Easy Shrimp in Lemon Wine Sauce

Whenever I don't know what to make for dinner or when I'm pressed for time, I always turn to shrimp. We don't have it too often, but this past month has been hectic and I've made it several times.

This is my easy shrimp with fresh tomatoes recipe that takes no more than 15 minutes from start to finish. I still had a few fresh tomatoes left from the garden. I don't know how they survived, but I was happy to have them to use in this recipe.

What makes this recipe so fast is that I used Buitoni fresh linguini which takes only minutes to cook and makes this a no fail recipe. My recipe is for 2 servings, but you can easily make it for more just by increasing the amount of the ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 lb. cleaned and deveined shrimp
  
• 1 package Buitoni fresh linguini or angel hair pasta
  
• 1 shallot chopped (or garlic if you prefer)
  
• 1 large tomato chopped
  
• 2 TBLS. olive oil
  
• 1-2 TBLS. fresh lemon juice (more or less as desired)
  
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
  
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
  
• 1 TBLS. butter
  salt and pepper to taste
  
• Fresh Parsley chopped
  

DIRECTIONS

• Fill a pot with water big enough to cook the Buitoni pasta and turn it on so that it is boiling when you are ready to add the pasta (which is when your sauce is done and the shrimp are almost cooked).


• Heat a saute pan and add the olive oil. When oil is hot add the shallots and saute just until they are soft about a minute or 2. Then add the shrimp and saute them about 1 minute on each side. They will turn pink, but will not be cooked through. Remove them from the pan.


• Add tomatoes to the pan with the shallots let them cook about 3-4 minutes or just until they become soft.


• Now add the white wine, lemon juice and chicken broth and simmer for a minute or two until the flavors blend. Then add the shrimp and be sure that the heat is on very low.


• Put the Buitoni fresh pasta into the boiling water. It cooks in a few minutes, so be sure to time the cooking.


• Add a little of the fresh parsley, and a dab of butter to the saute pan and stir gently.


• Remove the cooked pasta from the water with tongs and place the pasta into the pan with the shrimp and gently stir together.


• By placing the undrained pasta into the sauce it gives the sauce body.


• You are ready to plate your shrimp and pasta and Mangia!

If you have the time you can prepare a tossed green salad and some garlic bread to add to this meal. This is such an easy dish and it makes a nice presentation for guests. They'll think you were in the kitchen all day.

I had a bottle of pinot grigio which I used in my sauce and we then we had it with our meal. If you are going to drink the wine with your meal, keep it in the fridge for about 15 minutes before you are ready to serve it.


Mangia!
Winelady Cooks

Wine Review Monday

Does Size Matter?

Have you shopped for wine and noticed that there are several bottle sizes on the shelves? Early on when I was very young and started entertaining I ventured into a liquor store to buy liquor and wine for my party.

I was so young I didn't know a thing about anything! Who knew? there were different sized bottles of liquor and wine.

Today there is a lot of information about wine to keep us in the know but sometimes we can be overwhelmed when it comes to buying wine for parties. This information can assist with your purchases and hopefully save you money as well.

These are just a few of the most popular bottle sizes you will find in your wine shop. There are many other size bottles which you might see displayed in restaurants, but I'll save that for another post.


Split or half bottle is .325ml.
Standard wine bottle is .750ml.
Magnum is 1.5 liters which is equal to 2 standard bottles.
Double Magnum is 3 liters equal to 4 standard bottles
Double Magnum is also called a Jeroboam for Champagne.
Jeroboam is 4.5 liters is in a Bordeaux shaped bottle equal to 6 bottles.

When you are purchasing wine for a large party, it is recommended that the largest bottle you purchase is the Magnum.

The breakdown for buying the perfect size:


• If you only want one glass of wine the split is perfect.
  
  
• For an intimate dinner party for 2 to 6 the standard bottle will suffice, though you might want to buy 2 bottles depending on your menu.
  
  
• If you are having a party of 10 or more and serving buffet style the Magnum can be a good choice especially if you are serving only one red wine and one white wine.
  
  
• If you are thinking about buying the Double Magnum, keep in mind that the larger bottles can be difficult to open. For that large party an experienced bartender serving your guests might be the way to go, however, it might be more than your budget allows.

Keep in mind that the large bottles cost more to produce and bottle the wine, making the cost per glass more than the cost per glass in a standard size bottle. Size does matter when you are on a budget.

When shopping for a large party, discuss your needs with the manager of your wine store. They will be able to assist you with purchasing the proper amount of wine and may also refund you for any wine you did not open.

