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Mediterranean Grilled Chicken with a Bandol Rosé #winePW

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An easy and tasty Mediterranean Grilled Chicken recipe is even better when paired with a Bandol rosé wine!

an easy marinade makes for tasty Mediterranean Grilled Chicken.

This Mediterranean Grilled Chicken recipe definitely started with the wine.

I sampled a bit of the current vintage of the Domaine Suffrene Bandol Rosé and it seemed to me the perfect expression of a good rosé. Ripe melon flavors that just say summer in a glass. I grabbed a bottle without a specific food plan for it. But then I realized we had the rosé themed Wine Pairing Weekend coming up, hosted by Lori at Draecana Wines.

So what food to pair with a Bandol rosé? The Bandol appellation in Provence features steep hillsides sloping to the sea. Seafood is certainly one natural food to pair with a Bandol rosé. But grilled chicken was another suggestion I came across, so I decided to go in that direction.

Mediterranean Grilled Chicken recipe

When making Grilled Chicken Broccoli and Garlic Penne recently, I made a simple marinade for the chicken for the chicken that added a nice flavor. I decided to repurpose that blend of basil, garlic and olive oil for this easy Mediterranean Grilled Chicken. We even got a thumbs up from our discerning twelve year old, so I would say this grilled chicken recipe is a keeper!

Bandol Rosé with Mediterranean Grilled Chicken

Domaine La Suffrene, located on a high hilltop in the Bandol appellation of Provence, started making their own wines in 1966. Previously they had sold their grapes to cooperatives. The vineyard features 70 year old Cinsault and 50 year old Mourvedre vines.

Domaine La Suffrene Bandol Rose pairs well with grilled chicken.

The 2016 Domaine La Suffrence Rosé ($25, 13.5% ABV) is a blend of Mourvedre, Cinsault, Grenache and Carignan. Taste of melon fruit and some underlying minerality. Definitely one of my favorite rosés, and as expected, this wine was a great pairing for our Mediterranean Grilled Chicken!

Mediterranean Grilled Chicken
 
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A simple marinade with Mediterranean herbs make for a juicy, flavorful grilled chicken recipe.
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 4 medium boneless chicken breast fillets
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp dried basil
  • ¼ tsp salt or adjust to taste
Instructions
  1. Combine the chicken in a bowl with the olive oil, garlic powder, basil and salt. Let it marinate for about 10 minutes at room temperature.
  2. Preheat a grill to medium high.
  3. Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting excess marinade drip back into the bowl. Place the chicken on the grill,
  4. Grill the chicken for about 6 minutes on one side, then turn over to finish grilling for another 6 minutes or so. Check the chicken for doneness after 12 minutes of total grilling. Remove chicken if done, or grill for a few more minutes to finish cooking if needed.
  5. Plate the chicken and enjoy.

Rosé Pairings from the #winePW bloggers

Join us for a live Twitter chat about rosé pairings on Saturday, August 12, at 11 am ET / 8 am PT. Check out past and upcoming #winePW events here.

 

The post Mediterranean Grilled Chicken with a Bandol Rosé #winePW appeared first on Cooking Chat.


Best Portuguese Kale Soup #winePW

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The Best Portuguese Kale Soup is a delicious way to enjoy healthy kale! Sausage, beans and potatoes simmer with kale and plenty of garlic. Read on for details, or click here to jump down to the recipe. Article originally published in January 2016 and updated with new wine pairing suggestions as part of the Wine Pairing Weekend focusing on Portuguese wine and food. If you’d like to get right to the wine pairing info, click here
Kale simmers with sausage, garlic, onions and more for the Best Portuguese Kale Soup recipe.

I probably make this Portuguese Kale Soup more than any other soup recipe. I’ve tweaked a few things over time, and the result is my Best Portuguese Kale Soup recipe I’m sharing with you today.

When I first wrote up this recipe in the winter of 2016, I had planned to make a batch of the Best Portuguese Kale Soup before I knew temperature were going to be in the single digits for much of the day. Boy, were we glad to dig into steaming bowls of this kale soup last night after coming in from the cold. Sausage, beans and potatoes simmer along with the kale and plenty of garlic for a hearty, full-flavored soup. A great way to enjoy some healthy kale!

kale added to a pot of soup

When I first started making Caldo Verde, as the dish is called in Portuguese, I followed the kale soup recipe from Thoughtful Eating. In addition to covering the basics of the traditional recipe in that post, Raquel also provided some great tips, like thickening the soup by breaking some of the potatoes up against the side of the soup pot.

Though the basic approach is the same, my Best Portuguese Kale Soup recipe departs in a few ways from the traditional version. I like to use andouille sausage instead of the traditional chorizo (known as chouriço in Portuguese); I like the garlicky flavors of andouille. I often use turkey andouille sausage for a healthier soup, with the same tasty results. I always add some beans–I think some versions you will find do that, but I don’t think it’s standard. The other twist in my Best Portuguese Kale Soup is the use of a bit of butternut squash, which adds a touch of sweetness to go along with the spice. This tasty innovation was the result of some extra squash on hand one chilly fall evening! But feel free to skip the squash if you’d like, I make it without the squash sometimes and it still tastes good.

digging into the best Portuguese Kale Soup.

So give my recipe a try on a cold night. I bet you will find yourself making it again and again, and you might come up with a few tasty variations of your own, and lay claim to your own Best Portuguese Kale Soup recipe! You can also have fun trying different Portuguese wine to pair with kale soup.

Wine Pairing for the Best Portuguese Kale Soup

wine with the Best Portuguese Kale SoupPortuguese red wine is the natural choice to pair with Portuguese Kale Soup. Portugal is a great source of wine values. I typically look for a red blend from the Duoro region including the Touriga Nacional variety. But grab whatever Portuguese red you can get your hands on and give it a try!

When I originally posted this recipe, I recommended the 2012 Tinta Boa ($11), a blend of Portuguese grapes Tinta Roriz and Touriga Nacional.

The 2015 JP Azeitão Red ($8, 13.5% ABV) is another good Portuguese red wine value I’ve tried recently that could work with the kale soup. The wine is from Peninsula de Setubal, comprised of 55 % Syrah along with Portuguese varietals Castelão (25%) and Arogonez (20%). This Portuguese wine has a bright, fruity nose. Taste of strawberry and bit of licorice. Light and easy drinking. I originally served this as a nice pairing for our Vegetarian Kale Soup; a variation of this Portuguese kale soup recipe that features tempeh in place of the sausage.

Portugal provides a great chance to try some new new wine grape varietals. The most recent time I made Portuguese kale soup, I served it with a wine that takes new wine grape exposure to the extreme. 2014 Achado E Perdidos 28 Uvas ($12, 13.5% ABV) is a red wine made from a field blend of 28 grape varieties, none of which I’ve seen outside of Portuguese wine (see list below).

The 28 Uvas is deep purple in the glass. Spring flowers on the nose. Well-balanced, cherry and strawberry fruit with a bit of licorice. Definitely another great wine pairing for our Portuguese Kale Soup!

Achados E Perdidos means “lost and found i” Portuguese. The winery is located on one of the steepest terraced bands on the banks of the Duoro River. The winemakers João Silva e Sousa and Francisco Baptista found an old vineyard planted in schist soils, where 28 native Portuguese wine grape varietals were grown together. Field blends like 28 Uvas were common in Portugal before a modern trend toward trying more popular international grapes. Thus they have “found” a traditional Portuguese vineyard and are producing some very good wine from it.

The grape varietals in 28 Uvas are Alicante Bouschet, Alvarelhão, Baga, Bastardo, Bastardo Roxo, Donzelinha Tinto, Esgana Cão Tinto, Folgazão Roxo, Jaen, Malvasia, Malvasia Roxa, Mourisco, Mourisco Semente, Mourisco de Trevões, Periquita, Refute, Souto, Tinta Amarela, Tinta Barroca, Tinto Cão, Tinta Carvalha, Tinta da Barca, Toureira Femea, Toureira Franca, Tinta Francisca, Toureira Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Tinta de Tabuaço.

Some of the winery description and the list of grape varietals come from Princeton Corkscrew.


4.8 from 8 reviews
Best Portuguese Kale Soup
 
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Cooking Chat's Best Portuguese Kale Soup is a delicious way to enjoy healthy kale! Sausage, beans and potatoes simmer along with the kale and plenty of garlic for a hearty, full-flavored soup.
Author:
Recipe type: Soup
Cuisine: Portuguese
Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 andouille sausages (I often like to use turkey sausage for a healthier dish)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 medium potatoes, chopped
  • 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and chopped
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 2½ cups of water
  • 1 bunch of kale, stems removed & coarsely chopped
  • 1 14.5 oz can red kidney beans
  • pinch crushed red pepper flakes & salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Heat a large soup pan with oil spray. Add the sausages and cook for 5 minutes or so to brown, stirring occasionally.
  2. Remove the sausages and set aside to cool. When they have cooled, slice the sausage in half lengthwise, then cut into semi-circles ½ inch thick. Set aside.
  3. Heat the olive oil on medium in the soup pan, then add the onions. Sauté for 5 minutes, then add carrots and sauté a few more minutes.
  4. Stir in the potatoes, then the butternut squash and garlic. Cook for a minute or two, then add the chicken stock and water. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce to simmer on medium for 15 minutes.
  5. After 15 minutes the veggies should be starting to get soft. Use a sturdy spoon to smash some of the potato and butternut against the side of the pot, to thicken the soup. Stir in the kale in a few batches, to allow some to cook down a bit to create more room. Add salt to taste and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
  6. Stir in the sausage and the kidney beans. Cook for another 5 to 10 minutes to let all the flavors meld. More cooking time is great, too, if you've got the time! When it's cooked to your liking, serve with a crusty bread and glass of Portuguese wine to round things out.

Portuguese Wine & Food with Wine Pairing Weekend

There is so much more to PORTUGAL than PORT Wine! Discover our stories about Portugal this Saturday, September 9th when, by 11 am ET / 8am PT, the Wine Pairing Weekend crew will publish posts about Portuguese wine and then head to twitter to share our choices and tell the stories behind them (hashtag = #WinePW).
Food and travel are always a part of the chat, so join us for all the doors that Portuguese  wine can open. And we’d love to have participation from people who live in Portugal too! This month, the Wine Pairing Weekend crew includes:

The post Best Portuguese Kale Soup #winePW appeared first on Cooking Chat.

Salmon with Creamy Cauliflower Farro #SundaySupper

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Salmon with Creamy Cauliflower Farro features grilled salmon served with hearty farro, flavored with a delicious and healthy cauliflower sauce. Sharing as part of the Sunday Supper event focused on recipes with cauliflower. Read on for details, or click here to jump down to the recipe

Salmon with Cream Cauliflower Farro for a healthy and delicious #SundaySupper! #cauliflower #salmon

Cauliflower is definitely a vegetable I should eat more. This cruciferous vegetable is so healthy, loaded with vegetables and minerals. It also seems to have cancer fighting properties and can boost heart health, according to this article on cauliflower’s health benefits.

I’ve tended to think of cauliflower as being a bit bland, one reason I don’t make it more. But this Sunday Supper event is a great way to see the many tasty ways cauliflower can be enjoyed!

Making a creamy cauliflower sauce is one great way to eat more cauliflower. With a great creamy consistency and flavor from garlic and fresh parsley, this sauce is definitely not bland! In this Salmon with Creamy Cauliflower Farro recipe, the sauce is added to the healthy farro grain and served along with grilled wild salmon. This is definitely a nutritional powerhouse! Better yet, it is a very satisfying meal.

I grilled the salmon for this dish, but you could certainly pan sear or roast the salmon if you are not in grilling mode. Check out our quick pan seared salmon recipe if you haven’t tried it.

Creamy Cauliflower Sauce

I first made Creamy Cauliflower Sauce following the recipe by Lindsay from Pinch of Yum. She’s so excited about the taste and versatility of this sauce that she even wrote a book about it!

I made a few variations to Lindsay’s recipe, using pureed raw garlic along with the cauliflower, rather than the sautéed garlic call for in her recipe. I also added fresh parsley and some fennel powder to the sauce, as both of these herbs go well with salmon.

A creamy sauce is certainly a wonderfully delicious way to enjoy some healthy cauliflower. You only need about 1/2 cup of the sauce for this recipe. I wound up getting another meal from the sauce used for the Salmon with Creamy Cauliflower Farro by simply tossing some of the extra cauliflower sauce with ziti, along with a green salad. Yum!

Cooking with Farro

Salmon with Creamy Cauliflower Farro

Farro is a type of wheat grain that is very hearty and nutritious. It’s a great alternative to pasta or rice to add to your repertoire. Before taking a closer look at the package I bought to make this Salmon with Creamy Cauliflower Farro, I had lumped all farro into one category. But when I noted the package of pearled farro I got for this recipe had different cooking instructions than how I typically prepare the grain. As explained in this post on The Cookful, there are three types of farro– whole grain farro, semi-pearled or pearled. I’m guessing the farro I typically get, which I boil after a period of soaking, is the semi-pearled. See this Roasted Root Vegetable Farro recipe for an example of that preparation method.

The pearled farro I used for this recipe cooks more quickly than other types of farro, absorbing the cooking liquid in about 20 to 25 minutes. While still very healthy, you will get even more nutrients from the whole farro or semi-pearled variety. Feel free to substitute either for the pearled farro in this recipe, but adjust the cooking method accordingly. (Amazon affiliate links used here for your convenience if you want to order some farro).

Wine Pairing for Salmon with Creamy Cauliflower Farro

A Valpolicella paired with Salmon with Creamy Cauliflower Farr. #winepairingPinot Noir is a good red wine choice for salmon, and would probably work here. But I had just sampled some Valpolicella before starting to cook this dish, and I thought this Italian red wine from the Veneto region would work well with the Italian flavors in the dish. I had a chance to meet the winemaker while sampling the wine, another reason to open the bottle! Valpolicella is typically a blend of the Italian red grapes Corvina, Rodinella and Molinara. I tasted ripe cherry fruit and notes of anise, and enjoyed the velvety mouthfeel. The wine is a bit heavier than a typical Pinot, but has enough finesse so that it didn’t overpower the salmon. A good pairing!

