109 ~ Tuna steak and Veggies (at a price)

Last night I left campus at 7pm - yes, on a Saturday - because I had been riding a wave of productivity that continues even today. So this is going to be short and sweet, as I'm heading back in to finish my To-Do list! But last night I was craving simple, wholesome fare. And so I did one of those "If I could have anything in the world right now, what would I eat" games. It's a dangerous game to play when you're living so far away from Wegmans or Panera. I settled on simply prepared fish and a steamed veggie.

I wandered in to Cold Storage and grabbed a tray of Brussels Sprouts, which, I'm sad to say, were 50 cents a sprout. But fresh veggies are worth it, right? Next was a tuna steak - a tray with two - so I could justify the cost since I'd be getting a second meal out of it, right? I won't tell you what I paid for the tuna. I just won't. Next into my cart went an oaky Chardonnay. Because if you're gonna be a big spender, you might as well go all the way, right? RIGHT?!

This was one of those meals that was so simple I almost wonder if anyone out there wants to read a blog post about it, but I think the reason I will post on it is because it shows how fast preparing a truly delicious meal can be. I was sitting down to eat this less than 15 minutes after I walked in the door.

Here's what you'll need:

• Tuna steak
• Butter
• Seasoned salt (I chose garlic salt)
• Coarse salt
• Brussels sprouts (yours will be cheaper. Be quiet.)

First things first - open the wine. Ha! You thought I was going to wax poetic about starting the pan heating? Let's be realistic. Okay, NOW you can get the pan on the stove. I always cook with stick-free cookware. Start a good chunk of butter melting down in the pan. 

Wash the brussels sprouts. With the absence of an oven, another great way to eat Brussels Sprouts is how my mom and I prepare them when we're home together. We buy them pre-shredded at Wegmans and steam them. Since mine aren't pre-shredded, I make short order of them myself with a chef's knife, then stick them in a bowl with a little water and tightly cover it with cling wrap. I popped them into the microwave on 1:30 and then put the tuna steak onto the pan. I seasoned one side lightly with the garlic salt, and when I saw it was heated partway through, I flipped it over. At the same time, I stirred the Brussels Sprouts and popped them in for 30 more seconds. 

: : PAUSE : : 

All in all, the tuna was probably cooked for about 10 minutes (I decided to cook this tuna all the way through, but you can use your judgment on cooking times and make it to your preference).

: : UNPAUSE : : 

I flipped the tuna steak one more time, making sure to move it around the pan to get all that good browned butter on it, turned off the heat but let it sit there a little longer while I drained, buttered and salted the sprouts. 

Onto a plate it all went, and I called it dinner.

And a grand dinner it was!

Yours in the love of good food and wine and a speedy combination of the two,

AL

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The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Sixty-seventh Post ~ Steamer Pot

I know that summer technically goes until the middle of September somewhere, but to me, the end of August always signaled the end of it. This meal was meant to be a celebration of the dog days of summer - and believe me - cooking it in my 90-degree third floor apartment kitchen really enabled me to welcome in the prospect of autumn and its crisp days.

This dinner was inspired by the steamer pots that my dad and I have shared at Joe's Crab Shack, a care-free restaurant chain that we have visited in Maryland and California. I really think that the act of slamming one pot down on a table and announcing, "Dinner is served!" sets a certain casual, laid-back sort of mood...

So here's what you'll need for tonight's meal (cook this for two - grab a friend, a S.O., a family member, a neighbor - honestly, it's just more fun!):

~ one 2-pound bag of mussels

~ any other kind of mollusk you want to add to the mix - I chose 10 steamer clams

~ one (or two) sausages

~ a good handful of fingerling potatoes

~ three or so ears of corn

~ EVOO

~ onion

~ half teaspoon of sugar

~ scallions or chives

~ garlic (I used three cloves)

~ coarse-ground sea salt

~ seasonings (I used dried thyme, cayenne, white pepper, curry powder and bay leaves)

~ one big ol' pot to cook and serve it in!

Start a large pot about half-filled with water boiling on your stove. Grind in an embarrassing amount of salt.

Chop some onion and start to sauté it in a small pan with some EVOO. My goal was to caramelize the onion and I've learned that there's a fine line between burning and caramelizing. Once they're browning nicely, toss in some sugar and grind on some salt and keep them going, tossing them occasionally. I made the mistake of crushing in the garlic with the onions at this point - all it does is splash hot oil back onto your hand as you crush it in, and then the garlic burns a bit. Injury + Insult. I would recommend waiting until the onions are done caramelizing, turn them off, and crush in the garlic and let it meld.

