Noble Pig
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The Official Food Blog of Noble Pig Vineyard & Winery
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Jambalaya with Shrimp and Ham
This is by no means a traditional jambalaya where meat and veggies are cooked separately and then rice and stock added next. This is a much quicker and lighter version with lots of flavor and ease of preparation. A true one pot meal.
I have made this version many times over the years because my oldest son loves this meal. He's kind of a "shrimp nut" so this dish suits him well. Lots of heat can be added individually at serving time in the form of hot pepper sauce, making it kid friendly (leave pepper sauce off for the kidos). Everyone can control their own level of spice. However, if your family loves hot n' spicy food, add more cayenne right at the stove.
This dish is easily prepared in less than an hour, which fits into our life just perfectly. It also reheats nicely as leftovers. But the best part, it's low-cal and tastes great.
Enjoy!
Jambalaya with Shrimp and Ham
From Ellie Krieger
Serves 4
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
6 ounces diced, smoked ham
2-1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can no-salt added diced tomatoes
1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
Hot Pepper Sauce (so good with sriracha)
Heat the oil in a large Dutch Oven over medium heat. Add the onion, peppers and garlic and saute until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Mix in next 11 ingredients, salt through the diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Stir in the rice, cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until rice is done and most of the liquid is absorbed. Add the shrimp and cook, covered for 5 minutes more, or until shrimp is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with hot pepper sauce.
~Timesaver...use already cooked, frozen shrimp (thawed)...they work perfectly in a pinch.
Per Serving: Calories: 440; TF 9 g; Sat Fat 2g, Protein 38 g; TC 50 g; Sugar 7 g; Fiber 3 g; Cholesterol
190 mg; Sodium 1040 mg
One Year Ago: Quickie Vinaigrette
4 Layer Pizza Dip
Oh I'm not even sure what made me go here...it just looked too good to pass up. I was right. On the bright side, if you have enough people around, this will disappear quickly and you won't have eaten the whole thing yourself. On the dark side, if there are not enough people around, you will eat most of it yourself....and it will taste glorious. Followed by guilt and tight pants. Ugh.
I think the bacon on top elevates this dip to a whole new level in pizza dipping...it just works.
Will make this again when there are going to be many more people around. I hope you give it a try to.
4 Layer Pizza Dip
From The Slow Roasted Italian
Serves 8
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
8 ounces shredded Italian cheese blend, divided
14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
9-12 slices of pepperoni
4 slices of cooked bacon, chopped
Preheat oven to 350o.
In a blender or a food processor combine tomatoes, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Blend until pureed. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream and 2 ounces of shredded Italian cheese. Mix until well combined. Spread cream cheese mixture in an even layer over baking dish (8 x 8 or a pie plate). Pour blended sauce over cream cheese mixture and evenly distribute with spatula.
Sprinkle remaining shredded cheese over pizza sauce. Top pizza dip with pepperoni and bacon. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cheese is browned and bubbling.
~Timesaver...instead of pureeing the tomatoes, just use canned tomato sauce and mix the seasonings in with a spoon. Or if you are really in a hurry, just use already made pizza sauce.
One Year Ago: 5-Minute No Cook Pasta Sauce
Farmer's Market Niçoise Salad
It’s almost Spring, right? All the beautiful produce will start showing up at the market soon. This salad
is a beautiful addition to any table, making a beautiful centerpiece for a stunning buffet. And flavor…
it’s full of it, not to mention it pairs fabulously with a crisp white wine. The salad is a lovely taste of the Mediterranean. Don’t shy away from the anchovy paste; it gives distinctive flavor without imparting
a fishy taste.
This salad is truly a meal in itself and tastes awesome with some crusty bread as a side kick. Did I
mention there are potatoes in here. Yes, potatoes in salad with greens. It's a bonus.
I hope you enjoy all these fabulous flavors, it's a winner.
Farmer’s Market Niçoise Salad
Serves 5
1-1/2 lbs. small red potatoes
4 large eggs
¼ lb. green beans, stemmed
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, seasoned with salt & pepper
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
½ cup niçoise or kalamata olives, pitted and halved
¼ cup capers, drained
For the vinaigrette:
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 T. minced fresh tarragon
1 T. shallot, minced
1 T. Dijon mustard
2 t. anchovy paste
1 t. honey
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Boil potatoes until done and hard-cooked eggs. Plunge both into ice water to cool; drain. Slice
potatoes ¼” thick. Chop eggs for garnish and set aside.
Blanch green beans 5 minutes. Plunge into ice water to cool; drain and set aside.
Sauté chicken in oil over medium-high heat until cooked through (about 8 minutes per side). Cut
into ¼”-thick slices. Prepare tomatoes and olives.
