I have a few cookbooks, well, actually I have a lot of cookbooks and always looking to get more.  Add to that all the recipes I find in cooking magazines I read, as well as newspapers, and… well… it can be overload.  Usually when I find an interesting recipe, I mark it with a sticky note, or I tear out the page and add it to my ever expanding recipe file.  Sometimes I write ideas on them that I think will work when I tear them out, and sometimes I figure I’ll do that later.  SO, sometimes when I go back through them, I’ll wonder, “what the heck was I thinking with this one?” I still don’t throw it away, just refile and hope the inspiration I had when I first read it comes back and I’ll have an “ah ha” moment.

This recipe is one that I found on sfgate.com about a year ago.  It intrigued me because it used ground lamb, something I don’t use a lot, except perhaps to make Greek Meatballs, as I did for my Dinner Around the World ; or the occasional kebob. The second thing that intrigued was, it was Chinese.  I’ve never really thought of lamb as being a part of Chinese cuisine, it’s not something I’ve seen a lot of on menus here, but apparently it’s very popular in both Northern and Southern China where oxen were forbidden to be slaughtered since they were the workhorses of the farming community. Lamb and mutton, not so much.

As always, I’ve modified the original recipe ~ giving it a bit of a flavor boost, and IMHO, making it a lot easier to follow.  While this could be made with another ground meat, turkey, pork or beef, I think the lamb gives it an earthy rich flavor that you wouldn’t find with those.

Noodles with Ground Lamb and Bok Choy

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces wide pasta, such a tagliatelle or fettuccine, cooked according to package directions, drained and set-aside (can do this part while you are doing the other part, then your pasta will stay hot)
• 3 tablespoons Chinese rice wine, or saki.  (I used saki as that is what I had)
• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (I can’t see any reason ever to use full salted soy sauce, low-sodium has plenty)
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (I keep mine in the refrigerator so it stays fresh, as this, and other nut oils,  turn rancid easily)
• 1/2 pound ground lamb
• 4 cloves (about 2 teaspoons) minced garlic, divided
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (found in almost every supermarket now, or your specialty Asian store)
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 pound baby bok choy, trimmed, large outer leaves removed, small tender inside core cut into halves, rinsed well (you can use larger bok choy, if you need to, separate all the leaves, remove the tender top leaves from the stems and then slice the stems into 1 – 2 inch pieces)
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or other vegetable oil, but I always use grapeseed)
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 4 green onions, sliced about 1/2 inch thick, part of the tops reserved for garnish

How to make it:

1. Combine the rice wine, sesame oil and soy sauce into a measuring cup.  Put the lamb into a bowl, add 1/2 of the rice wine mixture and 1/2 of the minced garlic.  Mix well.
2. Add the water, chili garlic sauce and cornstarch to the remaining rice wine mixture, mix well and set-aside.
3. Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat; add 1 tablespoon of the oil, when hot, add the lamb and cook for about 3 minutes, breaking the meat up into large pieces as you cook it (the meat pieces should be about 1/2 inch big).
4. Reduce the heat to medium; add the remaining tablespoon of oil along with the remaining garlic, the ginger and the green onion (except for the part that you are reserving for garnish); stir fry for a few minutes, then add the bok choy.  Cook until the bok choy is just cooked through, but still has a little bit of crunch in the stem; about 3 minutes. (If you had to use larger bok choy, add the stem pieces first, stir fry until tender then add the tops.)  Add the noodles to the pan, along with the reserved rice wine mixture; stir fry until the noodles are hot and coated with sauce.
5. Serve in wide warmed bowls (remember to always warm you plates so the food stays hot longer); sprinkle the reserved green onion tops over.

Per Serving: 594 Calories; 23g Fat (7g Sat, 10g Mono, 4g Poly); 23g Protein; 70g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 41mg Cholesterol; 567mg Sodium.

LindySez: One pot cooking, done in less than 20 minutes, including boiling the water for the noodles.  How easy is that?  If you want to serve a wine with this, well, we had a nice Pinot Noir and thought it worked wonderfully.  Look or ask you wine merchant for one that is a little earthy, it will complement the earthiness of the lamb. 

