Wine of the Week - Munay 2010 Lucia's Blend

Mostly Syrah, blended with Tannat and Malbec, the dominant scent on this wine is sour cherry, with a little bit of woodiness detectable (which reads as the stem of the cherry).
A bit of a cough syrup taste, which coats the palate.  Complex notes of sour apple, cherry and caramel bubble up underneath.  A long finish that matures into a pleasant smokiness.  Although a little harsh up front, I recommend this wine for the way it develops.
14.5% alcohol

Squash and Bean Bolognese

A different take on regular spaghetti...
I found the bean mixture recipe at EatingWell.com.

Then, rather than using regular ol' noodles, I used spaghetti squash - almost as easy to make as regular spaghetti!
1. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Place face down in a baking dish in 1 inch of water.
2. Bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool for about 10 minutes.
3. Stand one half on its end. Take a fork and scoop out the pulp and seeds gently and trash it.
4. With the fork, scour the inside of the squash - it comes out in noodly strips!

Pumpkin stew

I saw this recipe from October issue of Vegetarian Times and wanted to try it.  A hearty fall meal!


I didn't have all the ingredients they called for on hand, so I devised my own filler:
2 small pie pumpkins
2 cups wild rice, cooked
1 carrot, diced
2 cups frozen sweet corn
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 cup spinach
2 cups pecans, chopped

1. Heat carrot, corn, onion, and garlic in olive oil in a skillet.  Cook until soften.
2. Carve off top of pumpkins and pull out the guts (save the seeds to roast!)
3. Combine rice, spinach, pecans, and carrot mix and fill each pumpkin.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 90 minutes with pumpkin lids on.  Remove lids and cook for another 20 minutes.
5. Serve in pumpkins!

I really liked this meal, but I think next time I'll add a little cheese to the mix.  And possibly some peppers to give it a little kick.

A taste of New Orleans

Mmmm...Fall veggie jambalaya from Vegetarian Times

Instead of sausage or seafood, this recipe calls for scrumptious fall root vegetables.

I also made my Creole stuffed peppers as a sidedish.

Broccoli soup

Yes, this recipe from Tasty-Yummies.com is vegan, but you'd never know it! It's very quick to make, and doesn't take many ingredients at all - basically just broccoli, onion, garlic, broth, and beans - and doesn't take much time either. And I just realized I forgot the pine nuts, which would've been a nice addition! I think croutons would work great with this soup too, especially cheesy ones.

Wine of the Week - Cougar 2008 Primitivo

Just an absolutely delicious wine. Excellent balance. Strawberries, blackberries and cherries on one end; licorice and tree bark on the other. Complex flavors that develop with every sip. This wine comes with my highest recommendation.

13.7% alcohol