Sauvignon Blanc Pairings

Spaghetti Squash

So for a side dish or a main vegetarian course, try spaghetti squash with any vegetables that are in season and that you enjoy. I cut the squash in half, take out the seeds and coat it with a little salt, pepper and olive oil and roast on a cooking sheet cut side down for about 40 minutes at around 375. After, with a fork, just take out the pulp and it’s like spaghetti and you can make it your own. This goes great (depending on the vegi’s) with both the Pinot and the Sauvignon Blanc.

Grilled Watermelon Arugula Salad

I know you’re thinking...grilled watermelon? Yep, I grill watermelon. It really concentrates the flavors and it’s really easy to do. Slice the watermelon and leave the rind on, brush with some olive oil and add just a minute amount of salt. Place on a hot grill and leave for about five minutes for each side just so you see some grill marks. Dice the watermelon into medium size pieces, and put in a bowl. Add cucumber slices, the arugula and sprinkle in some goat cheese and toss with balsamic vinaigrette. It goes great with the Sauvignon Blanc. See....Easy.

Shrimp or chicken Stri-Fry

First take your shrimp or chicken and marinate it for about two hours with, Soy sauce, Hoisan sauce, Lots of Ginger, Garlic, a pinch of salt and Star Anise. Cook the the Udon noodles in salted water. Put 1tbls of Vegetable oil in a hot pan. Sautee your shrimp or chicken until done and set aside. Add onion and carrot and cook for about 4 minutes. And garlic, ginger, lemongrass and broccoli and cook for another 4-5 minutes. (try to keep vegetables crisp) Add a splash of white wine and cook off for a couple of minutes then add meat and cooked noodles. Stir until combined and serve with a cool glass of your Sauvignon Blanc.

Yogurt Herbed Chicken

So during the holiday season, I like to try and find something a little lighter to eat between the heavy meals you’ll be eating throughout the season and this pairs well with the Sauvignon Blanc.

I like to take boneless, skinless chicken, either breasts or thighs, and marinate it in Greek yogurt, sage, thyme, lemon or lime and salt and pepper to taste. Make sure that before you put the chicken in the marinade, you taste it and it should have enough salt taste so that’s it’s a little saltier than you normally would like. This works like a brine.

After a few hours, you can either bake or sauté (which I prefer in a cast iron skillet) for about 5 minutes each side or bake for about 45 minutes at 350. If you are going to sauté, check doneness and maybe finish off in the oven for about 10 minutes at 400.

Wild Mushroom Risotto

Don’t worry I have an easier way to do it. Get some of your favorite dry wild mushrooms in a large bowl and re-constitute them with about 6 cups of hot water for a good 20 minutes until they’re soft. Pour that water in to a sauce pan making sure to leave any dirt particles in the bottom of the bowl. Squeeze the water out of the mushrooms and set on paper towel. Chop in big pieces

In a large pot sautee one onion and a little garlic for a couple of minutes, put in 1 cup of risotto and stir until it’s opaque then add a little Sauvignon Blanc and drink the rest. Once that is cooked down add hot mushroom broth maybe 4 cups at first (not traditional I know) let cook on medium low stir occasionally until liquid is gone. Then one cup at a time ad the remaining 2 cups until they are absorbed into the rice. If it’s still a little chewy, add water or white wine if you haven’t finished the bottle. Then add the mushrooms, a couple of pats of butter, salt and pepper to taste and a little dash of Pinot at the end to brighten it up a bit. (You can use chicken or beef stock if you don’t need it to be vegetarian)

Venetian Pasta with Shellfish

For this recipe I used mussels, bay scallops and prawns. Take the mussels, some diced tomato, fennel, shallots, garlic, white wine and butter and put this into a large sauce pan over high heat and cover. When the mussels start to open, put in some lemon zest, salt and Pastis or Pernod and cook that for about a minute. Reduce the heat to medium and add the scallops and prawns and cook until the sauce starts to thicken. When the shrimp are done, add some parsley and toss with pasta. Great for a warm summer evening.