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Wine Blog from The International Wine of the Month Club

A wine blog written by the experts from The International Wine of the Month Club

Tilapia with Escarole and Lemon-Pepper Oil

August 4, 2014 by Kristina Manning

Ready in 30 minutes, this easy and healthy entree is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a last minute dinner party!

Tilapia with Escarole and Lemon-Pepper OilIngredients:

  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 12 ounces baby fingerling potatoes, halved, or small red-skinned potatoes, quartered
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1 head escarole (about 1 1/4 pounds), torn into pieces
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 1/4 pounds tilapia fillets, patted dry
  • 2 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves torn
  • Juice of 1 lemon

Directions:

Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a large deep skillet with a lid over medium heat. Place the potatoes in the pan cut-side down. Add the garlic and cook until the potatoes are slightly golden and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the escarole, season with salt and pepper, then add about 1/3 cup water. Cover and steam until the escarole wilts, about 5 minutes.

Season the fish with salt and pepper; place on top of the greens in the pan and sprinkle with the oregano leaves. Cover and steam until the fish is just cooked through, about 5 more minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the lemon juice in a bowl with the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil; season with 1 teaspoon salt and plenty of pepper.

Carefully lift the fish off the greens and transfer to rimmed plates or bowls. Distribute the greens, potatoes and pan juices around the fish. Drizzle with the lemon-pepper oil.

Recipe and photo from: www.FoodNetwork.com

Posted in: Recipes and Pairings

Spicy Honey-Glazed Chicken Breasts

July 28, 2014 by Kristina Manning

Sweet and spicy, this fast summer recipe will please your whole family as well as your guests with it’s tangy pineapple and tangy honey glaze. Try serving it with grilled corn or a bright and fresh summer salad and pairing it with a citrusy and crisp white wine like our Premier Series Eidos de Padriñán Rias Baixas Albariño 2012 that is featured this month!

Makes: 8 servings
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 25 mins

Spicy Honey-Glazed Chicken BreastsIngredients:

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 4 pounds)
  • Salt
  • 1 pineapple peeled, cored and cut into 8 thick rings

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until translucent and beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the honey, hot pepper sauce and chili powder and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and set aside.

2. Preheat a grill or large grill pan to medium-high. Rub the chicken with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt. Grill until well marked, about 7 minutes. Flip and cook until the bottoms are well marked and the chicken is cooked through, another 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and brush with the reserved honey glaze. Cover with foil and let rest for 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, grill the pineapple until well marked on one side, about 4 minutes, then flip and cook for another 2 minutes. Serve with the chicken.

Recipe and photo from: www.RachaelRayMag.com

Posted in: Recipes and Pairings

Italy’s Undiscovered Wines

July 25, 2014 by Don Lahey

P1090960Italy and its wines never cease to amaze and delight.  Even though the Italian peninsula holds more grape varieties (over 2, 700 at last count) than any other country, I am still struck by the quality and seemingly endless array of delicious wines that flow from hundreds of thousands of producers.   And yet, many of Italy’s most rewarding and affordable wines remain undiscovered treasures, especially in the United States.  This is especially true of wines from family producers in Umbria, Campania and throughout much of southern Italy.

Tiny productions crafted by dedicated family producers may be hard to find in the U.S, but they are here and definitely worth seeking out.  Clelia Romana’s 2013 Colle di Lapio Fiano di Avellino and Gabriella Ferrara’s stunning 2013 Greco di Tufo are just two of my favorite Campanian wines.  Paired with almost any type of seafood, these two white wines highlight the brilliance of small sustainable winemaking throughout Italy.  Both women make tiny amounts of deep rich red wines, too, from the indigenous Aglianico variety.  Antonio Caggiano’s delicious Greco, Fiano, Figre (an equal blend of Fiano and Greco) and profound age worthy Taurasi provide great drinking from Campania, too.  Iovine’s sparkling red Gragnano from the Sorrento peninsula is another unsung treasure.  And from further north in Umbria, Palazzone’s incredible Terre Vineate Orvieto, made from the area’s indigenous vines, continues to make my mouth water.    Enjoy!