Cheers!

For a printer friendly version of this recipe, click here.

Kendall-Jackson Winery is a name most people who enjoy wine would instantly recognize.  They make fine accessible wines that appeal to many palates; so you might not think, if you are into fine dining and fine wines, that this pairing would wow you. Well, you might not, and if you didn’t you would be oh so wrong.  They have two major bonuses: a 2 1/2 acre culinary garden that supplies the fresh seasonal produce, and a passionate Executive Chef, Justin Wangler, who works with his staff to come up with interesting and delicious ways to prepare dishes that show off the wines.

This beautiful estate is set right off Highway 101 in Fulton, just north of Santa Rosa.  You can see it off the highway, but getting to it is a little more challenging…the driveway is not that easy to find.  If you are coming from south Fulton Road you might accidentally turn into the vineyard road, or it might seem like you are continuing onto the “Wrong Way” of a freeway exit, but the driveway is in between there and there.  Drive carefully and look out for the traffic coming down that off-ramp!  Once on property, follow the meandering driveway to the parking area, then the beautifully landscaped pathways into the spacious tasting room.

The Kendall-Jackson food and wine pairing is offered daily and requires no reservation.  You can enjoy it on the patio terrace (weather permitting) or seated at one of the tables inside the tasting room.  If the weather permits, we encourage you to enjoy it on the patio.

Judy:  Sitting out on the patio just set such a nice mood.  This tasting offered substantial samplings that left me completed sated and in no need of further sustenance…it was truly a meal.

Lindy: I agree.  It was a beautiful day to enjoy the outside, and the gardens were spectacular.  Knowing where most of our food was coming from was an added plus…talk about being local!

Our charming server, Lance, first introduced us to the tasting flight of five wines and briefly explained how the wines would pair with the oncoming menu.  He told us that Executive Chef Justin would soon be along to give details of how each dish was prepared and paired with each component in the dish.

Flight of Wines

Judy: I really enjoyed that Chef came to tell us about each dish.  His passion for cooking, and the cuisine, showed.

Lindy: I know, it was so up close and personal.  Chef was so gracious, and passionate about the food it was hard to wait to start.

Judy: I know that we were wishing our sun umbrella was not vibrant red, which prevented us from truly appreciating the visual appeal of each wine.  Other tables did have light and neutral shade umbrellas.

Lindy: While the colored umbrellas are visually appealing to the patio décor, I agree, a neutral umbrella would have been more effective for “seeing” the wine’s color and clarity.

Judy: I did appreciate that we were seated as individual parties; this really enhanced the personal attention and interactive conversations with both Lance and Chef Justin.

Lindy: It’s nice that they have tables and seating areas to accommodate either a small or larger groups.  Chef Justin and Lance are equally attentive to all their guests, groups both large and small.  This is a big plus for each group. 

Our first pairings were a Cornmeal Crusted Estate Heirloom Fried Green Tomatoes with Delice de la Vallee Cheese and Breakfast Radishes paired with the 2009 AVANT Chardonnay, along with an Heirloom Bean and Frisee Salad with Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette with Grilled Calamari and Red Pepper Aioli, paired with a 2008 Jackson Hills Chardonnay

The First Pairings

Lindy: This was so good and a wonderful pairing.  The acid of the tomato, the creaminess of the cheese, soft acid in the wine…nice!

Judy: The Avant really complimented the fried green tomato, softness of the cheese and crunch of the French breakfast radish.  The cornmeal crust worked so nicely with the wine. 

Cornmeal Crusted Estate Heirloom Fried Green Tomato

Judy: For the second part of the plate, I thought the preserved lemon played well against the tropical and subtle oak notes of the Jackson Hills Chardonnay. I loved the fresh red pepper aioli, and especially the top note of a subtle dusting of paprika…wow!

Lindy: Wow is right!  The salad was excellent.  To bad the plates were a little uneven and you got more olives and I got more calamari.  But that concentrated red bell pepper reduction was seductive, I wanted to lick my plate (but I refrained).

