Arugula and Pea Salad

Perfect Pairing:  That oh-so healthy time between Thanksgiving and Christmas!

I am lucky/unlucky enough to have a brother that lives in San Francisco.  The lucky part is obvious because San Francisco is one of the world’s greatest cities.  The unlucky part is that it is very far from Chicago and I miss his family.  I have two very adorable nieces that steal your heart.  As my mom always says when she leaves there after a visit, “I left part of my heart in San Francisco.”

We have gone out to San Francisco for Thanksgiving many times throughout the years and it is a blast.  This year was no different!  While in the city we tried some amazing restaurants (State Bird Provision and Michael Chiarello’s Coqueta) and did some shopping and a little hiking.  I also had my first experience with Shabu-Shabu, which is a Japanese dish that you cook at your table.  It is not often that I try something completely foreign to me, and I loved it! 

Of course we had a delicious Thanksgiving meal with way too much food.  Hence, the necessary pre-meal hike.

The day after we set off for a weekend in wine country.  We visited about 7 or 8 wineries.  It was a tough job, but we were up to the task.

I swear the sun is a different color there and it shines so bright.

We had so many amazing wines and really enjoyed meeting people at the wineries and exploring the grounds.

We will be back!

We all know that the diet goes steadily downhill after Halloween, and a fresh salad most definitely has its place during that time.  

I love this super simple Arugula and Pea salad.  It has bright herbs, crunchy peas, peppery arugula, and a super simple light dressing.  It is easy to pair with pretty much anything.  Perhaps a crisp California white wine?!

One year ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Wheat Berry Chicken Salad

Two years ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Thai Pumpkin Soup

Three years ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Slow Cooker Coq Au Vin

Four years ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs

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7-Up Biscuits

Perfect Pairing:  Coconut Jam

Baking recipes kind of fascinate me.  There is so much science involved that I rarely feel like I can play around with baked goods, so I am always impressed when people come up with creative baking recipes.  Who thought of using 7-Up in homemade biscuits?  One time I sautéed green beans with a little Crystal Light Lemonade.  It was not awesome.  I had a lot to learn.  Fortunately, 7-Up as an ingredient in biscuits is amazing! 

These biscuits were light, fluffy, and buttery.  We had them as part of a family dinner but I think they would be great for breakfast as well.  I used a pastry cutter/blender to cut the sour cream into the Bisquick, which worked really well.  I wrote about pastry cutters on this Scottish Oatcake recipe.  If you don’t have a pastry cutter you could use two knives to work everything together.

We topped our biscuits with coconut jam.  It is as good as it sounds.  I spotted this jam at a deli/grocery store in Healdsburg, California called Oakville Grocery.  Healdsburg is a ridiculously adorable town in Sonoma County filled with charming restaurants and shops.  Oakville Grovery is one of my favorite spots when touring wine country.  It is the perfect place to pick up lunch to enjoy at a winery.  Our favorite winery is De Lorimier in Geyserville.  It is exactly what you want from a wine tasting experience.  It is relatively small and has a really friendly staff, and most importantly, great wines. 

On a recent trip we planned on stopping at our old favorite, De Lorimier, for a quick tasting and lunch and then we would move on to another winery.  Well, we ended up spending the day there.  It was perfection.  It was my dad’s birthday and he said it was the best one yet.

I’m ready for another trip to wine country.  It just never gets old sipping good wine among loved ones with beautiful scenery to enjoy.

Back to the coconut jam…. It is so good on toast, ice cream, or 7-Up biscuits.  You can order it here.  In fact, ordering through the website turns out to be a fraction of the price compared to buying it at Oakville Grocery.  Oh well!

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Lemon Pasta with Roasted Shrimp

Perfect Pairing:  Babich Sauvignon Blanc

The first time I heard of lemon pasta I was not so sure I would like it, it just seemed a little strange.  Turns out, I love it.  So many pasta dishes are heavy and rich but Lemon Pasta with Roasted Shrimp is light and delicious.  It is also really quick to throw together.

I used meyer lemons which are a bit sweeter and less acidic, but I think regular lemons would work well.  If you use regular lemons you may want to use less and add more to taste.  The citrus flavored pasta pairs really well with the roasted shrimp.  Roasting is my favorite way to prepare shrimp.  I first wrote about it in my recipe for quinoa with roasted shrimp, asparagus, and goat cheese.

This dish is finished off with freshly grated parmesan and fresh herbs.  You could use whatever you have on hand but I really liked the combination of tarragon, basil, and parsley.

My favorite variety of white wine is Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.  It is crisp, dry, and refreshing.  It always seems to have a hint of grapefruit.  I know wine summaries have some pretty crazy descriptions that to most people are completely undetectable, but I really can pick out the grapefruit. 

I ran across Babich Sauvignon Blanc at my local grocery store and it has been my go-to white wine ever since.  It is a great deal for under $15.  It is perfect in the sauce of this dish and served alongside.

