Singapore Shrimp Noodles

I love when I can throw together a dinner that is healthy, easy and very tasty. I didn't have rice noodles and the angel hair worked great. I also think this would well with chicken instead of shrimp. If you want more heat, you can add sriracha to individual plates or into the broth-soy sauce-sugar mixture. 

WINE: GEWURZTRAMINER OR RIESLING

As most of you know, I am pregnant. Therefore I did not have any wine with this dinner. However, I would recommend a semi-dry Gewurztraminer or Riesling with this dish.

RECIPE: SINGAPORE SHRIMP NOODLES

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

·         6  oz of skinny rice noodles or angel hair

·         1/2 cup  chicken broth 

·         3 tablespoons soy sauce

·         1 teaspoon brown sugar 

·         3  tsp peanut oil, divided

·         1 large egg, lightly beaten 

·         1 red bell pepper cut into strips 

·         1 tablespoon  fresh ginger, minced or grated

·         ¼ or ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper 

·         4  garlic cloves, minced 

·         1 tablespoon curry powder

·         8 ounces shrimp, peeled and deveined (or sliced chicken thighs)

·         1/2 cup green onions, sliced

Directions:

1.      Cook noodles according to package directions, Drain.

2.      Combine broth and brown sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add soy sauce. Set aside.

3.      Heat 1 tsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

4.      Add egg; stir-fry 1 minute or until soft-scrambled, stirring constantly.

5.      Remove from pan.

6.      Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in pan over medium-high heat.

7.      Add bell pepper strips, ginger, crushed red pepper, and garlic; stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.

8.       Add curry powder and shrimp; stir-fry 3 minutes. (If you substitute chicken you will need to cook for a few minutes longer).

9.      Stir in noodles, broth mixture, and egg; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.

10.  Sprinkle with green onions.

11.  Serve.

Roasted Red Pepper and Kalamata Olive Pasta with Wrath Syrah

If you are looking for a simple dinner to make after a hard day of work, I don’t know if I could ever post an easier recipe for you. I throw all ingredients for the pasta sauce in a blender and there you go. It’s not that much more difficult than opening a jar of pre-made pasta sauce, yet you know everything that goes in it. And more importantly what is not in it. No oil, corn syrup, sugar. This vegetarian sauce is healthy, easy and full of flavor. I would recommend that one like garlic and olives before making this recipe. As the garlic goes in raw, it is quite garlicky. You could reduce the garlic and/or mince it and sauté first. I have also made this sauce with parsley instead of basil. I use what I have. The parsley makes the sauce bolder, while the basil lends to a sweeter flavor. The most difficult part of this recipe may be finding pitted kalamata olives. Both my local Trader Joes and Whole Foods carry them. Of course, you could try different olives and see how they work! I also really enjoy this over spinach spaghetti which I also get at Whole Foods.

WINE: 2007 Wrath Syrah 877/Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands (Monterey)
http://www.wrathwines.com/

This Syrah is gorgeous with an almost indigo hue. The nose boasts chocolate and hints of pepper. Blackberries and plums dominate the smooth full body. The velvety texture also displays spice and herbal characteristics. An extremely enjoyable and drinkable Syrah. It paired nicely with this dish and would recommend trying it or other Syrahs with this recipe.

RECIPE: Roasted Red Pepper and Kalamata Olive Pasta
Servings 2-3

Ingredients:
• 1 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes
• 5 oz. jar of roasted red peppers, drained
• 4 cloves garlic
• 12 pitted kalamata olives (~1/3 cup)
• 1/3 cup fresh basil or fresh parsley
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Your favorite pasta, cooked
• Grated parmesan cheese, to taste

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients except pasta and cheese in blender and blend until well combined
2. Heat over medium heat until hot.
3. Pour over your favorite pasta.
4. Top with grated parmesan.

Mushroom and Fennel Tortellini, Apple Gorgonzola Salad and Georis Merlot

Today was not the greatest of days. I locked myself out of the house, ran several unsuccessful errands and experienced poor customer service. My patience was very low. Thankfully, I had planned an easy dinner. I first made this about a month ago and must admit this recipe came together somewhat accidentally. Trying to find other uses for the sherry I had bought to make crab bisque, I had found a simple recipe for mushroom tortellini. I also had bought some fennel that I had forgotten about and needed to be cooked. I decided to slice that and include that in the meal. Immediately I noticed the beautiful aromas from the fennel which intensified when I added the thyme. Before stirring in the tortellini, I sampled the sauce and decided that some smoky bacon would complement the earthy flavors. And it did! However, I think my vegetarian friends can happily leave the bacon out. I haven’t tried it but some shredded smoked mozzarella may add some smokiness for those that want to forego the bacon. As I mentioned this meal is easy. I also enjoy how the flavors personify wintertime without the heaviness that can accompany a hearty meat dish. It’s not the most dazzling meal I have ever made, but a yummy Monday night supper.


