Post #103 ~ Mussels with Tomatoes, Fennel and Caramelized Shallots

As you might have noticed, it's been a while since my last post.  Actually, it was a while since the post before that one, too.  In truth, this final semester has been a really busy one for me (as well it should be, seeing as it's my last!).  In the past four months, I've conducted a study, assisted in a study, compiled date from my own study, analyzed said data and written a dissertation.  I'm defending May 2 and walking May 11.  I can't believe how quickly it's all gone!

So, in sum, I've still been cooking, but not blogging about it quite as much.  Tonight I really felt like returning to basics and cooking a favorite meal (but with a twist) and writing a post.  For those of you who know my blog, you realize that this means a post about insalate caprese, ratatouille or mussels, and hopefully by now you know the theme of tonight's dinner.

I was researching some different ways to make mussels, and happened upon an ingredient I had never before considered: Fennel.  I don't have a ton of familiarity with fennel, outside of the rogue seed that appears on a slice of pepperoni pizza, or the anise-flavored cookies I binge on at least once every other Christmas.

But I had seen and heard great things from my favorite chefs on my favorite cooking shows, so I decided it was high time I dallied with this flavorful bulb.  So here's what you'll need for tonight's meal:

~ Mussels (between 15 mussels - about 2/3 pound - and one pound, depending on your appetite)
~ 1 shallot (sweeter than onion, IMO)
~ 2 cloves garlic, crushed
~ 3 roma tomatoes
~ 1 bulb fennel (although I only used about 1/3 of it)
~ Fresh parsley (although many other herbs would have worked well)
~ Dry white wine
~ Coarse-ground sea salt
~ EVOO
~ Baguette

I started some EVOO smoking in a pan, and tossed in the sliced shallot to caramelize, tossing it once as I sliced everything else.  Next, I sliced the fennel.  Once knife slice told me I was making a good decision, as a spicy, familiar-yet-new aroma filled the air.  Into the pan it went, and the aromas only got better as it joined the sweet, savory scent of the caramelized shallot.  Things were heating up rather quickly, so I added some white wine.  There was lots of steam, so I stepped back and added more gradually, eventually equalling about a cup.  Next went the romas, coarsely chopped.  I added some parsley at this point, as well as some salt.  I turned up the heat and let them really cook.  I crushed in two cloves of garlic and added more parsley, and savored the aromas.  After rinsing the mussels, I slid them into the pan and covered the whole deal.  I let it simmer for 4 minutes, my usual time for cooking mussels.

In the mean time, I did useful things like put dishes in the sink, ingredients back in the fridge, sliced the bread and poured and sampled the wine.  All was well in the world.  After 4 minutes, I put the mussels into a bowl and grabbed the plate with the bread.  I was halfway into the livingroom when I swear I could hear Mireille Guiliano (see #17) yelling at me all the way from France.  So I set myself down at my kitchen table and really enjoyed the meal.  I mean, as I've said before, this is a meal for which you should eschew napkins in favor of a towel.  Hands and bread are the utensils here, with a fork at the ready as a last resort (or to avoid burned fingers).  The resulting broth was tremendously flavorful, and there was plenty of it and the other ingredients to compliment the mussels.

The fennel was amazing.  It kept a crunchiness to it, but was cooked to a satisfying done-ness.  It added an intensely spicy (as in aromatic, rather than "hot") dimension to the meal and complemented the bright, biteyness of the parsley and the acidic flavor of the romas beautifully.  The wine I chose for cooking and drinking was a Romanian Pinot Grigio by Dreambird.  It was citrussy with a nice balance of mineral.  It complemented this seafood dish like a fresh squeeze of lemon compliments a fillet of haddock.

All in all, an immensely satisfying meal.

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.

Ninety-second Post ~ Easy Peasy Veggie Pizza!

I had one of those nights that just got away from me - and before I knew it, it was 9:00 and I still hadn't stopped for dinner.  I needed something fulfilling, quick, and not too rich.  Here's what I came up with.