5.0 from 1 reviews
Salmon with Creamy Cauliflower Farro
 
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Grilled salmon served with a healthy, rich creamy cauliflower farro dish. Lots of nourishment with great flavor!
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: American
Serves: 3 servings
Ingredients
  • ½ cup or a bit more creamy cauliflower sauce (recipe below)
  • 1 cup pearled farro, rinsed under cold water before cooking
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese
  • 12 to 16 ozs wild salmon
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp dried basil
  • ¼ tsp salt or adjust to taste
Instructions
  1. MAKE THE FARRO: Add the water to sauce pan and bring to a boil. Stir in the pearled farro.
  2. Reduce heat, cover and simmer the farro for 20 to 25 minutes, until all the water has been absorbed. Stir the creamy cauliflower sauce into the salmon. Keep covered off the heat while the salmon finishes cooking.
  3. PREPARE THE SALMON: As the farro simmers, prepare the salmon. Preheat a grill to medium high. Combine the olive oil, garlic powder, basil and salt in a large sealable bag. Rinse and pat dry the salmon, then place the salmon in the bag. Seal the bag, and gently toss the salmon to coat with the marinade. Let the salmon sit at room temperature for about 5 to 10 minutes.
  4. Remove the salmon from the bag, shaking off excess marinade. Place the salmon skin side down on the grill. Grill cover on medium high for about 5 minutes.
  5. Turn the salmon over, and grill for about 2 more minutes, flesh side down. Check the salmon for doneness, it should be just cooked through and still moist. You can grill for another couple minutes if needed. Remove the salmon from grill when done and let rest on a platter.
  6. PLATE THE DISH: place a scoop of the farro on a plate, then plate a portion of the salmon alongside the farro. Enjoy!

 
5.0 from 1 reviews
Creamy Cauliflower Sauce
 
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A flavorful and versatile creamy sauce using healthy cauliflower. Use with farro, pasta, salmon and chicken.
Author:
Recipe type: Sauce
Cuisine: American
Serves: 5 servings
Ingredients
  • 6 cups cauliflower florets (1 medium to large head of cauliflower)
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ½ cup coconut cream or milk
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley
  • ⅛ tsp fennel powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Dash balsamic vinegar
  • black pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Bring the broth and water to boil in a large pan. Add the cauliflower, boil about 10 minutes until the cauliflower begins to soften.
  2. Use a strainer spoon to scoop out the cauliflower, and transfer to a food processor or blender.
  3. Add the garlic to the food processor, and pulse to chop the garlic and cauliflower. Add 1 cup of the cooking liquid along with ½ cup coconut cream or milk, and puree until smooth.
  4. Add the remaining ingredients, parsley through black pepper, to the food processor. Puree to incorporate.
  5. The sauce is ready to use. Pour into a sauce pan to keep warm on low heat if you are preparing something else to serve with the sauce.

 

Creative Cauliflower Recipes #SundaySupper

Creative Cauliflower Starters and Sides

Make My Cauliflower a Main Dish

Sunday Supper MovementJoin the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

The post Salmon with Creamy Cauliflower Farro #SundaySupper appeared first on Cooking Chat.

Lidia’s Spaghetti with Tomato Apple Sauce

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Lidia’s Tomato Apple Sauce: cooking green apples with tomato sauce is a surprisingly good combination! Enjoy this fresh tasting sauce over a steaming plate of spaghetti, topped with plenty of cheese. Recipe adapted from the cookbook Lidia’s Favorite Recipes, which was sent to me as a complimentary review copy. Originally posted in 2012, updated recently with new photos and wine pairings.

green apples cooked in tomato sauce yields a surprisingly delicious sauce for spaghetti! #apples #Italianfood
The new cookbook arrived in the midst of apple picking season, so the recipe for Spaghetti in Tomato Apple Sauce caught my eye right away. Now, apples cooked with tomatoes to make a pasta sauce does sound a bit strange at first. No offense to us bloggers, but if I came across the idea on an unknown blog I’d just chuckle and pass on by. But when I saw it featured in Lidia’s Favorite Recipes: 100 Foolproof Italian Dishes, from Basic Sauces to Irresistible Entrees, I had to give it a closer look.

Lidia explains that this tomato apple sauce combination is common in the apple laden Alto Adige region of Northern Italy. That was good enough for me, and I’m glad I gave it a try! This is a refreshing tomato sauce with a nice bright taste. The apple flavor is not distinctive but rather contributes to the overall impression that this is something other than your typical pasta sauce. This follows Lidia’s recipe almost exactly, with a slight reduction in the celery called for; and the wording of the instructions slightly tweaked.

Lidia's Spaghetti with Tomato Apple Sauce recipe.

We hadn’t made this tomato apple sauce recipe in a few years, then was just as pleased with the recipe when we came back to make it recently. This most recent time we had a chance to test the dish out with an Alto Adige wine, based on the adage that what grows together goes together.

Wine Pairing for Spaghetti with Tomato Apple Sauce

A good red wine from the Alto Adige is a great pairing for a pasta recipe from the region. #winepairingWhen I first made this Spaghetti with Tomato Apple Sauce, I didn’t note the wine we had with it. This time I wanted to pair an Alto Adige with this dish, given that the recipe has its roots in that mountainous region in Northern Italy. We opened the 2013 Convento Muri-Gries Alto Adige Santa Maddalena  ($16, 12.5% ABV) to go with our Spaghetti with Tomato Apple Sauce.

I had to do a bit of research to decode the meaning of the lengthy title of the wine. According to this page on Wine Searcher, Santa Maddalena is wine region in the Alto Adige DOC. Schiava is the predominant grape, with up to 15% Lagrein allowed.

The Convento Santa Maddalena features light scent of violets on the nose, with taste of cherry and licorice. Delicate in the mouth. As you might suspect, this Alto Adige wine pairs very well with the tomato apple sauce.

There was plenty of spaghetti leftover for a second meal, so I also got to try the dish with a Barbera. That worked pretty well, and is certainly a good option for the dish. But if you can find a red wine from Alto Adige, that is definitely the ideal pairing for this regional recipe!

Lidia's Spaghetti with Tomato Apple Sauce
 
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Cooking green apples with tomato sauce is a surprisingly good combination! Enjoy this fresh tasting sauce over a steaming plate of spaghetti, topped with plenty of cheese.
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 5 servings
Ingredients
  • 3 cups canned pureed tomatoes, San Marzano recommended
  • 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium celery stalk, diced
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 lb. tart green apples, like Granny Smith (3 medium apples)
  • 1 lb spaghetti
  • ¾ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
  • salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Pour 4 tablespoons of the olive oil into a skillet on medium heat. Add the celery and onion to the pan. Cook until the onions begin to soften and caramelize, about 10 minutes.
  2. Stir in the pureed tomatoes, season with a bit of salt. As the tomatoes begin to simmer, peel and core the apples, removing seeds. Shred the apples, using coarse holes of a shredder or grater.
  3. When the tomatoes have cooked about 5 minutes, stir the apples into the sauce. Bring the skillet back to simmer, and cook the sauce uncovered for about 15 minutes, stirring a bit here and there, until it has begun to thicken and the apple shreds are cooked and tender.
  4. As the tomato apple sauce cooks, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Drop in the spaghetti, and cook it until al dente.
  5. Strain the pasta when done to your liking and combine with the sauce. Toss the pasta with the sauce for a minute or two, until it is thoroughly coated and cooked just right. Turn off heat, sprinkle the grated cheese over the pasta and toss well. Serve the pasta immediately, passing extra cheese at the table. Enjoy with a glass of Italian red wine!

Full disclosure: I received a review copy of the book. My adventures with the recipes and opinions of my book are fully my own!
cooking apple tomato sauce

The post Lidia’s Spaghetti with Tomato Apple Sauce appeared first on Cooking Chat.

Butternut Squash Pasta Bake #SundaySupper

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Butternut Squash Pasta Bake provides cheesy pasta goodness while still being fairly light. Roasted butternut squash gets puréed with garlic and milk to serve as the basis for a healthy baked pasta recipe. Serve as a vegetarian main dish or a hearty side.
This butternut squash pasta bake is an easy #vegetarian casserole that can be served as a main course or a side. #SundaySupper #casseroles #butternut

Pasta dishes feature prominently in my comfort food repertoire, so I was eager to jump into the #SundaySupper Comfort Food Pasta Recipes event!

I’ve already rolled out some of my favorite comfort food featuring pasta for Sunday Suppers past, including this Ziti with Porcini Bolognese Sauce and Veggie Mac and Cheese Casserole. I was tempted to just share our Kale Pesto Lasagna recipe, which is some seriously good comfort food! But I decided to make something new.

kale pesto lasagna

Butternut squash is one of my favorite fall foods, so I decided to feature it as the start of our pasta comfort food recipe today. The resulting Butternut Squash Pasta Bake can be served a vegetarian main, or a hearty side dish.

Sure, comfort foods can tend to be on the heavier side. But our Butternut Squash Pasta Bake shows you can have comfort food goodness while keeping things relatively light. The butternut squash gets roasted for depth of flavor, then puréed with garlic and milk to get a creamy base for the pasta casserole. We use just a bit of goat cheese for that cheesy goodness that I’m pretty sure is required for comfort food. The dish gets a bit more of a fall touch with a pumpkin seed topping.

butternut squash pasta bake recipe

Tips for making Butternut Squash Pasta Bake

This Butternut Squash Pasta Bake is a pretty easy recipe to put together. Your first task is probably the biggest–cutting the squash in half and then getting the seeds out! Make sure you go for a large, sharp chopping knife to get the squash cut. I’ve found a good trick for getting the seeds out–use an Ice Cream Scoop, as its sharp edges can help extricate the seeds from the rest of the squash.

Once you get the squash roasting, this is pretty easy. Make sure to cook the pasta al dente when boiling it initially, as it continues cooking in the oven.

Wine Pairing for Butternut Squash Pasta Bake

We are observing Merlot month here, and have a good amount on hand. We were pleased with how a basic California Merlot paired with our Butternut Squash Pasta Bake. I would suspect a Pinot would work here, or maybe you want to go with an Italian wine. Try something fruit forward, like a Dolcetto. Or if you’re in the mood for a white wine, maybe a Soave.

5.0 from 1 reviews
Butternut Squash Pasta Bake
 
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Roasted butternut squash gets puréed with garlic and milk to serve as the basis for a healthy baked pasta recipe.
Author:
Recipe type: Pasta
Cuisine: American
Serves: 7 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 medium butternut squash, cut in half, seeds removed
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 tbsp dried sage
  • 2 to 3 ozs goat cheese
  • Sprinkling of parmesan cheese
  • 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
  • 12 ozs short pasta shape -- I used whole wheat rotini
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. After cutting the squash and half and removing seeds, place the squash flesh side up on a work surface. Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons olive oil over the squash, along with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Place the squash flesh side down on a baking sheet, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. When the squash is done, you should be able to easily pierce the squash with a fork. When done, set aside to cool for a few minutes.
  3. Start cooking the pasta toward the end of the squash cooking time. Cook al dente following package instructions. Drain and return to the pan, and set aside briefly to finish preparing the butternut squash.
  4. Place the garlic in a food processor, pulse to mince. Add the butternut squash to the food processor, purée to combine. Add the milk and dried sage, puree to combine.
  5. Stir the butternut squash mixture into the pasta. Add the goat cheese, stir to combine.
  6. Empty the butternut squash pasta mix into a casserole dish. Sprinkle parmesan cheese and pumpkin seeds on top.
  7. Bake the butternut squash pasta 15 minutes, covered. Remove the cover and bake for another 5 minutes. After baking, take out the butternut squash pasta dish and serve. Enjoy!

 

Comfort Food Pasta Recipes #SundaySupper

Must Make Meaty Comfort Food Pasta Recipes

Must Make Veggie Comfort Food Pasta Recipes

Sunday Supper MovementJoin the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement

The post Butternut Squash Pasta Bake #SundaySupper appeared first on Cooking Chat.

Spicy Lentil Soup with Swiss Chard #SundaySupper

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Spicy Lentil Soup with Swiss Chard is a flavorful vegan soup recipe, packed with nutrition. Easy to put together with ingredients on hand, the spices provide warmth to take the chill of a cold evening. 
Spicy Lenti Soup with Swiss Chard is an easy, warming #vegan soup recipe. #SundaySupper

When I heard this week’s Sunday Supper would focus on Comfort Food Soup and Stew recipes, I figured it would be a good time to dust off this Spicy Lentil Soup with Swiss Chard recipe. I originally shared this recipe nearly five years ago, and it was time for some updates!

This Spicy Lentil Soup with Swiss Chard recipe was originally inspired by a post New Year’s desire to make healthy meals on a modest budget, making up a bit for excesses of the holiday season. Lentils are certainly a healthy and frugal option to work into your meal planning. I especially like red lentils. Another favorite red lentil recipe is this Penne with Red Lentils and Ginger, which was a featured #WeekdaySupper recipe a few years back.

Though the recipe has “spicy” in the name, the flavors aren’t eye popping hot (though you can kick up the cayenne quantity if you like it real hot!). This soup has just enough spice to give you some robust flavor and send a comforting warmth from your belly down through your toes.

Making Spicy Lentil Soup with Swiss Chard

spicy lentil soup with swiss chard recipe.

This is a pretty easy recipe to put together. You sauté the onions, carrots and celery, then add the garlic followed by the lentils and spices. Add your liquids and simmer for 20 minutes or so. You can prep and boil the chard as the lentils simmer.

When it’s time to purée the soup, an Immersion Blender makes the task so much easier! I’m including my Amazon affiliate link there in case you need to grab one. If you don’t have an immersion blender yet, you can transfer the soup in batches to a food process or blender. I do like to leave a few bits of the carrots and lentils for consistency.

