Paleo Pairings

Paleo Pairing: Fish en Papillote & Chardonnay

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Today marks day 6 of my 31 day Paleo challenge and I am still going strong. I have found that the key to succeeding with the Paleo plan for me is lots of flavor!  It’s way too easy to indulge in a sweet or savory treat when you feel deprived on diets. Fortunately, there are so many amazing natural flavors available on the Paleo plan that it’s super easy to create a culinary sensation that will please your palate.

Tonight’s Paleo Pairing features Citrus & Herb Fish en Papillote and Chardonnay. I am using a Turbot filet from Whole Foods. It’s a white flaky, buttery fish that’s similar to flounder but a little thicker. Don’t be intimidated by this preparation, it’s way easier than it seems and it makes clean up a breeze. I also love the fact that you can add just about any aromatic or veggies you want.

As for the wine,  I have mentioned in previous posts, wine is allowed in moderation on Paleo. That means a 4oz glass of wine per day for a woman or twice that for a man. Make sure you are keeping track of your pours. It’s way too easy to pour too much wine in a glass. For tonight’s dinner, I am reaching for a rich buttery Chardonnay to match the buttery texture of the fish. Bon Appetit!

INGREDIENTS:

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees

Parchment Paper
2-6oz Turbot Fillets (Bass or Halibut also works well)
2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 cup white wine (you can use Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 orange sliced
1 lemon sliced
4 sprigs of thyme
4 sprigs of rosemary
Pinch sea salt
Pinch of pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Take 2 large pieces of parchment paper (about a 2o inch square), fold in half. Unfold paper and place rosemary & thyme sprigs near crease. Then add fish fillet on top of the herbs. Sprinkle fish with a pinch of sea salt & pepper, slices of garlic and drizzle 1 tsp. of olive oil on the fillet, then top with 1/2 the orange slices and 1/2 the lemon slices. Pour 1/2 the white wine over fish and fold along the edges and seal with a paper clip. Repeat with second fillet. Place packets in a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes.  Cut packets down the middle and serve in the packet or remove with a spatula and serve on a plate. Serve with a side of steamed veggies.

WINE RECOMMENDATIONS: Since, I am based in Norfolk, Virginia, I have included wine shops in my general area that carry these wines for your convenience.

Everyday Wine – Under $15

Seven Falls Chardonnay, Washington State – Available at Yianni’s Wine Shop (Virginia Beach)
Steele Chardonnay, California – Available at Yianni’s Wine Shop
Rodney Strong Chardonnay, Sonoma, California – Available at Total Wine

Mid-Priced $16-$30

Church Creek Chardonnay Steel, Chatham Vineyards, Eastern Shore, Virginia – Available at Grape & Gourmet or direct from Chatham Vineyards
Jordan Chardonnay, Napa, California – Available at Total Wine
Schug Chardonnay, Carneros, California – Available at Yianni’s Wine Shop (Virginia Beach)

Paleo Pairing: Salmon & Pinot Noir

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Four days into my New Year’s resolution and I am still going strong with the Paleo plan. I have found that this plan is fairly easy to stick with as long as you take time to prepare ahead  The bonus for me is that The Paleo Diet allows wine in moderation and since I am a Sommelier, wine is an integral part of my daily living.  I am chronicling my journey through the month of January so I can introduce you to some great wine pairings for the nights you do want to indulge with a little sip of wine while sticking to your healthy resolution. Today’s recipe is a sumptuous meal that only takes minutes to prepare.

Day 4 Recipe: Seared Salmon w/Sauteed Spinach paired w/Pinot Noir

INGREDIENTS

4 – 6oz salmon filets
11oz spinach
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp. dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio)
1 tbsp. Herbs de Provence
1 tsp. salt (plus a pinch for the spinach)
1/2 tsp. pepper (plus a pinch for the spinach)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees, then heat cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until it’s hot.  While the cast iron skillet is heating up, take 1 tbsp. olive oil and lightly brush both sides of the salmon filets to ensure the seasonings adhere to the fish.  I am personally not a huge fan of the skin, so I have my fish monger take the skins off to make the cooking process a little easier. Keep in mind that you don’t need much olive oil because the fish has plenty of fat already. Once you have a thin coating of olive oil, sprinkle the fish with salt, pepper and Herbs de Provence.  Place salmon in skillet and cook for 2 minutes. Flip the fish and place in the oven for 5 minutes for medium rare-medium.

After you place the fish in the oven, drizzle the remaining olive oil in the pan with the garlic and let simmer for about 1 minute to release the aromatics.  Then add spinach and white wine and  let wilt. This usually takes about 2-3 minutes. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Remove fish from oven. Let rest for 5-10 minutes. Serve over a bed of spinach.

I have a couple of great wine pairings for this dish, depending on what you are in the mood for.  I really enjoy a Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier with this dish. I love the way the Herbs de Provence with its notes of lavender, thyme and rosemary bring out some of the beautiful notes in the Pinots.

If you are looking for a white wine, I absolutely love a great Sancerre with this meal.  Sancerre and salmon are an amazing pairing! If you are going with this option add a squeeze of lemon juice to the fish and spinach. The bright acidity and minerality cleanse your palate in between bites making you yearn for another delicious bite of that rich, succulent salmon. This is definitely a match made in heaven!

Bon Appetit!

Wine Recommendations: (I am including the places that the wine is available for people living Hampton Roads, Virginia.)

