Goat Cheese and Sun-dried Tomato Grilled Chicken and Grated Zucchini with Mercy Chardonnay

Here’s a good way to jazz up a simple chicken breast if you want something different or a little fancier –looking and tasting. The zucchini is also a fun and unique twist on this vegetable. Suggestion: the leftover goat cheese, basil and sun-dried tomatoes make excellent pizza toppings. Throw in some kalamata olives and you have one of my favorite pizza pies!


WINE: 2009 Mercy Chardonnay, Arroyo Seco (Monterey)

Mike and I discovered his Chardonnay at a recent wine festival. It was our favorite wine of the day. The aroma is full of tropical fruit with a hint of honey. The buttery mouth is simultaneously round, silky and creamy. It opens with pineapple and a touch of banana then finishes with butterscotch and a little vanilla. In a word….yum.

Chardonnay was a great pairing with this dish. If you want to try a red, I would experiment with a Grenache or Rhone blend. A medium body Pinot may be nice too. You need something with some body to stand up to the sun-dried tomatoes.

RECIPE: Goat Cheese and Sun-dried Tomato Grilled Chicken
Servings: 2

Ingredients:
• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1/2 tsp salt, divided
• 1/2 tsp pepper, divided
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup white wine
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
• 2 oz goat cheese (this works best if room temperature)

Directions:
1. Heat grill to medium heat
2. Brush chicken breasts with 1 tbsp olive oil. Sprinkle ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper and thyme on each side.
3. Grill chicken on medium heat until cooked through. This will largely depend on size of breasts. I find that it usually takes 6-8 minutes per side.
4. Once chicken is on grill, sauté garlic in 1 tbsp of olive oil for 1-2 minutes in a medium skillet over medium heat.
5. Add wine and lemon juice. Increase heat to medium high until it begins to bubble then decrease heat to a simmer. Simmer until wine and juice has reduced to half.
6. Stir in butter to skillet.
7. Add sun-dried tomatoes, basil, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper to skillet. Stir, remove from heat and set aside.
8. As soon as chicken is off grill, top each chicken breast with 1 oz of goat cheese. Spoon half of sun-dried tomato and basil sauce over chicken.

RECIPE: Grated Zucchini
Serves: 2

Ingredients:
• ~ 1 lb of zucchini
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ cup shallots, minced
• ¼ tsp of pepper

Directions:
1. Grate the zucchini, using a cheese grater. I cut the zucchini into quarters first.

2. Toss with ½ tsp salt.
3. Place in a colander and let drain for 5-10 minutes.

4. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter into the olive oil
5. Add shallots and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes until shallots are tender.
6. Stir in zucchini and pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes until zucchini is tender.
7. Serve.

Moroccan Chicken and Feta Watermelon Salad with Le Mistral White Wine

I’ll be honest. I should have paid more attention while I was eating this. But I was hungry, so I inhaled my food. I know it was tasty. I do remember particularly enjoying the feta-watermelon salad. I especially enjoyed the saltiness of the feta with the sweet watermelon. This salad is phenomenal when it is hot outside. It is not hot in Monterey, but I know it is excruciating in most of the country right now. I know it may sound like a strange combo, but give it a try! I don’t remember too much else in terms of how the whole meal came together. However, I do know I was happy while I was eating.

I had forgotten about this Moroccan chicken recipe until I found in an old folder. I tweaked it a bit from the original recipe and do think I enjoyed it more than before. I am going to stick with the Moroccan chicken name although I have no idea if that name has any merit.

WINE: 2009 Le Mistral White Wine, Monterey County

A mix of Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne this Rhone blend won an award for “Most Unique White Wine”. The nose is full of Honeydew. This continues on the solky palate along with apricot and pear. As it opens, toffee and butterscotch contribute to the finish.

I would try this dish with any of these varietals or other similar blends. I would also hazard a guess that a dry Rose or a Pinot Noir would be enjoyable too.

RECIPE: Grilled Moroccan Chicken
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 shallot bulbs, rough chopped
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp paprika
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro
• ¼ cup fresh parsley
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 4 chicken breasts (I used thighs tonight)

Directions:
1. In a blender, mix together everything but chicken.
2. Add marinate and chicken to Ziploc bag. Refrigerate overnight.
3. I use different cooking times and temperatures for breasts and thighs.
     a. For thighs: I heat grill to high and cook thighs on an open grill for ~ 4 minutes per side.
     b. As breasts are thicker, I heat grill to medium. I cook breasts with grill closed until cooked through.
     This will largely depend on size of breasts. I find that it usually takes 6-8 minutes per side.

RECIPE: Feta Watermelon Salad
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup red onion, sliced thin
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 3 cups of watermelon, cubed and seeded
• ½ cup feta, crumbled (the nicer the quality the tastier)

Directions:
1. Whisk olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt together in a medium to large bowl.
2. Add cucumbers and red onion. Stir. If possible, let the cucumbers and onion marinate for about an hour in the fridge. I didn’t have the time tonight and it came out fine without doing this, but I think it is a bit better this way.
3. Add watermelon and feta. Stir together and serve.