The recipe has you cook the chard separately (more on that below), then add the chard to the puréed lentil soup to finish the recipe.

Cooking Swiss Chard

When I first made this recipe, I simply cooked the chard in with the rest of the soup, toward the end of the process. I have recently come across some suggestions that it is best to boil chard briefly, in order to reduce acid content and bring out a sweeter taste. Here’s an article on the subject. The majority of of recipes do seem to recommend boiling chard, and that’s the way we went with this recipe. But plenty of sources suggest chard can be eaten raw or sautéed, as well as boiling.

Pairings for Spicy Lentil Soup

spicy lentil soup with swiss chard

A Gewürztraminer is often my go-to for foods with some spice, and that’s what we paired with our Spicy Lentil Soup with Swiss Chard. We had a Gewürztraminer from the Alsace region of France. With a taste of honey and lemon, and a bit of slate, it was definitely a good pairing for the spicy soup. A Riesling could be another good alternative.

A spicy soup like this could also be a night to pair your meal with a beer. If that’s the way you are leaning, an IPA style beer tends to be a good pairing for spicy foods.

Spicy Lentil Soup with Swiss Chard
 
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Red lentils simmer with onions, garlic and spices, then pureed for a creamy consistency. Chard added for additional color and nutrition. Vegan recipe.
Author:
Recipe type: Soup
Cuisine: Fusion
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 1 onion, coarsely chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 1 celery stock, chopped (optional)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1½ cups red lentils
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 medium bunch chard, large stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
  • bay leaf
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp coriander
  • generous pinch cinnamon
  • generous pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot on medium medium heat. Add the onion, cook for a few minutes until it begins to soften.
  2. Add the carrots and celery, followed by the garlic. Cook for another minute or two, then stir in the lentils with the other tablespoon of olive oil. Add the dried spices at this time--cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and cayenne. Stir to combine.
  3. Add the broth and water to the pot, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer uncovered. Add the bay leaf and the soy sauce. Simmer uncovered for at least 20 minutes, until the vegetables and lentils are soft.
  4. As the lentils are simmering, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the chard, and boil for 3 minutes. Drain the chard, and press out the excess water from the chard. Set the chard aside.
  5. When the lentils and carrots are soft, purée the soup using a handheld blender. Alternatively, transfer the soup into a food processor to purée in batches. I like to leave a bit of the lentils and carrot pieces for consistency.
  6. Stir the cooked chard into the puréed soup. Add salt and pepper to taste. Heat the spicy lentil soup with Swiss chard for about 5 minutes to let the flavors meld. Serve hot and enjoy!

 

Comfort Food Soup and Stew Recipes #SundaySupper

Superb Soups

Stupendous Soups

Sunday Supper MovementJoin the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

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Tomato and Eggplant Pasta with Turkey #MerlotMe

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Tomato and Eggplant Pasta with Turkey is a hearty and healthy pasta dish, delicious paired with a good Merlot wine. We made it with ground turkey, but you could definitely swap in some leftover turkey from your Thanksgiving feast!  The J. Lohr wine was sent as a courtesy sample as part of the #MerlotMe month promotion with our Wine Pairing Weekend group.

Tomato and Eggplant Pasta with Turkey makes a hearty and healthy meal, delicious paired with a good Merlot. #pasta #winepairing #MerlotMe #eggplant

Here’s another dish that started with the wine.

With a generous supply of good Merlot on hand, thanks to the Wine Pairing Weekend blogger partnership with the #MerlotMe month promoters, I’ve been on the lookout for recipes to pair with Merlot.

Tomatoes and eggplant seem to feature prominently in anything I’ve read about foods that pair with Merlot. A tomato and eggplant pasta sauce recipe seemed like a natural. Consulting with The Wine Lover’s Cookbook I added rosemary and ground fennel to the sauce to further set up a good pairing.

I probably could have stopped at tomato and eggplant pasta for a vegetarian dish, but I decided to add some ground turkey to the mix for protein and substance. The result was a very hearty yet healthy pasta recipe…that paired well with Merlot, of course!

tomato and eggplant pasta with ground turkey.

Speaking of turkey, with Thanksgiving fast approaching, I would think you could swap the ground turkey here for leftover roast turkey. Just add the leftover turkey about 10 minutes before serving so that it can get warm and absorb the flavors.

Preparing Eggplant

Up until recently, eggplant was on the very short list of vegetables I don’t like. But then I figured out it was a matter of preparation. I found like eggplant grilled or roasted, as in this Quinoa with Grilled Eggplant, Spinach and Feta recipe.

There is some debate about it, but I definitely support the idea of salting eggplant before cooking. The process reduces the potential for the eggplant to come out bitter or soggy, as explained in this article.

For today’s Tomato and Eggplant Pasta recipe, I browned the eggplant in the skillet before getting going on the rest of the sauce. I got the idea and method from this recipe on Chowhound.

Wine Pairing for Tomato and Eggplant Pasta

J. Lohr Merlot is a very good wine value, and pairs well with tomato and eggplant pasta. #Merlot #winepairing We opened the 2015 J. Lohr Los Osos Merlot ($15, 13.9% ABV) to pair with our Tomato and Eggplant Pasta with Turkey. We’ve enjoyed J. Lohr Chardonnay quite a few times over the years, but I don’t recall having previously sampled their Merlot, so was looking forward to trying it.

I get the aroma of a forest floor from this J. Lohr Merlot, with taste of blackberry, chocolate and notes of cedar. Velvet mouthfeel with a nice finish. A very good wine for the price!

Does the Merlot work with the Tomato and Eggplant Pasta? To be honest, my instinct would be to pair this pasta dish with an Italian red wine. Sure that’d work, but the J. Lohr Merlot worked very nicely here. The Merlot grape does seem to have an affinity for eggplant, and has just enough acidity to work with the tomatoes. The rosemary and fennel herbs definitely help here, too. So next time you are going for an Italian dish featuring tomato and eggplant, I’d say give it a try with a good Merlot!

This J. Lohr Los Osos Merlot is made with grapes from the moderately cool El Pomar district of Paso Robles. The notes from the winery mention they use some Italian clones of Merlot; I wonder if that could further explain the way this worked well with this pasta dish? This Merlot has 9% Malbec in the mix, helping to bring forth bright fruit tones. For more on this wine and J. Lohr Estates, visit the winery website.

Interested in more pairings for Merlot? Check out our Pork Tenderloin with Blackberry Merlot Sauce, which has links to the other Wine Pairing Weekend pairings.

5.0 from 4 reviews
Tomato and Eggplant Pasta with Turkey #MerlotMe
 
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Eggplant and ground turkey simmer in a tomato sauce for a hearty and healthy pasta meal. Excellent paired with a good glass of Merlot.
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 8 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 lb eggplant -- 1 large or 2 medium/small
  • salt
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lb turkey
  • 28 oz can chopped tomatoes
  • ¼ tsp ground fennel
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 lb short pasta such as elbows, preferably whole wheat
Instructions
  1. Cut the eggplant into a medium dice. Place eggplant in strainer, and sprinkle salt over the eggplant, tossing gently so all the eggplant is coated with salt. Put a bowl on top of the eggplant to gently press down without crushing the eggplant. After 20 minutes of salting the eggplant, blot it dry with a paper towel to remove salt and excess moisture.
  2. Add 5 tablespoons olive oil to a large skillet and heat on medium until it begins to shimmer. Add the eggplant in a single layer and cook for 5 minutes undisturbed. Stir, and continue to cook the eggplant for about 8 more minutes, stirring occasionally. When the eggplant has browned, remove it with a slotted spoon to a bowl and set aside.
  3. Add the final tablespoon olive oil to the skillet, and heat on medium. Add the onion, cook for 5 minutes until it begins to soften. Add the garlic, cook for another minutes.
  4. Add the turkey to the skillet, breaking it up with a heavy spoon. Stir it to combine with the onions. Cook until it begins to turn white, about 5 minutes.
  5. Stir the tomatoes into the skillet, followed by the eggplant. Add the fennel, rosemary and balsamic vinegar, stir to combine.
  6. Simmer the sauce on medium low, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.
  7. Meanwhile, as the sauce simmers, cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain the pasta when cooked, and toss immediately with the pasta. Enjoy with a glass of Merlot or an Italian red wine.

 

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Roasted Beets and Butternut Squash #SundaySupper

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Roasted Beets and Butternut Squash recipe makes a flavorful and healthy addition to a holiday meal or a basic supper. Gluten free recipe. Recipe as given serves 4 but can easily be doubled or tripled for a holiday feast.

roasted beets and butternut squash, an easy and healthy #glutenfree holiday side dish. #SundaySupper #ThanksgivingRecipes

Today the Sunday Supper blogging crew is sharing gluten free holiday recipes in honor of TR Crumbley, one of our members who lost his battle with cancer this year.  TR shared lots of great gluten free recipes on his blog, so we thought this would be a fitting way to honor his memory.

I never had a chance to meet TR in person. But you still definitely get to know people when you are in a blogging group like #SundaySupper. We’re always talking about family meals so we become a sort of extended family. I definitely got a feel for TR’s warm personality and lively sense of humor through his blog posts, tweets, Facebook comments, etc. I also remember the first time I co-hosted a Sunday Supper event, TR volunteered to help show the ropes. He was a big help!

As I read in this Sunday Supper profile about TR and his blogging, TR focused his blogging on the gluten free lifestyle he had adopted after college. While gluten free is not something we focus on, our son does have multiple food allergies. Managing these allergies certainly gives me a great appreciation for folks that are dealing with other restrictions such as a gluten free diet. FYI, something being gluten free doesn’t mean it is safe for other food allergies! I can’t tell you how many times we’ve been offered a gluten free menu as a response to our son’s allergies to nuts and eggs.

Making Roasted Beets and Butternut Squash

making roasted beets and butternut squash.

This Roasted Beets and Butternut Squash is an easy holiday side dish. There’s no wheat involved, and no processed ingredients where gluten could be lurking unexpectedly.

Most of the work here is peeling the squash and beets. Make sure you have a good sharp peeler to make holiday feast prep go easily! I also have found that an ice cream scooper is a great way to scoop out the squash seeds. (My Amazon affiliate links included in case you need to grab one of those tools to get ready for the holidays!)

I roasted the beets and squash at a lower temperature than I typically use for roasted veggies. I had a turkey breast on another rack, so this 325 convection setting worked for both elements of the meal to cook together.

Wine Pairing for Roasted Beets and Butternut Squash

roasted beets and butternut squash paired with a Merlot.

Beets can be a little tricky for wine pairing, but roasting the beets and getting them caramelized makes them more wine friendly. Merlot is a red wine that tends to pair well with beets. We served this dish with a good Merlot from Washington state, and it paired very well with the beets and squash. Pinot Noir, a reliable choice for a turkey dinner, also pairs well with beets and could be an option here.

Roasted Beets and Butternut Squash
 
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Roasting beets and butternut squash give the veggies great caramelized flavor, enhanced with a bit of maple syrup at the end of cooking. Gluten free recipe.
Author:
Recipe type: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 large beet, peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces
  • 2 cups butternut squash (half of a large squash) peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces
  • Both cut into 1 inch pieces
  • ½ tsp minced fresh rosemary (or use dried if that's what you have)
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp pumpkin seed, toasted
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325 convection setting (or 350 regular). Spread the beets and butternut squash in a roasting pan. Toss with the olive oil, garlic powder, rosemary and salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Place the roasting pan with the squash and beets in the oven. Roast for 40 minutes, and check for doneness. You will likely need about 10 more minutes of roasting but don't want to overcook.
  3. Stir the veggies before returning to the oven. Roast another 10 minutes. The beets and squash should be starting to brown and both veggies should be tender when done.
  4. Remove the roasted beets and butternut squash from the cover when done. Toss with the maple syrup, and plate along with the rest of your feast. Top the beets and squash with a little sprinkle of pumpkin seeds and enjoy!

roasted beets and butternut squash

Gluten Free Sunday Supper Recipes

Sleigh Ride Starters

Seasons Greetings Sides

Making Things Merry Main Dish

Decking the Halls Desserts

Sunday Supper MovementJoin the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

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Roast Turkey Breast with Cranberry Merlot Sauce #winePW

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Roast Turkey Breast with Cranberry Merlot Sauce for a savory sweet alternative to traditional turkey gravy. For today’s Wine Pairing Weekend focused on American wine for Thanksgiving, we paired our dish with an American Merlot from Washington state, provided to me as a complimentary sample.

Roast Turkey Breast topped with a savory sweet Cranberry Merlot Sauce for a tasty alternative to traditional turkey gravy. #Thanksgiving

Our Thanksgiving meal is always pretty traditional. We visit my parents for the big feast, and I am usually bringing salad and appetizers. And of course, the wine!

When cooking a Thanksgiving preview meal like this, I like to veer from the traditional path. Today that meant dispensing with traditional turkey gravy, and making a sauce with a cranberry flavor. I was quite pleased with the resulting Roast Turkey Breast with Cranberry Merlot Sauce! It’s got a nice savory sweet flavor that enhances the turkey without overwhelming it.

I used Stonewall Kitchen Cranberry Relish to make the Cranberry Merlot Sauce–I’m including my Amazon affiliate link in case you’d like to order some. It has some sweetness but not like that “cranberry sauce” from a can that is typically on our Thanksgiving table. If you can’t find that cranberry relish, I would go with some kind of cranberry jam or preserve, as opposed to that canned cranberry sauce.

Turkey breast is a great option for a smaller crowd, particularly one that prefers white meat to the dark. If you want another recipe idea for turkey breast, check out my Garrigue Roasted Turkey Breast recipe.

turkey and butternut squash stew

 

Of course, Thanksgiving turkey usually means leftover, too. Be sure to try my Turkey and Butternut Squash Stew to use up that turkey!