Salute!
Don!

photo credit: Mike of Surrey via photopin cc

Posted in: Interesting Wine Info, Notes from the Panel, Wine Regions

Don’s July Collector Series Top Pick

July 24, 2014 by Don Lahey

chateau margui rougeJuly’s Collector Series Top Pick belongs to a Spanish wine.  Although choosing July’s Collector Series Top Pick proved to be another tough choice, especially in light of the two outstanding offerings from the great Provencal estate of Chateau Margui, I have to go in favor of Spain’s Terrer d’Aubert.  Terrer d’Aubert’s 2010 profound Cabernet Sauvignon from Taragona garners this month’s Top Pick.  Why?  It’s rare to see Cabernet Sauvignon in Tarragona and such a brilliant Cabernet Sauvignon at that.  Deep, lusty and full of everything good about Cabernet, it earns this month’s Top Pick.  However, you may not want to like Terrer d’Aubert too much.  Only 400 cases made it to our shores, so enjoy this beauty while it lasts.

Salute!
Don

Posted in: Featured Selections, Notes from the Panel

Don’s July Premier Series Top Pick

July 22, 2014 by Don Lahey

eidos de padrinan albarinoFor years Eidos de Padrinan has been fashioning Spain’s finest Albarino wine and the 2012 Eidos de Padrinan Albarino more than lives up to the estate’s vaulted reputation.  Brilliant, focused and layered with subtle scents and flavors that speak of fruit, stone, and minerals, the 2012 Eidos de Padrinan Albarino is simply delicious.  It shines in the glass and makes a great accompaniment to all kinds of seafood, tapas, and small plate offerings.  I also love it as an aperitif.  For these reasons, it earns my choice as this month’s Top Pick.  Taste and see for yourself, and enjoy!

Salute!
Don

Posted in: Featured Selections, Interesting Wine Info, Notes from the Panel

Roast Chicken Panzanella

July 21, 2014 by Kristina Manning

“In the height of summer, what’s better than tons of tomatoes and cucumbers in a salad?” chef Evan Rich asks. He and wife, Sarah, give this traditional Tuscan bread salad a California spin with strawberries, cilantro and toasted pumpkin seeds.

Active: 30 min
Total Time: 45 min
Servings: 4

Roast Chicken PanzanellaIngredients:

  • 3/4 pound country bread, torn into 1-inch pieces (8 cups)
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 small red onion, chopped
  • 1/4 cup Champagne vinegar
  • 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
  • 2 romaine hearts, torn into bite-size pieces
  • 1 large tomato, chopped
  • 2 Persian cucumbers, chopped
  • 1 cup strawberries, hulled and chopped
  • 1 cup cilantro leaves
  • 2 tablespoons chopped dill
  • One 2 1/2- to 3-pound rotisserie chicken, meat shredded (about 4 cups)
  • 1/4 cup salted roasted pumpkin seeds

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. On a large baking sheet, toss the bread with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes, until crisp. Let cool.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the onion with both vinegars and let stand for 10 minutes. Whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the romaine, tomato, cucumbers, strawberries, cilantro, dill, chicken and the toasted bread and toss well. Transfer the salad to a platter, sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds and serve.

Recipe and photo from: www.FoodandWine.com

Posted in: Recipes and Pairings

Sausages and Polenta With Marinated Peppers

July 14, 2014 by Kristina Manning

Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 20m| Total Time: 20m

Sausages and Polenta With Marinated PeppersIngredients

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for the grill
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 8 small links Italian sausage (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
  • 1 pound store-bought cooked polenta, sliced into thick rounds

Directions

1. Heat grill to medium-high.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the lime juice, oil, honey, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper until the honey is dissolved.

3. Add the bell pepper and onion and let sit, tossing occasionally, for 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, grill the sausages, turning occasionally, until charred and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.

5. During the last 6 minutes of cooking, oil the grill and add the polenta.

6. Grill the polenta until charred and heated through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve with the sausages and vegetables.

Photo and recipe from www.realsimple.com

Posted in: Recipes and Pairings

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