Wine and dine: 4 Romantic wine pairings

Lamb Kabobs and Dried Cherry Chutney

Serves 2 to 4

Wine pairing: Cabernet Sauvignon

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup raspberry wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound top round lamb, cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes
1 small red onion, chopped
1 cup dried cherries
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup apple juice

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil and raspberry wine vinegar. Stir in bay leaf, garlic and salt and pepper. Add lamb and marinate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight in the refrigerator.

2. Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium heat, combine onion, sugar, red wine vinegar and apple juice, stirring to combine. Cover and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Uncover and set aside.

3. When ready to cook kabobs, preheat grill or broiler. Skewer lamb cubes onto stainless steel skewers. Cook, turning occasionally, for 10 minutes or until lamb is cooked to medium-rare. Serve warm with a side of chutney and a glass of Cabernet.

Turkey Sausage and Wild Mushroom Pizza

Serves 4

Wine pairing: Syrah

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 ounces assorted wild mushrooms, sliced
2 links Italian turkey sausage, thinly sliced
4 cups baby spinach
1 (10-ounce) prepared pizza crust, rolled thin
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1-1/2 cups shredded fontina cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven to heat. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sausage and cook, stirring, until mushrooms are tender and sausage is browned. Add spinach and continue to cook, stirring, until spinach wilts. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. If using a pizza stone, place pizza crust on a pizza peel or the back of a large baking sheet. Spread marinara sauce evenly over crust. Evenly top with mushroom mixture. Top with fontina cheese. Carefully slide pizza onto hot pizza stone. If you aren’t using a pizza stone, simply prepare pizza on a baking sheet and set baking sheet in the oven.

3. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until crust is crisp and cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven and use a sharp pizza cutter to cut into slices. Serve one or two pieces of pizza with a green salad and glass of Syrah.

Crab Cakes with Arugula Remoulade

Serves 2 to 4

Wine pairing: Chardonnay

For the crab cakes:
1 cup whole wheat bread, torn into small pieces
1 pound crabmeat, picked through and small pieces of shell removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced red onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
Juice of a small lemon
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of cayenne or a few drops Tabasco sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the sauce:
1 cup light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1 green onion, minced
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
1/4 cup minced arugula
Zest, minced and juice of half a lemon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Directions:
1. In a food processor, process bread pieces until fine. Transfer breadcrumbs to a small bowl and set aside. In a skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion, celery and bell pepper and cook, stirring often, until softened, adding water a tablespoon at a time to deglaze pan if it gets dry. Set aside to cool.

2. Add half of the breadcrumbs, parsley, lemon juice, Worcestershire, cayenne, salt and pepper to food processor. Transfer sautéed vegetables to food processor and process mixture until ingredients are well-combined. Mix in the crab meat.

3. Divide mixture and form into 6 crab cakes, about 1/4 cup each cake. As you are forming cakes, place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle cakes with breadcrumbs, turning over to get both sides.

4. Wipe out skillet and heat remaining olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Cook crab cakes for 3 minutes per side, cooking in batches if necessary. Remove crab cakes and let drain on paper towels.

5. Meanwhile, whisk together all sauce ingredients. Transfer crab cakes to dinner plates and dollop with sauce. Serve with a glass of Chardonnay.

Pasta Primavera

Serves 2

Wine pairing: Pinot Grigio

Ingredients:
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
1 small crookneck or yellow squash, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
8 ounces fettuccini
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. In a shallow roasting pan, toss all of the vegetables with the oil, salt, pepper, and dried herbs to coat. Roast vegetables, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until the carrots are tender and the vegetables are lightly browned.

2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. When vegetables are cooked, toss the pasta with the vegetables in a large bowl to combine.

3. Add cherry tomatoes and enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve immediately with a green salad and glass of Pinot Grigio.