Paella II

1/3 cup of olive oil 1 red pepper, sliced
1 small onion, minced  1 tsp. of yellow food coloring (optional)
2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed 8 oz. tomato sauce
3-5 Tbl. minced fresh parsley

1 tsp. sugar
1 generous pinch of saffron 4 cups of rice
1-2 Tbl. dried chicken bullion 7 cups of water
3 skinless chicken breasts, cut in large chunks 1/2 lb - 1 lb shrimp, leave shell on
2 green peppers, sliced 1 lb scallops

Sauté onion, parsley, and garlic in olive oil until the onion begins to become transparent. Add saffron, chicken bullion, chicken, and peppers. Sauté until chicken has become white. Add tomato sauce, sugar, and food coloring. Stir. Add rice and water; bring to a boil. Salt to taste. Boil 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add shrimp and scallops, boil an additional 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Simmer 10 minutes covered stirring occasionally. Add water if the rice appears to be getting too dry. If the rice is too wet, uncover and evaporate unwanted liquid. Serves 6. Serve it with a flavorful Spanish red.

Linguine with Sausage and Peppers

1/4 cup olive oil Salt
1/2 pound hot Italian sausage  1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 large cloves garlic, minced 2 Tbl. chopped fresh basil
1 onion, halved and sliced 1 pound linguine
1 each red, yellow and green bell pepper, halved, cored and thinly sliced 1/2  cup grated Parmesan

Heat 1 Tbl. oil in a skillet. Remove sausage from casings and add to skillet crumbling with a fork. Cook until it loses its pink color, then transfer to a plate. Add remaining oil to skillet. Sauté garlic until fragrant; add onion and sauté until soft. Add bell peppers and salt. Toss well, add 2 Tbl. water, cover, and simmer gently until peppers are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and sausage. Boil linguine until al dente. Drain and return to pot. Add sauce and toss. Serve, topping each portion with Parmesan. Serves 6. Serve with a good Australian Shiraz such as Nine Stones. The Yellow Tail and similar cheapies are not flavorful enough to stand up to this recipe. They are also pretty boring wines.

Pasta with Smoked Salmon

1/2 pound pasta, either penne or a strip variety such as linguine 1/2 C whipping cream (unwhipped)
5 oz thinly sliced smoked salmon, shredded  salt and pepper to taste
1/2 shallot, thinly sliced 1 Tbl. minced parsley
2 Tbl. unsalted butter 3 leaves finely shredded radicchio
1 Tbl. vodka, brandy, or whiskey  

Bring the pasta water to a boil and salt it. In the meantime, prepare the other ingredients. Cooking the sauce will take 5-7 minutes, so check the cooking time of the pasta and begin the sauce about 8 minutes before the pasta will be ready.

Sauté the shallot in the butter until it wilts. Add the salmon and cook a minute or so more, stirring, until it lightens in color. Sprinkle in the liquor (vodka will add a crisper note, and brandy a slightly sweeter one), stir until it is evaporated, and stir in the cream. Heat through, check seasoning, and it’s ready; sprinkle the parsley and radicchio over it at the very end just before you use it to sauce the pasta. Serve with a lightly oaked Chardonnay or a crisp Sauvignon Blanc. Serves 2 

Shrimp and Mango Salad

3/4 -1 lb. cooked shrimp 4 Tbl. olive oil
1 large ripe mango, deseeded, peeled, and cubed 1 Tbl. water
1/4 cup sliced green onions 1-2 Tbl. brown sugar
1 Tbl. fish sauce or oyster sauce 1-2 tsp. minced jalapeño pepper
2 Tbl. soy or tamari sauce  4 cups arugula, spinach, or a mix
Juice of 1 large lime 4 small ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges

Place shrimp, mango and green onions in a medium bowl. Whisk fish sauce, soy or tamari, lime juice, oil, brown sugar, and minced pepper. Pour over shrimp and mango mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes. Pour over greens and garnish with tomatoes. Serves 4 as a first course or 2 with bread as a light supper. Great with a Prosecco or a lively white such as Vinho Verdhe or Vermentino.

