Hosting made easy? There’s a recipe for that. There’s nothing better than inviting a few friends over for a nice dinner. Unless, of course, you end up spending so much time preparing it that you’re completely drained by the time they show up at your house. With that in mind, I give you this week’s recipe suggestion: Autumn Hash. A new twist on an old classic, this shepherd’s pie 2.0 will not only wow your guests, it’ll actually leave you time to enjoy their company. The recipe calls for all sorts of yummy ingredients, including Canadian Havarti. And if that […]
Wine Recipes
Lamb Shepherd’s Pie Paired with Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon
Lamb Shepherd’s Pie A beloved British classic perfect for a comforting Sunday dinner. This shepherd’s pie combines the earthy flavour of lamb with rosemary, thyme and russet potatoes. Look for those tastes in a wine- earthy and herbal with dark cherry and plum flavours. A terrific match would be Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 from Paso Robles, California. Lamb Shepherd’s Pie – Serves 6 to 8 Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil 6 slices bacon, diced 1½ lb. lamb shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into cubes 1 onion, finely diced 2 stalks celery, finely diced 2 carrots, peeled and finely […]
Ratatouille au Gratin Paired with Chianti or Pinot Blanc
Ratatouille au Gratin How to Cook Two Meals at Once Hosting adults is one thing. Hosting families is another. While children aren’t exactly demanding when it comes to decoration and music, they can be extremely picky with food. This typically leaves you with two options: “dumb down” your entire meal to accommodate everyone or make an entirely different meal for the kids. But here’s a third, far-better alternative: a ratatouille au gratin for the adults, which turns into a delicious spaghetti sauce for the kids. The beauty of this meal is that you are minimizing time and effort spent, while […]
Turkey Cutlets, Canadian Swiss Cheese and Riesling
Turkey Cutlets with Squash, Canadian Swiss and Honey Sauce What’s old is new again. And more delicious than ever. As beautiful and timeless as most of the holiday traditions are, in my humble opinion, there’s one that could use a little updating. That’s right. I’m talking about the Christmas turkey. So this week I’m suggesting a recipe that puts a whole new spin on this holiday classic: turkey cutlets with squash, Canadian Swiss (always a favourite) and honey sauce. I’m also suggesting a couple of wines to help you wash it all down with a flourish. Because the dish is […]
Root Vegetable Gratin Paired with Chenin Blanc or Pinot Noir
Root Vegetable Gratin It only tastes like you slaved over it. In an ideal world, your refrigerator is always filled to the point of bursting and you have all the time you need to cook a meal that everyone will love. In reality, however, your refrigerator may be pretty barren, especially towards the end of the week. And having lots of time? Let’s not even go there. Fortunately, I have a wonderful recipe that requires only a handful of ingredients and a few minutes of preparation time: Root Vegetable Gratin, featuring Canadian Provolone. What’s especially nice about this recipe, beyond […]
Red Wine Glazed Meat Loaf Recipe Paired with Tilia Cabernet Sauvignon
Red Wine Glazed Meat Loaf Not your mother’s meat loaf! A red wine reduced glaze caramelizes on top as the dish bakes. Moist, tender comfort food and the perfect pairing for a full bodied, juicy red wine like Tilia Cabernet Sauvignon from Argentina. Red Wine Glazed Meat Loaf Ingredients: For the glaze: 1 ¼ red wine ¼ cup brown sugar 1 tomato, seeded and finely diced 1 tsp molasses pinch of allspice For the meat loaf: 2 thick slices bacon, cut into matchstick sized pieces 1 small onion, finely diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup fresh bread crumbs ¼ […]
Kung Pao Chicken Recipe with Grant Burge Summers Chardonnay
Grant Burge Summers Chardonnay won a Silver Medal at the Hong Kong International Wine Challenge 2011 for ‘Best Wine Paired with Kung Pao Chicken’. I was inspired to create a version of this classic dish for the home cook to enjoy. Kung Pao Chicken Ingredients: For the marinade: 3 boneless chicken breasts cut into small cubes 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry 1 tbsp cornstarch For the sauce: 2 tsp sugar 2 tsp Chinese black vinegar or rice vinegar 2 tsp sesame oil 1/3 cup water 3 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice […]
Hearty Lentil, Pesto and Colby Soup with Cotes du Rhone or Pinot Noir
Take a mid-week break with fast and delicious comfort food. Hectic work days. Long commutes. Multitasking half a dozen household crises. How can parents be expected to prepare something tasty in the precious little time they have between getting home and their children’s first cries of hunger? They can’t be – not without a little help. So this week I’m suggesting a nutritious and delicious recipe that is so fast to prepare it will leave you with enough time to treat yourself to a nice glass of wine. This hearty lentil, pesto and Canadian Colby soup pairs wonderfully with Côte […]
Stuffed Zucchini Recipe and Sauvignon Blanc
By Pat Anderson I’m sure most people who have grown zucchini have had the experience of finding the zucchini they missed… which has grown to a massive size, is seedy, and too big to be used in the normal way. What do you do? Here’s what I did: Serves 4 Ingredients: 1 massive overgrown zucchini… this one was 2 pounds 5 ounces. Failing that, use 4 6″ zucchini. 1 small onion 2 cloves garlic 1 oz (by weight) grated romano cheese One large roma tomato, seeded & diced 1 cup cooked arborio rice ¼ fennel bulb Handful of flat parsley, […]
Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin and Spinach Salad Recipe with Southbrook Cabernet Franc Rose
Spice rubbed pork tenderloin and spinach salad with summer fruit and curry vinaigrette This spice mix is a blend of sweet and heat. A bright, vibrant rose with touch of sweet fruit freshness would be a terrific match for this main course salad. A delicious choice would be Southbrook Triomphe Cabernet Franc Rose 2011, an organic wine from the Niagara Peninsula. Serves 4 Ingredients for the pork one 2¼ to 2½ lb pork tenderloin, trimmed ½ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp cumin seed ½ tsp fennel seed ½ tsp chili powder ¼ tsp black pepper 1 tsp […]