Once you've turned off the heat under the onions, cut the sausage in half and just set it in the pan with a lid over all so the aroma of the caramelized onions and garlic infuses the sausage.

Now that your water is rolling nicely in your pot, add three bay leaves, a dash of cayenne, curry powder, white pepper, dried thyme, and the pierced fingerling potatoes to the pot. Savor the aroma as you add each spice to the water! Set your timer for 10 minutes. During this time, rinse off your clams and mussels. Also, prep some spices that you'll want to sprinkle over the whole pot before you set it to steam. I mixed a dash of all of the spices listed above into a prep bowl so they were blended and ready for when I needed them.

Cut the ears of corn in half. As soon as the timer goes off, add the corn and reset the timer for 8 minutes. Get your table ready. I recommend large placemats and smallish plates - you're mostly eating out of the pot, anyway! Get some beverages and a large empty bowl for shells and corn cobs. Put some butter on a plate so you can use it on the corn and potatoes if you wish.

When the timer goes off, pour out all but about two inches of water from the pot. Put the caramelized onions, garlic and sausage in. Keep the burner going and put in your clams and mussels. Sprinkle with your spice mix and slap on the lid for 4 minutes.

When the timer goes off, turn off the heat and let it sit for another minute. Then, unveil the steamer pot! Transfer it from stove to table (a trivet or strategically-placed place mat is helpful here). Snip in some fresh scallions or chives for a little fresh, crispy onion taste. Try not to burn your fingers, dig in and enjoy!

I served tonight's meal with a chardonnay by Casillero del Diablo - it was a perfect pairing for the mixture of spices and tastes in tonight's meal. It was refreshing with notes of citrus and vanilla.

All in all, a fun meal and a worthy send-off to summer!

Yours in the love of good food and wine,

AL

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The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Sixty-fourth Post ~ Cheater's Duck à l'Orange

Duck à l'Orange has always been one of my favorite dishes. Pair it with a good oaky chardonnay, and it will make me swoon. I decided to try an easy take on this classic French recipe by using marmalade as my base. Here's what you'll need:

~ Duck breast (prepackaged ones by Maple Tree Farms from Wegmans are consistently delicious)

~ Marmalade

~ Heavy cream

~ Splash dry white wine (I used some leftover Brut)

~ One orange

For the sides, I made two dishes that are fail-safe and can be pretty much left on their own while I focused my energies on the duck:

~ Fingerling potatoes

~ Olive oil

~ Fresh (or dried) thyme

~ Coarse-ground sea salt

~ French-cut green beans (the bags from the freezer always come out crisp!)

~ Olive oil

~ One clove garlic

~ Coarse-ground sea salt

Beforehand, rinse and pierce the fingerling potatoes, drizzle them generously with EVOO, sprinkle some thyme on them and salt to taste. Pop them in a toaster oven on 350. They are best if they bake for about 45 minutes. I love fingerlings because A.) they're multicolored, which just makes me happy - especially the purple ones and B.) They are tiny, so 45 minutes of baking makes them taste just like those baked potatoes that have been in the oven forever absorbing all sorts of good flavors and getting all sweet.

Put the beans on the stove with some water and start boiling on low. I don't like beans cooked too long, so I just shut off the heat after they had boiled a bit. While I was prepping everything, I crushed a clove of garlic into some oil in a separate pan - but didn't turn it on until the very end when the duck was nearly done. At that point, I sautéed the garlic and tossed the beans around in it just before serving.

So back to the duck. Even though these particular duck breasts come pre-scored, I still scored them a little deeper to make sure I had a crispy skin. Place them skin side down in the pan and let them cook there for a bit, checking them every so often so they don't get too toasty. You may wish to drain out a little of the fat as they cook. Eventually, flip them over a few times to even out the cooking process and start making the sauce around them.

Dump in a few generous tablespoons of marmalade with a little bit of EVOO. Add a dash of salt and a splash or two of white wine. Cut off two slices of orange for a garnish, and squeeze the juice from the remaining fruit into the sauce. Stir it around a bit and allow it to begin simmering. After a bit, begin adding tiny amounts of cream, stirring it in immediately as you add it.

