and dried cranberries-or anything else you might prefer.

DIVA CONFESSIONS: MEAL IS PERFECT FOR PARTIES

Make this meal a super fun, super easy, do-ahead party meal. Make the sweet potatoes, black beans and toast the pine nuts a day or 2 before the event.

Just before serving, dice the avocado and drizzle with lemon juice. Warm the tortillas and delicious party fare is served.

With the temperatures starting to dip, consider a warm and comforting soup for dinner – one that won’t infringe upon some well-deserved "you" time.

This lemony-lime concoction of rice, chicken, green chilies and chickpeas ladled over melty, Monterey jack cheese, then topped with crisp tortilla strips and fresh mint should hit the spot.

Simple, quick and perfectly pantry-friendly, this healthy and authentically Mexican treat is on the table in 30 minutes.

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Fall arrives this month with promises of cooler temperatures. With visions of delicious Sunday suppers, we’re ready to roll – pasta, that is, a favorite homemade treat in the diva household.

Some of our sweetest family memories are rolling out pasta dough on a lazy afternoon.

Skinny strands of angel hair; flat, hand-cut pappardelle; hearty fettuccine, and classic strands of spaghetti, all ready to cook with a little kneading and just three ingredients.

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Veganize this light-and-healthy Korean dish by swapping tofu for the egg, and agave or brown rice syrup for honey. Cover the bottom of a nonstick skillet with canola oil and heat until shimmering. Add cubed tofu and fry until golden, draining on paper towels to remove excess oil. Toss with noodles and veggies.

Kiss everything you know about pasta salad goodbye and try our version of bibim guksu (Korean cold noodles), a lively tale of When Salad Met Comfort Food.

Nutty and super-nutritious soba noodles are spun in a spicy Asian vinaigrette then topped with crisp, cool cuts of julienned cucumber, carrot, cabbage and red chilies.

Fresh basil and cilantro brighten flavors, while slivered mango adds a spark of sweetness.

Spicy, salty, tangy, tart – the complex flavors belie such a simple (and skinny) way to defy the summer swelter. Enjoy with your favorite chopsticks and perhaps a glass of perfectly chilled sauvignon blanc.

Korean Cold Noodle Bliss

Serves 4

1/3 cup slivered red cabbage

2 carrots, julienned

1/2 small seedless cucumber, julienned

1 mango, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced

2 boiled eggs, peeled and quartered

1 red chili, thinly sliced

8 fresh basil leaves, torn

Fresh cilantro sprigs, to taste

3 scallions, thinly sliced

8 ounces soba (or buckwheat) noodles

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil

3 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce, such as sriracha

1 teaspoon ginger paste

Dry roasted peanuts, optional

Bring a medium-large pot of salted water to a boil.

As water heats, prep the cabbage, carrots, cucumber, mango, eggs, chili, basil, cilantro and scallions. Set aside.

Cook noodles according to package directions, careful not to over cook. Drain and rinse in a colander with cold water. Whisk together vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, chili-garlic sauce and ginger paste in a small bowl. Drain noodles once more. Toss with sauce and add veggies, fresh herbs and roasted peanuts (if using). Toss again and serve. Pass with extra soy sauce, if desired.