You'll need:

~ Flatbread (or pita - I've become a huge fan of Kontos Multigrain Flatbread - it's a great afternoon snack cut into triangles, toasted, and served with hummus)
~ Pesto of any sort (I used Wegman's sundried tomato pesto)
~ Veggies (mushrooms and zucchini for me!)
~ Grated parm
~ Drizzle of black truffle oil
~ Fresh parsley

Preheat your toaster oven on 400/broil.  Spread about a tablespoon of pesto over the flatbread.  With a mandoline, thinly slice some zucchini.  Place the slices around over the pesto-spread bread.  Slice up some mushrooms, and lay them on top.  Drizzle on a little truffle oil, sprinkle on some parm, and spread fresh parsley over all.  Broil in your toaster oven until the veggies are beautifully cooked and sizzling!

While the veggies themselves were a delectable roasted sweetness, the best part of this pizza to me was the crust!  The flatbread toasted to a perfectly crispy finish, and the parm was just golden - savory, flavorful, wonderful!

I served this easy-peasy meal with a crisp, peachy pinot grigio by Vetter Vineyards.  A perfect compliment!

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.

Ninety-first Post ~ More Mussels (with a citrussy flair!)

If you're sick of reading about the many virtues of a dinner of mussels...

...Then skip this post.

I wasn't going to blog about this, because it is rather similar to some of my past posts, but I feel like this batch was TRULY the perfect combination of herbs and other flavors.  Here's what you'll need:

~ Mussels, of course.  I make a pound per serving.
~ White wine (I used a "melange" of sorts of some leftover dry Riesling and Pinot Grigio)
~ Salted butter.  Lots o' butter.
~ Herbs: Fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, fresh parsley, fresh, fresh, fresh.
~ Chives to top
~ Two crushed garlic cloves
~ Coarse-ground sea salt
~ One slice lemon

In a pan, add a generous bit of wine.  I'd say a little over a cup.  Start the butter melting.  When all is said and done, probably about three or four tablespoons.  Add the fresh herbs, and don't skimp on the parsley.  Add the slice of lemon and the garlic.  By now, your nose should be telling you that you're doing something right.  Add the course-ground sea salt.

Wash and dump in the mussels.  Slap a lid on and walk away for 3-4 minutes as you slice your baguette.  Come back, take off the lid, and SAVOR the aroma!

Top with lots of snipped chives and enjoy with the bread and a glass of dry riesling.  It is a perfect, perfect meal.

Yours in the love of 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.

Ninetieth Post ~ Maple Garlic Rosemary Marinated Salmon with Parmesan and Parsley Yellow Squash

I can't say enough good things about marinades.  They provide a quick way to make a flavor-packed meal without a lot of fuss.

Here's what you'll need to make this easy dish:

For the salmon:
~ Salmon fillet
~ Maple syrup (the real stuff, preferably)
~ One clove garlic, crushed
~ Rosemary
~ Coarse-ground sea salt

For the veggie:
~ One small yellow squash
~ EVOO
~ Parsley
~ Coarse-ground sea salt
~ Grated parmesan

Several hours before dinner, pour some maple syrup into a bowl.  I got a little souvenir bottle of maple syrup from a friend who traveled to Nova Scotia.  I used that, and shook a little water around in the bottle to catch any remaining sugary awesomeness.  Into the bowl I crushed a clove of garlic and stirred it around.  I added the salmon fillet, spooning some of the mixture over it.  I topped the salmon with some salt and a sprig of rosemary, covered the bowl, and left it alone in the refrigerator until I was ready for dinner.

At that time, I took it out to let it get closer to room temp while I preheated the toaster oven (broil, 400) and prepped the veggies.  In a bowl, I placed the sliced squash and drizzled EVOO over all.  I sprinkled on ample parm and snipped on some parsley.  After adding some salt, I tossed it around by hand, making sure that the squash was well-covered in the mixture.

On a pan, I made a tin-foil divider.  Into one side I set the salmon, pouring the remaining marinade over the top.  In the other side I placed the veggies.

I popped the pan into the toaster oven and walked away for 12 minutes or so.