 

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Slow Cooker Coq au Vin

Perfect Pairing:  Elegant dinner party

Right after my parents moved into their new home I made a quick trip to help them get settled and unpack.  I mentioned in this cupcake post that I was really not much help to them because I was completely distracted by the kitchen and wanted to cook the entire time. 

 

I truly did have good intentions to help, and when I was thinking about what to make for the weekend I thought chicken in the slow cooker would be a great idea.  I could prepare it in the morning and forget about it all day while we unpacked.  Then I got the brilliant idea to make Coq au Vin in the slow cooker.  Well I am so glad I did because it was absolutely delicious, but it was not your standard “throw it in and forget about it” slow cooker recipe.  Not even a little bit.  Admittedly, there are multiple steps in this recipe and a lot of ingredients, but it is totally worth it.  It makes a delicious dish that is rich and comforting.  Trust me, it was scrumptious.

The benefit of using a slow cooker in this recipe is not convenience, but rather it makes the chicken fall off the bone tender.  Letting the wine simmer for hours with the vegetables and herbs gives the sauce a lot of depth.  It may seem strange to throw away the carrots, celery, etc., after it cooks but they are in the recipe purely to add flavor to the sauce.  Of course, Coq au Vin is best served with homemade mashed potatoes so you can fully enjoy the fantastic sauce.

The Perfect Pairing for this recipe is an elegant dinner party.  I made this dish for myself and my parents but we all remarked that it would be great at a nice dinner party.  Ok, so maybe my dad did not say this, but I am sure he agreed with us.  I am hoping to make this for my family on Christmas.  It makes the entire house smells rich and fabulous.  Don’t be dissuaded by the steps and ingredients.  You will feel like Julia Child when you put this on the table.

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Basil Slice and Bake Crackers

Perfect Pairing:  www.WTSO.com

I don’t know about you, but all of the Cyber Monday/Week commercials/e-mails/banner ads last week made me feel like a chump for not taking advantage of the deals.   Ack!  YES!  I DO want to save gobs of money and take advantage of free shipping! 

It is just barely December and I have major guilt about not having my Christmas shopping done.  Amazon.com, stop pressuring me.  

Early December also means full swing party planning mode.  I have a few get-togethers scheduled this month and I have a running list of possible appetizers to make.  These Basil Slice and Bake Crackers are perfect for holiday parties.  They can be made way in advance and frozen until party day.  Slice and bake what you need right before the party.  They smell crazy good while they are baking.

These savory homemade crackers are packed with good stuff like parmesan cheese, pesto, fresh basil, and nuts. 

After making the dough you divide it in half and roll each half in plastic wrap and freeze until you are ready to bake the crackers.

 Basil Slice and Bake Crackers are the perfect pairing for a glass of wine!  

A couple of years ago I heard about www.WTSO.com, a discount wine website.  They only sell one wine at a time at a discount of 30% - 70%.  They always offer free shipping when you buy the minimum amount, which is usually about four bottles. 

My dad is a tough guy to shop for, but my brothers and I have had great success with WTSO gift certificates for his birthday and Father’s Day.  He enjoys looking at the different deals and has ordered some amazing wines.  I happen to know a few of the orders went through on his smart phone while out on the combine. 

WTSO.com gift certificates could be the perfect gift or stocking stuffer for your loved ones this holiday season.  Fortunately, there is no need to worry about cyber Monday deals, they are always discounted!

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Chicken Yakitori

Perfect Pairing:  Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc

 

When I was planning on making the Asian inspired brussel sprout salad I wanted to find a protein that would go well with it,  preferably something that would go on the grill since the weather was still so beautiful.  I ran across a recipe for Chicken Yakitori on Café Sucré Farine.  Admittedly, I had no idea what this was but it sure looked good!  According to google dictionary, chicken yakitori is defined as grilled chicken kebabs: a dish of Japanese origin consisting of small pieces of grilled chicken that are basted on skewers with a sauce of soy, stock, sugar, and mirin.

My version of Chicken Yakitori is grilled skewers of chicken and green onion pieces basted in a teriyaki-like sauce.  It is easy to make and really tasty and light.  The original recipe calls for mirin which is a sweetened Japanese wine, similar to sake.  I had no luck finding this at the store and truthfully did not feel like spending $15 on traditional sake, so I just used some white wine I had leftover in the fridge.  I am sure it had little to nothing in common with sake, but it worked famously.  The skewers were savory with a slightly sweet undertone. 

The Perfect Pairing for this recipe is Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.  Lately I have been favoring red wine but I still love a cold, crisp white wine on occasion.  This sauvignon blanc is fantastic.  I have a LOT to learn about wine and tend to pretty much like everything.  I have no idea how to speak eloquently of wine.  I would love to be able to accurately decipher the berry notes and oaky undertones, but let’s face it… if I say that, I am totally guessing.  I will say that I can always pick out the lovely grapefruit flavor in this wine.  This sauvignon blanc is reasonably priced, I have seen it sold for $12-$17, and it is widely available.  Buy it, sip it, love it.

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