Wine for Roast Turkey Breast with Cranberry Merlot Sauce

I think it’s always a nice touch to serve American wine for Thanksgiving, given that it is a food-focused American holiday. So when Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm suggested an American wine theme for this November #winePW, I thought it was a great idea!

For many years, I was rolling with Pinot Noir for Thanksgiving, and there are certainly many good American options for that grape. But in recent years, I’ve been mixing up the Thanksgiving wine pairings. I don’t believe I’ve served a Merlot with Thanksgiving style dinner previously, but with several bottles remaining from our October #MerlotMe month observance, I decided to give Merlot a try with our turkey.

Novelty Hill Columbia Valley Merlot paired with roast turkey breast.

I opened the 2015 Novelty Hill Columbia Valley Merlot ($23, 14.4% ABV) to serve with our Roast Turkey Breast with Cranberry Merlot Sauce. The wine has a woodsy nose, with plum fruit taste and a bit of black pepper. Modest tannins. When first poured, this definitely tastes like a young wine that could do well with a bit of aging. It opened up nicely in the glass.

This Novelty Hill Merlot paired pretty well with the Roast Turkey Breast with Cranberry Merlot Sauce, so I would definitely suggest consider this wine or other good quality American Merlot with your Thanksgiving meal. I would note that you’d want to pick a Merlot like this with some level of refinement to be a good food partner. Stay away from cheap Merlot fruit bombs for the big meal!

Our turkey gets rubbed with a butter featuring Merlot friendly ingredients–garlic, thyme and rosemary. That certainly helps make the pairing work. Of course, using Merlot in the cranberry sauce helps too. But if you’d rather use another dry red wine in the sauce and save the Merlot for the glass, that’ll work too!

Roast Turkey Breast with Cranberry Merlot Sauce

I served our roast turkey breast with Roasted Beets and Butternut Squash. Interestingly, I’d say this side dish really shined with the Merlot. In particular the roasted beets wound up being a perfect match for the Novelty Hill Merlot. I’d read beets pair well with Merlot, and this pairing really demonstrates that.

For more on the wine and the Novelty Hill-Januik Winery, visit the winery website.

In the spirit of experimentation, I did also test out the Roast Turkey Breast with a bit of the 2016 Hawthorne Grove California Chenin Blanc ($15, 12.5%). In recent years, I’ve increasingly seen the benefits of a white wine pairing for many of the Thanksgiving sides. This Chenin Blanc has citrus fruit taste, with honey on the finish and some minerality. I would say it worked reasonably well with the turkey and could be an option if you want to serve a white American wine with your Thanksgiving feast.

Roast Turkey Breast with Cranberry Merlot Sauce
 
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Roast turkey breast topped with savory sweet cranberry Merlot sauce for a creative alternative to traditional gravy
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: American
Serves: 8 servings
Ingredients
  • TURKEY INGREDIENTS
  • 5 tbsp butter
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • ½ tsp minced fresh rosemary
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 lb roast turkey breast
  • CRANBERRY MERLOT SAUCE
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2 small garlic, minced
  • ½ cup merlot wine or other dry red wine
  • 2 tbsp cranberry relish or jam
  • pinch minced fresh rosemary
  • ½ tsp thyme
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • juice from the resting turkey
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325, convection roast setting if you have convection oven.
  2. To reconstitute the dried morels, place the morels in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Let the morels steep in the water for 30 minutes. Then place a damp paper towel in a sieve, with a bowl underneath. Pour the morels with the soaking liquid into the sieve. Save the soaking liquid that is caught in the bowl. Remove the morels from the sieve and rinse them. Coarsely chop the morels and set them aside.
  3. Make the herb butter: place the softened butter in a small bowl. Add the minced garlic, the rosemary, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine well, and set aside.
  4. Rinse the turkey breast and pat dry. Set the turkey out on a clean work surface, and rub the butter all over the turkey. Put more on the skin side, work some under the skin if you can.
  5. Place the turkey breast on a roasting rack, skin side up, in a roasting pan. Place in the oven and roast. Roasting times vary based on your oven and the size of the turkey. Roasting times for a 3 to 5 lb turkey breast are typically given as 90 to 120 minutes. Check at 90 minutes, temperature in middle should be 170 degrees. Our 4 pound turkey breast was ready at the 90 minute mark. When done, remove the turkey breast from oven and let rest for 10 minutes on a large platter.
  6. Toward the end of the turkey roasting time, make the cranberry Merlot sauce. Melt the butter in a small sauce pan on medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute, until the garlic becomes fragrant.
  7. Add the Merlot and cranberry jam to the saucepan, whisking to combine. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the rosemary, thyme salt and pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes to reduce the sauce. Keep warm as the turkey finishes cooking. Stir in a tablespoon or two of the juice from the resting turkey.
  8. Slice the turkey to serve. Plate a few turkey slices, topped with the cranberry Merlot sauce. Enjoy!

American Wine for Thanksgiving #winePW

Check out the great American wine pairings for Thanksgiving form the Wine Pairing Weekend bloggers!

Join us for a live Twitter chat on Saturday, November, 11, at 11 a.m. Eastern time via the #winePW tag. Check out past and upcoming #winePW events on this page.

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Roasted Beet Dip with Fennel and Garlic #SundaySupper

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This roasted beet dip with goat cheese gets plenty of flavor from garlic and roasted fennel. Serve this up as a colorful and healthy option on a buffet menu or other holiday gathering. Read on for details and pairings suggestions, or click here to jump down to the recipe.

roasted beet dip with fennel and garlic packs plenty of healthy flavor. Great vegetarian recipe for a buffet or gameday appetizer. #SundaySupper #appetizers #beets

I wouldn’t say anyone in my family would consider themselves a huge beet fan. For a long time, beets were on a very short list of veggies that I don’t like. But I’ve found a few ways to serve and enjoy them over time. The key for me is to grill or roast the beets to give it a nice caramelized sweetness.

On Thanksgiving, we gather at my parents’ home and my Dad was the main cook for the big feast. I needed somewhere to channel my cooking energies on this food-centric holiday, so decided I would take on the challenge of coming up with a beet dip recipe that the family would enjoy despite lukewarm feelings about the veggie.

I did some research on flavors that go well with beets. Fennel featured prominently as did basil. So I figured I’d roast fennel along with the beets, then add some basil. Of course, there would be goat cheese involved in this beet dip too.

beets and fennel on a cutting board.

My family might not like beets a lot, but garlic is a different story! While the fennel and basil definitely helped add some good flavor to the beet dip, I’m pretty sure it was the healthy amount of garlic flavor that won the family over! You could use two rather than three cloves of garlic for a bit less kick.

Speaking of garlic flavor, I noticed that people search for beet dip recipes with sour cream and horseradish. I could see the strong taste of horseradish playing a similar role to what the garlic did for this recipe. You could definitely try swapping garlic for a bit of horseradish if you were so inclined. I did add a bit of of sour cream to this beet dip recipe to enhance the consistency.

I served this roasted beet dip with pita chips, and it was a big hit! People were surprised at how much they liked this recipe featuring a vegetable they thought they didn’t like. The best sign of its popularity is that there was only about a tablespoon leftover despite everything that was available for our pre-feast nibbling!

Making Beet Dip

making beet dip in a food processor

How to make beet dip? This is a pretty easy recipe, so let me share a few notes for making this roasted beet dip to get you started. Two medium beets should give you the 2 cups of chopped beets called for here. Some beets come larger in which case you might only need one. Peel the beets before chopping, and save those healthy beet greens for another use. Here are 5 recipes for beet greens that sound good to me, from Mother Nature Network.

The beets in this recipe get roasted along with a fennel bulb. Cut the green stems off from the white bulb, and then chop the bulb. Slice off the wispy green fronds at the end of the stems, and chop that up. It adds a nice little licorice flavor to the dip and other foods you may be making.

When you roast the beets and fennel, you want the veggies to get good and tender so that the dip won’t be too chunky. Check the veggies with a fork. You should be able to pierce them easily when they are ready for the dip. You may want to remove some that are done and let some bigger chunks roast a bit more.

Once the veggies are roasted, you puree them with the other ingredients. You could play with the amount of sour cream to adjust the consistency.

You might think the addition of soy sauce seems a bit out of this place in this recipe which leans toward Mediterranean flavors. I will sometimes add a dash of soy sauce to a recipe to add a bit of umami, and that seemed to work here.

Pairings for Roasted Beet Dip

Roasted Beet Dip with Fennel and Garlic recipe

I tested the roasted beet dip with two wine pairing options. I thought with the spice it might go nicely with the sparkling Spumante wine we had open to start on Thanksgiving, but for some reason I didn’t care for the match. I then poured a small taste of the red Burgundy I had brought for the turkey, and that pairing worked much better. Pinot Noir is known to go well with the earthy quality of beets, so that makes sense.

I tried the little bit of leftover beet dip with a beer, an IPA style, and that worked pretty well too. So I’d say pair our roasted beet dip with a Pinot Noir or grab a beer to go with it.

5.0 from 1 reviews
Roasted Beet Dip with Fennel and Garlic #SundaySupper
 
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This brilliant red roasted beet dip made with garlic and roasted fennel is a flavorful and healthy change of pace from your usual dips.
Author:
Recipe type: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Serves: 8 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 cups chopped beets
  • 1 medium fennel bulb, chopped
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin oil, divided
  • 1 tsp fennel fronds (see "making beet dip" notes above)
  • 3 cloves garlic (or 2 cloves for slightly milder dip)
  • ¼ cup basil
  • 4 ozs goat cheese
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • Generous grind of black pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the chopped beets and fennel with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Spread out in a single layer in a roast pan. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and easily pierced with a fork.
  2. Remove vegetables when done. Give them a few minutes to cool, then move to a food processor along with remaining olive oil and the garlic. Pulse to chop the vegetables thoroughly.
  3. Add the basil and goat cheese to the food processor, pulse to combine thoroughly. Add the sour cream, soy sauce, fennel fronds and black pepper. Pulse to combine.
  4. The beet dip is ready! Scoop into a serving dish and serve along with pita chips or crudite. You can refrigerate to serve late or the next day.

If you try this beet dip recipe and like it, you might also want to try roasted beet hummus–here’s one recipe for beet hummus from Minimalist Baker.

Buffet Menu Ideas #SundaySupper

Abundance of Appetizers

Sundry of Savory Dishes

Desserts by the Dozen

The Sunday Supper Movement is committed to bringing our readers delicious recipes that encourage them to gather and eat together around the family table. Search for your favorite ingredients on our Sunday Supper website. Also check out the Sunday Supper Pinterest boards for plenty more ideas and inspiration.

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Easy Olive and Avocado Chicken

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Looking for quick and healthy meals to start the new year? Try our Easy Olive and Avocado Chicken! Make the olive and avocado topping while the chicken bakes for a tasty weeknight meal with plenty of nutrition. Read on for more details and our wine pairing for avocado chicken, or click here to jump down to the recipe

Easy Olive and Avocado Chicken recipe makes a tasty and healthy meal.

So New Year’s weekend is coming up. Sure, that does mean we are looking for recipes that are good for entertaining. Not to mention ideas for festive beverages..speaking of that, our 25+ Pairings for Sparkling Wine article is a good resource for New Year’s Eve!

But with the end of holiday season, we are also looking for quick, healthy recipes to make when we are done entertaining and back to work. Enter our Easy Olive and Avocado Chicken.

Not exactly a New Year’s resolution, but I’ve been looking for more ways to get healthy and tasty avocado into our repertoire. Loaded with vitamins, fiber and healthy fat, avocados deserve a regular place in our food lineup. Here’s a summary of 12 health benefits of avocado from HealthLine.

I’ve tended to relegate avocados to guacamole or perhaps a chili topping, but they can add richness and flavor to many other dishes. To get in the mode of eating more avocado, I will now often buy one or two avocados without a specific plan for how I will use them.

I was looking for a quick topping I could use for tuna I was serving recently, and put together a tasty little combo of olives and avocado. It was pretty good on the tuna, but Jodi noted that it was also very good topping some simple backed chicken. So I decided avocado chicken was a keeper, and made it again to share with you.

Easy Olive and Avocado Chicken

Our Easy Olive and Avocado Chicken recipe starts with our simple baked chicken recipe. I make chicken following this method at the start of nearly every week, using the chicken for school lunches and quick protein for midweek meals.

You can easily put together the olive and avocado mixture while the chicken bakes. Once the chicken is ready, divide up the chicken into serving portions and top with the olive avocado mixture. Boom, a healthy and tasty avocado chicken entree is on the table. Enjoy!

Wine Pairing for Avocado Chicken

Taft Street Chardonnay pairs nicely with avocado chicken. #winepairing #Chardonnay Red or white wine with chicken? That really depends on how the chicken is being prepared. I thought the saltiness of the olives and fat content in the avocado would go best with a full-bodied white wine like a Chardonnay. So we opened the 2015 Taft Street Chardonnay ($22, 14.2%) to go with the Olive and Avocado Chicken. This Russian River Chardonnay has bright lemon and green apple flavors, and paired nicely with our avocado chicken.

Taft Street Winery, which originated in a garage rather than a grand chateau, produces a variety of good quality wines at an affordable price. I also get their Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc on a regular basis.

Easy Olive and Avocado Chicken
 
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Baked chicken breast fillets topped with olives and and avocado for an easy and healthy weeknight meal.
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: American
Serves: 3 servings
Ingredients
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp dried basil
  • pinch salt
  • 2 chicken breast fillets, approximately 1 lb total
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 8 olives, sliced
  • 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
  • 1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon, optional
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Make the marinade for chicken: combine 3 tablespoons olive oil, garlic powder, dried basil and pinch salt in a medium bowl.
  3. Rinse and pat dry the chicken breast fillets. Place the chicken in the bowl with olive oil and herbs, toss gently to combine. Let the chicken set at room temperature for 10 minutes.
  4. Add the chicken to a roasting pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, checking for doneness at 20 minutes. The chicken should be cooked through and 165 degrees Fahrenheit when done. Remove the chicken when done and set on a serving platter.
  5. As the chicken bakes, peel the avocado, then cut it into bite sized pieces. Place the sliced avocado in a bowl along with the olives, parsley and remaining tablespoon olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Gently toss the avocado with the other ingredients to combine.
  6. Cut a portion of chicken and plate, topped with the olive and avocado mixture. Enjoy!
Easy Olive and Avocado Chicken recipe features a tasty and healthy topping quickly made while the chicken bakes. #easymeals #chickenrecipes #avocado

Liking the combo of avocado and chicken together? Try our Avocado Chicken Bowls with Pineapple Salsa!