: : PAUSE : :

WARNING.  This recipe will cause your house to fill with amazing aromas.  If you are immune to the scent of parmesan slowly browning, crushed garlic adding sizzling warmth to cloyingly sweet, sugary maple syrup and rosemary singeing and releasing its spicy earthiness into the air, then you might be able to walk away for the12 minutes.  If you're like me, you'll try walking away, but will then end up back in front of the toaster oven, watching it like a cartoon cat watching a mouse-hole.

: : UNPAUSE : :

So presumably, you're right there when the timer dings.  I served this meal with a dry reisling by Vetter Vineyard.  While the wine was outstanding (and paired perfectly with the lemon rosemary salmon I'm planning to blog about soon), I think a warmer, oakier wine would have matched the maple better, as this riesling is marvelously crisp (think biting into a green apple).  On the other hand, it did add a nice refreshing bite to the meal, which kept it from being too sweet.

'Cause we wouldn't want that...

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.

Seventy-eighth Post ~ Mussels in White Wine and Herb Butter Broth

Blame the dreary weather.  Blame flu season.  Blame the November tendency to burn the candle at both ends.  Whatever the source of blame, I found myself craving the simple, energy-packed joy of a dinner of mussels.

I took my inspiration for parting from my usual wine-and-tomato based sauce from recipes and memoirs from Mireille Guiliano's fantastic books and site.  Seeing as this was a month that ends in "-er" and therefore mussel season, I thought I'd seize the opportunity to revel in this dish cooked with her recommended white wine, butter and herbs.

Here's what you'll need for tonight's dinner:

~ Mussels (I find 15 is a perfect meal for me)
~ White wine (I got a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc by Terra Andina)
~ Garlic (crushed or jarred - I was in a hurry tonight, so jarred it was)
~ Fresh parsley
~ Fresh thyme
~ Scallions (about one full one, from bulb to tips)
~ Butter.  Salted.  Lots of it.  I'm German, not French, anyway.
~ Coarse ground sea salt
~ Crispy baguette (sliced)

In a shallow pan with a well-fitted lid, slosh in about a half inch of white wine and several tabs of butter.  Add all but about 4 inches of scallion and a small handful of chopped parsley with a sprig of thyme.  Add a bit of garlic.  Let it simmer as you wash the mussels.  Add a bit more wine if it starts looking like it's simmering into nonexistence.

Add the mussels and another tab of butter over all.  Slap on the lid and walk away for 4-5 minutes.  In the mean time, slice the baguette and pour your wine.

When the time is up, spoon them out into a bowl with the luscious broth and snip the remaining scallion over the dish.  Grind on some salt.  Savor every last mussel and every last drop of "liqueur."

: : PAUSE : :

I may have gone a little overboard with the scallions.  It made the dish quite oniony.  I LOVED it!!!  It was fresh and zesty and bursting with green flavor.

: : UNPAUSE : :

The wine was a perfect companion.  It was grassy and crisp, but mellow enough to compliment rather than fight the buttery broth.  It tamed the taste of the scallions and brought out the "fresh from the sea" taste of the mussels.

All in all, a very fulfilling, satisfying dish!

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.

Sixty-second Post ~ Spaghetti alle Vongole

It started with a photo... While looking at a friend's travel photos, a picture of a pasta and seafood dish caught my eye and captivated my soul as only a foodie's soul could be captivated. She told me that it was a common dish in Japan, where there seems to be a prevalence of authentic Italian cooking (who knew?). The dish's name is spaghetti alle vongole, and is Neapolitan in origin. I decided that I must try it for myself.

So, with a tweaked recipe from the UK in hand (this was an international venture), a willing test subject at the ready (my boyfriend, John) and a Wegman's shopping list, I set out to recreate the meal that had captured me so (with the hopes that it would taste as lovely as it looked).

Here's what you'll need to take this virtual trip to the sunny Mediterranean shores of Napoli.

