Posts Tagged pinot grigio
Grapefruit and Watercress Salad
Posted by Morovino in Soups and Salads on December 23, 2011
Serve with 2010 or 2011 dry Pinot Grigio Rose
2 Pink Grapefruits, sectioned and chopped
1 Papaya (about 1lb) peeled and sliced in ¼” slices
2 Tablespoons fresh Grapefruit Juice
1 Teaspoon grapefruit zest
1 ½ Tablespoons dry Pinot Grigio rose or White Wine Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Fruity Olive Oil
Sea Salt & fresh ground Pepper
1 bunch Watercress tough stems removed and carefully rinsed*
Preparation: In a small bowl whisk together zest, Grapefruit juice, vinegar and olive oil to make a dressing. Season with salt & pepper. Place watercress on a serving platter and drizzle with dressing. Top with the grapefruit and papaya slices. Toss slightly and serve immediately. *a note about Watercress. It’s a lovely spicy salad green. You need to make sure it’s fresh and green. Occasionally I see watercress in stores that’s kind of gray and wilted. Old watercress smells and tastes like feet. Yuck. If you can’t find it at your Farmer’s Market or though a Community Supported Agriculture program, Vons carries hydroponically grown watercress in bags that is delicious. Make sure to trim off as much of the stem as you can, it’s really tough. If you can’t find watercress (or only find the feety-smelling kind, use arugula).
Slow Cooker Potato Leek Soup
Posted by Morovino in Soups and Salads on December 23, 2011
Serve with 09 Pinot Grigio (no, really! It’s fabulous)
Imagine Mrs. Vino’s delight when her CSA Harvest Box contained leeks and potatoes! But alas, January is a busy time with bottling and paperwork. When oh when could she make her world-famous potato leek soup?? To the rescue – her slow cooker. Here is a super easy potato leek soup recipe!
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 medium leeks, cleaned, mostly white part (just a little green part), thinly sliced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
4 slices bacon, diced (bacon makes everything better–sorry vegetarians–you could leave it out but it’s just not the same)
6 c. low fat chicken broth
1 c. evaporated low fat milk (not sweetened condensed milk!!)
1T red wine vinegar
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 t. salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1/4 t. red pepper flake
Brown the diced bacon in a non-stick skillet. When crispy, remove the bacon to paper towels to drain and pour off all but a teaspoon or so of the bacon fat (leave just enough to coat the bottom of the pan, my dears). Saute the sliced leeks in the little bit o’bacon fat. Add the bacon, red pepper flake, green onions, leeks and cubed potatoes to your slow cooker. How big should the potatoes cubes be?? They are going to cook all day so don’t worry about doing a tiny dice. Cut your taters into . . . like 8ths. Pour the broth over the veggies. Set the slow cooker to low and let it cook 6 hours (or until you get home from work). About 1/2 hour before you want to serve, add the evaporated milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg and red wine vinegar and stir.
Now, what texture do you like your soup?? Mrs. Vino prefers a tiny bit chunky. So I take my potato masher and just smash up everything right in the crock pot. If you like a creamier soup, use your immersion (stick) blender or transfer the soup in batches to a blender and process. The final step: adjust your seasonings. Potatoes are seasoning hogs – they just soak everything up. So taste just before you serve. You may want to add a bit more salt, pepper and/or nutmeg.
Serve with a great big green salad.
Oven Poached Salmon
Posted by Morovino in Main Courses on December 23, 2011
This dish is so easy and delicious that Mrs. Vino realized she was preparing it once a week for an 8 week period. It’s great for busy evenings and I do it for holidays as it is virtually impossible to overcook the salmon when preparing it this way.
Make and serve with Pinot Grigio – any of them!
1 filet of salmon (about 2 lbs), skin on or off, your choice
½ c. Morovino Pinot Grigio or other white wine (could also use chicken broth)
1 lemon
1 clove of garlic crushed
2T soy sauce
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Thinly slice ½ the lemon. Put the wine/broth, the juice of the other half of the lemon, garlic and soy in a 9 x 12 baking dish. Put the salmon in the baking dish. If it has skin, it should be skin side down. Top the salmon with the slices of lemon. Cover with foil and put in the oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes remove from oven, and remove the skin. For gourmet bonus points, drizzle it with Black Truffle Oil (available at Von’s, online and at specialty food stores). Serve with a green salad and mushroom risotto.
Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers & Green Rice
Posted by Morovino in Main Courses on December 23, 2011
(a Twist on a recipe by Rachel Ray)
No wine in this one. Serve with 2010 or 2011 Pinot Grigio Rose.
DON’T PANIC – THIS LOOKS MORE COMPLICATED THAN IT IS!