My Favorite Grilled Chicken Breasts and Corn and Green Bean in Lime Butter with Cobblestone Chardonnay

I have tried lots of different recipes for grilled chicken breasts and this is my absolute favorite. I marinate the chicken for 36-48 hours. I would not recommend anything less than 24. The result is a super moist and flavorful, almost succulent piece of chicken. I usually put everything for the marinade in the blender. Although I have also chopped everything finely and whisked it together. Either way yields delicious results. I always make extra and use the leftover chicken on top of salads, in chicken salad, or in a wrap.

This is a dinner I make frequently and have paired with all kinds of side dishes such as grilled asparagus, roasted potatoes and brussel sprouts. In the summer, I love making this with corn, green beans, shallots, mixed together in a lime butter. The vegetables are gorgeous and yummy.

WINE: 2007 Cobblestone Chardonnay, Arroyo Seco (Monterey)

A Chardonnay is an easy pairing with this dish and this Chardonnay worked well with the chicken. By itself, the wine was good, not great. The nose smelled delicious boasting banana and butterscotch. Perhaps this raised my expectations for the palate. I did really enjoy the mouthfeel which was round, almost elegant. The wine displayed notes of banana, pineapple and butterscotch, but the finish fell shorter than my liking.

RECIPE: My Favorite Grilled Chicken
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 1/2 shallots, rough chopped for blender (or finely chopped if whisking)
• 4 garlic cloves, rough chopped for blender (or finely chopped if whisking)
• ¼ cup parsley, rough chopped for blender (or finely chopped if whisking)
• 1 tsp thyme, dried
• 1 tsp marjoram, dried
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 chicken breasts

Directions:
1. In blender or by whisk, mix all ingredients together, except chicken.
2. Place chicken in shallow dish or Ziploc bag. Cover thoroughly with marinade and allow to marinate for 24-48 hours.
3. Grill on medium heat until cooked through. This will largely depend on size of breasts. I find that it usually takes 6-8 minutes per side.

RECIPE: Corn and Green Beans in Lime Butter
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• ¾ lb. green beans or haricot verts, cut in ½ pieces
• 1 ½ cups frozen corn, thawed
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp lime juice

Directions:
1. Cook shallots in butter over medium heat until they are soft.
2. Add beans, corn and salt. Cook until beans are done and corn is heated. Stirring often helps.
3. Right before serving, add lime juice.

Grilled Thai Chicken Thighs and Thai Garlic Broccoli with Clif Family Rte Blanc

This is one of my husband’s favorite meals. It is a healthy dinner and is another recipe that falls into the category of maximum flavor with minimal effort. The chicken thighs are delicious with a little kick. The amount of spiciness can easily be adjusted with the sriracha for both the chicken and the broccoli. The sriracha can also be added directly to individual dishes once plated if some people like it hotter than others. I prefer to marinate the chicken overnight, though can be marinated just a few hours before. I must also add that this has become my favorite way to enjoy broccoli!


As with my last Thai dish, I am including this disclaimer that I do not know how authentically Thai this recipe is. It is just what we call it at home!

WINE: 2009 Clif Family Rte Blanc (Sauvignon Blanc), Napa
http://www.cliffamilywinery.com/home.php

This is recipe is usually one I make during the week when we are not having wine. However, it was an unusually warm day and both my husband and I were craving some Sauvignon Blanc. I happily opened the Rte Blanc made by the Clif Family Winery. If you recognize the name it is because these are the same people who make the yummy Clif bars. Their small winery is in St. Helena and won my “Best Bang for Your Buck” Award on our trip to Napa. The wines were fantastic, and the prices were awesome. The wine was very yummy with this dinner and quite fruitier than I remember with quite a bit of pear. After dinner, I had a second glass of wine and found it to be more complex as the fruit flavors were balanced with some grass and a vanilla finish. Therefore as much as I enjoyed the wine, I feel I must conclude that the food somewhat overpowered it. My husband and I both feel that a really grassy Sauvignon Blanc such as the Wrath Destruction Level (written about in the Cajun Scallops entry) might pair nicely.

In addition, I think a off- dry Gewürztraminer would be a great accompaniment. I would also like to try a Grenache or Rhone blend such as a GSM (Grenache Syrah Mourvedre) to see how that fairs with these flavors.

To see more about Clif Family Winery and our trip to Napa see my travel blog entry at: Napa-Calistoga: Persian Palaces to Gas Nozzle Wine


RECIPE: Grilled Thai Chicken Thighs
Servings: 2-3

Ingredients:
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 1 tablespoon sriracha
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs

Directions:
1. If you have a blender or food processor, place all ingredients except chicken in blender/processor and blend. You can also finely chop the basil and cilantro and mix the ingredients in a bowl.
2. Place chicken in bowl or bag, add marinade and marinate for several hours or even better overnight.
3. Heat grill to high.
4. Grill chicken for approximately 4 minutes on each side leaving grill open. Each grill seems to operate differently, so adjust cooking times accordingly.