~ fresh clams (for two: about a pound or so - or maybe more - I got littlenecks from Wegmans as they are the sweetest)
~ spaghetti
~ dry white wine (enough for cooking and for drinking - I recommend buying a bottle to serve as the beverage and a mini bottle for cooking. Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi is a good single-serve wine for both drinking and cooking)
~ garlic
~ flat leaf (AKA Italian) parsley
~ scallions
~ lemon juice
~ extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
~ chili powder (cayenne)
~ white pepper
~ course ground sea salt
~ butter

To add a little more to the dish, I opted to roast some garlic that could be spread on a baguette. So, for the side that really compliments the dish with savory nuttiness:

~ one bulb of garlic
~ baguette
~ EVOO
~ coarse ground sea salt

Peel the garlic cloves and generously coat in EVOO and season with coarse ground sea salt. Wrap the whole bundle up in tin foil and roast in a toaster oven (or heating apparatus of your choice) on 400 degrees for about a half hour. Start this ahead of time.

Cook your spaghetti as per usual in salted water. As it's cooking, chop up some parsley and one large scallion. Set to the side. If you have a sous chef, ask him to slice the baguette and put it in a bowl and rinse the clams.

In a pan with a well-fitting lid, start some EVOO, lemon juice, two cloves of garlic and scallions gently sizzling.

Add a bit of cayenne - I used less than the quarter teaspoon that was called for, as I have a lower spicy threshold than most. I like to taste my food thoroughly, and I find that extreme heat can detract from that. Others love this taste/sensation, so you be the judge and add as much or as little as you like. The dish itself is typified by having a bit of heat (hence why it is refreshing on a hot Mediterranean day) but it would be delicious without it, as well.

Add the white wine, parsley, and clams.

:: PAUSE ::

The recipe from the UK calls for steaming the clams in less than two tablespoons of white wine. Obviously, American clams must be thirstier than British ones. That or the original recipe doesn't intend to yield a lot of broth.

The liquid that comes from shellfish as they open and cook is referred, in the foodie world, as "liquor." This is an appropriate name for it, as it is about as intoxicating and delicious as some finely distilled spirit. I like a lot of it. As you may recall, my mussel recipe yields more than enough, and is intended to be mopped up with the baguette after all the mussels are consumed.

I was sort of expecting the same deal with this recipe, but even after allowing for the pasta to absorb some of the liquid, there was not a lot left for dipping. To alleviate this tragedy, I would recommend adding a good deal more white wine to the pan, and definitely more clams that what was called for (6-8 per person).

:: UNPAUSE ::

So, whether or not you have gone the route of more broth, add your parsley and clams, season with salt and pepper, and slap on the lid for four to five minutes. At this point, your pasta should be sitting in a colander in your sink. Your garlic should be done, so unwrap the luscious gems and mash them up with salt to taste.

By now your timer should be going off, so take the lid off, revel in the aroma, and dump your pasta into the pan and toss it all around.

Serve in big bowls with crusty bread spread with roasted garlic. I paired this meal with a Soave from Vincentini Agostino, which was bright with citrus to compliment the garlic and scallions, light enough not to overpower the delicate clams, and cool in the face of the cayenne. It was a perfect partner for this dish, and made this the perfect meal for a hot summer evening!

Yours in the love of good food and wine (and the derring-do to take a culinary leap based solely on someone's vacation photo),
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.

Sixtieth Post ~ Steak Shish Kebabs with Orange Soy Marinade

I'd like to call these "Shish kebabs," but if you were to research the etymology of the name of this summer-time treat, you'd call me a liar.

You see, loyal readers, the word "shish" is accurate (stemming from the Turkish "şiş" meaning "skewer") but the "kebab" part is where you'd get me. "Kebab" comes from the Persian "kabab" (کباب) and means "fried."

But if I were to call this a plate of steak "shishes" you wouldn't have any idea what I was talking about. So we shall concede to the modernization of language (read: borrowing words and completely changing their meanings) and call them "steak shish kebabs."

Here's how you make these particular food anomalies:

For the marinade:

~ Orange juice

~ Soy sauce

~ Sugar

~ Garlic

For the "shishes:"

~ Steak (cut into cubes)

~ Chunks of bell pepper

~ Mushrooms (I'm back to my baby bellas)

~ Garlic (jarred or crushed)

~ Sesame seeds

~ Fresh parsley

In a skillet, combine the orange juice, soy sauce, garlic and about a tea spoon of sugar. Simmer it so that all the flavors meld. Turn off the heat and let it cool. Preheat your toaster oven or other heating apparatus on 350 on broil. I accidentally had it on 300, and I had to pop these back in.

