Wine Pairing under $8.00

Posted on May 1, 2013 | Comments Off

Pair wines to food to optimize every morsel you enjoy!

Spumante or Champagne:  Salty Foods, Parmesan (with fig jam) and Berries

Dry Rose` Cheese (Brie, Guoda, Fontina)

Syrah is a perfect match to Blue Cheese, Walnuts and Syrah Cheese

Syrah; Blue Cheese, Walnuts, Arugula

Sauvignon Blanc is a great match to all vegetables!

Sauvignon Blanc: Vegetables

Pinot Grigio & Chablis: Seafood. Linguine with Herbs.

 Chardonnay:  Chicken, Leeks, Fatty Fish and Pine Nuts

Pinot Noir: Earthy Flavors:  mushrooms, truffles, roasted garlic, Rib Eye Steak

(Chianti) Tuscan Wines:  Game, Salami Sausage (3-5 year old Chianti)                Pesto, Cherry Tomatoes (2 year old Chianti)

Dry Riesling & Malbec: Hot and Spicy Foods, Curry, Coconut

Cabernet Sauvignon: Pork, lamb, duck, turnips, dark greens

Merlot: Beef

 Moscato, Marsala, Lambrusco:  Sweet Desserts

Priced under $8.00. Great Wines to brighten up the table & enhance your meals, from Trader Joe’s.

  • Prosecco Zonin $7.99  pair with Crostini, Parmesan and Berries
  • Pinot Grigio delle Venezia $5.39  pair with Mussels and Seafood
  • Savignon Blanc from Chile $6.99 perfect with Grilled Vegetables, Grilled Olives, Caprese, Bruschetta
  • Salice Salentino Riserva Epicuro $6.99 Provole w honey and pepper flakes, Salami
  • Trader Joe’s Coastal Syrah $5.99 Best with Walnuts, Blue Cheese, Syrah Cheese
  • Reggiano Lambrusco $6.99 enjoy the following recipe for Peaches and Wine

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Pesche al Vino (Peaches and Wine)

Posted on May 1, 2013 | 1 Comment

Peaches and Wine! Simply delicious!

Applying simple pairing principles, you may wish for an inspired dessert. Feel free to vary quantities, proportions and ingredients; all you really need is your peaches and vino.

 Ingredients

  • 4 Nectarines or Peaches
  • 2 cups Lambrusco
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • A cinnamon stick
  • Mint Leaves

Preparation

4 peaches each cut with a small crosswise incision where the stem is. Place into boiling water, blanch for 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon remove each peach and place into a bowl of ice water. After 10 minutes, remove the peach and place cross wise cut down into a bowl and set aside.

In a saucepan over a medium heat, pour two glasses of Lambrusco, 1/4 cup of sugar, a stick of cinnamon.

Simmer together for 3 minutes over medium heat, and then pour the hot liquid over the peaches in the bowl.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to stand for at least 2 hours to overnight. Can be served warmed from the oven (bake 20 minutes 170 F) or placed into a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

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Posted in Fruits Vegetables, Recipes

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Mussels in Creamy Wine Sauce

Posted on May 1, 2013 | Comments Off

Mussels enjoyed in a white wine sauce will leaving your guests wanting for more!

Italians enjoy seafood!  This plate full of mussels can be served with or without cream. Mussels can be prepared as an appetizer or as an entrée with pasta. Enjoy the sauce and dip into it with grilled italian bread or ciabatta.  Recommended wine is a Pinot Grigio. Use the wine finder to choose a wine at the following link,  wine

Serves 6 people

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Onion minced
  • 1/4 cup Olive Oil
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 4 Cherry Tomatoes
  • 2 pound Mussels
  • 1 cup Pinot Grigio white wine. (optional)
  • 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 1 Garlic Clove ( minced and set aside)
  • 2 Tbsp Parsley ( chopped and set aside)
  • Pepper to taste (cracked black pepper of red pepper flakes)

Directions

Place oil, onion and salt into a large skillet and allow to sauté  over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add tomatoes, allow to cook for 4 minutes. Meanwhile, place clams and mussels in a colander, wash and scrub shells with cold water and place into skillet. (Only for fresh mussels.)  Frozen mussels have been pre-washed and can be added directly into the heated skillet. Add wine and cream to mussels , stir for 30 seconds. Add garlic. parsley and pepper allow to simmer for 5 minutes.