Our next pairing was a trio: Buckwheat Crepe with Smoke Ham Hocks and Bellwether Farms Carmody Cheese paired with the 2006 Highland Estates Seco Highlands Pinot Noir; a Sweet Tea Brined Niman Ranch Pork Belly Slider with a Syrah BBQ Sauce served with the 2006 Highland Estates Alisos Hills Syrah. Rounding out the plate was a Snake River Farms Beef & Nopales Taco to be enjoyed with the 2005 Highland Estates Trace Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon

Judy:  I have to vote for this trio as my absolute favorite: The buckwheat crepe topped with the smoked ham hock, infused with melted Carmody cheese and grilled green onions was just delicious.

Lindy: I loved this plate!  I also thought it was great that they put not only the descriptions of the food, and food preparation on the menu, but also how they see the food and wine pairing together.  I did think the presentation was a little monochromatic.  With all the beautiful edible flowers in the gardens, putting a couple on the plate would have given it a nice splash of color.  

Buckwheat Crepe with Smoked Ham Hocks

Judy: I thought the second taste was fun and delicious. The perfect balance of pairing the Syrah with the pork belly slider topped with a mirror of house-made Syrah BBQ sauce on Chef’s special “redneck baguette” (otherwise known as a trimmed hot dog bun) was delightful.

Lindy: I am again in complete agreement.  That little sandwich was not only tasty, but I loved how it held up to the Syrah; the combo of the fatty pork belly and the house-made BBQ sauce using the same wine…sooo good.

Sweet Tea Brined Niman Ranch Pork Belly Slider

Judy: and to finish with the Kobe beef and cactus taco, simmered in a light mole sauce – a climax of fresh and intense flavors all paired with three strong long finishing reds…Need I say more?  I don’t think so.

Lindy: The Kobe and Cactus taco was my personal favorite of this trio. What a wonderful bite.

Snake River Farms Beef & Nopales Taco

We finished with a presentation of: Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Strawberry Gelee and Icebox Cookie, paired with a 2008 Late Harvest Riesling along with a box of Mama Frischkorn’s Caramel Corn which was paired with a 2006 Late Harvest Chardonnay

Final Course, Dessert

Judy: Sipping the late harvest Riesling reminded me that we were indeed floating sweetly in the flavors of summer.  Since I knew the Sonoma County Fair award-winning caramel corn was about to end our tasting, I stoically resisted the ice-box cookie that peeked at me near that panna cotta!

Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Strawberry Gelee

Lindy: Well, I did eat the cookie and it was wonderful, but not as wonderful as that panna cotta.  Their use of recycled caviar jars to serve the pana cotta in was a very clever presentation.  Another clever idea was putting that caramel corn in a “take-away” box, and take it away I did, after taking a couple of nibbles, of course.  

Judy: I can’t wait to return for the next Heirloom garden-inspired pairings.

Lindy: I’m there Judy. I’m there.

Now enjoy a short montage of the Kendall-Jackson Food and Wine pairing experience:

Our Verdict?  Two thumbs WAY up!

Chef Justin and his team prepared and presented amazingly delicious food and the chosen wines were interesting, diverse and paired perfectly.  What more could one want in a food and wine pairing?  While reservations are accepted, they are not required.  We also think it’s a great value at $30.00 pp/ $22.50 club.

When you go, do remember to allow yourself enough time to visit the culinary gardens.

 

Judy: St. Francis Winery’s food and wine pairing experience was truly stellar!  Besides the thoughtful pairings that were presented, I was very impressed with the staff and their service, from Sharon’s greeting to saying farewell to Brooke and Chef David Bush!

Lindy: I agree with you Judy.  It was stellar.  The staff was wonderful, but just driving onto the grounds and walking towards that beautiful entrance was spectacular.  That huge bell tower fitted with a bell that was forged in the Molise area of Italy at the centuries old Marinelli Foundry, the same foundry that makes the bells for the Vatican, well, that’s impressive.  And when it rang, it sent chills down my spine the tone is so beautiful.