Avocado Chicken Bowls with Pineapple Salsa

The post Easy Olive and Avocado Chicken appeared first on Cooking Chat.

15 Best Healthy Salmon Recipes

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We love to feature salmon regularly for dinner in our home. Salmon is a lean protein, loaded with healthy fat and other beneficial nutrients. To help you put salmon on your table regularly, we have assembled a collection of the Best Healthy Salmon Recipes. This includes some of our favorites from Cooking Chat along with ideas from fellow bloggers. Scroll through to get some ideas, or jump ahead to the section of interest: Salmon Recipes from the Stovetop | Easy Baked Salmon Recipes | Grilled Salmon Recipes

Healthy Salmon Recipes from the Stovetop

I find that pan searing salmon on the stovetop is probably the easiest way to prepare healthy salmon recipes. Cooked on fairly high heat on a nonstick pan, pan seared salmon takes about five to seven minutes to cook. You get a bit of caramelization on the outside of the fish, and the salmon flavor is sealed in nicely. Check out our collection of healthy salmon recipes from the stovetop for recipe ideas.

Asian Greens with Pan Seared Salmon

Salmon with Asian Greens

Our simple Pan Seared Salmon gets served with Asian greens for a super quick and healthy salmon recipe.

Mirin-Glazed Salmon

Mirin Glazed Salmon from What a Girl Eats

Five ingredients and on the table in 15 minutes? Surely that’s enough to quality this Mirin-Glazed Salmon from What a Girl Eats for a spot in our Best Healthy Salmon Recipes list!

Quinoa with Salmon and Strawberries

Quinoa with Salmon and Strawberries packs a lot of healthy nutrition!

Here’s one of our favorite healthy salmon recipes. Pan seared salmon topped with vitamin C rich strawberries, served over quinoa. Can’t get too much healthier!

Pan Seared Salmon + Cauliflower Carrot Mash

Pan Seared Salmon with Cauliflower Carrot Mash

Another healthy salmon recipe that doubles down on nutrition with a nutrient packed side. In this case, Cheerful Kitchen serves the salmon with a cauliflower carrot mash.

Blackened Salmon Salad with Huckleberry Vinaigrette

Blackened Salmon Salad with Huckleberry Vinaigrette

This Blackened Salmon Salad with Huckleberry Vinaigrette from My Gluten-Free Kitchen is a nice, light salmon dish. And it’s gluten-free, helpful for those with that concern.

Asian Pan Fried Salmon Cakes with Ginger Lime Sauce

This recipe for Pan Fried Salmon Patties from Food Meanderings uses canned salmon, which would be a convenient way to get more salmon into your diet. The dish also comes with a wine pairing suggestion– try it with a Vinho Verde, says Terri.


Easy Baked Salmon Recipes

Baking salmon is an easy method for preparing the healthy fish. Follow the timing given in these recipes, put your salmon in the oven along with the fixings called for, and you will have a healthy meal ready in fifteen to twenty minutes.

Sockeye Salmon Salad

Sockeye Salmon salad

Easy instructions from Green Healthy Cooking for baking sockeye salmon and combining it with greens for a healthy Sockeye Salmon Salad.

Sweet and Spicy Salmon Tacos with Apple Almond Slaw

Sweet and Spicy Salmon Tacos

The Sweet and Spicy Salmon Tacos from Killing Thyme come with a tasty apple almond slaw. A salmon recipe inspired by BBQ!

Roasted Salmon with Greens Mustard Sauce

roasted salmon with greens mustard sauce from Best Healthy Salmon Recipes roundup.

Kelly from The Hungry Bluebird tells us how this Roasted Salmon recipe turned her into a salmon fan. The marinade is key to reducing the fishy flavor, Kelly tells us.

Sheet Pan Maple Dijon Salmon With Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes

Sheet Pan Maple Dijon Salmon from healthy salmon recipes roundup.

This Sheet Pan Maple Dijon Salmon recipe from Lively Table adds two more nutrient rich foods alongside the salmon– sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts. I definitely need to try it!

Sriracha Honey Salmon Vegetable Packets

This Sriracha Honey Salmon from Running To The Kitchen comes with veggies…along with Gina’s story of a trip to Alaska to learn more about wild salmon and the fishing industry there.

Grilled Salmon Recipes

We are in a cold stretch where double digit temps are considered “warm”. Yesterday’s blast of snow makes grilling seem far away, but when that snow does melt, I will be grilling our salmon! Here are some great healthy grilled salmon recipes for you to think about as we await the spring.
Grilled Salmon with Cauliflower Rice

Grilled Salmon with Cauliflower Rice

Grilled Salmon with Cauliflower Rice from The Organic Kitchen sure looks good! Stop by the article for tips on how to get those grill marks, too.

Grilled Lemony Garlic Butter Salmon in Foil Packets

Grilled Salmon in Foil

This recipe from Unsophisticook gives you a good method for grilling salmon in foil packets along with some lemony garlic butter and green beans.

Grilled Salmon with Portobello Mushrooms

grilled salmon with portobello mushrooms

I love the combination of salmon and mushrooms, so had to include one of my recipes that put those together for you. I picked the Grilled Salmon with Portobello Mushrooms, as this doesn’t use any cream or butter for the mushrooms as some other versions do. Oh yes, Pinot Noir is perfect with salmon and mushrooms, too.

Minty Citrus Gremolata with Grilled Salmon

Gremolata with Grilled Salmon

Lots of flavors in this tasty Minty Citrus Gremolata with Grilled Salmon recipe from Beyond Mere Sustenance.

15+ of the best healthy salmon recipes, including pan seared salmon, easy baked salmon and from the grill. #salmon #seafood

The post 15 Best Healthy Salmon Recipes appeared first on Cooking Chat.

Shrimp Pesto Pasta and #SonomaStrong Wine for #winePW

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Shrimp Pesto Pasta pairs wonderfully with a Sauvignon Blanc from Sonoma County. We are featuring this pairing for this month’s Wine Pairing Weekend event, focused on #SonomaStrong wines. The wine was sent as a courtesy sample. Read through our article about Sonoma and today’s pairing, or jump ahead to the section of interest: Sauvignon Blanc from Geyser Peak | What Happens When Wine Freezes | Making Shrimp Pesto Pasta | Links to more #winePW Sonoma articles

Shrimp Pesto Pasta recipe, easy to make and delicious paired with a Sauvignon Blanc wine. #winepairing #shrimp #pesto #SauvignonBlanc

Sonoma holds a special place in my wine story.

For a couple of years, we managed to add a visit to Sonoma and Napa wine country along with a Bay Area conference I was going to for work. The timing was great. I was just starting to learn to cook, and we were starting to pay more attention to the wine we were enjoying with the food I was cooking.

Visits to Sonoma wineries helped me appreciate more about the process of making wine, and start to learn how the climate and terroir in the vineyard contributed to what I was tasting in the glass.

Though it’s been over ten years since we’ve been to California (we have a 12 year old, no coincidence), I still have vivid memories of driving along the Russian River and searching out the next winery to visit. The last time we were there, we were staying in a little place in Jenner, where the Russian River empties into the Pacific. We’d stop at a wine and cheese shop in Duncan Mills on the way back to our hotel, and pick up some local cheese and wine.

Though I’ve certainly come to appreciate the broader range of wine produced in Sonoma County, I particularly remember sipping Russian River Chardonnay as we nibbled on crackers with soft cheese, and watched the seals play by the mouth of the river as the sun started to sink into the Pacific.

With these good memories of Sonoma County, it was horrible to hear about the devastating fires that raged this past fall. The Sonoma fires have received extensive coverage, so I won’t say much more other than to link over a piece written by one of my fellow #winePW bloggers, Michelle Williams, who was visiting Sonoma when the fires broke out.

The good news is, the people of Sonoma are resilient, and have pulled together to support each other during and after the fires. The tag #SonomaStrong captures that spirit, and we are pleased to use it today as we focus on some wonderful wines from Sonoma and food pairings to go with them.

Sauvignon Blanc from Geyser Peak Winery

Geyser Peak Winery has a long history of making wine in Sonoma, going back to 1880 when it was founded as California’s 29th bonded winery. The original winery was located on a hillside across from Geyser Peak Mountain, giving it a view of thermal steam clouds around the mountain summit. For more background on the winery, visit the Geyser Peak Winery website.

Geyser Peak River Ranches Sauvignon BlancWe decided to focus our #SonomaStrong Wine Pairing Weekend post on the 2016 Geyser Peak River Ranches Sauvignon Blanc ($22, 13.5% ABV). Well, OK, nature played a role in helping us make that decision…more on that in a moment.

Grapefruit is often a tasting note associated with Sauvignon Blanc, and I got grapefruit on the nose of the River Ranches Sauv Blanc before starting to sip. The wine has a bright citrus fruit taste, I get a bit of kiwi. Refreshing and well-balanced, with mineral notes. The tasting notes on the bottle also mention basil, and I definitely get a bit of herbal element too.

I started my tasting notes by mentioning grapefruit, so I have to say I’m someone who is turned off by a very strong grapefruit element in some Sauv Blancs, notably from New Zealand. However, in this wine, the grapefruit aspect is balanced by other flavor elements, so it is enough to give it a refreshing element without dominating. I would definitely say this wine from Geyser Peak is pleasant to sip on its own, and improves further with a good food pairing.

When I saw a Sauvignon Blanc was to be included in the wines we were to sample for this #winePW event, my mind immediately went to pesto. I love pesto of various sorts, and pesto and Sauvignon Blanc are a classic pairing, in fact that link takes you to one of my first #winePW posts which involved another Russian River Sauv Blanc.

Shrimp Pesto Pasta

The pairing ideas on the Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc label also mentions shellfish, and that led me to pairing their River Ranches Sauvignon Blanc with Shrimp Pesto Pasta. As you might suspect, the crisp Sauvignon Blanc paired very well with the pesto, and the mineral tones worked well with the shrimp. I definitely rate this pairing an “A”! The food and wine make each other better in a grade A wine pairing.

Balletto Vineyards

I didn’t get a chance to sample wine from Balletto Vineyards for this #winePW event, but I have enjoyed their wine in the past. We loved the Balletto Vineyards Russian River Chardonnay paired with our Orzo Salad with Kale Pesto recipe. We also had a chance to enjoy Balletto Rosé of Pinot Noir Easy Baked Tandoori Chicken.

What happens when wine freezes?

We must briefly depart our happy story of great wine from Sonoma County and food that pairs with that wine to speak of the fate of the other 3 bottles intended for this event.

Unfortunately, the wine was being shipped from Sonoma across the US to me in the Boston area during a time when much of the country, including us, were dealing with extreme cold. Generally, heat is worse for wine than cold, but single digit temps are not recommended.

If you leave wine in the car overnight and it freezes a bit, you might be OK after bringing that wine back to serving temperature for awhile. But of course, when liquid freezes it expands and thus puts pressure on the cork. The other bottle from Geyser Peak had the cork partially disgorged. I figured it was worth trying, because if the cork was disgorged fairly recently it might still be OK. But alas, clearly air had enough time to damage the wine.

The other sample package included one bottle where the cork had completely popped out and emptied out the wine, as evidenced by the smell of the cardboard package. I thought we might have a shot with the other bottle, as I couldn’t see notable cork damage. But clearly air had gotten to this one too.

Fortunately, the Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc comes with a screw cap, which managed to withstand the freezing temps! The freezing of the wine itself didn’t seem to cause damage, the problems happen when the cork is damaged in the freezing process.

Two morals of this story. First, don’t leave your wine out in the car overnight in the winter! Second, if you are shipping wine, take precautions to protect the wine against extreme temperatures.

Making Shrimp Pesto Pasta

Shrimp Pesto Pasta pairs well with Geyser Peak River Ranches Sauvignon Blanc. #winepairing #SonomaWine #shrimpMaking shrimp pesto pasta is quite easy, and you can get this on the table in about 30 minutes. As you will see here, I made the shrimp pesto pasta with kale pesto. You can certainly use classic basil pesto here if you like, I have linked over to my recipe.

Also, the kale pesto recipe as given is nut free, as we are going all nut free in our house now due to a food allergy. Feel free to use pine nuts in the kale pesto if you prefer to my pumpkin seed idea.

Get the kale pesto made first, then get ready to cook the shrimp. My recipe steps for shrimp pesto pasta toggle between cooking the shrimp and the pasta, so that things are ready at roughly the same time. If you can multitask between checking a text on your phone while watching TV, you can handle this!

5.0 from 1 reviews
Shrimp Pesto Pasta
 
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Sautéed shrimp tossed with kale pesto pasta for an easy and tasty meal. Pairs very well with a Sauvignon Blanc wine.
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 3 servings
Ingredients
  • FOR THE KALE PESTO PASTA
  • 4 cups tightly packed kale leaves, stems removed
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds, lightly toasted (pine nuts or walnuts would work, too)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 12 ozs linguine or other pasta of your choosing
  • FOR THE SHRIMP
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • ½ tsp dried basil
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • Pinch salt
  • 15 shrimp, uncooked, (I buy them peeled and deveined)
  • grated Parmigiano cheese for serving
Instructions
  1. Add the kale and garlic to a food processor, coarsely chopping to create enough room for the other ingredients.
  2. Add the pumpkin seeds, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, cheese, and olive oil, and puree until it comes to a nice smooth consistency. Set the pesto aside.
  3. Start boiling water for the pasta at this time.
  4. In a medium sized bowl, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, dried basil, garlic powder and salt.
  5. Rinse and pat dry the shrimp. Add them to the bowl with the olive and herbs, toss gently to combine. Let the shrimp marinade for about 5 minutes.
  6. Start cooking the pasta according to package instructions as the shrimp marinates.
  7. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium high. When hot, add the shrimp. Stir occasionally and turn when they start turning white, about 3 minutes. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the shrimp are just cooked through.
  8. When the pasta is cooked to your liking, drain and toss immediately with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the pesto, so that the pasta is coated with the pesto but you have some pesto left.
  9. Move the shrimp to a clean bowl, and toss with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the remaining pesto.
  10. Plate a serving of pasta, topped with 4 or 5 shrimp. Pass extra pesto and grated cheese at the table. Enjoy with a glass of good Sauvignon Blanc.

