Sangria

This might just be my new favorite summer drink!! I love red wine, but the fruit gave it that summertime feeling and some added sweetness.

Sangria
by Emeril Lagasse

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 large lemon
1 large orange
1 small apple
1 750ml bottle dry red wine
1/2 cup Grand Marnier (I used Cointreau)

Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until the sugar dissolves.
Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Thinly slice 1/2 of the lemon and 1/2 of the orange.
Add the lemon and orange slices to a large pitcher.
Juice the other halves of the lemon and orange and add the juice and the rinds to the pitcher.
Core and thinly slice the apple, and add it to the pitcher.
Add wine, Grand Marnier, and the chilled syrup to the pitcher and stir.
Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.
Serve straight up or on the rocks with some of the fruit.

Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cider Sauce

Here is another great recipe from Cathy at Noble Pig. Check out her recipes and great pictures. http://noblepig.com/2008/10/14/simple-simple-simple.aspx
I served the pork with cheddar garlic smashed potatoes, asparagus, and Poizin wine. The wine came from a trip to California wine country. It is from Armida Winery in the Dry Creek Valley appellation. The bottle itself has a cool skull and cross bones on it. The wine is called "the wine to die for". It is a Zinfandel with a hint of fruitiness and a small kick of tannins. Check out the website http://www.armida.com/index.html

Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cider Sauce
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lb pork tenderloin
1 cup apple cider
1/2 cup chicken stock (original recipe called for white wine)
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper

Cut the pork into 2 inch medallions and season with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Sear the pork on each side for about 5 minutes or until a nice crust has formed.
Add cider, stock, and vinegar.
Bring to a boil, cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Remove lid and cook for 5 more minutes.
Transfer pork to a plate and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.
Simmer the liquids until reduced to about 1/2 cup.
The sauce should be thick and syrupy (this will take about 20 minutes).
Spoon sauce over pork and serve.

A Great Bottle of Wine leads to Surf and Turf Night

A few years ago we purchased a 2002 Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley in Oregon. 2002 was considered to be one of the all time greatest vintages of Pinot in Oregon. We had been wanting to open this bottle on a special occasion, but it hasn't happened. We looked at some wine vintage charts, and people were saying that the time to drink this wine is now. We were not going to let this bottle sit, so we said any day we opened the bottle it would be a special occasion!!! I suggested filet to my husband and he said "Why don't you just get a couple lobster tails too?" I didn't argue. We had a great lobster tail with garlic butter, Gorgonzola topped filet, baked potatoes, bread, and a fall inspired spinach salad. The wine did not disappoint. It was well worth the wait. It was very balanced, with a nice smooth finish with a hint of tannins.

Fall Inspired Spinach Salad

1 bag washed baby spinach

3 pieces turkey bacon, cooked and chopped

1/2 honeycrisp apple, diced

walnuts, chopped

Gorgonzola cheese

raspberry vinaigrette, purchased

Mix spinach, bacon, apple, walnuts, and cheese in bowl.

Drizzle with vinaigrette.

Lobster Tails with Garlic Butter

2 9oz lobster tails, frozen

3 cloves garlic

1 stick butter

Place frozen lobster tails in cold water and soak for 1 hour to thaw.

Change the water every 20 minutes.

With kitchen shears, cut a large V shape (with the point on the end of the fin) and remove to expose the lobster meat.

Spread the tail open.

Place tails on a broiler pan.

Broil shell side down for 3 minutes.

Flip tails over and broil for 7 more minutes.

Melt butter in small saucepan with 3 cloves of smashed garlic.

Heat until butter melted and the garlic is fragrant.

Remove the garlic, and place the butter in a lobster butter warmed set and drizzle some on the tails.

Light the tea light candle to keep the butter warm.

Grilled Filet Mignon topped with Gorgonzola Cheese

2 10 oz filet mignon steaks

salt, pepper

Gorgonzola cheese

Preheat grill to high heat.

Sprinkle both side of the steaks with salt and pepper.

Sear the steaks for about 5 minutes per side.

