First of all...
Showing posts with label wine pairing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wine pairing. Show all posts

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Have kids? Need a smile?

If you have kids and you need a smile, go get the game Just Dance or Just Dance II for Wii.  It is so funny to watch them dance their little butts off.  You know, now that I think about it, it's funny to watch kids of all ages dance their butts off, so if you need a smile get Just Dance today!

Tonight was my Italian Feast & Wine Pairings Open House, thanks to those who came!  And for those who didn't make it...
1. What about hosting your own Tastefully Simple Party?  Fiesta time is coming March 1st!
2. Below is the menu w/recipes for what I made--and it's was all simple and very tasty!
3. Im having a a Fiesta Freebie Friday April 1st.  For this open house I'll have recipes from our Simple Starters recipe booklet, Slush Buckets and Coupon Swapping!



Amy's Amazing Artichoke Mushrooms Paired With Pinot Noir
Submitted by Amy Freund (PA)
Ingredients
1 packet Artichoke & Spinach Warm Dip Mix
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
8 oz. softened cream cheese
8 oz. jar artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 (8 oz.) packages fresh mushrooms, cleaned and stemmed

Directions
Combine first 4 ingredients and mix well. Arrange mushrooms, rounded side down, on greased baking pan. Mound filling in mushrooms, press to compact slightly. Bake mushrooms at 350° until tender and filling begins to brown, about 15-20 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 6-8 servings.

*NOTE: Jewel had a sale on wonton wrappers so since this recipe makes a ton of the filling I made about 2 dozen appetizers w/the filling in wonton wrappers. (baked at 425 for 10min)


Salad:

Panzanella Bread Salad Paired with Pinot Grigio
Submitted by Rosemary (MN) HQ Resident Chef
Ingredients
2 large tomatoes, cut into chunks
3/4 cup chopped cucumber
1/4 cup sliced red onion
6 cups (about 1/2 lb.) day-old crusty peasant-style bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup Balsamic & Basil Dipping Oil
Seasoned Salt
Shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions
Combine first 5 ingredients in a large serving bowl; toss to blend. Season with Seasoned Salt  to taste; garnish with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately. Makes 6-8 servings.

*NOTE: I had a small head of butter lettuce from my Timber Creek Farms Organics delivery so I put lettuce in the salad.
Entrée:

Baked Pesto Rigatoni paired with Cabernet Sauvignon
Submitted by Rosemary (MN) HQ Resident Chef
Ingredients
1/2 lb. ground beef
3 Tbsp. Dried Tomato & Garlic Pesto Mix
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
8 oz. prepared rigatoni pasta
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
Italian Garlic Bread Seasoning
Directions
Brown ground beef in large skillet until no longer pink; drain. Add next 2 ingredients; simmer 20 minutes. Stir prepared hot pasta into hot sauce; pour mixture into a greased casserole dish. Top pasta mixture with shredded cheese and Italian Garlic Bread Seasoning to taste. Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until cheese melts and is lightly browned. Makes 2-3 servings.

*NOTE: I doubled this recipe and it makes a TON!

Entrée:

Tuscan Chicken & Artichokes Paired with Sauvignon Blanc
Submitted by Rosemary (MN) HQ Resident Chef
Ingredients:
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup Dried Tomato & Garlic Pesto Mix
28 oz. can crushed or diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup white wine (optional)
14.5 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained
Directions:
Combine ingredients in a greased slow cooker. Heat on low 6-8 hours. Serve over angel hair pasta or rice. Makes 4-6 servings

Dessert:

Absolutely Almond Biscotti Paired with Moscato
Submitted by RoxAnn Mannuzza (MN)
Ingredients
Absolutely Almond Pound Cake Mix™
1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
2 - 3 Tbsp. flour

Directions
Combine AA Cake Mix and butter; blend until crumbly. Add eggs; blend dough with hands if necessary. Stir in white chocolate chips. Knead dough on a floured surface until no longer sticky. Form into two loaves on greased baking sheet; pat dough to 1-inch thickness. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 15 minutes. Cut into 1/2-inch slices; bake an additional 10 minutes. Cool completely. Makes about 24 biscotti.

Victoria Hamel,

Yourtsconsultant@aol.com

708-598-9415

Friday, June 29, 2007

Summer Wine Pairings and TS

Okay this is my first attempt at putting in a word document. This is too long to put in my newsletter so I am posting it here for those who want more recipes...
I cannot believe July is almost here...this time next month I will be on my way home from National Conference w/great ideas and plans to improve my business...and I'll know what new products we'll have for the Fall!!!

SUMMER WINE PAIRINGS AND TASTEFULLY SIMPLE


Some tips from the Chicago Tribune….

