Time: 5 minutes

Serves: 1

Inspired by: Trying to make a pretty “finger food” for a party and knowing that this mustard makes everything taste fabulous. I think this wrap has pretty holiday colors (red and green) when cut into small sandwich bites.

Ingredients:

• 1 tortilla (I prefer the green spinach tortillas or something like these made with roasted bell pepper and chili)
• 4-6 thin slices of peppered turkey from your local deli
• 1 – 2 slices of provolone cheese
• 1 handful of spinach leaves
• 2 thin strips of roasted red peppers (roast your own or from a jar is fine)
• 1 teaspoon yummy mustard

Preparation:

• Spread the mustard on the tortilla – leave the top inch mustard free (so it doesn’t squeeze out when you roll it).
• Add the following in layers so they are spread evenly across the bottom third to half of the tortilla – spinach leaves, turkey, cheese, roasted red pepper.
• Then roll the tortilla and all the fillings starting from the bottom.
• Spear with a toothpick through the middle to help hold it together, or wrap in foil

Note: For parties these make great bite-sized sandwiches if you cut the wrap into 4-5 slices and secure each with a toothpick. You may need to cut off the ends.

Wine Suggestions: To balance the spiciness of the mustard, the best matches would be an off -dry or fruity white such as a Viognier, Torrontes, and possibly a Pinot Gris or Chenin Blanc, or a medium bodied spicy red with some good ripeness such as a Southern Rhone Syrah-Grenache blend.

Time: 5-10 minutes

Serves: 12 as an appetizer

Inspired by: When I first decided to learn to cook, I started with all Armenian foods I had as a child. Although hummus wasn’t actually something I discovered until I was an adult, it seemed like one of the basics that I should know how to make and include in my “Mediterranean-themed” meals. I’ve come to love the simplicy of making it and how healthy it is as snack or appetizer with raw veggies.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans garbanzo beans (15 oz cans)
• Juice of 1 to 1 ½ lemons (ideally, just a tiny bit more than ¼ cup)
• 1-2 garlic cloves
• ¼ – 1/3 cup Tahini
• ½ to ¾ cup water (usually needs at least ¾ cup)
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne (can add up to 3 teaspoons of cayenne to make a very spicy hummus)
• Salt to taste (usually between 1/4 and 1/2 teaspoon)
• Garnish: light olive oil, paprika and parsley

Recipe:

• Drain garbanzo beans and rinse well in colander.
• Blend garbanzo beans, lemon juice, garlic, Tahini, 1/2 cup water and spices in food processor until smooth and to your desired thickness. Add salt to taste – usually at least ¼ teaspoon. Add additional water a little bit at a time until it is your desired consistency.
• Serve in a low, wide dish. Drizzle with a high-quality olive oil and sprinkle with paprika. If available, garnish with parsley.

Wine Suggestions: A crisp white or light red. If go heavier on the garlic, a light red such a Spanish Rioja is perfect. If you go really spicy, then a medium-bodied, spicier Syrah-Grenache based Southern Rhone could be nice or even an off-dry white to balance the flavors.

Time: 15-20 minutes

Serves: 8 as an appetizer

Inspired by: A Persian friend of mine made this for a party and I loved all of the flavor nuances in it. I believe this is a combination of her recipe and others I’ve read on the web and then my own refinements. The Persian name for this spread is nan-o panir-o-gerdu.

Ingredients:

• ¼ pound feta cheese
• 2 cups shelled walnuts (Whole Foods or Trader Joes)
• 2 tablespoons fresh scallions – chopped
• 4 tablespoons fresh basil  – chopped
• 4  tablespoons fresh mint – chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Juice of one lime
• 2 – 4 tablespoons olive oil
• Pita bread or lavash (soft or crunchy) or raw veggies

Preparation:

• Chop scallions and basil and mint leaves by hand or in your food processor. Don’t chop too fine. Remove from food processor.
• Don’t clean food processor – toss walnuts in and whirl until finely chopped.
• Add the feta to the nuts and chop/blend the two.
• Then add garlic, pepper, lime juice and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and mix well.
• Taste and then add salt if needed and add additional olive oil for flavor and texture – but if you like the thicker consistency, don’t add too much oil.
• Remove mixture from food processor and hand mix with the scallions and herbs.

Note: I saw an identical recipe recently that also included 2 tablespoons of tarragon.

Serve with: Use as a dip with cut up pita bread or raw vegetables, or as a spread on lavash or crackers.

Wine Suggestions: The herbs in the spread pair well with herbal, aromatic whites such as a Spanish Verdejo or Sauvignon Blanc  – although many Sauv Blancs will be too herbatous or grassy and that could take away from the beautiful delicate flavors in the spread. If you are going for a Sauvignon Blanc, a White Bordeax is probably your best option. A Grüner Veltliner could also be a good option or any light crisp white such as an Albarino, Chablis or a light White Burgundy.