Now comes the easy part - just let the whole thing go for a bit! Turn the duck a few times and spoon some of the sauce over it as it's cooking, and insert a meat thermometer and turn off the heat when it reaches 160. Let the duck sit in the pan while you serve the potatoes with a dab of butter and the beans. Then serve the duck with a generous amount of sauce over the top!

I paired this meal with a chardonnay from Beachaven Vineyards Winery from Tennessee (a gift from JJ from a backpacking trip through the Smokeys). This chard is oaky enough to pair swoonably with the duck, with subtle vanilla and citrus notes that are a wonderful compliment to the orange sauce!

All in all, a successful first attempt at one of my favorite meals of all time!

Yours in the love of good food and wine,

AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Forty-eighth Post ~ Almond-encrusted Pork Tenderloin Medallions topped with Apricot and Rosemary Glaze

Happy February 14! Whether you're celebrating Valentine's Day or Single's Awareness Day, it's a perfectly wonderful excuse for cooking something completely over-the-top! Which is exactly how this meal turned out - topped with minced sweet onion, apricot preserves, sea salt, rosemary, and grated vintage gouda, this was one of those meals where my only recipe guide was a spirit of "Why the Heck Not?"

Here's what you'll need for tonight's dinner - whether you're cooking for one or for two!

~ Pork tenderloin

~ Sweet onion

~ Apricot preserves

~ Fresh rosemary

~ Grated vintage gouda (optional, but does add a nice salty, caramelly kick!)

~ Balsamic vinegar

If you're roasting fingerling potatoes to go with this meal, start them in the oven while you get the rest of the meal put together. I pierced them, brushed them on all sides with olive oil and generously ground sea salt over them.

Slice the pork tenderloin into medallions (this isn't altogether necessary; I was just hungry and wanted it to cook faster; plus, the flattened shape allowed me to pile all the more goodness on top)...

Crush some almonds (I had some Marcona Spanish almonds in this week's cheese flight from Wegmans, so I crushed them up with a wooden spoon) and roll the edges of each medallion in it. Lay each round out on a piece of tin foil.

Finely mince some sweet onion. Add a scant amount to the top of each piece of pork. Next, top each with a hefty spoonful of apricot preserves. Add a bit of fresh rosemary to each and grind some salt over the top of the whole pan. Add just a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and then grate some vintage gouda over the whole thing. Pop it in the oven next to your potatoes and let it bake on 350 for about 20-30 minutes (provided it's cut into medallions). Enjoy the aromas of onion, rosemary and balsamic vinegar melding and baking into this tender meat!

Pour yourself a glass of chardonnay and enjoy some of the gouda with it. I am in love with vintage aged gouda from Wegmans - it's not cheap, but one slice lasts for a REALLY long time wrapped and sealed in a ziplock bag in your fridge. It's salty, caramelly, and oh-so rich! Nibble on a bit with a nice, oaky chard while you finish up your night's work.

When the timer goes off, let the meat sit for a few minutes so the juices have a chance to settle. I enjoyed tonight's meal with a bottle of chard that Megan and I found in this adorable winery that had taken up residence in an old church: South River Vineyard from Ohio's fabulous Grand River Valley wine region. It's just fruity enough, with hints of apple and citrus, with an oaky finish that's not at all contrived. All in all, a nice pairing!

Yours in the love of good food and wine and celebrating life,

AL

Forty-seventh Post ~ Chicken Nuggets with Blue Bruschetta and a Crisp Salad... Because sometimes, you just want summer to GET HERE already...

This is such a simple meal, I almost didn't post about it, but then I thought, maybe someone else out there could at least be warmed by the idea that Summer Foods + Middle of Winter = Instant Happy.

I don't know why this whole montage struck me as "summery" - perhaps it just looked like the kind of stuff you'd find at a picnic... a kid's picnic, even...

Growing up, my mom was a big fan of serving salads as a side during summer. And the fact that I was a miniature foodie from Day 1 not withstanding, these were seriously kid-friendly salads. Crispy green lettuce, french dressing so sweet it was like candy, and ginormous chunks of velveeta cheese everywhere.

When I eat bruschetta (especially Wegmans!) I find myself sitting on a sunny hill in Delaware Park watching Shakespeare with friends and pounding seriously good eats.

When I bread and toss chicken nuggets... well, I just feel like a kid. And isn't that summer in a nutshell?

So here's what you'll need:

For the bruschetta:

~ Wegman's bruschetta

~ Blue cheese crumbles

Toss ahead of time and let it all meld.