The Bell Tower

St. Francis Winery is located on the Highway 12 corridor in Sonoma Valley, just outside of Santa Rosa’s city limit.  The winery boasts beautiful mountain and vineyard views; a patio surrounds the tasting room and while they do not allow picnicking per se, they do have charcuterie plates available for purchase that you can enjoy either on the patio overlooking the grounds, or inside by a warm cozy fireplace.  Either would be a lovely way to spend an afternoon, but if you have the time, the food and wine experience is the best way to go.

Judy: It was brilliant of them to start us off before the seated tasting with a sip of their 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, with its crisp acidity and fruity driven lively style.  Aren’t the grounds stunning?

Lindy: The Sauv Blanc was the perfect sipping wine to take on our walk-around of the grounds, appreciating the views; the soothing fountain and statue of St. Francis of Assisi.  I really enjoyed hearing Brooke tell of the annual blessing of the animals that they have there; and that a giraffe once showed up.  Can you imagine the sight?

St. Francis of Assisi

After a brief history of the winery we were invited into the private dining room.  The settings were very elegant, wine glasses lined up waiting for wine, silverware lined up ready for what was to come; looking out through the large picture windows to the grounds and surrounding mountains.

The elegant dining room

The view is spectacular

Judy: Once seated in the lovely crescent shaped community style table configuration, I enjoyed the social atmosphere with the other guests.  Brooke, our host, knows her stuff; she was really adept at answering everyone’s questions about the wines as well as the dishes we sampled.  Now, about those pairings…

We began with Poached Corvina Sea Bass with Housemade Yellow Curry & Spring Vegetable Succotash that was paired with a 2009 Chardonnay Wild Oak, Sonoma County.  On the same plate was a Torta Cubana, Housemade Chirizo, Jambon de Paris, Fire Roasted Salsa, Shredded Butter Lettuce & Smoke Paprika Fromage Blanc, paired with a 2007 Zinfandel, Giovanetti, Russian River Valley

Our first pairing...WOW!

Judy: I loved the light touch that Chef Dave displayed with the curry and cream.  The delicate late spring vegetable succotash complimented the poached fish and sauce, and it was so pretty on the plate.  The ’09 Wild Oak Chardonnay paired so nicely with it.  It was a beautiful pairing.

Lindy: This was a scrumptious pairing.  The Chardonnay played so nicely with the creamy mild curry, the fish was done to perfection and I loved that all the veggies are what was being harvested from the on-property garden.  You can’t get any fresher then that.

Judy: Alongside was that lovely petite brioche “torte” with a lightly seasoned housemade chorizo patty; roasted salsa, a bit of ham and that delicious hint of smoked paprika in the fresh cheese; perfectly paired with the “07 Giovanetti Old Vine Zin.  It was interesting to hear Brooke share the story of the Giovanetti vineyard; wild and free vines that were 130 years old.

Lindy: The Zin was divine as was the torte.  I thought the chorizo was a bit on the mild side; but altogether the elements work well together.

Our second plate included Roasted Maitake Mushroom in a Smoked bacon-Tamari Broth, with Braised Mustard Greens and Shaved Green Onions, paired with a 2008 Syrah, Wild Oak, Sonoma County.  Set on the same plate was a Garlic and Thyme Roasted Sirloin of Beef with Potato, Cauliflower and Aged Cheddar Gratin, Creamed Spinach, Sweet Carrot Puree, Parsley Salt and Bordelaise Sauce which was paired with a 2008 Merlot, Wild Oak, Sonoma County.

Judy:  I loved the Maitake “Hen-of-the-Woods” mushroom in the savory smoked bacon broth…perfect with the rich and bold 2008 Wild Oak Syrah.  With 9% Viognier, this Syrah still displayed a lot of weight, but the briny broth was a smart stylistic pairing.  Neither overpowered the other and I loved the umami-fusion in my mouth with this pairing.

Lindy: Well, as you know, I’m not a big fan of mushrooms…BUT I did enjoy the broth with the greens and thought the Syrah worked beautifully.  And you are so right about the umami-fusion in the mouth.  The broth had a wonderful depth to it.

