Olivia

A vibrant spring menu

Lobster salad with orange vinaigrette and a glass of Seven Daughters Sauvignon Blanc combine to make a vibrant menu...Enjoy.

Lobster Salad with Blood Orange Vinaigrette
Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:
For the Salad:

2 large artichokes

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tomato, cored

2 ounces of haricots verts, ends removed

8 asparagus, peeled, hard ends removed

4 live lobsters, 1-½ pounds each

2 tablespoons Spanish sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns

12 leaves Boston lettuce heart

1 avocado, peeled, pitted, quartered, and sliced

For the Dressing:

2 oranges zested

2 small blood oranges, juiced

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

1 clove garlic, peeled

¾ teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

 

PREPARATION
For the Salad:

Remove and discard the leaves of the artichokes. Shape the artichoke hearts with a paring knife until round and smooth. Combine the 2 quarts water with the lemon juice and a pinch of salt in a large pot. Bring it to a boil. Add the artichoke hearts and boil for 20 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside to cool. Scoop out and discard the chokes, split and slice the hearts. Set aside.

Boil 2 quarts water, add the tomato for 30 seconds, remove, and cool under cold water. Peel the skin, split, seed, and finely dice the tomato pulp. In the same boiling water, add a tablespoon salt and plunge in the haricots verts for 6 minutes. Drain and chill them in cold water, then drain again. Set aside.

Bring 1 gallon salted water with the vinegar and crushed peppercorns to a boil. Plunge in the lobsters, cover, and poach for 7 minutes. Remove the lobsters and set aside to cool. To remove the lobster meat, break off the tails and claws. Crush the shells with a mallet, extract the meat, and discard the shells. Cut the lobster tails lengthwise in a fan shape by making 4 slits lengthwise ¾ up the tail. Split the claws.

 

For the Dressing:

In a blender, combine the orange zest, orange juice, balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. With the blender running, add the olive oil in a steady stream until combined. Transfer to a container and store in the refrigerator.

 

PRESENTATION
Arrange the Boston lettuce leaves on the center of each plate. Build a mound with even amounts of haricots verts, asparagus, and sliced artichoke hearts and avocado on top of the lettuce. Place a lobster tail over each dome of vegetables with the claws on top. Sprinkle with diced tomato. Serve the dressing on the side.

Source:  

http://www.veranda.com/food-travel/food-rss/robert-courturiers-dinner-party-recipes-0412#slide-3

Sweet and Healthy

All in one.  This salad contains kamut, an heirloom wheat that has a sweet, buttery flavor.  Bon Appetite!

Kamut Salad

Ingredients
1/2 vanilla bean
1 small carrot, halved lengthwise
1 small celery rib, halved
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups dried kamut berries
1 small onion, halved
2 blood oranges
1 medium shallot, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
10 strawberries, quartered
2 packed cups baby spinach

Directions

1. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into a small bowl. Using kitchen twine, tie the vanilla bean, carrot and celery halves together. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the kamut and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until toasted, 1 minute. Add 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add the vegetable bundle and onion halves. Cover partially and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the kamut is just tender, about 1 hour. Drain the kamut and discard the vegetables.

2. Meanwhile, finely grate the zest of 1 orange into the bowl with the vanilla seeds. Add the shallot and lemon juice. Using a knife, remove the peel and white pith from both oranges. Cut in between the membranes to release the sections into a large bowl. Squeeze the juice from the membranes into the small bowl and let stand for 10 minutes. Whisk in the remaining 5 tablespoons of oil.

3. Add the kamut to the orange sections in the large bowl. Stir in the dressing and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the strawberries and spinach and serve.

Source:  http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/kamut-salad

Looking Sharp

Slice your way through the jungle called cooking with safari-themed knives by Kuhn Rikon.  The nonstick stainless steel blades feature a chef's knife and pairing knife.  I love having a stylish kitchen.

Source:  http://www.amazon.com/Kuhn-Rikon-Safari-Nakiri-Cheetah/dp/B007OTFBLI

I can take a hint...

My sisters gave me this vintage cookbook...Just because I like the best ingredients and only drink Seven Daughters wine does NOT make me a snob...I just have great taste!

 

Source:  http://www.amazon.com/A-snob-kitchen-Simonetta/dp/B0006BQ8XG

Uncork the possibilities

In your favorite red and white wines, this colorful corkscrew is festive and fun for any occasion.

Source:  http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/shopgifts-recipient-1/A24348500.jsp

My bookshelf is filled with cookbooks...

Your bookshelf could be filled with fashion books or all of your favorite childhood novels thanks to the artist Jane Mount’s and her creation of the Ideal Bookshelf.

Jane will paint your books or you can buy prints of other sets in the shop. If you see a bookshelf you love but don't see prints of it available, she offers custom creations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source:  http://shop.idealbookshelf.com/

Tannin rich superfoods

We've all heard that red wine is good for your heart, and part of that reason is the tannins in grapes are amazing antioxidants. Some of the healthiest foods are also rich in tannins, including spinach. Try a healthy spin on spinach, Golden Semolina-Quinoa Spinach Cakes and a glass of Seven Daughters Sauvignon Blanc..yum..

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup quinoa
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced shallot
10 ounces baby spinach
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup low-fat milk
3/4 cup finely ground semolina
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 large egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
3 large egg whites
 

 

DIRECTIONS
1. In a small saucepan, combine the quinoa with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat until the water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Lightly fluff the quinoa with a fork and cover it again.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the shallot and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute. Add the spinach and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the spinach to a strainer and let cool slightly; press out any remaining liquid and finely chop the spinach.
In a large saucepan, combine the milk, 1 1/2 cups of water, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 2 teaspoons of salt and bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually whisk in the semolina until very smooth. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the semolina is thick enough to hold soft peaks when the spoon is lifted, about 7 minutes. Remove the semolina from the heat and stir in the quinoa and Parmigiano. Season with salt and pepper and let cool for 15 minutes.

