1/27/11: Mas de Gourgonnier Red Provence Wine with a SNOW DAY.

Well today we awoke with yet another wallop of a storm.  For Connecticut this Winter, the storm set an all time high for most snowfall in any month ever recorded.  The storm itself wasn't all that bad compared to the previous blizzard, ice storm, and 26 inch wonder, but it was enough to ensure I was working on our 500 foot driveway for about 3 hours.  So instead of a new recipe for the evening, we just enjoyed a nice red with some cheeses and my uncle's pumpkin soup recipe.  

The wine for the evening was a French Red Provence Wine from Mas de Gourgonnier (at least I think that's the vineyard).  I haven't a clue what Red Provence Wine actually is, but instead of reposting a Wikipedia article I'll just give you our impressions.  The wine had a fine ruby color to it and a very light nose.  The wine was very dry and smooth throughout.  There was little aftertaste to it and, quite honestly, it had very little taste at all.  We found it enjoyable, but I can't recommend it as a stand alone drink.  We instead paired it with a sharp cheddar, some asiago cheese, and olives.  The stronger and saltier flavors paired extremely well with the (maybe too mild) wine.

The soup we had after was rather simple and I won't bother posting the complete recipe.  Essentially cook down a slice of onion in olive oil with some cilantro.  Add a can of pureed pumpkin, a can of chicken broth, and mix together in a food processor.  Add half and half until desired creaminess is achieved.

Overall our day was rather lazy after the clean up and a smooth wine and some good cheeses helped end the day.  

Here's some pictures of the wine and the carnage.  Next week we'll be back with a real recipe again.

-Chris and Sarah

1/20/11: Seghesio Family Vineyards 2008 Zinfandel with Kalamata-Balsamic Chicken with Feta

Good evening everyone!


Tonight we made another Cooking Light recipe, which after last week's involved Irish feast was a nice easy meal.  The meal itself was a light chicken breast dish coated in tomatoes, kalamata olives, coated in balsamic vinegar, and served with an orzo side dish. 

The wine for the evening was a 2008 Zinfandel from Seghesio Family Vineyards.  This wine was gifted by our good friend Colin and came highly recommended.  Neither myself nor Sarah had actually ever had a Zinfandel before so we didn't know what to expect.  The wine reminded me of a Chianti (which I've had plenty).  It had a light nose and was smooth and dry throughout.  Sarah noted that it finished with a nice bold flavor and had a light tannins.  For those who like a dry red with a nice bold bite for the finish, we would highly recommend this wine.  If you want something very fruity, venture elsewhere.


The meal had a nice mix of salty, acidic, and sweet flavors to it which went nicely with the more neutral dry red.  The wine played nicely the meal without kicking it in the face and taking over your mouth. Ha, Sarah said that last sentence was "creative".

Enjoy!

Chris and Sarah

And the recipe:


Kalamata-Balsamic Chicken with Feta

• 4 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup grape tomatoes
• 16 pitted kalamata olives, halved
• 3 tablespoons light balsamic vinaigrette (we used straight balsamic vingar)
• 3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons small basil leaves

1.  Sprinkle the chicken evenly with pepper.
2.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray.  Cook chicken 6 to 7 minutes on each side or until done.  Transfer chicken to a serving platter, keep warm. (I also added a lemon's worth of juice and a teaspoon of garlic)
3.  While chicken cooks, combine tomatoes, olives, and vinaigrette in a medium bowl.
4.  Add tomato mixture to pan; cook 1 or 2 minutes or until tomatoes soften.  Spoon over chicken.  Top evenly with cheese and basil.  Yield: 4 servings.


Orzo with Spring Greens and Rosemary

• 3/4 cup uncooked orzo
• 1 cup spring greens mix, coarsely chopped
• 4 teaspoons pine nuts, toasted
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1.  Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.  Drain pasta; place in a medium bowl.
2.  Add greens mix and remaining ingredients, tossing well.  Yield: 4 servings.

1/13/11: An Irish Feast with No Wine At All

Hi everyone!

Tonight we chose to break from our usual path (I was going to say tradition, but I don't think it counts after only a few weeks) of easy recipes and mystery wines and made a few recipes from a new cook book that Sarah got me for Christmas.  The book is called The Irish Spirit: Recipes Inspired by the Legendary Drinks of Ireland by Margaret M. Johnson (Link to Amazon page).  It features numerous recipes with one thing in common: they all involved some sort of Irish spirit or beer.

Tonight's recipes were damned involving and took us about an hour plus to prepare.  However the consensus of the table was that the wait was worth it.  We made Chicken Cashel Blue, a Carrot and Turnip Puree, and Black and Tan Brownies.  The chicken was immensely flavorful and juicy with strong Cashel blue cheese oozing out the center with every bite.  The gingery carrots and turnips gave a nice change of pace for the mouth with the other salty foods.  

Part of the Cashel recipe included mushrooms and shallots cooked in Jameson Irish Whisky.  I've cooked these two vegetables numerous times before, but the whisky gave the whole dish a slight malty bite to it that I quite enjoyed.  The recipe called for 2 Tablespoons of whisky, which is conveniently 1 fluid ounce.  I made sure to test the whisky first before adding it to the recipe, you should too, for food safety sake.  There may have been many good wines that we could have paired tonight, like a sweet white.  But what's an Irish meal without Guinness or another Irish beer?