Um. yum...Garlic and Thyme Roasted Sirloin of Beef

Judy: Didn’t you love that accent of creamed spinach and carrot puree with the slice of sirloin on the gratin?  So pretty with the 2008 Merlot.

Lindy: I did love it!  It was like having a little bite of steakhouse on the plate.  The parsley salt was a brilliant addition…and the ’08 Merlot was a perfect match to all the flavors in this bite.  Only problem was, I wanted more!

Finally, a nice surprise with the last pairing of a beautiful piece of Rouge River Blue Cheese, a housemade walnut bread and Port Reduction sitting along side a decadent chocolate cupcake with a fresh raspberry; served along with a taste of St. Francis’s signature Port.  WOW! What a great ending to the tasting.

The Dessert Plate

Judy:  I really enjoyed the visuals of it all, the plates, the open and airy dining room, and the best view of Hood Mountain in all of Sonoma Valley!  When shall we return?

Lindy:  I’m right there with you!  I can hardly wait until they change their seasonal plates so we can experience it all again.

Enjoy now a short montage of our visit to St. Francis Winery… 

Our Verdict?  2 Thumbs WAY up!

We loved our visit to St. Francis Winery and Vineyards.  From the beginning to the end, this was an experience that will live on, for years to come.  Elegant, inviting and delicious.  ($35.00/$28.00 club members) Reservations required.

The following recipes are now available on the St. Francis Website:

Poached Corvina Sea Bass

Torte Cubana

Garlic and Thyme Roasted Sirloin of Beef

Roasted Maitake Mushroom

St. Francis Winery & Vineyards

100 Pythian Road

Santa Rosa CA  95405

800.543.7713

Situated right off Highway 12 in Sonoma County is Mayo Family’s Reserve room where they showcase their wines with a food and wine pairing. The Highway 12 / Sonoma Valley corridor is an often overlooked part of wine country – it shouldn’t be.  Beautiful vineyards, farmlands and trees flank the highway which winds its way to some fine wineries including St. Francis, Kunde, Arrowood and more.   Mayo’s reserve room is a tasting room; the winemaking facility and hospitality center is located nearby in Glen Ellen on Arnold Drive.  The grounds are pleasant, but not a place to picnic or stroll.

Our tasting room view

Judy: I found the tasting room to be really user friendly.  The intimate atmosphere, with sunny wall colors and pretty art, was arranged with tables and chairs and had more of a feeling of charming bistro rather than a typical tasting room.

Lindy: I agree.  It was a little tricky to pull off the highway and into the rear parking lot and to enter in the side door, but once inside it felt very welcoming.

Chef Clayton Lewis wasn’t there on our visit, but his sous chef, Edwin Porcayo, was extremely knowledgeable and eager to share his description of each dish.

Overall, the entire presentation of seven bites really highlighted Mayo’s wines.  Winemaker Michel Berthoud crafts beautiful, accessible wines from Sonoma and Napa county fruit with an emphasis on the varietal’s self-expression.  The pairings we enjoyed showed a focused attention to the nuances of each wine and the spice notes in particular.

We began with Sablefish, Goat Cheese and Apple “Donut”, the specific textures and red miso jus played elegantly with the 2008 Laurel Hill Estate Reserve Chardonnay.  It was plated next to a Cucumber, Peach and Lychee Timbale that was paired up with Mayo’s 2007 Viognier, Sara Lee’s Vineyard.  Also on the plate was a Salad of Sweetbreads, Wakame and Tomato, which was paired with a 2007 Pinot Noir, La Cruz Vineyard, Sonoma Coast.

Our first pairings...

Judy: I noticed the Viognier fruit from this vineyard does express pretty peach and floral notes.  While I didn’t pick up a distinctive lychee flavor in the timbale, I thought the cucumber was a smart accent.