Whisk first 6 vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl. Whisk in olive oil slowly to blend.
Season to taste. Combine potato slices, green beans, sliced chicken, tomatoes, capers and olives
in a large bowl. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss lightly to coat. Transfer salad to a platter and garnish
the top of the salad with egg.
Baked Crab & Almond Dip
Even though dip season is officially over (I designate Halloween to Super Bowl official dip season), there is no reason to miss out on something really yummy. Who doesn't love an easy appetizer to throw together, especially one as rich and creamy as this one.
Let's face it, dip is an essential source of pre-dinner sustenance for hungry guests. And while I made this dip using white wine, it also pairs beautifully with red wine too. Please know that cool climate wines like ours, ones with higher acidity, make them extremely food friendly....especially with a cheesy dish such as this one. The acidity in the wine cuts right through the fat.
While fat adds richness, not to mention deliciousness to food, fat can also put up a barrier to wine. Fat coats the taste buds, making it difficult to perceive delicate flavors. Rich fatty foods need wines with enough acidity to cut through the fat and announce themselves. Wines with good acidity, such as ours, can cut through fat like a squeeze of lemon on fried fish, making the food feel less rich and heavy. When wine doesn't have enough acidity, the combination collapses under its own weight. Just by knowing how fat and acidity combine will help you make choices with food and wine that work more often than not.
Well, I guess that's my food-wine pairing lesson for the moment...we hope you are having a fabulous day!!!
Baked Crab and Almond Dip
Serves 6
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
One 8 ounce cream cheese, room temperature
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup white wine (our Pinot Gris works great)
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
¼ cup finely chopped green onions, more for garnish
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 dashes hot red pepper sauce
6 ounces lump crab meat
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toast the almonds in a dry pan over medium heat. Stir frequently, making sure not to burn them. Set aside.
With a hand held mixer, blend cream cheese, mayonnaise, wine, ¼ cup Parmesan, green onions, garlic and hot sauce until combined. Fold in crab and almonds by hand. Transfer the mixture to a small baking dish and top with the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until it’s hot and bubbly. Garnish with green onion.
Remove from the oven and serve warm with your favorite crackers, baguette or tortilla chips and wine!
Super Saucy Chicken over Angel Hair Pasta
Oh here I go again, posting a delicious but not pretty slow-cooker meal. I love the sauce in this dish...there is so much of it!! The extra sauce also makes it perfect to sit on top of a bed of angel hair pasta....yummmm.
This cooked away by its lonesome while I did what it is I do all day. Get that? So nice to come home to a meal that's hot and ready. Just boil some pasta and dinner is served.
Do not add any salt or seasonings, the ingredients have plenty to make a flavorful dish. Let us know how yours turns out.
FYI...it paired perfectly with our Pinot Blanc...for those of you who have a bottle or two around.
Super Saucy Chicken over Angel Hair Pasta
Serves 6-8
2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts
16 ounces sliced mushrooms, button or shitake
4 Tablespoons butter
1 0.7 ounce package dry Italian dressing mix
2 cans condensed golden mushroom soup
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 8 ounce tub chive & onion cream cheese
Angel hair pasta
Place sliced mushrooms in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place chicken breasts over the mushrooms.
Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in Italian dressing packet until fully incorporated. Add soup, wine and cream cheese until fully combined and cream cheese has melted. Pour sauce over chicken and mushrooms in the slow cooker.
Set slow-cooker on low for 5 hours. Before serving, remove chicken and coarsely slice. Place chicken back in the slow cooker to absorb all the sauce.
Make angel hair according to package directions and serve with saucy chicken on top.
One Year Ago: Cold Sesame Noodles with Golden Garlic
Two Years Ago: Sour Cream-Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
Three Years Ago: Jalapeno Black Bean Dip
Beef Bourguignonne
When I think of a special, winter meal, I think of Beef Bourguignonne. Don’t let the French name scare you, it’s simply beef stew. It is the epitome of French comfort food and it is classically made with Pinot Noir wine. And what could be more satisfying than something steaming and rich? I have tried many versions and have come to settle on this particular recipe. I especially like to make it the day before and let it sit over night for the flavors to meld, as well as being able to skim the fat that will accumulate on the top. This works out perfectly for this upcoming Valentine’s Day. You can cook this up on Monday evening and serve it Tuesday for dinner. Your family will love you for this one. This dish will warm their hearts, minds and souls.
My best results have come when I cut a chuck pot roast into small pieces. Grocery store stew meat is not the same. I also include a beef knuckle soup bone which gives an incredible smoothness to the sauce. You are going to love this recipe!