4 C. chicken or veggie stock
1 bay leaf
2 C uncooked brown rice (yes, white will work too)
2 large red or green bell peppers
6 ears of corn on the cob, or 3 C. frozen corn kernels
3 T vegetable oil (not olive oil)
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded, membranes removed, and chopped
4 cloves garlic, or 2 heaping spoonsful of crushed garlic from a jar
1 ½ t. ground cumin
½ t. dried oregano
¼ C-ish of fire roasted tomato salsa
1 small handful (about ½ C.) cilantro leaves—or use flat leaf parsley
1 bag of baby spinach leaves—or, if you insist, ½ lb of spinach leaves that you have to carefully clean yourself!
4 green onions, chopped
2 limes
1 C. shredded reduced-fat (Mrs. Vino is trying to watch her girlish figure) Monterey Jack cheese
FIRST: Heat 3 ½ C. stock in a sauce pan with the bay leaf until it boils. Add rice, cover pot and reduce heat to simmer. Let simmer for the amount of time listed on the package (it will vary for white or brown rice) MINUS 5 minutes.
THEN: preheat your oven to bake, 350 degrees.
NEXT: Remove corn from cobs. OR, microwave frozen corn, then dry it on a clean kitchen towel. Chop onion and Jalapeno. Zest limes. Remove top, seeds and membranes from the 2 large bell peppers. Heat 2T of vegetable oil (Olive oil won’t get hot enough) in a sauce pan over high heat. When oil begins to ripple a bit and smoke a tiny bit, dump in the onion, jalapeno and corn. BE CAREFUL, the oil is hot and if the corn is still damp, it will spit. That’s why you need to dry it well. Stir occasionally, but not too much, you want the veggies to brown. It will take about 4-5 minutes. Add the cumin, oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Cook another minute, then take the pan off the heat. Add the salsa and sprinkle the lime juice over the corn.
AFTER THAT: Put the cilantro, spinach, scallions, lime zest, ½ C of stock and 1T of oil in a food processor and whirl it until it is a gooey green paste. NOW: Fill the bell peppers half full with the corn mixture. Add a sprinkle of cheese. More filling and top with cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.
FINALLY: When the rice is 5 minutes from being done, add the gooey green herb paste and stir. Let rice cook the remaining 5 minutes. When the stuffed bell pepper is ready, the sides of the pepper will be crisp/soft. Serve with rice. Top with another spoonful of salsa or your favorite enchilada sauce, if desired.
Note, the Green rice is also fabulous as a side without the stuffed peppers. Serve it with barbecued chicken or grilled fish!
Curry Roasted Shrimp
Posted by Morovino in Main Courses, Soups and Salads on December 22, 2011
Make with . . . (sorry, no wine in this one), Serve with Cosa Dolce or Pinot Grigio.
This recipe is healthy and delicious and can be served several different ways (see end of recipe).
2 large seedless oranges
½ t. Kosher or Coarse Salt (divided)
1 large red bell pepper
1 large avocado
2 t. extra virgin olive oil
1T curry powder (Madras or Oriental is spicier than regular curry, but not too spicy for Mr. Vino’s tender palate)
1 ½ lbs peeled raw shrimp, tail off (or, if you ENJOY shrimp shucking, get in the shell shrimp, but peel them before you cook them)
A few grinds of black pepper
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and put the oven rack in the middle setting. Line a baking sheet (with a rim) with parchment paper. Cut the red pepper in half lengthwise, then each half in three-ish lengthwise pieces, then cut each piece into 1” chunks. Spread the pepper chunks on the baking sheet. Grate the zest of one of the oranges and put it in a small bowl. Peel the oranges using a sharp knife, just like you were starting an Orange Supreme (for a video on how to do this, go to www.expertvillage.com/video/16535_orange-supreme.htm). Once the oranges are peeled, slice them thinly crosswise, then quarter the slices. If your oranges have seeds after all, it would be good to remove them. Spread the orange slices with the red pepper on the baking sheet and sprinkle with ¼ t. of coarse salt. Roast them until they are soft and the oranges start to dry out–about 12 minutes.
Toss shrimp with oil, curry, ground pepper, orange zest and remaining salt. Yes, it looks completely gross at this stage, but be patient. After 12 minutes of roasting the oranges and peppers, add the shrimp to the pan and roast for another 6-8 minutes, until shrimp are pink. Peel and cube the avocado and set aside.
To serve: Option 1: Shred some baby greens and dress with your favorite Vinaigrette dressing. Put a serving of the salad on the plate and top with shrimp, oranges, peppers and avocado. Nutritious and delicious.
Option 2: Finely slice some Romaine lettuce and warm some tortillas. Treat this like a Shrimp Fajita–put a serving of peppers and oranges in a tortilla, add some shrimp, avocado, lettuce, salsa and green onions. YYUUUMM.
Option 3: Toss the shrimp, peppers, oranges and avocado together. Serve with brown jasmine rice and sliced mangos on the side. Incredible!
Chicken Liver Salad
Posted by Morovino in Main Courses, Soups and Salads on December 22, 2011
No, don’t make faces – yes I can see you making them!