The meal was a hit, and Sarah's Black and Tan Brownies were just as good.  They were messy to make, but the bitter chocolate over the sweet Tan brownies were a stunning combination.

Here's some pics, and the recipes are repeated at the end:

 Always test the batter.  Always.

 Brownie making is messy!

 Frying the chicken with 3 times used fried chicken oil.

Chicken Cashel Blue

Serves 4 as a Main Course

4 boneless chicken breast halves (4 – 5 ounces each)

4 ounces Cashel Blue cheese

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk

½ cup bread crumbs

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons minced shallot

6 ounces white mushrooms, chopped

2 tablespoons Irish whiskey

¼ cup half-and-half

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Fresh watercress for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Make a horizontal incision in each chicken breast to for m a pocket. Cut the cheese into 4 pieces, and roll each into a cylinder shape. Stuff one into each chicken breast pocket.

Put the flour in one shallow dish, the egg wash in another, and the breadcrumbs in a third.  Lightly dredge each piece of chicken in the flour, dip in the egg wash, and then cover with breadcrumbs. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the canola oil. Cook the chicken for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. Transfer to a casserole dish and bake for 10 to 15 minutes while preparing the sauce.

In another skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the shallot and mushrooms and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until soft but not browned. Add the whiskey and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly reduced. Stir in the half-and-half, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer, or until smooth.

To serve, place a chicken breast in the center of each 4 plates and spoon the sauce over the top, Garnish with the watercress and serve with the purée.

Carrot and Turnip Purée

Serves 4 to 6 as a Side Dish

2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into pieces

2 pounds turnips, peeled and cut into pieces

½ cup sour cream

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

4 tablespoons unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter, at room temperature

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Minced fresh chives for garnish

Cook the carrots and turnips in salted boiling water for 30 to 40 minutes, or until tender. Drain and mash. Transfer to a food processor. Add the sour cream, ginger, and butter and process for 15 to 20 seconds, or until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper and sprinkle with chives.

Black and Tan Brownies

Serves 8 to 10

Tan Brownies

4 tablespoons unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter, at room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar

1 large egg

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup chopped pecans

Black Brownies

5 ounces (which is five squares) unsweetened chocolate

½ cup (one stick) unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter

1 cup superfine sugar

4 large eggs

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup all purpose flour

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup Guinness stout

To make the brownies: Preheat oven to 350°F.  Butter an 8 inch square pan.

In a medium bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. With a wooden spoon, stir in the flour, baking powder, salt, and pecans. The batter will be thick. Spoon it into the prepared pan and spread it evenly with a rubber spatula, or with dampened fingers.

To make the black brownies: In a medium bowl, melt the chocolate and butter over a bowl of hot water or in the microwave. Stir until smooth. Stir in the superfine sugar, eggs, salt, flour, and vanilla.  Whisk in the stout until smooth.

Pour the black brownie mixture over the tan brownie batter, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

1/6/11: Baus Family Vineyards 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon with Asiago-Crusted Pork Chops

Tonight we are back from a three week holiday absence with a pork and red wine dinner.  I will apologize from the get-go as I have forgotten to take pictures of the meal before I ate it all.

The wine we chose came highly recommended from our local liquor store.  I don't know if it was just a clever wine salesman or the truth, but we were told that this Cabernet was a product of the recession.  In other words, it is a $50 bottle of wine relabeled and sold at $17.95.  The wine is indeed excellent.  It immediately coats your mouth with a mellow fruity flavor and has a mild bite to it.

Tonight's dish was another Cooking Light recipe: Asiago-Crusted Pork Chops served with Broccoli with Sour Cream Sauce.  As typical with many of these Cooking Light recipes, the meal was easy and fast to make with minimal recipes.  The pork cutlets fried with the strong asiago cheese went well with the light fruity flavors of the Cabernet.  The meal was simple but delicious, and easy 4 out of 5.  The wine was one of the better Cabernet Sauvignons I've ever had and I would easily rate it a 5 out of 5.  I may just go back for a case!

Here's the recipes:

Asiago-Crusted Pork Chops

• 4 (4 ounce) boneless center cut loin chops (I used larger chops that I pounded and cut up)
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten (I ended up needing two whole eggs to coat the meat)
• 1/2 cup panko (again, I changed it up and used regular plain breadcrumbs)
• 1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 lemon wedges
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme 

1.  Place pork between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound to an even thickness (about 1/4 inch) using a meat mallet of a small heavy skillet.
2.  Place egg white in a shallow dish.  Combine panko, cheese, salt, and pepper, in a shallow dish.  Dip pork in egg whites (I'd coat them in flour first to make it stick better); dredge in panko mixture, pressing gently with fingers to coat.
3.  Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add pork; cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.  Squeeze 1 lemon wedge over each pork chop; sprinkle each evenly with thyme.  Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 pork chop).

Broccoli with Sour Cream Sauce

• 1 (12-ounce) package refrigerated broccoli florets
• 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 tablespoons 1% low-fat milk
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1.  Microwave broccoli (or steam like we did) according to package directions .
2.  While broccoli cooks, combine sour cream and remaining ingredients in a small saucepan.  Cook over medium heat until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently (do not boil).
3.  Arrange broccoli on a serving plate; drizzle with sauce.  Yield: 4 servings.


-Chris & Sarah