Beef Bourguignonne
Yields 6 cups
2 lbs. chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2” cubes
1 bottle (750 ml) Pinot Noir wine
1 yellow onion, diced
1 parsnip, diced
1 rib celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne
4 strips thick-sliced bacon, diced
2-4 Tablespoons olive oil
1 beef knuckle soup bone
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
¼ cup brandy
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
8 oz. white mushrooms, halved
8 oz. pearl onions, peeled
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 Tablespoon lemon zest
Salt & Pepper to taste
Combine wine, vegetables, garlic and bay leaves in a large bowl. Place meat in a strainer and submerge in the marinade. Marinate 4 hours but preferably overnight.
Remove meat from marinade and pat dry. Drain vegetables from marinade, reserving both. Combine flour and seasonings in a large resealable plastic bag. Dredge beef in flour mixture.
Sauté bacon in a large Dutch oven over med-high heat until crisp. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on a paper-towel lined plate. Brown beef in batches in bacon fat left in pan-do not crowd the pan or meat will not brown well. Remove browned beef before adding more. If the pan becomes dry, add a little olive oil. Remove last batch of meat before continuing. Preheat oven to 225o F.
Sweat reserved vegetables, soup bone and tomato paste in pan, stirring to loosen the browned bits from the bottom. Cook until vegetables soften, 5 minutes. Add brandy; cook until evaporated. Tie thyme and peppercorns in a paper coffee filter; secure with cotton kitchen string. Add herb bundle, reserved marinade, bacon and beef. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, transfer to oven and braise 4 hours.
Stir in mushrooms, pearl onions and vinegar. Return to the oven and cook, covered, until meat is tender, about 2 more hours. Remove herb bundle and soup bone. Skim off the fat.
Finish with parsley, lemon zest, salt and pepper to taste. Serve over mashed potatoes.
Two Years Ago: Stewed White Beans with Tomatoes and Rosemary
Three Years Ago: Peanut Butter-Nutella Brownies
Noble Pig's Chocolate-Pinot Noir Fondue
Here's a recipe we did for our wine club members quite awhile back. We have had so many people ask us to post this recipe because they've either lost it or want to share it with friends. So here it is, we hope you enjoy it!
With Valentine's Day right around the corner, sweets are definitely the center of many gatherings and chocolate is often what we reach for first. By adding wine to this recipe, we improve flavor perception and get this wonderful yummy dessert. It’s magical, especially with all the yummy dipper possibilities
Noble Pig's Chocolate-Pinot Noir Fondue
1 cup heavy cream
1-1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
12 ounces milk chocolate chips
2 Tablespoons Noble Pig Pinot Noir wine
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dippers…Lady Fingers, Marshmallows, Pound Cake, Bananas, Pretzels, Dried Pineapple Rings, Strawberries, Raspberries, Graham Crackers…the possibilities are endless.
Combine cream and espresso powder over medium heat; bring to a simmer. Add chocolate chips and stir constantly until chocolate melts. Stir in the wine and vanilla extract.
Pour the chocolate sauce into a fondue pot or a small slow cooker to keep warm. Use skewers to dip accompaniments into the chocolate.
Bacon, Egg & Toast Cups
Wow, what an awesome idea this is for breakfast, or breakfast for dinner...or a snack. It's like the whole kit and kaboodle in one bite. Do you know how hard it is to have the bacon, eggs and toast done at the same time? Well of course you do, you've tried. It's a challenge.
So I guess this post has now saved you from morning despair and frustration. Lucky you. Oh let's not forget how good these taste....the buttery toast, the salty bacon, the runny egg (or not depending on how long you cook it). It's just fantastic and a perfect solution to making breakfast for a lot of mouths. Once they are in the oven, get the coffee goin' and you'll have to time to take the curlers out of your hair before you take the kids to school. They will be very happy for that.
Look at that, it's just perfect.
Bacon, Egg and Toast Cups
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Serves 6 or more
Cooking spray
6 slices white or whole-wheat sandwich bread
1/4 cup butter, melted
6 slices bacon, preferably thick cut
6 large eggs
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
Preheat oven to 375o F. Spray 6 standard muffin cups with cooking spray.
With a rolling pin, flatten bread slices slightly and with a 4-1/4" cookie cutter, cut into eight rounds. (Now, most of us don't have a cookie cutter that large. Flatten your bread and place your largest round cutter on the bread and use as a guide to cut that size hole. 4-1/4" is pretty much what a piece of sandwich bread will measure when flattened. So, you are essentially cutting the largest round you can minus any crust.) Cut each round in half, then press two halves into each muffin cup, overlapping slightly and making sure bread comes up to edge of cup. Use extra bread to patch any gaps on bottom or sides. Brush bread with melted butter.
In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium, until almost crisp (I cooked my bacon in the oven for 6 minutes on 375o F.) The bacon will continue to cook in the oven.