 Wine Pairing Weekend #SonomaStrong Posts

We will also hold a live Twitter chat about Sonoma wines and food pairings on Saturday, January 13, 11 am Eastern Time / 8 a.m. Pacific. Just tune into the #winePW hashtag on Twitter at that time to join the conversation. You can check out past and future #winePW topics by visiting this page.

Shrimp Pesto Pasta is delicious paired with a good Sauvignon Blanc. #winepairing #SauvignonBlanc #shrimp

The post Shrimp Pesto Pasta and #SonomaStrong Wine for #winePW appeared first on Cooking Chat.

Easy Black Bean Turkey Chili

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This Easy Black Bean Turkey Chili is loaded with lively fresh flavor, and is kid friendly according to our resident expert. I would rate this chili as being medium spiciness, good flavor but won’t burn your insides! After about 15 minutes active cooking, let the chili simmer for 45 minutes more for an easy, healthy meal. Read on for details, or click here to jump down to the recipe. Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Nola’s Fresh Foods. As always, the opinions are entirely my own. Click here to jump ahead to learn more about the Nola’s Salsa we used for the recipe. 

Dig into some Easy Black Bean Turkey Chili for a tasty and healthy meal! #chili #healthyrecipes #turkeychili #sponsored

We had a chili breakthrough with this Black Bean Turkey Chili recipe!

Usually our 12 year old just takes his obligatory trying bites of various kinds of chili I’ve made, then seeks an alternative that he can eat. Somehow my instinct told me he might be ready to dig into some good chili–perhaps it is seeing the way he now puts away a big order of chicken curry at our local Indian restaurant. Though I had a backup option in the fridge, I didn’t mention that, and just set out a bowl of the Black Bean Turkey Chili for him, just like Mom & Dad’s.

He took a bit, “Mmm, this is pretty good.” B really started eating it eagerly when he started dipping some tortilla chips into the chili. “This is really good! You should make this again!”

So don’t take it from me, take it from our discerning 12 y.o. food critic! This Easy Black Bean Turkey Chili is a winner!

Nola’s Salsa for Black Bean Turkey Chili

adding salsa to black bean turkey chili

This fall I had a chance to attend an event featuring local food businesses based at the incubator, Commonwealth Kitchen, hosted by Sam Adams Brewery . I sampled lots of great food products at this Commonwealth Kitchen event; the super fresh salsa from Nola’s Fresh Foods is one that really stood out.

Nola’s Fresh Foods is a Boston-based company that gets its name from the hometown of company founder, Sherrie Grillon. Nola’s features fresh salsa made without any artificial ingredients, preservatives, colors, sugars or oils. You just that that fresh tomato and spice flavor coming through when you taste it.

The Nola’s team was serving up some of their award winning chili at the Commonwealth Kitchen event, and I could easily see why the tasty chili received medals. A container of Nola’s Roasted Corn and Black Bean Salsa is the key ingredient in Nola’s chili, and I decided to feature it in a Cooking Chat chili.

black bean turkey chili in a bowl shown from above

In case you missed it, I have already rolled out another great recipe featuring Nola’s Salsa, this Easy Mexican Dip. That dip or this chili would make for great eating for that big game coming up next weekend! You know that game I mean, the one I can’t mention here because I didn’t spend millions to be allowed to do so.

Making Black Bean Turkey Chili

adding Nola's salsa to chili pot

The good folks at Nola’s aren’t keeping their chili recipe a secret; the recipe is available on their website. Nola’s chili recipe features ground beef. I often like to use ground turkey for my chili, and decided to go that way with this recipe. But I did take the Nola’s recipe as a starting point for our Black Bean Turkey Chili. The Nola’s recipe uses less tomato than I typically use, at least not counting the tomatoes in the salsa. It also calls for ketchup and small amount of mushrooms, two ideas I included in our black bean turkey chili recipe.

The most important strategy I borrowed from the Nola’s recipe is using a container of the Nola’s Roasted Corn and Black Bean Salsa in our recipe. Clearly this high quality, fresh salsa is key to the vibrant taste of this black bean turkey chili.

Nola’s Salsa is available at Whole Foods in MA, RI, NH and CT, and at specialty stores throughout Massachusetts. More details on their locations can be found here. If they aren’t in your territory yet, I would encourage you to seek out a high quality salsa to use for this recipe for best results. That is, while you wait for Nola’s to come to your area!

Today’s chili recipe lists the jalapeño pepper as optional. I meant to include one, but somehow the jalapeño I got must have slipped out of the cart or something. A chili pepper certainly seems warranted in a chili recipe, but it does have plenty of flavor without it. Go for the 2 full teaspoons chili powder if you aren’t adding a jalapeño.

I like to use fresh garlic for my chili, but you can go with the garlic powder option if you want to expedite things further.

Looking for another turkey chili recipe idea? Give our Slow Cooker Turkey Chili with Avocado a try!

Pairings for Black Bean Turkey Chili

digging into black bean turkey chili

You know we like wine here with most of our recipes, but we tested the black bean turkey chili with beer. Seemed like the thing to do for chili and football in mind. An IPA is generally a good option for spicy food, and we went with the Fresh Tracks from Harpoon–another local New England product (guess who I’m rooting for in that game I can’t mention!). Fresh Tracks is their spring ale, one seasonal ale I don’t mind seeing hit the shelves early! This beer has nice bright hoppy flavor with a touch of citrus, and is refreshing with the chili.

But fear not, wine lovers. We will be eating leftover black bean chili tonight and testing it with some wine, so stay tuned!

5.0 from 4 reviews
Easy Black Bean Turkey Chili
 
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Turkey and black beans simmer with fresh salsa and spices for an quick, tasty and healthy meal.
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Tex Mex
Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion
  • 5 crimini mushrooms, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced (or 1½ tsp garlic powder)
  • 1 jalapeño pepper (optional), seeded and flesh chopped
  • 2 lbs ground turkey
  • 14½ ozs diced tomatoes
  • 1.5 to 2 tsp chili powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 14½ oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 16 ozs Nola's Roasted Corn and Black Bean Salsa
  • ⅓ cup ketchup
  • 8 ozs low sodium chicken broth
  • optional toppings: shredded cheese and/or sour cream
Instructions
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add the onion, sauté for a few minutes until it begins to soften. Stir in the mushrooms, followed by the garlic and jalapeño pepper, if using.
  2. Gradually add the ground turkey to the pot, breaking it up with a heavy spoon as you go. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the turkey begins turning white.
  3. Stir in the tomatoes, chili powder and soy sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes.
  4. Add the black beans, salsa, ketchup and chicken broth to the pot. Stir to combine. Simmer uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Serve the chili in bowls with optional toppings, if desired, and enjoy!

Have you tried this Easy Black Bean Turkey Chili recipe? Leave a comment and rate this recipe!
easy black bean turkey chili -- long image for pinning

The post Easy Black Bean Turkey Chili appeared first on Cooking Chat.

Tuscan Kale Pasta with Elisabetta’s Vernaccia #winePW

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Today we serve our Tuscan Kale Pasta with Montenidoli Vernacccia, made by Elisabetta Fagiuoli, for the February Wine Pairing Weekend event. Read on for all the details, or click here to jump down to the recipe or here for background on the winery and winemaker.

Tuscan Kale Pasta on a plate served with white wine

When we decided that the February Wine Pairing Weekend would focus on Women Owned Wineries and Women Who Makes Wine, I immediately thought of Elisabetta.

Picture Elisabetta Fagiuoli, a spry Italian woman well past the age many people retire, proudly holding court behind a table with an array of the Montenidoli wines she has been producing for decades. She is eager to share with us her wine and the passion that has been poured into making it.

Elisabetta has visited our favorite local wine shop, Pairings Wine & Food, several times. During her most recent visit last summer, she had four of her wines available for sampling, including the Vernaccia that we are pairing today with Tuscan Kale Pasta.

As we sipped Elisabetta’s wine, she painted a picture for us of the Tuscan vineyards that produces some excellent fruit. We started with the Vernaccia, an Italian white wine varietal most closely associated with San Gimignano, where Montenidoli is located. Will talk more about the wine and Tuscan Kale Pasta pairing below.

After sampling a refreshing rosato made from Canaiolo grapes, we moved on to two of Elisabetta’s red wines. Though she clearly loves all her wines, I did sense a bit more enthusiasm for the full-bodied, big red wines from Montenidoli.

plate of rustic pasta with Montenidoli Chianti.

As we sipped the 2015 Montenidoli Garrulo Chianti Colli Senesi ($20, 14% ABV), Elisabetta urged us to enjoy this Chianti with pasta. This is not the type of advice I am inclined to dismiss, so I paired this Chianti  with our Rustic Pasta with Chicken and Sausage shown above and was very pleased with the results.

If you somehow have a notion that a woman winemaker is likely to produce light, ethereal wines, Elisabetta’s Sono Montenidoli will blow that assumption out of the water. This is a “beast” of a wine, in a good way, as the tasting sheet puts it. This Sangiovese based wine needs a couple hours in the decanter or some cellar time to make it approachable. This is to go with the meat, Elisabetta notes.

Background on Montenidoli Winery

Panoramic view of the San Gimignano hills

Image credit: nnike on Widimedia Commons.

The following background information comes from the Montenidoli website, and what I’ve heard from Elisabetta and friends that have visited there.

The San Gimignano hills where the Montenidoli Winery was established had been abandoned by farmers in the early 1900s. Elisabetta and her husband Sergio moved there in 1965 to raise their family. Sergio was a teacher, but caring for the land was in Elisabetta’s blood. Her family cultivated vines and olive trees outside Verona. Much of her childhood was spent wandering the vineyards of Valpolicella.

The vineyards were overgrown with brambles when they arrived, but Elisabetta set to work. As my friends Ray and Lori from Pairings said upon visiting Montenidoli, Elisabetta is “a force of nature”. Using organic organic methods that  rely upon the Tuscan sun and soil, the first Montenidoli wine was born in 1971.

In addition to the wines I mentioned sampling, Montenoldi now produces several other wines made from native Italian grapes. When Elisabetta isn’t on the road sharing her wines, she can often be found in the vineyards caring for her grapes.

Tuscan Kale Pasta with Elisabetta’s Vernaccia

closeup of tuscan kale pasta on a plate with Vernaccia white wine in background.

My idea for the Tuscan Kale Pasta recipe was based on one of our go-to weekday recipes, this Penne with Red Lentils and Ginger. That recipe features spinach for the green vegetable, I thought I’d try making it with some kale. To give it more of an Italian flavor, we increased the garlic and skipped the ginger, and swapped Tuscan kale for the spinach.

Tuscan kale on a cutting board

You might ask, “what is Tuscan kale?”. Tuscan kale also goes by the names “lacinato kale” and “dinosaur kale”. The latter is probably the most descriptive term, as what I’m calling Tuscan kale features bumpy dark green leaves. It is a bit more delicate than basic green kale, and I thought that would work better for cooking relatively quickly for this Tuscan kale pasta dish.

Want to try another recipe with Tuscan kale? Give our Tuscan Kale Pesto Risotto a try!

The Montenidoli website suggests their Vernaccia is good with olive oil based dishes. Our Tuscan kale pasta starts by sautéing some garlic and red bell pepper in some olive oil. That is followed by adding the Tuscan kale and red lentils, along with some broth. Note: I used chicken broth with good results, but you can use vegetable broth or water to keep the dish vegetarian.

tuscan kale pasta on a plate with a glass of white wine on the side.

The 2015 Montenidoli Tradizionale Vernaccia Di San Gimignano ($19, 14% ABV) is straw colored in the glass, with green apple on the nose. Taste of pear fruit with notes of almond on the finish, and notable underlying minerality. Definitely a wine best with food, and our Tuscan Kale Pasta is a good match. In particular, the Vernaccia pairs well with the Parmigiano cheese we add to the pasta.

This Montenidoli Vernaccia also goes well with artichokes and seafood.

Tuscan Kale Pasta
 
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Tuscan kale cooked with garlic and red lentils, tossed with pasta, for a an easy and healthy vegetarian meal. Pairs well with a Vernaccia and other Italian white wine.
Author:
Recipe type: Italian
Cuisine: Main
Serves: 5 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ red bell pepper, chopped into small pieces
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 bunch Tuscan kale, leaves thinly sliced and thick stems removed
  • 1 cup low vegetable broth or water
  • Dash salt
  • ½ tsp dried basil
  • 12 ozs bowtie pasta or other short pasta shape
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Parmigianno cheese for passing at the table
Instructions
  1. Start water boiling for pasta.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add the bell pepper, sauté for about 3 minutes, then add the garlic. Sauté for another minute.
  3. Gradually add the kale to the skillet. Stir to combine with the garlic and pepper. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Add the lentils and broth to the skillet. Bring to a simmer, then cover to simmer on low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, until lentils are soft. Keep an eye on the skillet and add extra water if needed to keep the vegetables and lentils moist. When the lentils are tender after about 12 minutes, remove the skillet from heat. Keep the skillet covered so that the kale and lentil mixture stays warm.
  5. Cook the pasta according to package instructions while the lentils and Tuscan kale cook.
  6. Drain the pasta when cooked to your liking, and toss immediately with the Tuscan kale and lentil mixture. Plate and serve with an Italian white wine.