For the chicken:

~ Chicken tenderloins, diced

~ Italian breadcrumbs

~ Salt to taste

~ Olive oil

Dice and coat the chicken cubes and drop carefully onto a pan with a good amount of seriously hot oil. Toss around for a bit until browned and crispy

For the salad:

~ $1.00 and change

~ A fast-food drive-through window

For a one-time quick salad, I love grabbing one of the $1 salads from a drivethru. It's a fast, cheap pre-made veggie. I got ranch dressing because it reminded me of picnics and let it chill in the fridge until right before I sat down.

Serve with a chilled white (I had Vetter Vineyard's Chardonnay) and a good summery CD, like Jack Johnson, playing on your laptop.

Summer will come, folks! And then we'll all be pining for the days of sweaters and cozy winter stews!

Yours in the love of good food and wine and the memories they carry,

AL

Thirty-eighth Post ~ Duck with Pear and Walnut Dressing

Tonight in class, I created an analogy using Duck à l'Orange. My students have pretty much come to the conclusion that I'm a dork (albeit, I'd like to think, a likeable dork), so that's not really the point of the story.

The point of the story is that as of 8:00 tonight, I began thinking about duck. Therefore, I peeled out of the UB parking lot and headed over to Wegmans, where I bought some duck and a pear.

This is one of those meals that looks a lot more time-intensive than it actually is. Here's what you'll need for tonight's meal:

~ Duck (preferably a breast, skin on or off. I cooked this one with the skin on, but cut it off before I ate it.)

~ Pear (I bought one smallish bosc pear, but I was really hoping for some Seckel pears, but have been unable to find them at Wegmans since I cooked with them once a few months ago)

~ Seasonal dried fruit (I used raisins and cranberries)

~ White wine (I used chardonnay)

~ Apple juice (or cider)

~ Walnuts

~ Olive oil

~ Spices (sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove)

~ Fresh thyme (or dried)

Slice up your pear. Toss it in a stick-free pan with some olive oil, chard and sugar. Add the nuts and dried fruit. Sprinkle liberally with whatever spices you fancy. Add a sprig of thyme. Keep moving it around so it doesn't scorch. As it runs low on liquid, add some apple juice so it remains sweet and fruity and doesn't become too acidic.

In a separate pan, brown the duck in a little oil, thyme and wine. Salt and pepper it.

Once your fruit and walnuts are bubbling at that dangerously hot temperature that only cooking with sugar and oil can produce, move everything around to create a spot in the center for the duck. Place it in the pan carefully with the thyme and oil from the pan you browned it in, and slap on a well-fitting lid with a steam hole.

That's it.

Seriously. Keep checking it every so often, stir it around, take the duck out to check if it's done, but really, this whole meal is a pretty laissez-faire kind of dish.

Once it's done, serve it on a plate with the fruit and walnut dressing all around it. Garnish with a fresh sprig of thyme if you wish. I would recommend scattering a bit of thyme over it once it's served, as it adds a nice fresh taste to the dish.

I served this meal with a chardonnay by Pepperwood Grove, an international wine negotiant that brings us affordable wines from a number of different countries. This chard is Californian, making it fruit-forward, but also oaky enough to balance the earthy taste of the duck and the walnuts.

Overall, this meal encompasses all of the rustic tastes of autumn that I so dearly love!

Yours in the love of food and wine,

AL

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The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Thirty-fifth Post ~ Pork Tenderloins en Papillote

As the third addition to the "en Papillote" files, I offer you pork tenderloins and potatoes. I made this a few nights ago, and just didn't want this to end up wasting away in the File of Meals that Don't Get Blogged. So I thought I'd take five minutes out to write it up. Here's what you'll need for tonight's dinner:

~ Pork tenderloin - cut a few pieces off then save the rest for another meal

~ Small red potatoes

~ Dried fruit (I used golden and regular raisins and cranberries)

~ A random few sloshes of whatever wine is laying around

~ Chives or green onions

~ Fresh (or dried) herbs - I used thyme and marjoram

Preheat your oven. Quarter and boil the potatoes in salted water with some thyme. Meanwhile, dice your pork and place it in one half of your paper heart (See Post #33 for directions on this one!) Salt and pepper the pork to taste. Add a sprig of fresh marjoram. This herb is nearly floral in its aroma - use it sparingly! Add a small bit of green onion or chive. Once the potatoes are forkable, place them over the pork and scatter some dried fruit all around. Fold up your heart and pour in the bit of wine. Cook for 12-15 minutes. All the flavors will meld, and the dried fruit will reconstitute with the juices, making it all sweet and savory at the same time.