Lay 1 bacon slice in each bread cup and crack an egg over each. Season with salt and pepper. Place muffin tin on a rimmed cookie sheet to catch any bacon fat. Bake until egg whites are just set, 20 to 25 minutes.
And they easily pop right out of the tin. So perfect.
Bacon, Egg and Toast Cups
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Serves 6 or more
Cooking spray
6 slices white or whole-wheat sandwich bread
1/4 cup butter, melted
6 slices bacon, preferably thick cut
6 large eggs
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
Preheat oven to 375o F. Spray 6 standard muffin cups with cooking spray.
With a rolling pin, flatten bread slices slightly and with a 4-1/4" cookie cutter, cut into eight rounds. (Now, most of us don't have a cookie cutter that large. Flatten your bread and place your largest round cutter on the bread and use as a guide to cut that size hole. 4-1/4" is pretty much what a piece of sandwich bread will measure when flattened. So, you are essentially cutting the largest round you can minus any crust.) Cut each round in half, then press two halves into each muffin cup, overlapping slightly and making sure bread comes up to edge of cup. Use extra bread to patch any gaps on bottom or sides. Brush bread with melted butter.
In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium, until almost crisp (I cooked my bacon in the oven for 6 minutes on 375o F.) The bacon will continue to cook in the oven. Lay 1 bacon slice in each bread cup and crack an egg over each. Season with salt and pepper. Place muffin tin on a rimmed cookie sheet to catch any bacon fat. Bake until egg whites are just set, 20 to 25 minutes.
One Year Ago: Sweet and Sour Pork
Two Years Ago: Spike Mendelsohn's Toasted Marshmallow Shake
Three Years Ago: Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Dip
Slow-Cooker Roast Pork with Cranberry-Pineapple Sauce
What a meal. Busy life = slow-cooking meat = happy family.
Again, I am embracing the slow-cooker. It's saving me! However, have you ever been home all day while the slow-cooker is going? Or worse asleep at night while it's cooking? I feel like I snack more while those amazing smells are wafting from the kitchen. Then the kids come home from school and whine until dinner because they smell the food too. And want it. Oh well, a small price to pay for an awesome meal.
This pork, is melt in your mouth delicious. And you can literally throw it together in 5 minutes and be on your merry way. When you get home you will have a fabulous, slightly sweet and savory meal that goes QUITE well with mashed potatoes. And there is so much juice to pour over the meat, leaving it moist and yummy. Ah, bliss.
We will be doing this one again and again this winter.
Slow-Cooker Roast Pork with Cranberry-Pineapple Sauce
Serves six
1 boneless pork roast, about 4 to 5 pounds, remove any string that might be holding it together
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
Garlic powder
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
Remove any string that be tying the pork and pat the roast dry. Season the roast with Kosher salt, pepper and garlic powder. (Get the seasoning in all the crevices). Place roast in the slow-cooker.
In a large bowl mix together pineapple, cranberry sauce, nutmeg, cloves and 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt. Pour over the pork in the slow-cooker. Cover and cook for 7.5 hours on low.
Serve slices of pork with sauce spooned over top.
One Year Ago: Dark Chocolate Espresso Pudding with White Chocolate Whipped Cream
Glazed Doughnut Muffins
If you are looking for something to make for that next special breakfast....I highly suggest these. It's a muffin, that tastes like a doughnut. See, you already feel less guilty just by its shape. Oh yeah, and the fact that it is not fried in oil.
Anyway, I always feel guilty eating doughnuts, I hate that. Who doesn't want a doughnut with an ice, cold glass of milk?
I can also tell you, these are the perfect after school snack. Not a lot to say here other than, these are incredible and why not give it a try.
It's a doughnut in a muffin's body. Utterly genius.
Glazed Doughnut Muffins
From King Arthur Flour
Makes 12 muffins
For the muffins:
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup golden brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
For the Glaze:
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons hot water
Preheat oven to 425o F. Line 12 muffin cups with muffin liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, vegetable oil and both sugars until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time. With the mixer on low speed, add baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and vanilla until just combined. Mix in the flour alternately with milk until combined.
Spoon batter into cups, filling them to the top. Smooth the tops with the back of a spoon. Bake until muffin tops are a pale golden brown and spring back to the touch., about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool muffins in the tin for 5 minutes before removing. Cool 10 minutes before glazing.
To make the glaze, in a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and mix with a spoon until smooth.
When the muffins have cooled slightly, dip the muffin crown into the glaze and allow the glaze to harden (about 2 minutes). Dip a second time and allow to harden again. Serve.
One Year Ago: Rugelach
Three Years Ago: Cranking It Up