WINE: 2005 Georis Merlot, Carmel Valley (Monterey)
http://www.georiswine.com/

Wine was not on the original menu for this evening. However, when driving home from my frustrating day, I decided that needed amended. I knew the fennel, mushroom and thyme in the pasta would pair nice with an earthy wine. I chose the Georis 2006 Merlot as most of the Georis wines fit this bill. This smooth Merlot was more fruit forward than I remembered with touches of spice and chocolate. It was probably not the perfect wine to pair, but I believe it played a big role in my being in a much better mood after dinner. Next time I think I will try a Syrah or perhaps I will stumble upon an earthy wine with anise notes. Hmmm, the 2006 Le Mistral (Syrah, Grenache and Alicante Bouschet) with its berries, herbs, and spice would be another fun one to test.


RECIPE: Mushroom and Fennel Tortellini
Servings: 3
Ingredients:
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil, divided (or more to taste)
• 10 oz to 1 lb. mushrooms, mixed crimini, porcini, mushroom, shitake or any of these by themselves

• 1-2 fennel bulbs
• 4 cloves of minced garlic
• OPTIONAL: 3-4 pieces of bacon
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• ½ cup dry sherry
• 1 lb cheese tortellini
• Fresh parmesan, to taste

Directions:
1. Cut mushrooms in half or fourths depending on size.
2. Thinly slice fennel.
3. Start water to boil for tortellini
4. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms and fennel.
5. Cut bacon and mince garlic.
6. When mushrooms and fennel are almost tender add bacon, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook until bacon is done.
7. Add tortellini to boiling water; cook for about 8 minutes or according to package directions.
8. Add ½ cup sherry to mushrooms, fennel etc. Reduce heat and simmer until tortellini is done, or at least five minutes.
9. Drain tortellini and add to a pan.
10. Drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil over tortellini and mix with mushroom, fennel etc. Simmer for a couple minutes.
11. Plate and top with grated parmesan.

RECIPE: Apple Gorgonzola Salad

This is my all-time favorite salad, copied from one of my favorite restaurants, DePalma’s in Athens, Georgia. Although the wine did improve my mood, my patience has not been completely restored. I suspect that my readers have all made a salad before. I will trust that you can decide the portions that match your preferences and mix them together in a bowl. Of course if you have any questions about this or anything else, I will happily answer them! Tomorrow.

Ingredients:
• Romaine Lettuce
• Red Onion, Chopped
• Capers
• Granny Smith Apple, chopped or sliced
• Walnuts, chopped
• Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
• OPTIONAL: Cooked Bacon, broken into pieces
• Balsamic Vinaigrette

Edamame Goat Cheese Ravioli, Rosemary Bread, and Boekenoogen Chardonnay

Recipe: Edamame and Goat Cheese Ravioli with Shitake Butter Sauce
Recipe: Rosemary Bread
Wine: 2007 Boekenoogen Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands


Once upon a Saturday, my husband and I stumbled into the unpretentious tasting room at Boekenoogen (BOO-KA-NOO-GEN). After the tasting, we stuck around for a bottle of 2008 Chardonnay and took a Pinot Noir and a Syrah home. Obviously, we enjoyed the wine. However, Mike was a bit disappointed they weren’t sampling their 2007 Chardonnay which not only sounded delicious, but scored 96 points in Wine Enthusiast Magazine. A few weeks later, a friend and I stopped by Boekenoogen (by the way, I just love to say Boekenoogen). Unfortunately, Mike was in class and missed the opportunity to try the French Oaked Chardonnay. Although I am not normally a fan of 100% Oaked Chardonnay, this was an exception. The oak gave it a wonderful creaminess yet it maintained wonderful tropical fruit flavors. However, the best part was the finish reminiscent of crème brulee. Being the nice wife that I am, I brought a bottle home for Mike and told him I would cook him something special to go with it. The bottle was temporarily forgotten until Mike’s birthday when he began to contemplate what he wanted me to make him for dinner. He finally settled on Edamame and Goat Cheese Ravioli, and I knew it was the perfect time to break out the Boekenoogen.