*How much wine do you need? If you are doing a trendy new multi-course evening, a good rule of thumb is one or two per guest. Standard wine bottles hold about 5-6 glasses (4oz) of wine.

*Chose glassware w/the occasion in mind.
*Have more than one corkscrew out for a big party.
*Keep red wine in the low 60s , Keep the whites and the roses cold –on ice.
And the best advice for the host: try the wines you will be serving before the guests arrive.
You are doing quality control ;-)


A great appetizer paired with a glass of Reisling…
Herbed Tomato Garlic Pesto SpreadSubmitted by Lara Miesle (OH)

Ingredients 2 Tbsp. Spinach & Herb Dip Mix
2 Tbsp. Dried Tomato & Garlic Pesto Mix
2 (8 oz.) pkgs. softened cream cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Crackers
Directions Combine first 4 ingredients; chill 2 hours. Serve with crackers. Makes about 3 cups spread.

A salad to be served with Gewurztraminer….

Ginger Teriyaki Curry Chicken Salad
2 cups cooked, cubed chicken breast
1 cup diced fresh mango
½ cup chopped cashews
½ cup water chestnuts, drained and chopped
¼ cup raisins
1 tsp. curry powder
1 cup Ginger Teriyaki Ranch Dressing
Lettuce Leaves
Blue Aztec Chips
Combine first 5 ingredients; toss. Add curry powder to Ginger Teriyaki Dressing; pour enough over salad ingredients to reach desired consistency. Serve salad on lettuce leaves with Blue Aztec Chips. Makes 4-5 Servings

With your favorite Chardonnay…

For a cool fall evening pair our Perfectly Potato Cheddar Soup or Creamy Wild Rice, a loaf of Bountiful beer bread and your favorite Chardonnay.

For Savignon Blanc I recommend…
Crab Cakes with Garlic Sauce
Submitted by Karen Hummel (NJ)
Ingredients 3 Tbsp. Onion Onion™, divided
3/4 cup mayonnaise, divided
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice,
divided16 oz. jumbo lump crabmeat
1 tsp. mustard2 beaten eggs
1 Tbsp. water
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp. Spinach & Herb Dip Mix
1/2 tsp. Seasoned Salt
1 Tbsp. Garlic Garlic™

Directions Combine 2 tablespoons Onion Onion™, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, crabmeat and mustard; blend well. Shape into 8 crab cakes. Blend eggs and water together. In separate bowl, combine breadcrumbs, Spinach & Herb Dip Mix and Seasoned Salt. Dip crab cakes in egg mixture; coat with breadcrumb mixture. Place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through. Combine remaining 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon Onion Onion™, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and Garlic Garlic™; blend well and refrigerate. Serve garlic sauce over crab cakes. Makes 8 cakes.

When opening a nice bottle of Mad Housewife Merlot pair it with…

Garlic Rosemary Chicken
Submitted by Laura Brott (MI)
Ingredients 4boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. Seasoned Salt
1 1/2 tsp. Garlic Garlic™
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dried rosemary

Directions Place chicken breasts in a greased 8 x 8 pan; drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with seasonings. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes. Makes 4 servings.
*Note from Victoria: I think I'd use more of the seasonings than listed above, season to suit your tastes.

Slow-Cooked Chicken
Submitted by Karen Huftalin (IL)
Ingredients 2 Tbsp. Garlic Garlic™
2 Tbsp. Spinach & Herb Dip Mix
1 Tbsp. Seasoned Salt
1 whole chicken
1 quartered onion
2 diced celery stalks

Directions Combine first 3 ingredients; sprinkle over and inside chicken. Put onion and celery in bottom of slow cooker; add chicken. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours. Makes 3-4 servings.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

An exciting milestone

Today for the first time in what will surely become a regular habit, I said to the children this AM, after a big mess was made w/one of those squish pillows w/a billion tiny white beads...I said:
"Go, outside in the backyard, all of you, go and play!"

And so they went outside and I managed to clean up about 99.99% of those damn little white things.

Since the weather is a bit cooler today it is a great day to make Berry Buckle Cake. I am making one to bring with to a taste-testing I am doing as part of a wine tasting on Saturday w/my great host Kelly M. She has her own wine club and I am bringing a sampling of products for the group to enjoy with their wine and for that I am putting together a summer wine pairing recipe sheet.

Here is an excerpt...

Pair a Dried Tomato and Garlic Pesto Cheese Spread and Water Crackers w/a nice Reisling
Recipe
1 brick of cream cheese softened
2 tbsps Dried Tomato and Garlic Pesto
Blend together
Shape into a ball and roll in Spinach & Herb Mix (dry) or Bread Crumbs.
Chill for 2 hours or over night and serve w/your favorite crackers.