Can be served over pasta or with toasted Italian bread.

Second large pan: Healt 1/2 cup Olive oil on Medium heat with two garlic cloves for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

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Braided Easter Bread

Posted on April 19, 2013 | Comments Off

A Delicious Filled Brioche! Thank you to Zenzero e Limone   for allowing me to translate and post your recipe into English.

Braided Stuffed Brioche

2 packages of Rapid Rise Yeast
2 tsps sugar
1 cup milk (250 ml) + 3 tablespoons milk
4 cups  flour (550 g)
3/4 tsp baking powder
3 Tablespoons  of vegetable oil (50 ml)
1 egg slightly beaten
1/8 tsp salt
Cubed Pancetta or Ham (found in Deli)
Fontina cheese (diced into small pieces)

In a mixing bowl combine room temperature yeast, sugar, milk and 1/4 c flour. Allow to sit for 10 minutes until the yeast mixture has bubbled. Add in the rest of flour, egg, oil and lastly, the salt. (Do not allow the salt the come in contact directly with the risen yeast mixture because it will kill the rise that the brioche needs.)

Mix all ingredients well until the dough is soft. Place into a large bowl, cover and allow to rise for one hour.

On a clean flat surface, roll out the dough into a rectangular shape. With a pizza roller or knife cut the width into 3 equal parts.

Roll out dough onto rectangular shape and cut into 3 equal parts. Then scatter the pancetta/ham and fontina cheese onto each strip.

Scatter the Pancetta/Ham and fontina onto the dough strips. Close each strip, making them cylinder like. Create a braid with the 3 parts.

Cover the inside of the Angel Food Cake Pan with wax paper. Carefully place the braid into a round Angel Food Cake Pan. Or you may cover a cookie tray with the wax paper and place the length of the braid directly onto the tray. Add additional pieces of pancetta/ham and fontina, lightly brush on 1 Tablespoon of milk.

Carefully place the braided dough into the pre covered pan and allow to rise for another 30 minutes.

Set aside and allow to rise for 30 minutes.

Place into preheated 400F (200 C) oven for 25-30 minutes.

References

(http://blog.giallozafferano.it/paola67/ )

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Involtini Siciliani

Posted on April 18, 2013 | Comments Off

Savory Stuffed Sicilian Chicken with a Rosemary Wine Sauce is fast favorite! Your guests will experience a delightful meal. Serve on a bed of arugula  to accentuate this flavorful dish.

Ingredients

4 Fillets of chicken sliced thin
1 cup finely grated bread crumbs
1 cup cubed bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped Fontina cheese
1/4 cup Pine nuts
1 Tbsp Orange zest
chopped rosemary
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup water or Pinot Grigio
bay leaves (optional)
Arugula Salad

Preheat oven at 350 F
Add oil into an oven proof pan. Place chicken rolls into pan and then into preheated oven and allow to bake for 20 minutes.

Chicken should be cut thin into fillets. Easy fillet slicing can be accomplished if chicken is placed in freezer for about 30-45 minutes. Remove from freezer, place chicken onto cutting board and with a sharp knife begin to fillet chicken.

Fillet a chicken breast by placing a cut into the top of breast. With the opposite hand pull back the top of fillet, continue to move knife through fillet producing 2-3 fillets from 1 thick chicken breast.

On a plate place finely grated bread crumbs, place the chicken into the crumb one at a time and then onto a cutting board. In a bowl mix cubed bread crumbs, milk, fontina cheese, pine nuts, orange zest, and rosemary.