I enjoyed this dinner with some leftover Cupcake Vineyard's Chardonnay. It needed something floral and sweet to downplay the serious oakiness of this wine. As it's fermented in stainless with oak chips added for taste, it comes off a bit heavy and not as well-rounded as a chard actually aged in oak barrels. Based on the tasting notes of this wine (warm vanilla, oaky, slightly spicy and well-rounded) I was hoping I had found a lesser expensive version of Cakebread Cellar's Chardonnay (truly the best wine I've ever had in my life - It's what actually started me on this whole path of food and wine appreciation two years ago!) but was disappointed. It still is a nice wine to pair with meals that would normally overpower a weaker white, like this one.

All in all, a good, quick meal to enjoy at the end of a long day!

Yours in the love of good food and wine,

AL

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The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Thirty-third Post ~ Salmon en Papillote

Parchment paper... where have you been all my life? If you think I'm being over-dramatic, consider the meal at your left. It went from raw ingredients to steaming hot on my plate in 20 minutes. I'm considering running a series in my blog called "The en Papillote Files" (which, translated from French means, "The In-Paper Files" which actually sounds quite boring in English, which is why I'll be writing it in French). Here's what you'll need for tonight's dinner:

~ Parchment paper

~ 1 small potato

~ 1/2 lemon

~ White wine

~ Butter

~ Veggie (I used snap peas, because they're lovely)

~ Fresh herb of choice (I used thyme, as it is one of my newfound favorite herbs)

~ Salmon fillet (this one was farm-raised and dye-free, and came to a whopping $3 and change)

~ Salt/Pepper

Preheat the oven to 375. Start a pot of salted water boiling. Slice your small potato and boil the slices until tender. Cut lemon in half, and cut two very thin slices off and juice the rest into a prep bowl. Add a good splash of wine. I used some Clean Slate Riesling from Germany.

While your potatoes are boiling, fold a large-ish piece of parchment in half and cut it into a heart, grade-school-style. Open the heart, and place the salmon in one half of it. Place fresh herbs on top with a couple dabs of butter. When the potato slices are pierceable with a fork, lay them on top of the salmon and herbs. Salt and pepper them to taste. Place the two slices of lemon on top. Now here's the part that's key to the whole "en papillote" part: starting at the top of the heart: fold the empty half over the top of the food and make little folds along the edge, sealing the packet. When you get to the V of the heart (the bottom) you'll have a little open "tail." Into this, pour your lemon and wine mixture. Seal the rest up.

Place it on a pan in your oven. Here's the best part: kill 10-12 minutes while your dinner cooks. Feed your dog, check your email, chat on the phone, whatever. In 10-12 minutes, your dinner is DONE, baby. Take the parchment package out of the oven, put it on a plate, and slice an X into the top of the parchment to reveal the goodness inside. Mine looked like this when opened.

So... what wine to drink? I had heard great things (on Food Network and in lots of wine blogs) about Cupcake Vineyards Chardonnay. I learned that its oakiness may be rendered in fact by oak chips in wine aged in stainless steel barrels, so I was a little disheartened. However, it was suggested that it would pair well with salmon, so I gave it a shot, with the nice, dry Clean Slate Riesling on hand as a back-up. The verdict: Riesling. The chard by Cupcake is so oaky, it actually overpowers the salmon. Which is quite a feat, for a white wine. It wasn't a bad pairing, but it definitely downplayed the delicate tastes of the fish (and salmon ain't that delicate, so...). The Riesling, like its name suggests, was clean, crisp, and refreshing.

So what to pair with Cupcake chardonnay? Aged Gouda. I got this 3-year aged Dutch Gouda from Wegmans, and it just sings with the oaky, buttery chardonnay. Consider it dessert after a very satisfying dinner!

Yours in the love of good food and wine,
AL

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The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Twenty-ninth post ~ Apricot and Balsamic Glazed Tuna Steak

I could cry.

I could, but I won't, because in the grand scheme of possible disappointments in one's life, this really isn't THAT significant.

But it still renders me wanting to scream and cry a little and swing my fists in manner of a spoiled three-year-old.