Time: 20-30 minutes

Serves: 4-6

Inspired by: Yummy flavors of ginger-infused meals in so many Asian-style restaurants. I read about ten “ginger-chicken” recipes one day and then used the one I liked the most (by blogger Joey Randall – The Village Voice) because it seemed to be the healthiest. I may have modified it slightly.

Ingredients:

• 12 oz skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 3 tablespoons grated ginger (fresh)
• 1-3 gloves crushed garlic (fresh)
• 3 tablespoons organic soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 – 2 cups thinly sliced carrots
• 1 cup sliced red pepper
• 1 cup sliced yellow pepper
• 1 cup snow peas
• 1 cup broccoli in very small pieces
• 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 1 (8 oz) can diced water chestnuts, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 cup sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds
• Butterhead lettuce (like Boston or Bibb) for 4- 6 servings

Recipe:

• Cut chicken into thin strips.
• Combine soy sauce, ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, red pepper flakes and cornstarch. Pour over chicken to marinate while prepping vegetables.
• Heat wok or large skillet. Pour in olive oil and heat. Remove chicken from marinade and carefully add to pan. Cook until tender – about 5 minutes.
• Pour marinade over chicken. Add the veggies. Cook 3 minutes or until sauce slightly thickens, stirring often.
• Remove from heat. Add almonds.
• Spoon 1/4 to 1/2 cup chicken mixture into lettuce leaf and roll up.

Wine Suggestions: An aromatic white that is slightly off-dry will work well with the ginger and spice of this dish. We drank a dry, 2006 Nikolaihof Grüner Veltliner and while it’s one of my favorite Grüners with beautiful aeromatics, I think a fruiter or slightly-off dry wine would have been a better pairing. Here are a few suggestions starting with off-dry and ending with dry.

• Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc (California)
• Chateau Ste Michelle Eroica Riesling (Washington)
• Slightly off-dry Riesling (Germany or Austria)
• Torrontes (Argentina)
• Sauvignon Blanc (California or New Zealand)
• Grüner Veltliner (Austria)

Time: 5-6 hours (easy to make, but waiting for the chicken to slow cook takes time)

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients (First List)

• Whole chicken (approximately 3 lbs; remove the “innards”)
• 2 quarts water
• 1 large onion – chopped
• ½ cup fresh parsley – chopped
• 2 stalks celery with leaves – chopped
• 5 whole peppercorns
• 6 chicken bouillon cubes or 2 tablespoons chicken soup base
• 2 bay leaves
• ¼ teaspoon dried celery seed
• Dash of dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt

Ingredients (Second List)

• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 cup sliced celery
• ¼ cup minced onions
• 1 tablespoon minced parsley
• Salt and black pepper to taste (can add a little cayenne as well if you like a kick)
• ½ cup rice (uncooked) OR 1 lb fusilli or rotelle

Recipe

• Combine first list of ingredients above: chicken, water, onion, celery, parsley, peppercorns, bouillon/soup base, bay leaves, celery seed, thyme and salt in large pot (water should cover chicken so don’t use a pot that is too large/wide).
• Cook over low heat for 3-4 hours and keep covered.
• Remove chicken from pot and allow it to cool.
• Strain vegetables and spices from broth and discard (because all flavor has been sucked out).
• Put broth in refrigerator to cool for 30-90 minutes.
• Remove skin and bones from chicken – cut or tear meat into bite-sized pieces.
• Skim/remove fat from top of cooled broth.
• Bring broth to a boil.
• Add second list of ingredients to the broth, including the chicken.
• In a separate pot, cook the pasta according to instructions (if you cook it separately, it keeps the soup from getting too starchy)
• Simmer for approximately 30 minutes until vegetables are cooked but not too soft – this makes a large bowl of soup so if you are making it to reheat again later they’ll get softer.

Wine Suggestions: If you enjoy the complimentary flavors and textures – then a creamy white, such as a buttery California Chardonnay, is a nice compliment to this soup. However, if you prefer something more contrasting, I think a crisp white with good acidity is wonderful to cut through the oiliness that comes through in the chicken. The photo above was when we tried it with a a very light, fairly high-acid red (Arbois) and it was nice, but not a fantastic pairing.  I’d have prefered a light White Burgundy with some beautiful lemony flavors.

Time: 5 minutes once sauté pan or grill is hot

Inspired by: My friend, Dan, grows these in his garden plot nearby. He put some on the grill at a dinner party several years ago. I couldn’t believe how delicious they were.  My local Whole Foods market carries them in the summer as well. They make an easy, delicious, simple and healthy appetizer. Their cousin, the Shishito Pepper, is a nice alternative and almost always mild. I think Padrónes are more flavorful, and while they are often mild, they can also be quite spicy. It’s usually a surprise!

Ingredients:

• Padrón peppers – rinsed and dried well

Preparation:

• Toss in olive oil with a bit of salt, put them on a hot grill for a few minutes and then turn over for another few minutes.
• Alternatively, toss with a bit of olive oil in a sauté pan on medium to high heat for 4-8 minutes.

Wine Suggestions: Gruner Veltliner or another crisp white is a good option. When they are spicy a Riesling is an even better pairing.