Dice up the steak and bell pepper.

:: PAUSE ::

I had trouble falling asleep last night. As I am a foodie, I would rather dream up recipes for lambs than count them leaping over fences. So I thought about the steak I had put into the fridge to thaw and considered how I might prepare it. In my subsequent dream, I saw it skewered upon a stick with mushrooms, garlic, orange, soy, and - peppers! Orange bell peppers! (Yes, I dream about food, and I dream in color!) Orange is my favorite color, so it could have just been channeled in through that path, but I have to say, when I found this incredibly bright orange bell at Wegmans today, I felt that it just might be kismet.

:: UNPAUSE ::

Assemble the shish-kebabs-which-are-not-to-be-kebabed and lay them in a shallow pan. Pour the sauce over them and sprinkle them with sesame seeds. Let them marinate for about 15 minutes, spooning sauce over them occasionally. Put them in the toaster oven for five minutes, turn them, and put them in for another five. When you're ready to enjoy them, garnish them with fresh parsley. It adds a wonderful light flavor to the meal.

I paired tonight's dinner with an Argentine Malbec by Elm Tree. It's fruity enough to match the whole "summer barbecue" feeling of the meal, but hearty enough to stand up to some seriously intense flavors. I was impressed by the fact that it never tasted tart next to the sweet orange-soy sauce, but also served to cleanse the palate as I enjoyed the fresh peppers, earthy mushrooms and steak. A good pairing, and a "dream-come-true" meal - even if its name is etymologically incorrect!

Yours in the love of good food and wine,

AL

Fifty-ninth Post ~ Breaded Pork Tenderloins with Herb Pasta

Tonight's dinner was a snap to prepare and filled my apartment with the wonderful aroma of fresh herbs - perfect for a stormy spring night!

Here's what you'll need for this quick and easy meal:

~ Pork tenderloin cut into 1" thick medallions

~ Italian breadcrumbs

~ Grated Parmesan cheese

~ Fresh herbs of your choice (I chose parsley, rosemary, thyme and basil)

~ Olive oil

~ Pasta of your choice

~ Ground sea salt

~ Tomato

Get your water boiling (with salt and olive oil, if you wish).

Chop up some fresh herbs. I am becoming incredibly attached to the fresh herb section in Wegmans. You can buy the prettily packaged ones for $1.99 or a massive rubber-banded bunch for $1.29. I usually go the route of the massive bunch, because if you wrap them in plastic and store them in the veggie keeper of your fridge, they last for weeks. I have far better success with that route than I do with potted plants. I am a plant serial killer. But that's another story for another time...

So I chopped up some rosemary, thyme, parsley and basil. Mmmm, the aroma! Positively intoxicating. Dice up a bit of tomato and set that to the side. Next, slice the pork into medallions. By now, your water should be well on its way to boiling, so dump in your pasta and set the timer for 10 minutes.

Start a good dash of olive oil heating in a skillet. Mix one part Italian breadcrumbs and one part grated parm in a prep bowl. Coat the pork medallions in this heavenly mixture and set them into the hot oil. Turn the burner on low and let them cook until they are done halfway up. Carefully turn them.

Drain the pasta and mix in the herbs and tomato. You may wish to heat it again for just a moment to let all the flavors meld. The tenderloin medallions should be done by now; serve it on a plate garnished with some extra parm (and extra sea salt, if you want!).

I enjoyed tonight's meal with the rest of my Negroamaro Rosato. It paired beautifully with the meal, complimenting the fresh herbs and turning fruity in the face of the salt and parmesan. A delightful pairing made even more delightful by the fact that I drank it out of one of my new Riedel glasses - a splurge from a recent cruise on the Celebrity Millennium. My wine appreciation has reached new heights!