Lindy: I usually don’t put fish and cheese together, but the sablefish with the goat cheese really worked nicely together.  It’s best to take it all in one bite to allow the flavors to play with each other.  The Chardonnay was soft, with a lot of mallow and butteriness. I found the timbal to be tasty, but it did bring out a bit of bitterness in the Viognier or vice versa.

Judy: I think the sweet, salty flavor of Wakame, popularly used in Japanese style seaweed salad, overpowered the sweetbreads, but it was a nice concept to pair it with the 2007 Pinot Noir.

Lindy: You know a lot of people might be put off by the “sweetbreads” but truly they were like bacon.  I liked the tomato and the wakame, while I agree it was a bit overpowering, it did play nicely with the fruit driven Pinot.

Our second plate was a trio that began with a Wagu Flat Iron Streak, Trumpet Royales and Pomegranate Demi Glace served with a 2006 Cabernet Franc, Ridgeline Ranch “Reserve” Alexander Valley.  The second bite was Summer Soba Noodles and Shiitakes, which was paired with a 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Random Ridge “Reserve” Napa Valley and to finish the plate, Rib Loin of Kurobuta Pork, Vanilla Sweet Potato Puree and Plum Sauce which paired with a 2007 Zinfandel, Ricci Vineyard, Russian River Valley.  Wow!

Our second plate...

Judy: This was my favorite plate!  The steak and mushrooms with the demi-glace had me going back and forth between my pinot glass and the cab franc…both wines worked will with the bite for different reasons.  I think the cab franc hit spot-on with the tender beef and pomegranate, while the mushrooms worked with the pinot noir.

Lindy: I agree with you Judy.  I enjoyed this plate the most as well.  It’s always good to keep a sip or two from the previous pairs to “test” with the current bite.  Gives you a good perspective of what works and what doesn’t work so well.  While the chef is working with one idea in mind, I thought all of these bites worked with most any of the red wines served.  It shows how “food friendly” Mayo wines are.  And I loved the diversity.

Judy: I really enjoyed the soba noodles as well, and had fun playing with the different wines.  Tasting the wine, tasting the food and then tasting another wine.  Both the soba and the Kurobuta pork had a subtle sweetness and the textures played so nicely together.

Lindy: I thought the soba noodles worked best with the pinot.  And the pork was very rare, more normal in serving pedigree pork then it was in the old days when pork had to be cooked to death.  Cooking it rare showcased its subtle flavor and soft texture. I did find it interesting, that in the middle of wine country, the entire tasting menu had an Asian influence; not that it didn’t work with the wines, just interesting conceptually.

Our final plate was a Tropical Fruit Shortcake paired with a 2008 L.H. Gewurztraminer, Kunde Ranch “Reserve”,  Sonoma Valley

Dessert

Judy: Unfortunately, this wasn’t up to par for me…the shortcake was problematic; more like a dry, previously frozen biscuit.  I think the tropical fruit compote spooned over would have benefited from a squeeze of acid.  I did enjoy the Gwertz though.

Lindy: I agree that this was a miss.  I think the biscuit was cold and it just felt like it had been defrosted.  I think the fruit would have shined better on a sweet biscuit as well, this was a buttermilk biscuit and it just was too sour for the sweet fruit.  Maybe, served as it was, the squeeze of acid might have worked, but then maybe the wine wouldn’t have as well. The Gwertz was delish.

Join us now for a short montage of our visit to Mayo Family’s Reserve Room 

Our verdict: 2 thumbs up.  

We enjoyed our experience at the Mayo Family Reserve Room.  The tastes were all well balanced both in flavor and texture and were beautifully plated.  The wines were interesting and diverse, and it was fun to play with them as we compared with each bite. Pedro, our wine guide, was very knowledgeable about the wines and chef Edwin’s enthusiasm was catching.

It was also a good value for the money ($35/$25 for club members).  We definitely left full and satisfied.

Mayo Family Winery Reserve Tasting Room

9200 Sonoma Highway – Kenwood, CA  95452

(707) 833-5504

See how I blend right in?