Here is more information on setting up for a party.


Salute!
Winelady Cooks

Wine Review Monday

Kosher wines are in order this week in honor of Rosh Hashanah.

Rosh Hashanah literally translated means "Head of the Year" in Hebrew. This "festival" is a time filled with hope for the new year. Traditionally the custom is to eat foods that are sweet which symbolizes the hope for a sweet year of blessings and abundance.

Here is a list of Kosher wine recommendations that everyone will enjoy with their celebratory meals.

White Wine

Herzog 2007 Late Harvest Clarksburg Chenin Blanc (California) ($20). The "late harvest" is a hint that this wine has a sweetness to it. It can give your palate quite a workout. At times you will taste a bit of a sweetness, or it will taste a bit dry.

The aroma and flavor is a honey-like golden raisin. It is a light and tangy wine that is perfect for the sweet side dishes that are traditionally served. It is also a hit with traditional Honey Apple Cake and fresh fruit compotes severed for dessert.

Goose Bay Chardonnay 2006 ($20) has crisp citrus and tropical fruit flavors. This Chardonnay has been aged in oak barrels which give it a bit of vanilla and toast flavors.

Perfect with grandma's traditional roast chicken, as well as poached salmon, meat and some cheeses.

Red Wine

Golan Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Golan Heights ($15) just may be a perfect red wine for Rosh Hashanah with its flavors of juicy raspberry, blueberry and pomegranate which gives it a bit of tart acidity. It has both mild acidity and tannins making this a lovely smooth wine.

Pair this red with lean meat, roast chicken and even meat with a Chinese style spicy or sweet sauce.

GALIL MOUNTAIN Rosé 2006, Galilee ($15)
A fresh rosé that is a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Barbera grapes. It has fresh berry and cherry flavors with bit of a spice.

Pair this wine with grilled fish and chicken.

Sherry

This Kosher sherry from Spain is a rabinically supervised extra-dry fino sherry with a high alcohol content. Sip slowly.

Gonzalez Byass Tio Pepe Palomino Fino (Spain, nonvintage) (approx. $20) has a woody, olive-like aroma and traditional sherry flavors.

Serve this at prayer service on Shabbat, or you can serve it as an apéritif. Pair it with chicken and fish dinners with Mediterranean flavors consisting of olives, lemon and capers.

Salute!
Winelady Cooks

Kosher Wine

Upcoming Rosh Hashanah prompts me to post a short list of Kosher wines.

Kosher wine production is based on ancient traditions. Early on Kosher wines were made from only Concord grapes which did not make a good wine. That explained why Kosher wine was given a bad rap way back when. . ., and were not even considered drinkable. Those days are gone.

Modern wine-making methods and using quality grapes have made a tremendous difference in the end result. Today Kosher wines can be compared to any premium wine in the market. Now you can find Kosher wines produced in traditional wine regions such as France, Italy, Napa Valley in California, Chile, Argentina, Spain and many others.

You don't have to be Kosher to enjoy a wine that is labeled Kosher. You can find excellent wines in most premium wine shops.


Salute!
Winelady Cooks

Simple Pleasures and Roasting Marshmallows

Our northeast weather this summer was not as pleasant as it should have been. A "washout" is what my grandson called it. He was disappointed that the wet weather kept him from fishing and swimming. But since he is a trooper he soon found something to fill the gap -- roasting marshmallows.

The beautiful summer evenings were the perfect setting for marshmallows roasting on an open fire, and fire flies buzzing by your nose.

So to end the wet summer on a pleasant note, we've been sitting by the fire pit on the patio and roasting marshmallows. The boys have been putting together s'mores for us and we've been having a good ol' time singing songs and consuming more calories than necessary.

They are so excited about roasting marshmallows they've been inviting everyone in the neighborhood to join them in the fun.


Waaay back in the day sitting around a fire and having singalongs with my family was a regular weekend event during my childhood summers.

Back then computers were not even a glimmer in anyone's eye, and in the country radio reception was poor and there was no television reception either.

It was more fun than we could have ever imagined at that time. My sisters and I have very fond memories of those summer nights.

So who cares about the calories when you're enjoying life's simple pleasures with family and having fun you never thought you could have in this age of technology. I'm so happy that I could share these memories and hope that my grandsons will remember them fondly when they recall events from "back in the day".

Hope you all had a memorable summer and a wonderful Labor Day
and Happy Back-to-School!

Mangia
Winelady Cooks