Yours in the love of 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-ninth Post ~ Citrus Salmon with Sugar Snap Peas

This post is very similar to the Salmon en Papillote from a few months ago; however, it is a simplified version inasmuch as it is all about the fresh salmon and bright green veggies! No potatoes in this parcel!

I got a salmon fillet from Wegmans, and, after looking in my cart, realized I must be craving some serious Vitamin C - a lemon, a lime, grape tomatoes and a basil plant all graced my basket screaming out to me with the warmth of sunnier places!

Here's what you'll need for tonight's dinner:

~ One salmon fillet

~ Veggie of your choice

~ Lime slices and juice of half

~ Dried or fresh parsley

~ Dried or fresh tarragon

~ Dried or fresh basil

~ Course-ground salt

~ White wine (I didn't add any to this papillote package and it really could have used a little sweetness to balance out the pucker-power of the lime. It was still tasty, but could have benefited from a little vino!)

Place your salmon fillet on one half of your parchment heart. Add salt and herbs. Cut two slices of the lime and juice the other half. Place the slices over the salmon, add your veggie, and crimp the edges, pouring the lime juice and wine (about two tablespoons total) into the spout at the point of the heart.

Bake on 350 for about 12-15 minutes. I enjoyed tonight's meal with some light and sweet Vetter Vineyards Cracker Ridge Rose - a sauvignon blanc would probably also be great with it! The sweet rose actually helped offset a bit of the tartness from the lime, making it an enjoyably balanced meal.

All in all, a fresh, healthy, quick dinner!

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.

Thirty-fourth Post ~ Rosemary Lamb Tenderloins en Papillote

As Entry #2 in the previously mentioned "en Papillote Files," I feature my favorite red meat of all time: Lamb. I don't eat red meat that often, so when I do, I sometimes will splurge on lamb tenderloins. Lamb and rosemary are a beautiful combination!

I'm truly loving the "en papillote" style of cooking. It typically uses no oil and relies on steam for the cooking, so it's healthier than a lot of the pan-cooked options, and it has this way of melding all the flavors together in a way unlike any other!

Here's what you'll need for tonight's dinner:

~ Lamb tenderloins

~ Rosemary (fresh or dried)

~ Balsamic vinegar

~ Garlic

~ Mushrooms

~ White wine

~ Parsley (fresh or dried)

~ Salt/pepper to taste

~ Asparagus

Boil the asparagus in salted water just until tender. Mince some garlic, preheat your oven, cut your cute heart out of parchment (see Post #33). When the asparagus is just pierceable, drain and set aside.

Start a tablespoon of olive oil heating in a pan. Add some balsamic vinegar, minced garlic and parsley. Add the mushrooms and white wine. While that's cooking, ruminate on the essay you're writing. Try to come up with a great experiment design.

::PAUSE::

One thing I've noticed about cooking en papillote is that you don't need to add as much liquid as you'd think. I've been adding about a quarter cup of liquid, and I don't think you need that much. This lamb turned out a little "brothy" - which I guess is okay - and so did the pork I made the other night, about which I shall be blogging soon. The moral of the story: if you like broth, add all you want. If you want a more photogenic presentation, add a bit less liquid than you'd think.

::UNPAUSE::

So your mushrooms are done - add the lamb tenderloins for just a few seconds, browning each side. Now put the lamb onto the parchment. Top with a sprig of rosemary, then add the mushrooms on top, and the asparagus on top of that. Into the spout of the heart, add the juices from cooking the mushrooms (resist the temptation to add more wine and water). Seal up the parchment and bake for 12 minutes. During this time, flip back through four weeks of reading and confirm that the experiment idea you've thought of while cooking will work.

Take the packet out of the oven and carefully (so as not to burn yourself) cut an X into the top of the parchment, revealing all the goodness inside.

I paired tonight's meal with a French Merlot-blend from the Domaine du Poujol from Proteus vineyards. It's medium-to-heavy with an earthy foreground, perfectly complimenting the lamb, with a hint of raspberry. It pairs beautifully with this meal, and, I believe, would go quite well with a steak or beef dish. All in all, this meal was exactly what I needed: quick, nutritious, and brainstorm-worthy!

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.