Seattle, WA – So the story goes, the management at the Market theatre at Pikes Place got tired of cleaning gum off the bottoms of the seats, so they put a trash receptacle out by the box office and placed a sign on the wall asking patrons to “please deposit your gum here”.  They did not plan for the human factor…

You mean deposit it right here.

How about here?

Bunch of smart asses…And the funny thing is, if you can get past the Ewwww factor, it’s really quiet colorful; and fragrant.

LindySez:  If you are a germaphobe, add this, along with the Blarney Stone, as a place you do not want to go. 

Many many name badges

Have you ever seen the TV show “Hoarders”?  It’s all about people who can’t seem to throw anything away.  Ever.  My husband is kind of a hoarder, not to the extreme that the people on the show are, but if you were to look in our garage, there is a lot of junk there that has no value and yet, somehow, there it sits.  He also has every name badge that he has received for speaking anywhere he has spoken at, or for attending any conference he has attended.  Add to that the room key to the hotel room where he stayed on these and other travels.  Now that he travels more in his job, this means more plastic keys (yay!).  Luckily these things are small and fairly easy to manage. 

Plastic room keys will have a value, really, someday...

Another thing he has a problem getting rid of are those gel packs that you can freeze and use to keep your food cold in a cooler.  ”Never know when you are going to need them” is his mantra.  Sometimes, when trying to put food into the freezer, I have to move and stack all the frozen gel packs first…it’s a PITA.

So when we went to Seattle, and I went to the fish market to buy some fish, $600.00 worth to be exact (and that’s not hoarding, that’s laying in supplies); they said they would ship it, fresh.  Not frozen.

Fresh packed fish delivery

Stocking up, not hoarding

Upon receipt of said fish, I found that there were 14 of those gel packs in the styrofoam box to keep those fish cold and fresh while on their journey.  I knew right then and there…I was in trouble.

Freezer full of gel packs

LindySez:  shush….I cleaned it out, I had to make room for my priorities…like the  chilled vodka…

I came up with this idea as I was doing my periodic routine of buying large amounts of whole chicken and breaking them down into their various components and then making some rich homemade chicken stock.  Usually I remove the skin from the chicken breast, but this time I thought…what if I left the skin on some of it and then stuffed something tasty under it?  A quick look into my refrigerator reveled some prosciutto that seemed like it wanted to jump under that skin, and the garden had fresh sage, a natural pair IMHO.  From there, dinner wrote itself…well, with a little help from me.   Crispy Chicken Breast with Sage and Prosciutto, Pasta with quick fresh Marinara,and a simple saute of some summer squash. All done, in less than 30 minutes.

You could make this with bone in breast, but they will take longer to cook.  It’s easy to remove the bone from the breast, or ask your butcher to do it for you.  OR cut a whole chicken up yourself, it’s not hard to do at all and then you can have the exact sized pieces you want and can make some rich chicken stock with the bones.  Here’s how to cut up a whole chicken…

And how to make some rich chicken stock…

Crispy Chicken with Sage and Prosciutto

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless chicken breasts, with skin (about 5 ounces each)
• 16 whole fresh sage leaves
• 4 slices prosciutto
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or as needed
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

LindySez:  There you go, Another Dinner Possible.  This is a lovely medium bodied meal so if you want to serve a wine, I would suggest a nice Sangiovese, Cab Franc or even a Merlot would work well.  ~ Cheers

For a printer friendly version of this recipe…click here: Crispy Chicken Breasts with Sage and Prosciutto 

Caprese salad, with layers of fresh tomatoes, basil and  mozzarella cheese is a summertime standard.  What more perfect use of those summertime heirloom tomatoes? Using Burrata just takes it to a completely new level.  Add a drizzle of good aged balsamic vinegar? Magnifico!

A little aged balsamic goes a long way and that’s a good thing as it’s not cheap.  But what a difference it makes, sweet and syrupy not tart or vinegary at all.  If you can’t find, or don’t have a good aged balsamic sitting around your house, don’t worry; you can make a substitute. While not perfect, it is passable.  Take about 1/2 cup of that balsamic you do have, add to it 1 – 2 teaspoons of sugar, and simmer it down until you have about 3 tablespoons of syrupy glaze.  Or you could buy some Balsamic Glace from Colavita; like I said, it’s not a perfect fix, but it will do in a pinch.