Sprinkle the cheese on steaks and place in the oven on broil to melt the cheese for about 1-2 minutes.

Shrimp Lemon Pepper Linguine and Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling

This is another recipe from my cooking group. This pasta dish turned out great. It had such a nice lemon flavor that was perfect for a hot summer night. I served this with a great Riesling. The wine was Chateau Ste Michelle from Columbia Valley Washington. Many Rieslings that I have tried recently have been too sweet. I felt that this wine had just a hint of sweetness, and wasn't too dry. It might become my favorite summer wine. It's also great that it was inexpensive!!

The pasta dish was from allrecipes.com. My changes are in blue.

For the wine in the dish I used a Pinot Grigio.

Shrimp Lemon Pepper Linguine

1 (8 ounce) package linguine pasta (used 16oz)
1 tablespoon olive oil (2 tbsp)
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth (1 cup)
1/4 cup white wine (1/2 cup Pinot Grigio)
1 lemon, juiced (1 & 1/2)
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (1tsp)
salt to taste
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper (3 tsp)
1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup butter (1/2 cup)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (4tbsp)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (used dried)

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguine, and cook for 9 to 13 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and saute garlic about 1 minute. Mix in chicken broth, wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is reduced by about 1/2.
Mix shrimp, butter, parsley, and basil into the saucepan. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until shrimp is opaque. Stir in the cooked linguine, and continue cooking 2 minutes, until well coated.

Cheese and Fruit Plate-with wine of course

This fruit and cheese plate could be a meal on its on, but my husband also needed the tilapia sandwiches I served with this. I used Gouda cheese, Bartlett pears, and wheat crackers. The wine was a Mandolin Pinot Noir. The wine is from Monterey County in California. The wine paired wonderfully with the cheese. The wine had a fruity quality to it, but was a nice balanced wine.

Valentine's Day

I forgot to take any pictures of the appetizers and main course of the meal.

My husband brought me a beautiful boquet of flowers. This was the best lasagna I have ever had. It has a mixture of sausage and beef that I think made it work.

Menu

Roasted red pepper and tomato bruschetta

Romaine salad

Garlic mozzarella cheese bread

Lasagna

2003 Lemelson Vineyard Thea's Selection Pinot Noir

Red Velvet Cake

Korbel Rouge Champagne

The bruschetta was sliced and toasted Itailan bread. Out of the oven I rubbed it with a garlic clove. It was topped with diced tomato and roasted red pepper and mozzarella cheese and placed back in the oven to melt the cheese.

The salad was nothing special just bagged salad and bottled dressing.

The rest of the Italian bread was toasted and rubbed with a garlic clove, then topped with mozzarella chesse. It was placed back in the oven to melt the cheese.

Lasagna

1 box lasagna noodles

1 lb spicy Italian turkey sausage

1 lb lean ground beef

30 oz ricotta cheese

16 oz mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 eggs

2 jars pasta sauce

olive oil

Preaheat oven to 350. Cook pasta according to package directions. Remove sausage from casing and brown with ground beef until cooked. Drain any excess grease from meat. Drain noodles and sprinkle with olive oil to prevent them from sticking together. Mix eggs, ricotta cheese, and parmesan cheese together. Add pasta sauce to meat mixture. Into a 9 x 13 dish begin the layering process starting with a layer of sauce. Next layer noodles, then ricotta cheese mixture, then meat mixture, then mozzarella cheese. Repeat until only noodles remain on top, then cover with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake covered in aluminum foil for 35 minutes, then remove foil and cook another 30 minutes.

The red velvet cake was going to be made from scratch, but I didn't realize it called for cake flour. I made it from a box (sorry WC girls), and I used store bought cream cheese frosting.

The champagne came from a vacation we took to the Napa Valley. We did a champagne tasting at Korbel. We brought back this wonderful Rouge Champagne. It had a great deep red color, and was the best tasting champagne I have ever had. It was full bodied like a wine, but still crisp and bubbly like a champagne.