 

Women Owned Wineries and Women Winemakers

Be sure to check out all the great Wine Pairing Weekend Articles about Women Owned Wineries and Women Winemakers! And join us for a live Twitter chat on the topic, using hashtag #winePW, at 11 a.m. ET and 8 am PT on Saturday, February 10, 2018.

Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla brings the bubbles with > The Effervescent Nicole Walsh Dishes On Ser And Being a Woman (in Wine) & Sparkling Rosé of Nebbiolo + Fusion Street Tacos.

Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm shares > Women Winemakers~~Introducing Burgdorf Winery.

Nicole from Somm’s Table has us > Malbec, Meat, and Conversation with Hanna Winery’s Christine Hanna

Jane of Always Ravenous is >  Celebrating Merry Edward’s Winemaking Journey with a Winter Feast

David from Cooking Chat brings us > Tuscan Kale Pasta with Elisabetta’s Vernacchia.

Lauren from The Swirling Dervish runs with the wolves for > Donnachiara Montefalcione – Five Generations of Wine, Wolves, and Women in Campania

Susannah at Avvinare shares > Crociani Rosso di Montepulciano and Turkey Chili For A Cold Winter’s Day

On Wine Predator Gwendolyn says  > We’re with WALT: owner Kathryn Hall, Winemaker Megan Gunderson Paredes.

two images of Tuscan kale pasta on a plate served with white wine.

The post Tuscan Kale Pasta with Elisabetta’s Vernaccia #winePW appeared first on Cooking Chat.


Vegetarian Baked Pasta with Spinach and Gruyère #SundaySupper

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Vegetarian Baked Pasta with Spinach and Gruyère makes a great meatless meal for Lent or any time you are looking to skip the meat. Can also be served as a hearty side dish. Our submission for today’s Sunday Supper focuses on Meatless Casseroles for Lent. Click here to jump to the recipe or read on for details on how to prepare Vegetarian Baked Pasta and wine to serve with it.

vegetarian baked pasta in a white casserole dish.

Vegetarian Baked Pasta dishes are a winter staple in our house. Today’s recipe has pasta combined with just a few simple ingredients that we had on hand. Spinach and Gruyère cheese provide much of the flavor and nutrition. Roasted red peppers also add nice flavor and color to the dish.

This vegetarian baked pasta has just about 15 minutes of active cooking time on the stove top, then about 20 minutes in the oven while you can do other things. The result is a cheesy, satisfying meatless meal!

How to Make Vegetarian Baked Pasta

Our Vegetarian Baked Pasta with Spinach and Gruyère is a recipe template that can be easily adapted based on your tastes and what you have on hand. The building blocks are the pasta, sautéed veggies and cheese.

Choose a short pasta shape to make Vegetarian Baked Pasta. We have recently made this recipe with corkscrew shaped fusilli pasta and gemelli. Pick a whole wheat pasta to enhance the nutritional value of the dish.

I rely on a skillet of sautéed vegetables along with a modest amount of cheese to bind the Vegetarian Baked Pasta together. I start with an onion and garlic with some olive oil in the skillet; but you could use just one or other. You can also add chopped fresh red bell pepper at this time instead of the roasted red pepper.

You can easily swap in other leafy greens instead of the baby spinach. If you want to use a hearty green like kale or collard greens, I would add 1/4 cup water or other cooking liquid, and let it braise covered for about 10 minutes. Just takes a bit more to cook those.

Gruyère cheese is good for melting and adds nice flavor, but any other good melting cheese will do here. Cheddar is of course a natural for a baked pasta dish; I also made this with a goat gouda cheese and that was tasty.

On the top of Vegetarian Baked Pasta, I like to have a combination of melted cheese and something to give the dish a bit of crunch. We used provolone on top; mozzarella and Parmesan also work well. I used some homemade breadcrumbs sprinkled on top, but have also used pumpkin seeds with good results.

vegetarian baked pasta in a casserole dish.

So follow our Vegetarian Baked Pasta recipe exactly as we present it if you like, or experiment with some of your favorite ingredients you have on hand. Let me know how yours comes out!

More Vegetarian Baked Pasta Recipes

casserole dish with baked veggie mac and cheese casserole

As you can see, several of the Meatless Casserole recipes shared by my #SundaySupper friends below are forms of vegetarian baked pasta. Another favorite here on Cooking Chat is the Veggie Mac and Cheese Casserole shown above. The approach to that recipe is very similar to the one we are sharing today. One neat thing about that recipe is it features sautéed leek greens–so if you typically discard leek greens, next time give our recipe a try as a way to put them to use!

Wine Pairing for Vegetarian Baked Pasta

plate of vegetarian baked pasta with a glass of red wine on the side, and casserole dish in the background.

The first time we had this Vegetarian Baked Pasta with Spinach and Gruyère I served a full-bodied Italian red wine that was a bit overwhelming for this dish. A lighter California Pinot Noir worked much better the second time we served this vegetarian baked pasta. I would say Pinot is a good choice if you are in the mood for red wine. A full bodied white wine like a Chardonnay or white Rhone blend could also work well.

5.0 from 1 reviews
Vegetarian Baked Pasta with Spinach and Gruyère
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Vegetarian Baked Pasta with Spinach and Gruyère for a meatless meal or hearty side dish. Easy to adapt to use veggies and cheese that you have on hand.
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 12 ozs gemelli, fusilli or other short pasta shape
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup onion, chopped (½ large onion or 1 medium/small onion)
  • 3 to 4 cups baby spinach
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 5 ozs roasted red pepper, drained and chopped
  • ¾ cup Gruyère cheese, grated
  • 1 slice provolone cheese, torn into bite sized pieces
  • ¼ cup bread crumbs
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and begin boiling a large pot of water to cook the pasta.
  2. Heat the olive oil on medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onion and sauté about 5 minutes, until it begins to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
  3. Gradually add the spinach to the skillet, stirring to combine with the onions and garlic. Lower to medium low heat and cook about 5 minutes, until the spinach is wilted. Remove from heat, cover to keep warm while the pasta finishes cooking.
  4. Begin cooking the pasta according to package instructions shortly after the spinach is added to the pan. When the past is done, drain the pasta and toss immediately with the spinach / onion mixture.
  5. Stir the roasted red pepper and Gruyère cheese into the pan with the pasta and veggies.
  6. Empty the pasta mixture into a large casserole dish. Spread the the provolone cheese around the top of the pasta, then sprinkle the bread crumbs around the top.
  7. Cover the casserole, and bake covered for 15 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for another 5 minutes.
  8. After 20 of total baking time, switch the oven to the broil setting. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes to brown the top of the casserole a bit. R
  9. Carefully remove the vegetarian baked pasta from the oven. Scoop and plate serving portions, and enjoy!

Meatless Casseroles for Lent

Meatless Casseroles for Lent

Marvelous Meatless Meals

Sunday Supper Movement
The Sunday Supper Movement is committed to bringing our readers delicious recipes that encourage them to gather and eat together around the family table. Search for your favorite ingredients on our Sunday Supper website. Also check out the Sunday Supper Pinterest boards for plenty more ideas and inspiration.

two images of vegetarian baked pasta, one on top in casserole dish, one below served on a plate.

The post Vegetarian Baked Pasta with Spinach and Gruyère #SundaySupper appeared first on Cooking Chat.

Easy Sautéed Shrimp

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Our Easy Sautéed Shrimp recipe, with just four ingredients, combines quickly cooked shrimp with honey and sauce for a kid friendly seafood dish. Grownups will enjoy it, too, especially with one of our recommend wine pairings for shrimp.
Simple Sautéed Shrimp is an easy kid pleasing recipe!

Kid Friendly Sautéed Shrimp

I originally posted this Easy Sautéed Shrimp recipe in 2015, motivated to share a recipe that our then nine year old loved. Below I share what I said back when I first posted the recipe, followed by some updated cooking notes and wine pairings.

This shrimp recipe is so basic I didn’t think to share it until our nine year old was raving about it again the last time we had it. Then I realized that though I tend to share recipes a bit more involved, anything that gets such a positive response from a discriminating child’s palate shouldn’t be kept to myself. So here’s our Easy Sautéed Shrimp recipe.

What makes our Easy Sautéed Shrimp appealing to kids? Soy sauce and honey combine to please young palate–the combo has nudged our son to try a variety of new fish and meats, usually with good results.

Keeping with the kid friendly theme, I served the simple sautéed shrimp alongside peas, our lad’s favorite veggie, and some linguine (before it got tossed with that dreaded tomato sauce!). I like this shrimp dish too, though sometimes it’s a nice option to get a portion of shrimp just for B. when we adults have something else.

Simple Sauteed Shrimp recipe from Cooking Chat.

Stay tuned for my kid friendly favorites here on Cooking Chat! One recent kid friendly recipe we shared you might like is Bee Bim Bop.

How to make sautéed shrimp

sauteed shrimp on a plate with green beans.

Our Easy Sautéed Shrimp is so simple it barely requires notes but I will make a few just to break things down.

I typically buy a large bag of frozen shrimp, the peeled and deveined kind. I portion out what I need for dinner into a sealable plastic bag. If I’m planning ahead I do it in the morning, leaving the bag to defrost in the fridge for the evening. But if some Easy Sautéed Shrimp is a last minute dinner solution, I put the serving of shrimp in a plastic bag in some warm water for about 30 minutes to thaw.

Just 5 minutes or so is all the shrimp needs in the marinade to get some good flavor. The shrimp then cooks in this marinade, making a nice little sauce for flavorful yet easy shrimp.

How do you know when sautéed shrimp is done? The sautéed shrimp take just about 5 minutes total cooking time. Turn them after two to three minutes, stirring occasionally. When they are done the flesh turns white throughout, and the tails get a bright red color.

Wine with Easy Sautéed Shrimp

white Rhone wine served with a plate of sautéed shrimp.

White wine is generally the way I go with shrimp. Most recently, I opened a bottle of 2016 Luberon “La Ciboise” Blanc ($16, 13% ABV), to go with our Easy Sautéed Shrimp. This wine was sent to me as a complimentary media sample.

La Ciboise Blanc is a white Rhone blend from M. Chapoutier, comprised of Grenache Blanc, Vermentino, Ugni Blanc and Roussanne. Luberon is a appellation in the Southeastern area of the Rhone Valley.

2014 Chateau La Moutete is a high quality rose wine from Provence. Pairs well with shrimp.This easy sautéed shrimp recipe is also good food pairing for Pouilly-Fuissé, a distinctive white Burgundy made from Chardonnay grapes. The 2014 Vincent Pouilly-Fuissé Marie Antoinette has nice mineral undertones that pair perfectly with this shellfish recipe. For more about Pouilly-Fuissé, visit our article on Food Pairings for Pouilly-Fuissé and Pouilly-Fumé.

We have also found a rosé pairing that works really well with our Easy Sautéed Shrimp. I had opened a bottle of 2014 Chateau La Moutete Grande Réserve Rosé ($16, 13.5% alcohol) to go with an orzo dish I made. I had made some of this shrimp again, mostly to get devoured by our almost-ten year old, but managed to grab a few shrimp for myself. No surprise that this rosé from Provence, with its proximity to the Mediterranean, went very nicely with our easy sautéed shrimp.

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Easy Sautéed Shrimp

sautéed shrimp on a plate with green beans

Just four ingredients, but Easy Sautéed Shrimp has plenty of flavor. The simple soy and honey sauce is very kid friendly and pleases grownups too!

  • Author: Cooking Chat
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 5 mins
  • Total Time: 15 mins
  • Yield: 2 servings
  • Category: Main
  • Method: Sauté
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 14 shrimp, raw (I buy them peeled and deveined)
  • 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 1 tbs olive oil

Instructions

  1. Combine the soy sauce, honey and olive oil in a bowl. Whisk to combine thoroughly.
  2. Rinse and pat dry the shrimp. Add to the soy marinade, toss to combine. Marinade the shrimp at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes.
  3. Heat a non-stick skillet on medium heat with some oil spray. When the skillet is good and hot, and the shrimp along with the marinade.
  4. Sauté the shrimp by stirring occasionally. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes on one side, then turn the shrimp over. Sauté another two minutes or so until the shrimp are cooked through. The tails turn reddish and sauce gets caramelized and coats the shrimp when they are done.
  5. Serve the shrimp alongside some favorite sides!

Notes

  • I typically by a large bag of frozen shrimp. You can move the portion you want to cook into a plastic bag in the morning, and let it defrost in the fridge. Or you can put that same bag in a bowl of warm water for about 30 minutes prior to cooking to quickly thaw.
  • You can also use pre-cooked shrimp in this recipe. Just take about 2 minutes off the cooking time, as all you want to do is heat the shrimp and brown the outside a bit.

Like our new recipe card style? Check out WP Tasty for your WordPress blog! [Our affiliate link is included here]

two images of sautéed shrimp. Top image with plate of shrimp and green beans, bottom image has shrimp served with wine.

The post Easy Sautéed Shrimp appeared first on Cooking Chat.

Turkey Bolognese Pasta with Porcini Mushrooms

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Healthy Turkey Bolognese Pasta gets a rich depth of flavor from porcini mushrooms. A delicious, lightened version of an Italian classic.
Healthy Turkey Bolognese Pasta gets hearty flavor from porcini mushrooms. #pasta #turkeyrecipes #porcini #Italianfood

I love a good Italian meat sauce. There’s nothing like the smell of long simmering meat, onions, tomatoes and garlic. Toss with some past and top with cheese and you have a great meal.

Our Turkey Bolognese sauce features porcini mushrooms to add a depth of flavor to the ground turkey that makes this sauce taste like it could have been made with beef. Don’t get me wrong, we enjoy beef from time to time, but it’s nice to have this healthy turkey bolognese pasta as an option too.

What is Turkey Bolognese?

turkey bolognese pasta on a white plate.