Burrata, oozy, gooey goodness

Burrata Caprese Salad

Ingredients:

• 3 – 4 ripe tomatoes, preferably heirloom and a variety of colors
• 1 container (2 balls) fresh Burrata cheese, cut into halves
• 1/4 cup, or to taste, fresh basil leaves, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• A good extra virgin olive oil
• Aged Balsamic of Modena Vinegar (Aged 25 years or more, or your homemade substitute)

Preparation:

Slice the tomatoes and place over-lapping on 4 salad plates.  Place the Burrata half along side.  Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Sprinkle the basil over, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, then add just a small drizzle of aged balsamic.  Makes 4 servings.

LindySez: Summer in your mouth!  Cheers!

For a printer friendly version of this recipe click here: Burrata Caprese Salad Recipe

Just a pile of scallops waiting to be eaten

My husband LOVES scallops.  I’m sure if he ate them everyday he would eventually get tired of them, but it would take a long time.  For years, every Sunday when I would ask him what he wanted for Sunday night dinner, he would respond “Oh, I don’t know, but let’s start off with a seared scallop on top of a  frisee salad”  It became such a joke I would say, “what do you want to eat with your frisee salad?”…

When we ordered some Maine lobsters, they threw in some fresh Maine scallops as a bonus.  I think Brian was more excited about the scallops then he was about the lobster!  I suppose I could have made him a frisee salad to go before our lobster feast, but I decided to wait a day and make this instead.

Now the secret to cooking scallops is to make sure they are dry dry dry…so pat them well with paper towels.  Then you want to make sure both your pan and oil are hot, you want them to sear, not boil.  Cook them quickly; you don’t want to over-cook or they get rubbery, better to err on the side of less done then over done.

Lemon Fettuccine with Sauteed Scallops

Dinner

Ingredients:

• 1 pound large sea scallops
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup flour, as needed
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 shallot, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (a Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris or lively Chardonnay would work well here)
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces hot cooked fettuccine, drained, 1/2 cup pasta water reserved
• 2 tablespoons chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley (I always (well almost always) use Italian flat-leaf, but curly parsley will work)
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives, (optional, but good)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, (also optional, but good)

How to make it:

1. Remove the muscle on the side of the scallop and then cut them into quarters (about bite-sized pieces).  Rinse well in cold water to remove any grit and pat them dry with paper towels.  Season with salt and pepper.  Place the flour in a zip-top bag; add the scallops and shake to coat well.  Remove the scallops; discard any remaining flour.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  When hot, add the scallops (in batches if necessary, don’t crowd the pan); and quickly sear on all sides.  Remove them as they brown, set-aside.
3. Once all the scallops are seared; lower the heat and add the butter.  Add the shallots and saute for 1 minute; then add the wine, lemon peel and lemon juice; cook for 1 – 2 minutes.  Add the pasta and cream, toss well to combine.  Remove the pan from the heat and add the herbs.  Toss well to combine; taste for seasonings and add some pasta water if it all seems to dry.
4. Place the fettuccine into a large wide bowl (preferably heated); top with the scallops and serve.

Makes 4 servings

Per Serving: 432 Calories; 12g Fat (3g Sat, 6g Mono, 1g Poly); 27g Protein; 47g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 51mg Cholesterol; 461mg Sodium

LindySez: If you decide to use shrimp instead, which would also be an excellent choice, just follow the recipe, but don’t cut the shrimps up. Just remove the shells, clean and devein them. They follow the same principal of cooking as the scallop, dry, fast, don’t overcrowd and don’t overcook!

LindySez:  Have a salad with some wonderful fresh baby lettuces, a light vinaigrette and enjoy with whatever wine you used to cook!  ~  Cheers

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I wonder if my friend Marni’s husband pulled these from the sea…it’s what he does…could have happened…just saying…

Thanks Scott

LindySez ~ Cheers (to natural selection)