Chiken Fried Rice

This dish can easily be prepared with shrimp, pork or you name it. I used chicken and brown rice.

1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Brown Sugar
1 tsp Sesame Oil
1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper for Seasoning
1 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
1 Diced Yellow Bell Pepper
1 Diced White Onion
2 Sliced Small Bok Choy
1/4 Cup Sliced Green Onions
2 tsp Minced Ginger
2 Minced Garlic Cloves
Cooked Rice (I started with one cup brown rice and cooked according to cooking directions)

Drizzle non-stick sauté pan with olive oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Sauté chicken until just about cooked through. Wrap in foil and set aside to rest.

Mix soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and crushed red pepper in a bowl. Set aside.

Drizzle sauté pan with additional olive oil. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Add bell pepper and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add bok choy, some of the green onions (the rest will be used for garnish) garlic, ginger and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutes.

While above is sautéing, dice chicken into small pieces.

Add diced chicken to the sauté pan along with juices from when the chicken was resting. Sauté for about 5 minutes.

Add rice, mix and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add soy sauce mixture, mix and sauté for about 2 minutes.

Serve fried rice garnished with green onions and ENJOY!!!!

Wine pairing.....Riesling or Chardonnay.

Weekend of March 27th and 28th

Saturday, March 27th
Ballast Point Vertical Tasting - Holiday Wine Cellar
5:30 - 7:30 pm, beer night with Ballast Point Brewery.  Award wining ale tasting from on of the top San Diego craft micro breweries.
http://www.holidaywinecellar.com/t-tastingcalendar.aspx

Sunday, March 28th
Leal Vineyards Winemaker Dinner with Frank Leal - Wine Vauly & Bistro
Pre-dinner reception beginning at 4pm and dinner starting at 5pm.  Great wines paired with great foods.
http://www.winevaultbistro.com/index.htm

Southwestern Chicken and Fettuccine

If you are sensitive to heat, just use plain diced tomatoes. The diced tomatoes with green chilis give this dish a punch. This is a super easy recipe. With the weather changing, time to start grilling.

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (thin and on the small size)
Southwest Seasoning Blend
Salt and Pepper for Seasoning
Olive Oil
3 Minced Garlic Cloves
2 Zucchini (sliced in half moon slices)
1 Diced Red Onion
1 Diced Yellow Bell Pepper
1 Can of Diced Tomatoes (with green chilis optional)
1/3 Cup of Heavy Cream
Fettuccine (I used whole wheat)

Season chicken with southwestern seasoning, salt and pepper and coat with olive oil. Grill chicken until done. Once chicken is fully cooked, wrap in foil and keep warm and allow chicken to rest.

While chicken is cooking, start heating water to bring to a boil.

Drizzle olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and season with salt and pepper and sauté for about 10 minutes. Add garlic and bell peppers and sauté for an additional 10 minutes. Add zucchini, season with salt and pepper and sauté for 5 minutes. Add diced tomatoes and bring to a light simmer.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

During the last few minutes of pasta cooking time, add cream to tomato sauce and stir completely. Turn off heat. Slice chicken breast.

Toss sauce and pasta in a large bowl coating completely. Serve pasta topped with sliced chicken breast and ENJOY!!!!

Wine pairing........Chardonnay or Zinfandel.

Sautéed Chicken with White Wine and Garlic Sauce

This is another recipe where you can add fresh herbs to help dress up the plate. I added fresh tarragon (because I had on hand), but you could easily use fresh rosemary or thyme. I served with a brown rice medley, but you could also try a wild rice combination, that would be great too.

Chicken cutlets
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
3 garlic cloves minced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Olive oil
Salt and pepper for seasoning

Drizzle saute pan with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add butter and bring to a simmer. Season chicken with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Add chicken and garlic. Sauté chicken until browned on both sides. Add wine and reduce to half. Add chicken stock and reduce down until you have the texture you want for your sauce. You can always add more broth or wine as you need.

Serve and ENJOY!!!!

Wine pairing.....Chardonnay.

Sunday Supper - Citrus Shrimp with Sausage, Peas and Risotto

Risotto is a lot easier to make than you may think. I used spicy Italian sausage, but you could swap this out for mild or sweet Italian sausage.

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp white wine plus 3/4 cup
Dried dill for seasoning
salt and pepper for seasoning
Shrimp, peeled and deveined (patted dry)
2 tbsp unsalted butted
2 tbsp chopped shallots
3 garlic cloves minced
Olive oil
2 sausage links (chopped - small pieces)
1 cup risotto rice (Arborio)
2 to 3 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth) at room temperature
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
2 tbsp chopped green onions plus some for garnish
Cherry tomatoes halved

Combine lemon juice, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, dill, olive oil, white wine (1 tbsp) and salt and pepper for seasoning in a glass bowl with shrimp. Marinate for about 30 minutes, stirring every so often.

In a sauté pan, drizzle olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter. Add shrimp (do not add marinade and make sure pan is hot). Brown both sides of the shrimp and cooking just until completely cooked through. Wrap shrimp in foil and keep warm.

Add sausage to sauté pan and brown. Add shallots and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Continue to sauté for about 5 minutes. Add risotto rice and toss to coat with olive oil and butter. Season with salt and pepper and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the wine. Stirring frequently, let wine absorb until just about dry. Add broth in increments of 1/2 cup at a time letting each amount absorb until just about dry and stirring frequently.  Add peas when the last 1/2 cup of broth is added.  Taste risotto and stop adding broth once the rice is cooked "al dente".

Add the rest of the butter (1 tbsp) and goat cheese and stir until completely mixed. Add green onions and mix.

Serve risotto in the middle with shrimp and tomatoes alternating on the rim of the risotto. Garnish with green onions, serve and ENJOY!!!!

Wine pairing.....Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay.

2005 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard

If you get the opportunity to pick up some Loring wine, I say do it!  Beautiful wine.  Ruby red, nice fruit with a bit of earth on the nose.  Cherry, plum, raspberry with a hint of white pepper.  Well balanced.