I cooked a meal tonight that I would consider one of my best dinners. I don't say that in an arrogant "Oh, my cooking is so good" kind of way. I say it because it was one of those meals where everything came together perfectly. I got a piece of meat that I normally never would have spent the money on, researched how to cook it so as not to ruin it, managed to carry out said painstaking method, served the meal with a perfect wine pairing, photographed it, prepared to blog about it...

And my camera disk was corrupted.

So I can tell you about tonight's meal, but there won't be any pretty pictures to go along with it. Nothing to draw your eye. Nothing to prove it was real. Nothing, nothing, nothing but the memory.

Here we go:

I found a .40 lb wild-caught tuna steak at Wegmans. This fish had spent its life cruising around the shores of Ecuador before it landed happily in my cart, half-price because it needed to be consumed in two days. So I got an $8 piece of fish for $4. Bargain!

I researched how to cook tuna. I guess it's temperamental because it can dry out very easily. So I created a balsamic glaze. Here's what you'll need to make tonight's dinner:

~ Tuna steak
~ Balsamic vinegar
~ Apricot jam
~ Garlic (one clove)
~ Pepper
~ Olive oil
~ Fresh rosemary

Before you turn on the heat, pour a larger-than-normal dollop of oil into your pan. Swirl in a bit of Balsamic vinegar. Place a good tablespoon and a half of apricot jam into the oil and vinegar - trust me. Place a sprig of rosemary in the whole thing. Pepper it. Thinly slice a clove of garlic and add that. NOW start it heating on a low flame.

Take the tuna out of the package. Revel in its texture and weight! Rub a bit of oil into the fish. Turn the heat down - waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down. Place the tuna into the pan on top of the sprig of rosemary. Keep the heat very, very low. If you're using gas, keep the flame at that point where just a little less would extinguish it completely.

Move the tuna around the pan, turning it occasionally. Each time you turn it, spoon some of the sauce over it. Initially, the sauce is going to be kind of lumpy and separate. As it cooks, it will meld beautifully, turning into a concentrated, sweet glaze. Some people like their tuna completely uncooked in the center. Some like it cooked through. I'm right in the middle, liking the center not sushi-like, but not cooked through, either. This cooking method takes a bit of time and patience. Don't be tempted to turn the heat up to cook it faster; from what I've read, this will only dry out the fish.

Serve with whatever side you want; it won't really matter anyway next to an awesome, wild-caught piece of fish!

I debated about what wine to serve. Some say a good chard, others recommend a light and fruity pinot noir. I poured a bit of a South African chardonnay by Indaba and a bit of a shiraz by Cudgee Creek of Australia. The chardonnay won by a long shot. Don't get me wrong - the shiraz is wonderful (I drank it last night with the hard-to-pair meal of tortillas and fresh salsa with hamburgers - which, to my dad's horror, I topped with goat cheese) but with this meal it was overpowering. The chardonnay, on the other hand, was fruity to match the apricot in the glaze and played up the wonderfully fresh notes of the fish.

Sadly, the meal has disappeared with little left of it but the memory - but perhaps this post will serve to memorialize it... and I could always make it again, for the sole purpose of taking another photo... hmm... this could work!

Yours in the love of good food and wine and their fleeting existance,
AL

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The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Twenty-third Post: Garlic and White Wine Sauteed Chicken with Balsamic Green Beans

This meal was easy to cook, and is even easier if everything is assembled before you're ready to cook (I've learned this the hard way: see scorched beans from Post #21).

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So get everything set. Here's what you'll need:

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~ Chicken tenderloins

~ Garlic cloves (I used 2)

~ White wine

~ Lemon juice

~ Basil

~ Salt/pepper

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For the green beans (now this is tough, so pay attention):

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~ Green beans (precut, prewashed)

~ Water

~ Balsamic vinegarette marinade (optional)

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Get the chicken in the pan, get the wine to room temperature, get the garlic cloves peeled and ready to be pressed... Pour some white wine over the chicken tenderloins in the pan and crush the garlic over them. Snip up some fresh basil (or add some dried). Salt and pepper the chicken to taste. Keep it simmering as you cook the beans.

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Put the beans in a bowl and add about two tablespoons (if that) of water and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Put it in the microwave for about three minutes. Let it sit and steam until the chicken is done.

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As the chicken is cooking, add a little lemon juice. Keep adding a bit of wine as the liquid cooks away. Once the chicken is done, drain the beans and toss with a touch of balsamic vinegarette marinade.

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I served this meal with a Mirassou Chardonnay. It was fruity and balanced well with all the flavors in the chicken..