3.Stir the beaten whole egg and spinach into the quinoa mixture and spread in an ungreased 7-by-11-inch pan; it will be about 2 inches thick. Let cool at room temperature, then cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

4.Preheat the oven to 250°. Cut the chilled semolina mixture into 12 squares. Put the panko in a shallow dish and season with 1 teaspoon of salt. In another shallow dish, whisk the egg whites with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of water. Dip the cakes into the whites and turn to coat, letting the excess drip off. Coat the cakes in the panko and shake off excess crumbs. Transfer to a clean baking sheet.

5.In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add half of the cakes and cook over moderately high heat until golden on both sides and on the edges, about 6 minutes; adjust the heat as necessary to prevent the cakes from burning. Drain the cakes on a paper towel–lined plate, then transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Wipe out the skillet and cook the remaining cakes in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Serve hot.
 

Source: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/golden-semolina-quinoa-spinach-cakes

Does your wardrobe need some fresh air?

and this perforated crossbody bag from Cole Haan has just enough ventilation to get the job done.  Not to mention tangerine is the color of the year...and you know how I love orange...well any hue in the orange family.  Who knew I was so fashion forward ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source:  http://www.colehaan.com/colehaan/catalog/product.jsp?catId=100&productId=532017&productGroup=531996

Check Mate

These Courtly Check Hunter Boots are perfect in case there are April showers while on my tour of the vineyard.

 

Source:  http://www.mackenzie-childs.com/Gifts/Apparel+Accessories/Boots/

The perfect companion for the wine connoisseur

Looking for a place to jot down notes on your favorite Seven Daughters wine? Well look no further, this wine journal is just what the vineyard ordered. 

This Moleskine® journal features an embossed cover, three ribbon place markers, expandable inner pockets, a wine glossary, and measurements and conversions. It has 240 pages and comes with customizable adhesive labels....I'll toast to that!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source:

http://www.momastore.org/museum/moma/StoreCatalogDisplay_-1_10001_10451_

Its easy being green

Especially since I picked up A Guide to Green Housekeeping by Christina Strutt.  Discover how you can improve your quality of life and house with ingredients found in your pantry or fridge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source:  http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Green-Housekeeping-Christina-Strutt/dp/1906094489

For Little Ms. Fix-it

Cynthia Rowley introduces printed tools for the DIY projects around the house.  Who says Little Ms. Fix-it can't be stylish and a steal..under $25.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source:  http://www.simplicity.com/p-5809-cynthia-rowley-designer-tool-set.aspx  

At ease soldier

The Private Pyle Cocktail recipe was exactly what my friends and I needed to put us at ease after a long work week.  Glad I had a bottle of Seven Daughters Pinot Noir handy for the reduction!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Private Pyle
Serves one

Ingredients
1 1/2 oz. vodka
1/4 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 1/2 oz. freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1/2 oz. pinot noir reduction*
1 grapefruit, sliced into wide discs
Kosher salt

1. In a pint mixing glass, add spirits and mixers.

2. Fill glass with ice, cap with shaker tin, and shake vigorously for six seconds.

3. Strain over fresh ice into a Kosher salt-rimmed old-fashioned glass.

4. Garnish with grapefruit disc.

*For pinot noir reduction: Add 24 oz. wine to pot and cook over high heat until reduced to 12 oz.; add 8 oz. superfine sugar and stir to integrate. Allow to cool and pour into a squeeze bottle. Refrigerate at least two hours before using. 

Source:  http://www.dailycandy.com/all-cities/gallery/79018/Holiday-Drinks-15-Cocktail-and-Punch-Recipes?n=8

Image: Ryan Magarian of http://www.liquidrelations.com/

Cupcakes come in all shapes and sizes...including Lasagna

These bite sized Lasagna cupcakes are great to help me portion control my favorite food....Lasagna. Ciao Bellas!!

Lasagna Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 cup marinara sauce
3/4 pound ground beef
12 wonton wrappers
8 ounces shredded mozzarella
3 ounces Parmesan cheese
4 ounces Ricotta cheese
(optional) basil for garnish

 

Directions

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray.
-Brown beef and season with salt and pepper. Drain.
-Cut wonton wrappers into circle shapes using a biscuit cutter or using the top of a drinking glass. You can cut several at a time.
-Reserve 6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and 6 tablespoon mozzarella for the top of you cupcakes. Start layering your lasagna cupcakes. Begin with a wonton wrapper and press it into the bottom of each muffin tin. Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese, Ricotta cheese, and mozzarella cheese. Top with a little meat and marinara sauce. Use around 1-2 teaspoons of all the ingredients depending on your personal preference.
-Repeat layers ending with marinara sauce. Top with reserved Parmesan and mozzarella cheese.
-Bake for 18-20 minutes or until edges are brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. To remove use a knife to loosen the edges then pop each lasagna out.
-Garnish with basil and serve.

Source:  http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/lasagna-cupcakes-recipe/1/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=embed&utm_campaign=recipe-embed

Let's play dress up

As the "domestic" sister of the bunch, I am always looking for simple ways to dress up my dining experience. Add a pocket napkin to store your silverware for an easy touch of elegance.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source:  http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/entertaining/pocket-fold-napkin-00000000002500/index.html