I don’t mean to be biased here but we gals sometimes like different foods than the guys do.  Especially after the holidays when we have all indulged in too much stuffing and pie.  Hence, the title, gal food and everything is better with wine you know.

I love to roast anything and everything.  In the summer, vegetables from the garden like summer squash, peppers and eggplant. And in the fall and winter all those wonderful winter squash, carrots and potatoes.  Hmmm, where they all get carmelized and yummy.  So here is my recipe that you can add or delete from.

Roasted Vegetables

1 winter squash like acorn or butternut, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks

3  carrots, cut into 1 inch chunks

1 large sweet onion, cut into 1 inch chunks

garlic cloves, 6-8

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  On a large baking sheet, toss all the veggies with the olive oil; season with salt and pepper and arrange in an even layer.  Roast until tender and browned, 20 to 25 minutes.

Now, if you want to really make points with your Wine Guy, cut up a couple of slices of bacon and toss with veggies before roasting.  The bacon adds a touch of savoriness which is mouth watering.  The aromas that will come from the oven will awaken your senses.  Just try it and see what happens…

I like to pair these with light and fruity reds, like a Chambourcin from Missouri, a Frontenac from Minnesoata or a Pinot Noir from Oregon.  Or if you like a touch of sweetness in your reds, try a proprietary blend from a local winery.  Wineries do a great job of blending wines that are food friendly and have a wine for every palate.

Serve the veggies along side grilled chicken or pork tenderloin.  Roasting veggies is also a great way to get your kids to try new things.  There is something to be said for the caramelization process where creating that nutty sweet flavor makes everything taste better.

Enjoy!

Luv Wine and Food Gal

Minnesota Wines

Drink American!!!

How else can I say this.  Support your local wineries on Thanksgiving. Show your pride in what is truly American.

Traditionally, Thanksgiving is celebrated to give thanks for a bountiful harvest.  Today, we express gratitude and appreciation to God for all his blessings, for our family, our friends and all that we have.  We have so much to be thankful for.  And we are very fortunate to have fantastic wineries in our own backyards who produce unique and food friendly wines. Here are a few of my favorites that you should try:

If you live in Missouri there are so many choices; robust Norton, earthy Chambourcin, fruity Chardonel, aromatic Traminette, dry or semi-sweet Rose’, luscious Vignoles, and fruity sweet Catawba.

Adam Puchta Winery dry Rose, Missouri

New York state wineries offer elegant Pinot Noir, rich Chardonnay, dry to sweet Riesling and fruity sweet Niagara.

Up and coming Minnesota wineries produce some outstanding dry and off dry red Frontenac, dry red Marquette, floral sweet Le Crescent, fruity dry Pinot Gris, and aromatic Riesling.

Idaho wineries produce some fascinating wines; intense Cabernet Sauvignon, fruity Merlot, rich and flavorful Chardonnay, crisp Viognier, and dry and semi-dry Riesling.

Texas wineries offer complex Malbec,  smooth and spicy Sangiovese, intense spicy Viognier, and crisp and fruity Riesling.

For Thanksgiving, it is always good to serve both a red and white wine, one dry and one with some sweetness.  Rose’ is also perfect with roast turkey.  It is nice to have options for your guests because not everyone likes dry wines.  That is the luxury of American wines, we have a wine for every palate.

Let’s give American wineries our support and serve these crowd pleasing wines for Thanksgiving.  I know I will!

Cheers,

Luv Wine and Food Gal

The 2011 Best New Product of the year!  The Corkcicle is a great way to keep your wines at just the right drinking temperature.  White wines will be cold and red wines room temperature.  Placed inside the bottle, Corkcicle chills the wine from the inside. Corkcicle is reusable and the perfect  gift for your wine friends!

Check out these cool tumblers from Tervis…great for beverages like wine coolers. I think they would make nice stocking stuffers!!

One of my favorite times of the year is fall and it’s even better if you can visit a local winery or wine trail.  Wineries have the best recipes to share and many wine trails provide recipes from their events too.  Maybe it is because winemakers and winery people have good palates and they can taste subtle flavors and nuances.  Anyway, I always grab recipes when I am visiting wineries.  It’s like the recipe already has a Good House Keeping stamp of approval.  You don’t have to try it before you serve it to friends, you can just go for it.  And the winery will recommend a wine to serve with it too so no guesswork to get the flavors matched.  But, the best rule of thumb is to drink what you like with the foods you like to eat and you will be much happier.

So many recipes to choose from but I will share one of my “go to” recipes for an all-in-one pan meal.  I picked this up at Adam Puchta Winery in Hermann, Missouri, on the Hermann Wine Trail.

Roasted Chicken with Carrots, Potatoes and Olives

8 chicken thighs (nothing tastes quite like a thigh)

2 lbs. carrots and potatoes, cut into 2 inch pieces

1 cup pitted black olives

6-8 garlic cloves

4 bay leaves

1 lemon, cut into wedges

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

Heat oven to 425 degrees F.  On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the chicken, carrots, potatoes, olives, garlic, bay leaves, lemon, oil, salt, pepper.  Arrange in a single layer and sprinkle the chicken with the paprika.

Roast, tossing the vegetables once, until the chicken is cooked through and the carrots and potatoes are tender, 45 to 50 minutes.

Serves 4-6

Serve with a fruity Chardonel or Chardonnay.

Serve with a green salad and crusty bread.  And for dessert, there is nothing like a fresh pear with Havarti cheese and a glass of Late Harvest Vignoles or Late Harvest Riesling.  Or you can skip the pear and just have wine!

Bon Appetit!

Luv Wine and Food Gal