Make and serve with the new 2011 Pinot Grigio Rose.
1 lb(ish) chicken livers
½ c. Morovino 2011 Pinot Grigio Rose
3 T. Morovino Pinot Grigio Rose (divided use)
3 T. balsamic vinegar
4 slices turkey bacon, chopped
1 bay leaf 1 sprig fresh thyme or ½ t. dried
3 minced green onions
3 T. olive oil (divided use)
2 medium onions sliced into thin rings
2 medium tart apples (like Granny Smith)
1 T. butter
1 T. lemon juice (juice of ½ lemon)
1 T. golden raisins
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bag of your favorite salad greens (Mrs. Vino likes Spring Mix for this)
Liver is Mrs. Vino’s ultimate comfort food (check out her blog post on the subject). However, Mrs. Vino fully appreciates that liver is NOT everyone’s comfort food. For the adventurous or curious, read on.
Rinse chicken livers and pat them dry. Look for and remove any green spots (there probably won’t be any, most livers come to you pre-cleaned–but always good to check). Place livers in a bowl with 1/2 cup Pinot Grigio, 2 T. balsamic vinegar, bay leaf and thyme. Refrigerate for 1 hour (this removes the gamey, strong flavor from the liver). Dump your bag of greens into a bowl, then arrange on 4 small plates (side salad) or two large ones (dinner salad).
Heat 2 T oil in a non stick pan. Add onions and bacon and fry over medium high heat until golden brown. Remove from pan and keep warm. Wipe out pan with a paper towel. Peel and core apples, slice thinly. Melt butter in pan (give it a minute to cool down first) over medium heat. Add apple slices and cook until crisp/tender. Add lemon juice, additional 3 T of Pinot Grigio and raisins and cook for 3 minutes. Set aside and wipe pan with paper towel. Heat remaining 1T oil in pan over high heat. Remove livers from bowl with a slotted spoon, reserving the marinade. Dry livers. Add livers to hot oil and cook on all sides (about 3 minutes on Mrs. Vino’s burners). Add salt and pepper to taste, then place livers on top of salad greens. Pour reserved liver marinade (not as gross as it sounds) in to pan and bring to a boil. Add remaining 1T of balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper. Drizzle over liver & greens. Top with reserved onions and apples, and then minced green onions. Really. Really. Good. And cheap.
Hot and Sour Soup with Shrimp
Posted by Morovino in Soups and Salads on December 17, 2011
An unsually hard rain this week made it really feel like winter. The air is crisp and fresh and smells of wet leaves and pumpkins. It made Mrs. Vino feel like something warming. For rainy nights, there is nothing I enjoy more than hot and sour soup. I had never tried this soup paired with 2009 Pinot Grigio. The slightly tart, slightly spicy character of the soup was an amazing match for the fruity tartness of the PG. Since there’s more rain in the forecast, I thought I’d share the recipe!
Hot & Sour Soup with Shrimp
32 ounces reduced sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups pineapple juice
1 1″-chunk of ginger, split in half
4T low sodium soy sauce
4T rice wine vinegar
1 big handful of mushrooms, sliced (let’s say 8 mushrooms – wow, that’s a big hand)
1/4 – 1/2 t. red pepper flake (too scary? start with 1/4 t. and add more if needed)
1 T olive oil
1/3 package soba noodles
Shredded cabbage, carrots, pea pods, daikon, tiny broccoli florets or other sturdy veggie
6 green onions, split lengthwise, then cut in 1/2″ pieces
1/2 lb raw peeled shrimp (if big shrimp cut into little pieces – if little shrimp, they are OK as they are)
Sesame oil for drizzling
First, pour yourself a chilled glass of 2009 Pinot Grigio (to use in case of emergency pan flare ups!). Then,in a medium large non stick pot over medium high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the mushrooms and the red pepper flakes and saute until the mushrooms take on color (careful, don’t stick your head over the pot, this is going to be pungent). Add the ginger, chicken broth and pineapple juice. Bring to a boil then reduce to a vigorous simmer for 10 minutes. While the stock is cooking, prepare the soba noodles according to package directions (up to drain and rinse). After 10 minutes of simmering, add the shrimp, soy and the rice wine vinegar to the stock. Let simmer vigorously for another 5 minutes until shrimp are pink and opaque. Then remove the ginger from the stock with a slotted spoon. And now we assemble:
In the bottom of some pretty Asian style bowls, put a little nest of the soba noodles. Top with a half-handful of shredded veggies (let’s call it a quarter cup of at least 2 of the veggies). Top with chopped green onions. Pour the soup over the top, making sure you get shrimp chunks and mushrooms.* Top with another sprinkle of green onions. Pour yourself another glass of 2009 Pinot Grigio in celebration of the excellent job you did! Enjoy.
*You can actually make this soup with leftover cooked peeled shrimp too! Just add it to the bowl at the end instead of putting it in the pot and simmering with the broth. Even easier.
