June's Eat This! Drink That!
Red Wine and Cheesy Dishes:
Everything is better with cheese. Play up the most classic red wine pairing with these crowd-pleasing recipes featuring everyone's favourite ingredient, cheese!
We've chosen a few delicious Old World Red Blends and the cheesy recipes that accentuate them perfectly.
Wines:
Esprit Terre Red Blend
Fruity, rich and smooth red blend from the south of France! Complex aromas and flavours of plum and raspberry with hints of soft spice.
Casa Santos Lima Fortissimo
A lovely medley of flavours of ripe black fruits, pepper and violet. This is a wine that is thirst-quenching with balanced structure.
Il Palazzo Dinastico 2019
“A fresh yet firm red with cherry and chocolate character. Medium body. Fine and firm finish.” 91 points James Suckling
La Causa del Itata 2019
“It’s dark in colour with warm, sweet, haunting and undemonstrative aromas; the palate is supple yet intense, concentrated and tenacious.” 97 Decanter World Wine Awards
Recipes
Croque Monsieur
Author: Tastes Better from Scratch
Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 20 mins
Wine pairing:
Esprit Terre Red Blend
Ingredients:
Bechamel Sauce:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Dash of ground nutmeg
Sandwich:
- 8 thin slices white sandwich bread
- 8 slices quality ham
- 2 ½ cups Gruyere cheese
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions :
Bechamel sauce:
Step 1:
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes. Gradually add milk, stirring well until the mixture is smooth. Cook, stirring, until sauce is thickened.
Step 2:
Season with a little bit of salt and pepper. Remove from heat and whisk in mustard and nutmeg. Set aside while you make the sandwiches..
Assemble Sandwiches:
Step 1:
Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
Step 2:
Spread each bread slice with a layer of béchamel, spreading it all the way to the edges. Place 4 slices of bread, béchamel side up, on prepared baking sheet.
Step 3:
Top each with a piece of ham, a handful of gruyere, and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Place remaining slices of bread on top, béchamel side up, then top with remaining gruyere and parmesan cheese.
Step 4:
Bake at 425° F for about 5-6 minutes, until cheese is melted, and then turn the oven to broil and broil until the cheese on top is lightly golden, 2-4 minutes.
Feta Stuffed Lamb Meatballs
Author: Simply Delicious
Serves: 4 Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 30 mins
Wine pairing:
Casa Santos Lima Fortissimo
Ingredients:
- 500 g (1lb) ground/minced lamb
- 500 g (1lb) ground/minced beef
- 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup feta cheese crumbled
- 1 small red onion finely minced
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- zest of 1 lemon
- 3 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp rosemary finely chopped
- ½ cup parsley finely chopped
- 2 tsp salt 1-2 tsp black pepper
Instructions :
Step 1:
Combine all the ingredients and mix until the ingredients are just combined, taking care not to over mix.
Step 2:
With wet hands form 1 inch meatballs and place on a chopping board.
Step 3:
Pre-heat a non-stick frying pan and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Fry the meatballs in batches until golden brown on both sides and cooked through.
Step 4:
Pre-heat the oven to 220ºC. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and add the meatballs, keeping some space between them. Drizzle the meatballs with 1-2 tbsp olive oil and place in the oven. Allow to bake, turning over halfway, until golden brown and cooked through (approximately 20-30 minutes).
Tuscan White Bean Soup with Parmesan
Author: A Simple Palate
Serves: 8 Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 10 mins
Wine pairing:
Il Palazzo Dinastico 2019
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 2 zucchinis, diced
- 3 cups chopped kale
- 1 can 15 oz fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 can 15 oz cannellini beans
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese for sprinkling
Seasonings
- 2 teaspoons (each) dried thyme, oregano, basil
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions :
Step 1:
In a large pot or Dutch oven on medium heat, sauté in olive oil onion, carrots, celery, and a little salt for 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and zucchini, cook for 3 additional minutes.
Step 2:
Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, vegetable broth, cannellini beans, and all of seasonings. On low-medium heat, cover and let soup simmer for 30 minutes – stir occasionally. Turn burner off and stir in kale leaves.
Step 3:
Before serving, taste the soup. Garnish with fresh chopped basil, grated parmesan, and serve!
Veggie Pizza with Goat Cheese
Author: Seasons and Suppers
Serves: 3 Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 15 mins
Wine pairing:
La Causa del Itata 2019
Ingredients:
- 1 ball pizza dough
- 2 bell peppers
- 2 portobello mushrooms
- 1 medium red onion, thickly sliced
- 1 ½ cups pizza sauce
- Crumbled goat cheese
- Balsamic glaze for drizzling
Instructions :
Step 1:
Pre-heat your BBQ (or grill pan) to medium-high. Place cut vegetables in perforated grilling basket and grill until soft and starting to brown. Remove from BBQ and set aside while you assemble your pizza.
Step 2:
Pre-heat oven to 500° F. with pizza stone on middle rack. Press out your pizza dough and spoon on pizza sauce. Top with grilled vegetables and top with crumbled goat cheese. Bake in pre-heated oven for 10-15 minutes, until crust is golden and toppings are hot.
Step 3:
Top with a drizzle of balsamic glaze.