Bolognese sauce is a classic Italian meat sauce. Typically made with a combination of beef and other meats such as pork or veal, turkey bolognese sauce is a lightened version of the classic. We use porcini mushrooms along with the ground turkey to give the sauce a depth of flavor with less calories and saturated fat.

How to make Turkey Bolognese with Porcini Mushrooms

As I mentioned, the porcini mushrooms are key to making this healthy yet rich turkey bolognese sauce. I buy dried porcini mushrooms (Amazon link provided) and reconstitute them by soaking the dried mushrooms in warm water. Save that soaking liquid! We add that into the sauce to further enhance the flavor of this turkey bolognese pasta.

dried porcini mushrooms soaking in a bowl of warm water.

The dried porcini mushrooms soak for 30 minutes, so you get that going first. Other than that step, this recipe is much like other Bolognese sauces. You start by sautéing onions and garlic, then add the turkey. After the turkey browns a bit, you add the rest of the ingredients and let it simmer for a good hour or so.

Wine Pairing for Turkey Bolognese Pasta

Grillo Refosco is a hearty red wine from Northern Italy.I went off the beaten path for our turkey bolognese wine pairing. I opened a 2013 Iole Grillo Refosco ($20, 14% ABV), a bold red wine from the Friuli region of Northeastern Italy. Refosco is the grape varietal in the wine.

I get sage brush on the nose, plush blackberry fruit and a touch of cinnamon. Notable tannins. This Refosco worked pretty well with our turkey bolognese sauce; it might go even better with a Tuscan Beef Stew.

A Chianti or Barbera would also be good pairing choices for our Turkey Bolognese Pasta.

 

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Turkey Bolognese Pasta with Porcini Mushrooms

plate of pasta with turkey bolognese sauce.

5 from 4 reviews

Ground turkey simmers with porcini mushrooms for a rich, healthy Bolognese sauce that is delicious tossed with pasta.

  • Author: Cooking Chat
  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 1 hr 15 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins
  • Yield: 8 servings
  • Category: main
  • Method: sauce
  • Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 2 ozs dried porcini mushrooms
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 lbs ground turkey
  • ½ cup red wine
  • 28 ozs diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups porcini soaking liquid
  • 1 lb rigatoni or other short pasta shape
  • grated parmesan cheese for topping
  • 1 tsp basil
  • 1 tsp marjoram
  • ½ tsp oregano
  • Pinch fennel seed

Instructions

  1. Heat the water in a pan. When it starts to boil, remove from stove and pour over the dried porcini in a bowl that can withstand the hot water. Let the porcini soak in the water for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Place a sieve over a bowl and line it with a wet paper towel. Pour the mushrooms into the sieve. Reserve the porcini soaking water. Rinse the mushrooms, then coarsely chop and set aside.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add the onion, and sauté for a few minutes until it begins to soften. Add the carrot, and cook for another 5 minutes.
  4. Add the garlic, cook for another minute. Add another tablespoon olive oil, and gradually add the turkey, stirring occasionally. Cook for about 5 minutes to brown the turkey. Add the porcini mushrooms, and stir to combine.
  5. Stir in the cooking wine, and cook for about 5 minutes until the wine has been mostly absorbed into the meat. Stir in the tomatoes and 2 cups reserved porcini liquid. Add the  basil, marjoram, fennel seed and oregano.
  6. Simmer the sauce, uncovered, for at least 1 hour. If you have time to let is simmer a bit longer, that further enhances the flavors.
  7. Cook the pasta according to package instructions toward the end of the simmering time for the sauce. Drain the pasta, and toss with enough sauce to thoroughly coat the pasta. Keep the extra sauce warm on low heat.
  8. Plate the pasta and top with a bit of additional sauce, if desired. Pass the cheese at the table, and enjoy with a good Italian red wine.

Notes

  • This makes 8 servings, so if you aren’t feeding a large family or entertaining you will probably have leftovers! You could reserve some of the sauce to reheat and toss with a fresh batch of pasta if you like.

 

The post Turkey Bolognese Pasta with Porcini Mushrooms appeared first on Cooking Chat.

Salmon with Pesto and Potatoes #SundaySupper

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Pan seared salmon  with pesto served alongside mashed potatoes for a healthy green Irish meal with a bit of Italian flavor, too. Our recipe calls for kale pesto, but you can also use classic basil pesto too.

salmon topped with kale pesto on a plate with mashed potatoes and peas.

Here in the US, we might not think of salmon when it comes to Irish food. But I recall having some great, fresh seafood when traveling in Ireland, including salmon. Salmon is also associated with wisdom in Celtic mythology, with all kinds of interesting stories involving salmon.

So when asked to come up with healthy green recipes for today’s Sunday Supper event, I thought salmon would be a good place to start. We top our salmon with pesto for the green color, and serve it with some potatoes…because you just gotta have potatoes on the plate to make any claim that it’s an Irish meal!

How to Make Salmon with Pesto and Potatoes

salmon topped with pesto served alongside mashed potatoes.

First, you can cook salmon with the pesto–this baked salmon pesto recipe is one example of that approach. But I like to start by making the pesto, then cooking the salmon separately. Then the pan seared salmon gets topped with the pesto at the end. This approach to salmon with pesto gives a nice fresh flavor, and bright green color perfect for St. Patrick’s Day.

Now, about that pesto. When it’s not the season for good fresh basil, I favor making kale pesto. Kale pesto is packed with nutrients, and good kale is readily available year round. Topping salmon with kale pesto enhances the nutritional benefits. You can certainly go with a classic basil pesto recipe if you like.

I made basic mashed potatoes to serve alongside the salmon with pesto. But if you really want to double down on the green theme with St. Patrick’s Day coming up, you could make this tasty Swiss Chard and Potatoes recipe.

The basic plan for making this salmon with pesto and potatoes is to start by working on the mashed potatoes. Then make a batch of pesto as the potatoes cook. Once the mashed potatoes are done, keep them warm while you quickly pan sear the salmon.

Pairings for Salmon with Pesto

Salmon with Pesto served with potatoes, peas and a glass of white wine.

We served a modestly priced white Burgundy with the Salmon with Pesto and Potatoes. This Chardonnay based wine worked well, as it has the body to match the salmon and potatoes and also pairs reasonably well with the pesto. Pick a Chardonnay that isn’t over the top with the buttery or oaky qualities to match the pesto. A white Rhone or a medium to full bodied Italian white wine such as a Soave could work here too.

Of course, beer is more commonly associated with St. Patrick’s Day than wine. If you want to go in that direction for the salmon with pesto, I’d stay away from the stouts as that would be heavy for the fish. A lager or an IPA would probably be better. Sláinte!

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Salmon with Pesto and Potatoes

Pan seared salmon topped with pesto and served alongside mashed potatoes for a healthy green Irish meal with a bit of Italian flavor, too. Our recipe calls for kale pesto, but you can also use classic basil pesto too.

  • Author: Cooking Chat
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 45 mins
  • Yield: 3 servings
  • Category: main
  • Method: pan sear
  • Cuisine: Irish

Ingredients

For the Pesto

  • 4 cups tightly packed kale leaves, stems removed
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds, lightly toasted
  • generous pinch red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil

For the salmon

  • 12 ozs wild salmon fillet
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ tsp fresh rosemary, minced
  • 2 tsp champagne vinegar (other light vinegar is OK)
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tbsp canola oil

Plus mashed potatoes for serving.

Instructions

  1. Start cooking your potatoes, based on the recipe you are following, then begin making the pesto.
  2. Add the kale and garlic to a food processor, coarsely chopping to create enough room for the other ingredients.
  3. Add the pumpkin seeds, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, cheese, and olive oil, and puree until it comes to a nice smooth consistency. Set the pesto aside.
  4. Finish making your mashed potatoes. Keep covered on low heat with a bit of extra milk and butter on top while you cook the salmon.
  5. Heat the canola oil on medium high in a nonstick skillet. When the pan is hot, add the salmon skin side down. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes without moving the salmon. After this initial cooking time, carefully turn the salmon over with a spatula.
  6. Sear the salmon for 2 more minutes, flesh side down. Turn the salmon back over to the skin side. Depending on the salmon thickness and how you like it, the salmon may be ready now or need 2 more minutes cooking skin side down.
  7. When the salmon is done, remove it to a platter. Break the salmon into serving portions.
  8. Plate a serving of mashed potatoes, and serve a portion of salmon alongside the potatoes. Top the salmon and potatoes with a generous serving of the pesto. Enjoy with an Irish beer or a glass of wine. Sláinte!

Notes

  • We make kale pesto more than basil pesto, especially in the winter. But you could certainly use classic basil pesto here if you like.
  • You could serve with your favorite basic mashed potatoes, or you could put more green on your plate with this Swiss Chard and Potatoes recipe.

Healthy Green Foods for St. Patrick’s Day

Healthy Green Main Meals

Super Green Side Dishes

Sunday Supper MovementThe Sunday Supper Movement is committed to bringing our readers delicious recipes that encourage them to gather and eat together around the family table. Search for your favorite ingredients on our Sunday Supper website. Also check out the Sunday Supper Pinterest boards for plenty more ideas and inspiration.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

The post Salmon with Pesto and Potatoes #SundaySupper appeared first on Cooking Chat.

Roasted Beet Orzo with Tuna and a Promis #WineStudio

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Roasted beet orzo with fennel and cheese makes a tasty and colorful side dish recipe. We served the orzo as a side dish with pan seared tuna, paired with Ca’Marcanda Promis red wine from Tuscany.  Disclosure: wine provided as a complimentary sample as part of the #WineStudio program.

roasted beet orzo plated with tuna and a glass of red wine.
This month I am participating in the Wine Studio program focused on the Ca’ Marcanda winery. This is a special Tuscan winery started by Angelo Gaja, focused on growing international grape varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah.

Before I go further, let me mention that you can join the Wine Studio conversation, too. Tune into the #WineStudio hashtag on Twitter at 9 p.m. ET Tuesdays. Tonight and next week we will continue to discuss Ca’Marcanda.

Given my focus on food and wine pairing, I wanted to create some good meals to go with the Ca’Marcanda wines we were sampling as part of #WineStudio.

Food Pairings for Ca’Marcanda Promis

bottle of Ca'Marcanda Promis red wine.The first wine we sampled for the March Wine Studio was the 2015 Ca’Marcanda Promis ($48, 13.5% ABV). The Promis is comprised of a blend of 55% Merlot, 35% Syrah and 10% Sangiovese.

Thinking about what food to pair with the Ca’Marcanda Promis, I first thought about the lead grape being Merlot, along with a significant amount of Syrah. During the first March #WineStudio chat, the Bolgheri winery’s proximity to the sea caught my attention. You can take a look at the map on the winery website for more detail.

I felt like I should make a substantial entree to match the Promis, but also thought seafood could be a good idea based on Ca’Marcanda’s location. I previously paired Garlic Thyme Crusted Tuna with a Merlot, so I decided to give the pan seared tuna a try with the Promis.

I also was looking to re-make our Roasted Beet Orzo so I could get down the recipe and share it here on Cooking Chat. Roasted beets pair nicely with Merlot. The dish also has roasted fennel, which gives the roasted beet orzo an Italian flavor that seemed suitable for a Ca’Marcanda wine.

Tasting Ca’Marcanda Promis with Roasted Beet Orzo

plate of roasted beet orzo served with red wine.

The first March Wine Studio program gave us the back story about Ca’Marcanda. We learned that the winery name means “house of endless negotiations”, a nod to the 18 trips it took for the Gaja family to secure this winery. From the wines I’ve tasted, those trips were well worth it.

After a week of background, I was eager to open the Promis and get tasting. I got sage brush on the nose of this red wine. I first tasted black cherry fruit, with firm tannins.

This 2015 Promis a powerful red wine, with aging potential. I thought decanting would facilitate the food pairing. Thirty minutes or so in the decanter helped the wine soften and open up.

Though the Promis is made primarily with international grape varieties, it tasted very much like an Italian wine to me. A bit of a rustic quality, and a style that makes it very much a food wine. I suspect that is a combination of the terroir and the acidity from the 10% Sangiovese coming through. As a result, I’d say the Promis paired a bit better with the roasted beet orzo side dish than the tuna; I’m sure the parmesan cheese in the roasted beet orzo didn’t hurt the pairing!

You could definitely try tuna with the Promis and let us know what you think. But I think meat might be the best bet with this big red wine. My wife opted for a pork chop with the roasted beet orzo, and gave the pairing a thumbs up. I forgot to ask for a sample to report directly…will have to try that with another bottle of Promis!

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Roasted Beet Orzo

roasted beet orzo on a plate.

Roasted beet orzo with fennel and cheese makes a tasty and colorful side dish recipe. Add some beans to make it a vegetarian main. Pair with an Italian red wine.

  • Author: Cooking Chat
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 35 mins
  • Yield: 5 servings
  • Category: side dish
  • Method: roasting
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 2 medium beets, peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces
  • 1 fennel bulb, chopped into bite sized pieces (after removing stem and frond)
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 12 ozs orzo
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, plus extra for passing at the table
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Spread the beets and fennel in a roasting pan, and toss the vegetables with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, plus salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Place the vegetables in the oven and roast for approximately 30 minutes until tender. When done, the beets should be easily pierced with a fork. Remove the roasted beets and fennel from the oven when done and set aside briefly.
  4. After the beets have been roasting for about 15 minutes, begin boiling water and cooking the orzo according to package instructions.
  5. When the orzo is cooked, drain and toss immediately with the remaining tablespoon olive oil. Stir in the beets and fennel, followed by the parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper to taste, and serve the orzo.

Notes

  • Add a can of drained chickpeas or white beans to the roasted beet orzo to make this a vegetarian main dish.

Want to try another recipe with roasted beets? Try our Roasted Beets and Butternut Squash!

The post Roasted Beet Orzo with Tuna and a Promis #WineStudio appeared first on Cooking Chat.

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