Pinot Noir

Under $20

Angeline Pinot Noir, California – Shady Grove Marketplace (Norfolk), Total Wine

$21-$35

Novy Pinot Meunier, California – Press 626 (Norfolk)

$35-$50

Talbott’s Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands, California – Yianni’s Wine Shop
Chateau de Chamirey, Mercurey, Burgundy, France  –  Total Wine

Sancerre

$20 – Christian Salmon, Loire Valley – Total Wine
$25 – Domaine Vincent Delaporte – Yianni’s Wine Shop, Virginia Beach

Paleo Pairing: Seared Scallops & Sancerre

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Day 3 on Paleo and I already feel my energy levels exploding.  I am keeping it simple this Friday with a nice plate of seared sea scallops with a side of roasted asparagus.  My perfect Paleo Pairing for this is a Sancerre from the Loire Valley of France.  Sancerre is a region within the Loire and the wines are made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape.  These wines are dry, bright and acidic with lots of minerality and notes of citrus and fresh cut grass. I recently had the Domaine Vincent Delaporte Sancerre and it was a terrific pairing with asparagus soup. Christian Salmon is also another solid producer of Sancerre that’s available at many wine shops.

Seared Scallops & Roasted Asparagus

INGREDIENTS

Scallops
Asparagus
3 tbsp Olive Oil
Sea salt & pepper
Herbs de Provence
Garlic Powder

DIRECTIONS

For the roasted asparagus, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut about a quarter an inch off the ends of the asparagus. Toss asparagus in one tbsp. of olive oil, sea salt, pepper, garlic powder and Herbs de Provence. Roast for 12-15 minutes for thick asparagus.

Pat dry scallops, the drier they are the better the sear.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder & Herbs de Provcnce. Pre-heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, then add olive oil and sear the scallops for about 2 – 2  1/2  minutes per side until a nice golden crust forms. The scallops should be translucent in the center. Serve immediately. Delicious and simple!

Paleo Pairing: Eggplant Ratatouille & Chianti Classico

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Day 2 of my Paleo plan started off with a baked omelette with the ingredients leftover from last night’s dinner. (Flap steak, roasted veggies & caramelized onions). Delicious!

As I mentioned yesterday, I am putting myself to the Paleo challenge for the month of January and I will be sharing a daily recipe and perfect Paleo Pairing. I received some interesting comments yesterday about alcohol consumption while on Paleo and wine is indeed allowed in moderation on the plan.

Some believe you should only drink red wine on Paleo because it contains more antioxidants and resveratrol.  However, many dry white wines are actually lower in sugars and alcohol than red wine.   Many other forms of alcohol and beer are a no-go on Paleo because they are made from grains, but as we all know wine is made from grapes. Our stone age ancestors may have not been exposed to wine as we know it, but they probably  had fermented grapes at some point.

Some purists may disagree especially when weight loss is the number one objective.   I am by no means a nutritionist, but I have done my research on Paleo and my main objective is get a little healthier in 2014 and provide you with some great recipes and ideas for wine pairings on the nights you do want to have a glass.

Today’s perfect Paleo Pairing and recipe features eggplant ratatoiulle & baked chicken paired with a Chianti Classico. Marchese Antinori, Banfi & Tenuta are nice Chianti options. A Barbera would also be a great choice. Bon Appetit!

Crystal

Day 2 Recipe: Eggplant Ratatouille & Baked Chicken 

Ingredients

¼ cup olive oil
½ cup dry red wine (Chianti)
1 medium yellow onion diced or julienned
4 cloves minced garlic
1 large eggplant diced or julienned
1 green bell pepper diced or julienned
1 red bell pepper diced or julienned
1 medium zucchini diced or julliened
1 28 oz can of San Marzano crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
2 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp crushed red pepper
¼ cup chopped basil (more for garnish)

Directions

Caramelize onions in the olive oil in a large saute pan for about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally until lightly golden. Add the eggplant to the pan and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is partially cooked, about 5-7 minutes. Add peppers and zucchini and cook for 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper, Italian Seasoning, minced garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for 1 minute to release aromatics.  Add wine and tomatoes and cook for about 10-15 minutes until flavors are well integrated. Stir in ¼ cup chopped basil before serving. Garnish with basil leaves.  Serve with grilled or baked chicken or even roasted shrimp for a protein boost! Bon Appetit!

Flap Steak & Rioja

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Sirloin Flap Steak is perhaps one of the most economical cuts of meat out there. It’s not only easy to cook, but it tastes great especially if you take the time to marinate it for at least a couple of hours. It’s similar to skirt steak, very flavorful, fatty and a little on the chewy side. Drizzle a little chimichurri sauce and dinner is served. Chimichurri sauce is a classic topping in Argentina for an assortment of grilled meats. While a Malbec would be delicious with this cut of meat, a robust Rioja is also a fantastic pairing. Rioja is a region in Spain that produces mostly red wines from the Tempranillo grape. This region is known for world class reds at a great value.

Recommended Producers:

Recipe: Marinated Flap Steak

Ingredients

Marinate 1 1/2 lb flap steak for 4-8 hours in the following marinade:

1/4 cup olive oil
Juice from one lime
4 garlic cloves minced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon pepper

Directions

Preheat oven 425 degrees. Roast steak for 10-12 minutes for medium rare. Turning once. Let rest for at least 10 minutes and slice against the grain.