RECIPE: Thai Garlic Broccoli

Ingredients:
• 1 lb broccoli
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1/2 tbsp soy sauce (you can add more if you like)
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp sriracha
• 1 tbsp Oil (I like to use chili oil, but olive oil, canola is fine)
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• Steamed Jasmine rice (optional)
• 4 oz. Shitake Mushrooms, thinly sliced (optional)

Directions:
1. Cut broccoli into florets
2. Place in microwavable bowl with 1-2 tbsp on water. Cover and microwave for ~3 minutes.
3. Heat oil over medium heat.
4. Add garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. While garlic is cooking, stir sugar and fish sauce until sugar is dissolved.
6. Add sriracha and soy sauce to fish sauce/sugar. Mix until sauce is combined.
7. Add sauce to garlic.
8. Drain broccoli if necessary and mix with garlic sauce.
9. OPTIONAL: You can serve this over steamed Jasmine rice if you like.
10. OPTIONAL: Add sliced shitake mushrooms when cooking the garlic and toss it all together when mushrooms are cooked.

Thai Chicken with Mushrooms and Basil with Scheid Gewürztraminer

This is one of my favorite recipes and does remind me of Thai dish I used to get at my favorite Thai restaurant in Athens, Georgia. With that said, I honestly can’t say if this is an authentic Thai dish. However, this is what we call it our house. It is a very clean and fresh tasting meal that is also full of flavor and low on fat. It is also very versatile and can easily be adjusted to fit personal tastes. I have made this successfully with shrimp a couple of time, but prefer it with boneless skinless chicken thighs. Of course, you can make it with chicken breasts. I personally am a big fan of using chicken thighs or legs in chicken dishes when I am not marinating the meat for at least 24 hours. The thighs have more flavor, are harder to overcook and cheaper. I also believe that the texture feels more authentic in Asian dishes.

I wrote the recipe to use 1 tbsp of Sriracha, a chili hot sauce. If you do not like things spicy, do not fear. When mixed in with the other ingredients this adds flavor not heat. If you like it spicy, add more. I like things pretty mild, so I add about 1 ½ tbsp. My husband then squirts at least another tablespoon or two over his plate. So, put what you are comfortable with into the sauce and more can be added to taste later. The Sriracha and fish sauce should be readily available in the Asian section of your supermarket. I have never had a hard time finding either. The rice vinegar is sometimes with the vinegars and sometimes with the vinegars. On the off chance, your grocery store doesn’t carry these items, an Asian Market or Whole Foods will have them.

Another way to customize this meal is to add a veggie for more nutrients. My favorite is haricot verts, but I have added regular green beans, snow peas, sugar peas, and broccoli before. I just steam the veggie and stir in at the end. I encourage you to try other veggies and let me know what you think.

WINE: Scheid 2008 Gewürztraminer
http://www.scheidvineyards.com/

I have wanted to write this recipe up for a while as I usually make it twice a month. However, it is one of those dinners that we usually don’t drink wine with. When I first starting drinking wine, I really enjoyed Gewürztraminer, but it had been a while since we’d purchased one. A couple of weeks ago while doing a wine tasting at Scheid, I sampled this bottle and decided I had my wine for this meal. This off-dry Gewürztraminer’s nose is dominated by pear but includes floral and spicy aromas. The pear and nutmeg notes continue on the palate and mingle with the slight sweetness of the .7% residual sugar. The spicier you make this dish the nicer the hints of sugar complement the meal.

RECIPE: Thai Chicken with Mushrooms and Basil

Ingredients:
Servings: 3-4

• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1/2 cup fish sauce
• 1 tb. Sriracha (this is not spicy…add more if you want it spicy or add to individuals plates of food to taste)
• 1 tbsp. peanut oil
• 1 medium onion, cut into slivers
• 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into strips
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. finely chopped gingerroot
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 4-8 oz shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced ( I usually use a lot but can get fresh shitake mushrooms cheap at our farmers market)
• 1 cup (loosely packed) fresh basil, cut into strips
• OPTIONAL: Haritcort vert, snow peas, green beans broccoli (~6 oz)
• OPTIONAL: steamed jasmine rice or udon noodles

Directions:
1. Heat oil in large skillet (or wok) over medium heat.
2. In a small bowl, mix together sauce: rice vinegar, fish sauce, Sriracha and brown sugar until brown sugar dissolves; set aside.
3. Heat oil in wok and stir-fry onions, garlic and chicken for 2-3 minutes or until onions are becoming translucent.
4. Add soy sauce, ginger, and mushrooms cook until chicken and mushrooms are done.
5. OPTIONAL: Steam vegetables while chicken finishes.
6. Add basil.
7. Add sauce (rice vinegar, brown sugar Sriracha, and fish sauce) mixture to chicken and take off the heat.
8. OPTIONAL: Stir in steamed veggies
9. Serve over steamed jasmine rice or udon noodles.
10. Add more Sriracha if desired.


CAUTION: If you double this recipe, I would be cautious with the soy sauce. Perhaps try 2-3 tbsp and then add more to taste.