Spread stuffing onto the full chicken fillet.

Mix well together. Spread 1-2 Tbsp of stuffing onto open fillet covering the entire fillet.

Roll fillet, and insert a toothpick once rolled to secure the stuffed chicken.

Roll fillet and secure with a toothpick or cooking twine, place into oven proof pan. Dust rolled chicken with remaining bread crumbs. Place pan with chicken rolls into preheated oven and allow to bake for 20 minutes uncovered. Fillets are done when bread crumbs turn slightly golden.
Serve on a bed of arugula salad and top off with the Rosemary Wine Sauce!

Involtini Siciliani

Rosemary Wine Sauce:
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
minced roseemary
pinch of salt
cracked pepper
3/4-1 cup of Pinot Grigio white wine

Make a paste of melted butter, flour, salt, pepper and rosemary. Slowly add in wine, continuously stirring for about 5 minutes.

In a sauce pan add 1 tbsp butter, 1 Tbsp flour, pinch of salt, cracked pepper, stir until butter is melted. Add in slowly 3/4 cup white wine while continuously stirring over low heat for 5 minutes allow the sauce to thicken and serve over chicken rolls.

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Bracciole Pugliese (Involtini)

Posted on April 18, 2013 | Comments Off

Bracciole Pugliese

Stuffed Steak! Delicious and Southern Italian. Filled with pancetta, garlic, parsley and parmesan. Soaked in tomato sauce and served as a side dish or with pasta. Buon Appetito!

 

 

Preparation: 10 minutes

Cook time: For the softer meat the sauce can simmer for 90 minutes -2 hours. If you prefer a firmer tasting meat cook 30-60 minutes.

Ingredients

3-4 Flank Steaks
1 tsp Pancetta or ham
small cube of parmesan cheese
a sliver of garlic
2 leaves of parsley
tooth picks or cooking twine
1 onion
1/3 cup olive oil
28 oz of Puree Tomato Sauce
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup water
salt to taste
Basil 6 fresh leaves cut or 1/2 tsp dried

Flank steak is easy to prepare and allows for perfect flavorings.

Extend flank steak on a clean flat surface. In the center place pancetta/ham, parmesan cheese, garlic and parsley. Fold in all four sides of the meat to cover the stuffing and seal with a tooth pick or wrap twine around “package” and knot it to secure contents of meat. Continue the same process for the other meat slices.

Place into a large pan with olive oil and onion over low heat. Cover and allow to cook for 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce, milk , water and salt. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes add in basil if desired.

Serve as a side dish or over favorite pasta topped off with parmesan cheese.

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Visual Veggies Hanging with Nutrition

Posted on April 2, 2013 | Comments Off

Played just like “Hangman”, nutrition based clues to “brain train” those in the nutrition field preparing for the RD or DTR Exams.

Visual Veggies Hanging with Nutrition is a smart method to build on nutrition, management, biochemical and dietetic knowledge.  Students enrolled in the Dietetic’s or Sports Nutrition Academics will find learning through a “hangman” style game, as a friendly way to enhance their understanding of the nutrition material as they prepare for the RD or DTR Exams.

Advantages of  brain training through “Hanging with Nutrition” are many! The game is set up with clues that are given to the anticipated answer and upon completion of each answer (right or wrong), a full explanation of the intended clue is revealed at the bottom of the page.  ”Note Taking” is also provided on every game page, as is the opportunity to block or highlight a question. A less obvious feature is the desire to return to the game and improve upon performance. The structure of the game streamlines future study time, placing focus only on the areas of personal improvement designed by the individual.

Visual Veggies Hanging with Nutrition has additional quizzing in: Management, Marketing, NCP, Sanitation and Safety.  Students in the nutrition and dietetic’s fields will benefit from the daily discipline of Visual Veggies and receive positive reinforcement that encourages long term learning.

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