Warm Beef Salad with Blueberry-Shiraz Vinaigrette

1 lb. beef tenderloin roast 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3/4 cup olive oil

1 Tbl. balsamic vinegar 
1/4 cup chopped chives 1 tsp. fresh thyme
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1 Tbl. blueberry jam
1/2 cup Shiraz wine 1 tsp. kosher salt
3 oz. dried blueberries 1/4 tsp. coarsely cracked black pepper
1 tsp. roasted garlic 4-1/4 cups mixed greens (arugula, watercress, etc.)
1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice 1/2 lb. sweet potato chips

Preheat oven to 375F. Roast tenderloin 20-25 minutes for medium-rare. Remove to cutting board and cover. Meanwhile heat olive oil and chopped chives over very low heat 10-15 minutes. Strain oil into bowl. Bring wine and vinegar to a boil and reduce by half. Add blueberries, remove from heat, and cover. Combine mixture with olive oil. Add garlic, lemon juice, cayenne, thyme, jam, salt, and pepper into bowl; whisk to combine. Place greens and chips on large salad plates. Slice beef and place slices on top of greens. Drizzle with vinaigrette. Serve it with a  fruit-filled Shiraz.

Lemony Tuna Pasta Salad

4 carrots, peeled 1/2 cup olive oil
12 ounces Spanish or Italian tuna* packed in oil, drained & crumbled

Salt and pepper

2 cloves garlic, finely minced 14 ounces butterfly pasta
juice of two lemons

3 Tbl. minced parsley and basil
grated zest of one lemon  

Grate the carrots into a bowl. Crumble the tuna into the bowl as well. Add the garlic, lemon juice, and zest. Stir in 5 tablespoons of the oil. Season lightly with salt, and dust with a healthy grating of pepper. Mix well and chill the mixture, covered, for at least an hour in the fridge.

Bring pasta water to a boil, salt it, and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of oil over it before cooking the pasta. Cook the pasta only until it is still fairly firm (you want it to be al dente when you serve the salad, so you don't want it too soft to begin with). Save 1/3 cup of the pasta water to use if the final salad appears dry. Drain the pasta and spread it over a cloth to cool. Stir the pasta into the tuna mixture, season with the minced herbs, and sprinkle the remaining oil over it if necessary. If you don't plan to serve it immediately, cover it and keep it chilled in the refrigerator. Serve with a Spanish white such as Albariño or Rioja Blanco.

*You can also use fresh tuna. Season two 8-ounce tuna steaks with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Grill 3-4 minutes per side. Allow to cool. Skin, bone, and dice the tuna.

Risotto with Sausage (Risotto con le Salsicce)

1/4 cup unsalted butter or mix of butter and olive oil 1/3 lb. fresh sweet Italian sausages, peeled and crumbled
1 small white onion, minced

5 Tbl. tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups risotto rice such as Arborio or Vialone Nano 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano
1/2 cup dry red wine, warmed Salt to taste
1 quart simmering beef broth  

Sauté onion with most of the butter in a casserole until lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving behind as much of the butter as possible, and set aside. Sauté the rice in the casserole stirring briskly for 5-7 minutes. Return the onions to the pot and stir in the warmed wine. Once the wine has evaporated begin adding broth a ladle at a time. When the rice is about half done, stir in the minced sausage and the tomato sauce. Continue stirring in broth until the rice reaches the al dente stage, then stir in 1 Tbl. butter and the cheese. Add salt only if necessary. Remove from heat and let sit covered for a few minutes. Serves 4-6. Although obviously Italian, this simple, tasty winter dish pairs very well with the acidity and slight spiciness Italian reds as well as wines made from the Spanish grape Bobal.

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