Portugal

I am a big fan of trying new things.*

*Unless those new things are Dad’s Nads.

I’ve been really good lately about working through recipes/ideas I’ve noted to try. This week I have made 3 new dishes already this week!

Side note: I’m really excited/flattered that so many people tried my Citrus Chickpea Cilantro Salad! Check out this rendition by Sarah @ Quotidienne Moi.

Back on track: with all the fun new recipes, this What I Ate Wednesday is more like “what I’ve eaten so far this week.”

Breakfast:

Great morning workouts leave me ravenous and in need to protein. Kasey @ PowerCakes created this “Power Pumpkin Roll” that I knew I had to try. This monster is ~450 calories and packs 45g of protein!

I am powerful.

I followed her recipe exactly, though next time I may add another 2 T of pumpkin and leave out an egg white. I’m curious to know if it would work with flax eggs… that’s a lot of egg though!

Even if you don’t make the roll, make the Chia Vanilla Frosting. I don’t often think yogurt tastes like dessert, but this one really does!

Lunch:

It must have been the week of orange, because my lunch was even more vibrant than the pumpkin roll! This miso-laced carrot soup was as delicious as it looks! Recipe to come Friday!

Served with a giant arugula and celery salad, which I dressed with hot sauce from the Mexican grocery store (the only place to go shop you are serious about heat), nutritional yeast, cumin, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Dinner:

Last night I had a couple of my favorite over for dinner. My favorite Sports Glutton, Jed, recently shared a link to his Sweet Potato Nachos that I’ve been drooling over ever since.

One of my dinner guests is gluten-free, and we all make an effort to eat clean. This dish is a much healthier alternative to your typical nachos, particularly with some modifications!

I used dried black beans… though I was a bit panicked when I realized I forgot to soak them. Some Googling lead me to a cool method by The Paupered Chef that involved a quick boil followed by 75 mins in the oven. I have never heard of cooking them in the oven, but it worked perfectly! Click here for the details.

Post-oven, I let the beans rest until it was time to re-heat for company. Jed simmered his beans in beer… I am fresh out, so I added the following (post oven-bake) to flavor my beans over medium heat:

1/4 C veggie broth
1/2 yellow onion
2 Chipotle peppers in adobo
Dashes of paprika, garlic, parsley, red pepper, cayenne pepper, and oregano

While that cooked I prepared the sweet potatoes… the easy way with Alexia’s Sweet Potato Waffle Fries. Nom.

When the fries were done I topped them with tomatoes, serrano peppers, and queso. Back into the oven on broil then went while I sliced an avocado and minced cilantro.

Remove, decorate, and devour.

Oh yes, there was also wine. A Roquevale 2005 Portuguese Red (Alentejo) blend of Aragonez, Alfrocheiro, and Cabernet Sauvignon. This was a big, fruity, dark wine that I could drink all night long. Arguably a little heavy for a spicy Mexican-ish meal, but I love a big wine.

Also exciting: I got to use my chalkboard wine ~~art~~ glasses!

I was the lucky winner of a giveaway at Ancient Fire Wine and received 4 bottles of wine from Tapena. The Garnacha we tried was delicious! It was approachable without compromising body. We picked it as an earlier wine (thinking it would be lacking), but it was great! I’d drink it anytime!

Dessert:

For dessert we nibbled on the vegan, gluten-free dessert I teased you with last week… I’m finally posting the recipe tomorrow!

We also have another dessert nibble courtesy of Callie – she sent over some Rawxies to sample and OMG are they ever good.

My favorite was the Cinnamon Walnut Raisin. I love how the cinnamon came through – so often the taste gets lost in the sweetness of desserts.

Raw, gluten-free, and vegan… and totally worthy of a dessert platter to share with friends. I may have enjoyed one as an afternoon snack as well… 🙂

***

Those Sweet Potato Nachos would be a GREAT addition to a Super Bowl spread!

Are you watching the Super Bowl? Any fun dishes planned?

What’s the best thing you’ve eaten so far this week?

As we approach the holiday season, planning becomes more important.

We all get insanely busy and it’s necessary – for me at least – to have a play book.

My calendars are coordinated (work and personal), “to make” items are noted, grocery lists are written (in excel, if you’re a dork like me). Lastly, drink pairings are solidified.

Drink pairings are important. In order to get a good deal you need to shop NOW. Wine “specials” wane (at least on the stuff you’d actually want to drink) as Christmas nears and the price of champagne/sparkling wine increases just in time for New Year’s Eve.

What should you buy now?

Beaujolais – This wine has been overlooked for years. The French red is not overly complex; it’s a fruit-forward, drinkable wine is what I think is nice about it for parties. 2009 was a great year for Beaujolais-Villages, and you should be able to pick up a satisfying bottle for under $15. You can even find a Cru (Cru is a designation meaning it came from one of the 10 best Beaujolais-Villages) for less than $20. Plus, it sounds fancy when you say it.
Champagne/Sparkling Wine – The wine that was made for celebrations! Significant discounts will end about 2 weeks before Christmas. Plan ahead for NYE and pick up a few bottles of bubbly this weekend.
Wines from up-and-coming regions – You know how you can get clothes or art for great prices if you catch the creator before they really hit it big? It’s no different with wines – you can find some wonderful bottles on the cheap if you branch outside of the norm.

A Few Specific Suggestions:

Beaujolais

As I said above, 2009 was a great year for Beaujolais. The 2009 Marcel Lapierre Morgon is a great choice for a holiday meal. it is light in structure, with lots of red fruit and a slight earthiness. You can drink it with your pre-dinner charcuterie, a roast chicken or pork dinner, and a chocolate tart.

Also good is the 2009 George Debouf Beaujolais-Villages. I picked up a bottle for just $10! This wine is a well-balanced red with subtle berry notes (think currents and raspberries) and little herbiness that is perfect with a variety of foods or on its own.

Interesting side note: It is against French law for Beaujolais producers to release the wine before midnight on the 3rd Thursday of November. No one remembers why.

Champagne/Sparkling

My latest affordable find is a 2009 Argentinean Sparkling Malbec from Ernesto Catena’s Alma Negra(translation = black soul) line. It’s a beautiful salmon color with notes of rose petal and strawberry. Not too sweet, the finish is smooth and elegant. The price for this bottle is about $16… not as cheap as Cooks, but your head won’t be pounding in the morning. 😉

Side note: Catena also makes one of my favorite, affordable Malbecs.

Up-and-Coming

This recent article picked up by Reuters lists the Top 10 Up-and-Coming Wine Regions. I remembered reading this article when I picked up this bottle from Portugal:

Portugal has long been known for sweeter whites, but it’s the dry reds that are gaining notoriety. This 2005 Alentejo Roquevale Redondo is one of the regions successes. Smooth in the mouth without compromising structure. It’s a figgy, a little dark, and perfect for red meats or game. It is a blend largely comprised of Tempranillo (Aragonez in Portuguese) and it was a steal at $12.

If nothing else, remember this helpful piece of advice:

Or you could always buy some of wine in a can.

***

Christmas came early – I made the FoodBuzz Top 9 with my Sweet Potato Pie Oatmeal!!! Thank you everyone and welcome new readers!

What is your favorite wine to serve/bring to parties?

Do you ever buy bottles because they are “pretty?” No shame – we’re ALL guilty.

Nacho Wednesday

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:

Dessert:

Holiday Wine-ing

A Few Specific Suggestions:

Beaujolais

Champagne/Sparkling

Up-and-Coming

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