Seven Dollar Wine? Delicious!

I wrote this little article for a position I applied for as a "Boston Budget Wine Reviewer." The first time I bought this wine was when I was living in the North End and pretty much exclusively buying my groceries from the Golden Goose, which basically costs you a Golden Bar every time you go in there. Unless I was able to snag a ride from Kendra or brave the long haul to Shaws, I would just walk over to the Goose. Obviously once I got there I felt like I should treat myself to a bottle but because my checkbook was going to bounce once I left I would always go for the cheep stuff, and often regretted it after. However, this little bottle surprised and impressed me- since, it's a staple for me, I suggest it should be for you to- Cheers!

Seven Dollar Wine? Delicious!

By Sarah Tulloch

When you want an inexpensive bottle of wine but don’t want to feel like your drinking from a box, grab the bottle with the little red chicken on it, Le Coq Rouge.

At about seven dollars a bottle, this fruity, slightly tannic wine from France will pair nicely with pretty much anything from hamburgers and Chinese take out to steak or roasted lamb.

A blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Grenache makes it appealing to most everyone because it has a nice blend of flavors and not overpowering. Fits perfectly as the final touch on a weeknight meal or the stand out at a dinner party. The chique bottle makes a statement as well. Very simple in design, it appeals to the younger crowd who doesn’t want to spend thirty dollars on a bottle of but also don’t want to compromise on taste.

Since more quality wines are available at a lower price point these days, this once reserved beverage is now making a big come back. Showing up on the dinner table most any night of the week isn’t such a far fledged idea. Wine has a way of taking an everyday meal and turning into a romantic evening or adding the perfect touch to any dish. Luckily, with bottles like Le Coq Rouge low cost just means you’ll be able to buy two.

Chicken Tomato Soup

This is a very yummy soup that's easy to make and everyone loves. I enjoy making soups to have around especially in the winter. It's convenient to just heat up and have for lunch or when everyone is coming and going. Soups are economical too, and great for the figure. If I were to make my own food pyramid I'd say soup would be in the second tier, right after salad, followed by something sweet.

Chicken Tomato Soup:

2 large cans crushed tomatoes

4 cups chicken broth (or stock if you have some on hand)

2 bone in chicken breasts, shredded

about 5 carrots, med dice

about 5 celery stalks

3 onions, med dice

2 green peppers, med dice

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 package fajita seasoning mix (I used McCormick)

In a small saute pan brown the chicken on both sides until cooked through. You can also brown it and then pop it in the oven for about 10 minutes to cook it through (easier). In a large stock pot add about 3 Tablespoons of olive oil, heat up and add the onion-saute. Once it has started to turn translucent, add the carrots, celery and green peppers-saute about 5 minutes on medium high. Add the fajita seasoning mix and toss to coat. Add the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth to the ingredients and stir. Once the chicken is cooked through, let it cook and then shred it with a fork making sure to only get the chicken bits (no skin or bone). Add this to the soup and cover, stirring every ten minutes or so for about 40 minutes (keep it on medium so it doesn't boil). Season with salt and pepper before serving. I like to serve it with a little shredded cheese and sliced avocado.

Elizabeth's Salad

Since my best friend has been home from Columbia for Christmas break I've been making this wild rice salad for her often. I call it the "Elizabeth Salad." I originally made it from what was laying around and since have made it a few more times changing it up depending on what I have. I also like to make it using Quinoa instead of Wild Rice. It's great chilled, or you can heat it up if you're in the mood for something hot. It's super healthy and easy. It's vegan (also gluten and oil free)!

The Elizabeth Salad:

2 cups of Wild Rice (or Quinoa)

2 cups carrot-small chop

2 cups sweet peas

1 cup almonds-toasted and chopped or slivered

1/2 cup scallions-cut on a bias

plenty of salt and pepper to taste

Simply cook the rice or Quinoa (4 cups water to 2 cups rice-salted and boil, turn the heat down, add the rice and cover until done). While the rice is cooking prep the rest of your ingredietns-chopping veggies, toast the almonds, etc... Then combine with the rice in a large mixing bowl, toss with a fork, season and chill (or consume)! So simple, so good. *In this picture I added celery, usually I don't make it with celery.

Healthy Cookies? Yes my friends, here they are.

No butter, flour, eggs or sugar in these babies. And, they're good! I make them frequently and they're always a big hit. They're great to make for kids because they're free of junk but also taste like a cookie. You can freeze them as well and just pull out a few at a time if you like, I do that a lot.
So here's to a new year, I'm sure many of you are doing the whole "I'm not eating junk and loosing those last 5 pounds" resolution. If so, this is a recipe that might just help you get there.

Note- for the almond meal, I always just process 2/3 cup of almonds in my food processor to a mealy texture (sort of like course sand). Don't go too far or you'll end up with almond butter.

Healthy Cookies:
3 large, ripe bananas, well mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup almond meal
1/3 cup coconut, finely shredded & unsweetened
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 - 7 ounces chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, racks in the top third.
In a large bowl combine the bananas, vanilla extract, and olive oil. Set aside. In another bowl whisk together the oats, almond meal, shredded coconut, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks/chips.The dough is a bit looser than a standard cookie dough, don't worry about it. Drop dollops of the dough, each about 2 teaspoons in size, an inch apart, onto a baking sheet (spray it first). Bake for about 15 minutes. You'll want to check towards the end of the baking time and maybe move the baking sheets around a bit-bake them for as long as possible without burning the bottoms.
Makes about 3 dozen bite-sized cookies.

I found this recipe from one of my favorite cooking blogs: 101cookbooks.com. Heidi Swanson is a photographer and cooking blogger extraordinaire. Her recipes are healthy, vegetarian and always delicious-I can spend hours on her site-check it out, it's a must!