Tom Firth
Tom Firth is a writer, wine consultant, judge and a member of the Wine Access National Tasting Panel. He loves to chat about all things wine and blogs for wineaccess.ca, tweets as @cowtownwine and is a general nuisance.
Recipe: Southern-Style Chicken Stew
Serve this hearty, Southern-style meal with cornbread and a glass of chardonnay
Ingredients
Southern-Style Chicken Stew
- 1 1/2 lb chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour, divided
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 can (14.5 oz) low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 bunch collard greens, rough-chopped into 2-inch pieces
- 1/2 lb cooked, smoked sausage, sliced into ½-inch thick rounds
Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Southern-Style Chicken Stew Cooking Directions
Place 3 tablespoons flour in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper, add chicken pieces and toss gently to coat.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken, reduce heat to medium and cook until browned, 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Transfer chicken to a plate.
Recipe and photo courtesy of the National Chicken Council
Cutting the Fat: How to pair wines with Super Bowl food
Pairing wines with Super Bowl foods and common sauces
When pairing Super Bowl foods with wine, keep this rule in mind: fat with acidity, salt with sugar.
Greasy, Fatty Foods and Wine
Greasy or fatty finger foods need a wine with a bit of acidity to help cut the fat. Grapes like riesling, gewürztraminer and grüner veltliner are great choices. Red grapes can also work, but avoid heavy or tannic wines. Pinot noir, tempranillo and gamay can be a pleasant match.
Recipe: Lean Lasagna
Serve up this healthy, filling lasagna with a robust red
Ingredients
Lean Lasagna
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 1 lb ground turkey breast
- 3 cup tomato sauce
- 3 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
- 6 cup fresh spinach, chopped
- 2 cup fat-free ricotta
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 pk whole-wheat lasagna noodles
- 2 cup part-skim mozzarella, shredded
Makes: 8 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Lean Lasagna Cooking Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Spray a medium-sized nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Sauté onion for 2 minutes, then add turkey and cook an additional 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomato sauce, all seasonings and mushrooms and simmer 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
In a bowl, combine spinach, ricotta, and nutmeg. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse with cool water.
Recipe: Steamed Cod with Gingered Tomatoes
A fresh fish recipe for Chinese New Year
Ingredients
Steamed Cod with Gingered Tomatoes
- 4 6-oz cod fillets, boneless
- 2 cup grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
- 1 cup sweet and sour sauce
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro or basil, coarsely chopped
- 4 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Steamed Cod with Gingered Tomatoes Cooking Directions
Preheat oven to 375˚F ( 190˚F), spray 4 large sheets of foil with cooking spray, foil should be large enough to hold 1 piece of fish.
On the middle of each piece of foil place ½ cup (125 mL) tomatoes, 1 tsp (5 mL) ginger, 1 piece of fish and cover with ¼ cup (60 mL) of sweet and sour sauce. Sprinkle each filet with 1 tbsp (15 mL) cilantro.
Close up foil packages and cook in oven on lowest rack until fish is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
Recipe and photograph are courtesy of VH-ConAgra Foods Canada.
Recipe: Bacon-wrapped Pork with Bok Choy
This pork dish is perfect for Chinese New Year
Ingredients
Bacon-wrapped Pork with Bok Choy
- 1 lb pork tenderloin
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 8-10 sli bacon
- 8 cup baby bok choy, sliced in half lengthwise and washed
- 1 bottle sweet and sour sauce
Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Bacon-wrapped Pork with Bok Choy Cooking Directions
Heat oven to 400˚F (200˚F), slice tenderloin into 2 pieces. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high, brown the pork, about 7 minutes.
Layer 4-5 bacon slices side by side on a cutting board, allow edges to only slightly overlap. Place one piece of pork across the bottom ends of the bacon strips, roll the bacon around the tenderloin and place the wrapped pork seam side down in a baking dish. Repeat with second piece and remaining bacon.
Recipe and photo are courtesy of VH-ConAgra Foods Canada.
Recipe: Sweet and Sour Stuffed Peppers
These stuffed peppers are a great side dish for Chinese New Year
Ingredients
Sweet and Sour Stuffed Peppers
- 4 large red, orange or yellow peppers, tops sliced off and seeds removed
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 bottle sweet and sour sauce
- 1 cup pasta sauce
- 1 cup parboiled rice
- 1 cup frozen peas, not thawed
Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Sweet and Sour Stuffed Peppers Cooking Directions
Preheat oven to 400˚F (200˚C), in a large pot heat oil over medium-high and sauté the pork until it is browned, about 5 minutes.
Once browned stir in the sweet and sour sauce, pasta sauce, rice and 1 ½ cups (375 mL) water. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes, remove from heat and stir in frozen peas.
Recipe and photo courtesy of VH-ConAgra Foods Canada.
Recipe: Kung Pao Chicken
Serve this easy, healthy Chinese chicken dish on Chinese New Year
Ingredients
Stir Fry
- 1 red pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 green pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup bean sprouts
Chicken and to Cook
- 2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp peanut oil
- 1 tsp Szechwan peppercorns or chili flakes
- 6 clove garlic, sliced
- 1 x 2 inch knob of ginger, chopped
Sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar, heaping
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 4 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp peanut butter, heaping
Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Kung Pao Chicken Cooking Directions
Stir Fry
Prep all vegetables and pile in individual groups onto a large tray and reserve until ready to cook
Chicken
Toss chicken with cornstarch so it is evenly coated. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
Sauce
Put everything into a 1 liter mason jar and shake well until smooth.
Recipe: Chicken Soup with Root Vegetables
A healthy, hearty chicken soup with winter root vegtables
Ingredients
Chicken Soup with Root Vegetables
- 1 reserved roast chicken, 3 1/4- to 3 1/2-lb
- 1 chicken carcass, reserved from carved roast chicken
- 5 q water
- 1 large onion, halved, plus 1 cup chopped
- 4 clove garlic, peeled, 2 whole, 2 sliced
- 3 carrot, cut into chunks, plus 1 1/2 cups 1/3-inch cubes peeled carrot
- 3 stalk celery, cut into chunks
- 4 Turkish bay leaves, divided
- 4 large fresh Italian parsley sprig, plus chopped parsley (for garnish)
- 4 large fresh thyme sprigs, plus 2 teaspoons chopped
- 12 whole allspice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cup celery root, peeled, chopped into 1/3-inch cubes
- 1 1/2 cup red-skinned sweet potatoes, peeled, chopped into 1/3-inch cubes
- 1 cup parsnips, peeled, chopped into 1/3-inch cubes
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Makes: 6 servings
Prep time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Total time: 3 hours
Chicken Soup with Root Vegetables Cooking Directions
Cut meat off chicken and dice. Place both carcasses, 5 quarts water, halved onion, whole garlic cloves, carrot chunks, celery chunks, 2 bay leaves, parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs, and allspice in 8-to 10-quart pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Simmer 1 1/4 hours.
Strain broth; return to pot and boil until reduced to 7 cups.