Edamame and Goat Cheese Ravioli may sound like a strange combination. Trust me, pour some shitake mushrooms cooked in butter and garlic over the ravioli and it is absolutely delicious. This recipe is time-consuming, but not difficult. The ravioli can also be made ahead and freezes well. I adapted this recipe from one shared with me by my mother-in-law. She also bought me a ravioli/dumpling maker. It is a simple hand-held gadget that helps seal each ravioli. You can also seal each ravioli by pressing it closed with a fork. You can serve this as an appetizer or a vegetarian meal. We usually do it as a meal swerved with rosemary bread to soak up the extra yummy sauce. Any buttery and/or creamy Chardonnay will work perfectly.
http://www.boekenoogenwines.com/boekenoogen_wines.html

RECIPE: EDAMAME AND GOAT CHEESE RAVIOLI
Serves 4-5 (as a meal, makes about fifty ravioli)

Ingredients:
1 pound shelled edamame
8 oz. goat cheese
4 oz. cream cheese
½ tsp salt
50 potsticker wrappers
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup salted butter, or more if you like (you can also supplement some butter with olive oil)
3 cloves garlic, minced
10 oz. fresh shitake mushrooms
Grated parmesan cheese, to taste (optional)


1. Boil edamame until tender, about five minutes. Drain.
2. In food processor, combine edamame, salt, goat cheese and cream cheese until smooth.
3. Cover and chill for at least three hours or overnight. I often make the filling the night before.
4. Once filling has chilled, beat one egg.
5. Take a single potsticker wrapper and place 1 tsp. of filling in the middle.

6. Brush edges with beaten egg. Fold over the wrapper and seal with dumpling maker or fork. Transfer to a parchment line baking sheet.

7. REPEAT until out of wrappers and/or filling. Chill for at least two hours or overnight. I would freeze if going to spend more than a day in refrigerator.
8. Boil a LARGE pot with water. As this often takes a while, I do not start cooking the sauce until pot has or is about to boil.
9. Stem shitake mushrooms and thinly slice.
10. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat.
11. Add garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.
12. Add mushrooms and cook until tender, 3-4 minutes
13. When you add the mushrooms to the butter, gently place ravioli in boiling water (do not thaw if previously frozen). Cook 3-4 minutes until ravioli float to top.
14. If you have a slotted spoon, use this to drain and remove ravioli. A colander works, but often some of the ravioli will open.
15. Pour butter mushroom sauce over ravioli. Top with parmesan if desired. Serve.


RECIPE: ROSEMARY BREAD
2 Loaves. This is my absolute favorite bread recipe. After trying, my seven year old nephew excitedly exclaimed after trying, “those green things are bursting with flavor.”

1 tbsp. yeast ( a standard packet is ¾ tbsp. yeast)
1 tbsp. sugar
1 cup warm water
2 ½ cups flour
1 tsp. salt.
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. rosemary
Additional olive oil to coat
Sea Salt, to taste (optional)

1. Grease a large bowl with butter or oil.


Bubbly yeast

2. Pour one cup of warm water into a clean bowl. Sprinkle yeast and sugar over water. Allow to sit about 10 minutes until bubbly.
3. Mix in 1 tbsp. olive oil, salt and rosemary. If using dried rosemary, allow to sit for a few minutes to re-hydrate.
4. Mix in two cups of flour.
5. Sprinkle flour over cutting board and transfer dough. Knead for about 5 minutes until smooth, elastic and not sticky. You will likely need to add flour as kneading.
6. Put dough in greased bowl and cover with a towel. Rise for about one hour or until doubled in size.
7. Punch down dough and let it rest for five minutes.
8. Divide dough in half. Shape into two rounded loaves. Rub olive oil over dough. Place on greased or oiled baking sheet. You can also sprinkle with sea salt.
9. Let rise again until doubled, 45 minutes - 1 hour.
10. Preheat oven to 375°F.
11. Gently slide loaves into oven (be careful not to disturb dough). Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned.
12. Serve anytime with anything!

I have successfully frozen second loaf. Reheat from frozen at 350°F for about 15-20 minutes.