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All in all, a quick, easy, tasty meal for a busy Monday!

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Yours in the love of good food and wine,

AL

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Seventh Post: Scallops in Roquefort Cream Sauce with Pasta in Herbed Butter

Scallops are a food that I've loved since I was a child. Yes, I was a foodie since Day One. This is actually one of the dishes I cooked immediately after moving into my new place. At the time, I had thought about posting it, but I inhaled it before I could photograph it. Honestly. It was a knee-jerk response; I couldn't help it.

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So, due to you, my loyal readers, I have attempted to replicate the meal for the sole purpose of posting about it.

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And since I have about 3 loyal readers, we all know the real reason I cooked this again is because I LOVE SCALLOPS.

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This is a pretty easy and quick meal to cook. I'd say 15-20 minutes total. Here's what you'll need:

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~Scallops - since they vary greatly in size, I'll leave the number up to you. I purchased these monster scallops from Wegmans - given the size, four was more than plenty.

~Heavy cream

~Roquefort (or any bleu; gorgonzola would be nice as well)

~Parmesan

~White wine

~Olive oil

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For the pasta:

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~Pasta (whatever kind you fancy. As previously mentioned, I heart rainbow rotini)

~Butter

~Herbs (I am growing quite fond of fresh basil)

~Chives

~Salt/pepper to taste

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Start your water boiling for the pasta. In the mean time, get everything out. I'm learning, as I grow more serious about culinary hedonism as a hobby, that prep bowls really serve more of a purpose than just making people in cooking shows look fancy. Having everything measured, cut, ready, and at your fingertips cuts time and mess down considerably when cooking. I bought a really cute nesting set of 5 orange prep bowls (at Wegmans, naturally) the other day and have been enjoying them tremendously. Here's a pic of my counter set for cooking:

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So you've got your water boiling (salted to taste), now add your pasta. Keep an eye on the clock; pasta will be done in 10 minutes. Remember your wooden spoon so it won't boil over.

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In the mean time, get your herbs prepared. If you're using fresh, snip them into a small prep bowl. As previously mentioned, I'm falling in love with chives - all the zest of garlic and onion without the mess! I snipped about three of them into little pieces into a bowl. If you're using fresh basil, snip an appropriate amount into the same bowl. You can use dried basil if you don't have any fresh; I have for years!

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Once that's done, start about a tablespoon of olive oil sizzlin' in your non-stick pan. I bought a really cute Italian non-stick pan (from TOPS! HA!) that has really been a life-saver. I highly reccommend a non-stick. Toss your scallops onto the pan and just brown the outsides of them. Put them into a prep bowl.

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Let the pan cool a little bit; toss in some roquefort (I used some from the same flight I mentioned in the last post). Add some heavy cream and some white wine. (I used some of Victorian Chautauqua from Vetter Vineyards that I've been enjoying throughout this week. It's light, fruity and sweet. It really is a great companion to the roquefort, whether you're eating and drinking them separately or cooking them together.) Stir around a bit and tilt the pan so that the sauce is not spread too thin over the hot surface of the pan; you don't want it to scald. Once it starts sizzling, add some grated parmesan. You want the sauce blended and creamy before you place the scallops back in the pan.

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Put the scallops back in the pan and allow them to cook in the creamy cheese sauce. Occasionally, tip the pan so that the sauce flows around the scallops. Turn them occasionally. If you're cooking on a large pan, keep them toward the middle over the direct heat of the flame.

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While your scallops are cooking, melt some butter in a medium sauce pan or skillet. As soon as it start sizzling, add the fresh (or dried) herbs and turn off the heat. Drain your pasta and dump it into the skillet. Toss it around the herbed butter and let it sit there until your scallops are done. Watch for them to be completely opaque in the middle.

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When the scallops have turned golden brown around the edges, serve with the pasta. I paired tonight's dinner with a Chardonnay (my most favorite wine of all). I went on the "similarities" pairing principle - scallops are rich and buttery and so is Chardonnay. I uncorked an organic Chilean chard by 35° South of San Pedro vineyards. It has a sweet, vanilla aroma, and is quite heavy in body. It paired beautifully with the scallops and their sauce, never allowing the meal to get too rich. It's oaky enough to let you taste earthiness, which I think is the perfect compliment to this seafood dish.

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All in all, it's a lovely dinner!

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Yours in the love of good food and wine,

AL

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The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.