Brie + Fig + Walnut Cups

October 27, 2014

If there is anything in the world that I absolutely love, it’s great food and wine. Some of my fondest memories are with friends and family sharing a great bottle of wine and a simple cheese platter or dishes to pass. The art of food and wine pairings is one that I’m slowly trying to master since so much of my life revolves around wine. It can be really intimidating, but a quick google search and reading the tasting notes on the bottle get you halfway there already. The rest is acquired over time with drinking more wine and experimenting – not a bad deal 😉

For our Pink Party, I was on the hunt for some great simple recipes that would pair well with Chardonnay and this was was such a winner. The combination of brie, candied walnuts and figs all wrapped up in buttery, flaky phyllo dough was so delicious with a well balanced Chardonnay (lightly oaked with a slightly sweet/caramel finish). I’m dying for an excuse to make these again. Enjoy!

Prep: 20 minutes
Serves: 12

Ingredients

1 package phyllo dough sheets (available in the dessert freezer aisle)
4 tablespoons butter (melted)
1 – 10-14 oz. wheel of brie cheese (cut into 12 wedges)
Fig spread (available in this set)
Walnuts (I use Fresh Gourmet Glazed Walnuts)

Instructions

1. Allow phyllo dough to thaw for time designated on the package and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough on wax paper and brush with melted butter. Layer another piece of phyllo dough on top and repeat until you have 6 layers.

3. Cut the phyllo dough into 12 sections.

4. Butter the bottoms and sides of each well of a cupcake pan and place each section of 6 layers of phyllo dough into individual wells. You need to have enough phyllo to wrap around the contents and close on the top so it’s sometimes easier to save one of the 6 layers for covering the top.

5. Place one wedge of brie into the bottom of each cup and layer 3 tablespoons of fig spread and 1 tablespoon of walnuts into each cup. You should use all of your fig spread so if you have extra, add it to your pastries. If you prefer to remove the rind from the brie, do that at this time.

6. Close each cup and brush the tops with melted butter.

7. Place on bottom rack of oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until phyllo is slightly browned and crispy.

8. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Gently scoop each cup out being careful not to tear the layers and place on serving dish. Serve while warm with ONEHOPE Chardonnay – DELICIOUS!

Recipe inspired by this.

Pink Party for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October 23, 2014

Call me #basic, but by the time September rolls around, I’m ready to embrace all things fall. From autumn inspired recipes, to warm mulled wines, to pumpkins and candles that remind me of fall scents back home in Michigan – I just can’t get enough of my favorite season. October, however, is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and it marks the beginning of the most important time of the year for us at work. Since half the profits from our Chardonnay give back to Gateway for Cancer Research (providing clinical trials to women with breast cancer), just when we’re ready to dive head first into fall, everything turns PINK.

We have a division of our company called Hope at Home which offers at-home wine parties that benefit the cause of your choice with 15% going back to the non-profit of your choice. As our Art Director, I’m always on the hunt for creative and fun ways for our team to stay inspired and get motivated to throw their own parties – especially during our cause months. A big challenge for me this year at work was figuring out how to throw a pink party, when everyone wants to curl up with a blanket, drink warm mulled wine and pull out their orange pumpkins and decor. I poked around the internet for some inspiration and ultimately ended up coming back again and again to a flower arrangement that embraced pink and orange equally. It was inherently pink but also perfectly fall so I decided to run with it.

Since everything we put together had to be easily replicated by our team members who might not be full fledged floral designers or regular party hosts, I broke it down into three simple DIYS and four food/appetizer ideas that both embrace the fall season and pair wonderfully with our Chardonnay. The best part of this project (beside seeing it all come together) was definitely trying the recipes. They were SO good and everyone in the office chowed down while we popped open a few bottles of Chardonnay. Check out everything below from the DIY and recipes to shots from our own little Pink Party 😉

PS: If you’re interested in hosting your own PINK party for Breast Cancer Awareness Month or if you’d like to raise money for another cause that you’re passionate about OR if you’d like to make an income while giving back to various causes, please consider Hope at Home 🙂

DIY YARN FRINGE BACKDROP

DIY PINK FALL FLORALS

DIY FLORAL ICE CUBES

PINK MARSHMALLOW DIP

PEAR + GOAT CHEESE CROSTINI

BRIE + FIG PASTRY BITES

CHARDONNAY CHEESE PLATE

CHEERS!

Salad Wars – Quinoa Salad

October 21, 2014

Happy Tuesday! I meant to post the second salad of Salad Wars last week, but things got crazy at work and there was just no darn time for blogging. You know how that goes!

Now back to salads…

This salad probably takes the cake as one of the best everyday salad I’ve ever had. Jake and I visited some friends last summer when they got engaged and moved into their first place together. Lauren whipped this up for everyone and I was sold. I had to have the recipe! Thankfully she sent it over a few days later and I’ve been making it ever since and it’s such a hit every time. What’s really great is that it’s so simple to make ahead of time too and these days I’m all about easy lunches. Usually on Sunday or Monday night I’ll make a great big batch of quinoa (2 cups of quinoa in 4 cups of chicken stock) and then I have a ton of it for the week to throw into anything that needs a little extra something. Pre-chop the veggies (peppers, onion and cucumber) and you’re good to go. Simple lunches FOR. THE. WIN. Huge thanks to Lauren for changing my salad life and turning me on to quinoa!

Prep: 30 minutes
Serves: 2 people (entree sized portion)

Ingredients

4 cups of fresh spinach
1 cucumber (peeled and chopped)
1 red bell pepper (seeded and chopped)
1 green bell pepper (seeded and chopped)
1/4 red onion (chopped)
1 avocado
1/2 cup feta
1 lemon
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken stock
2 cloves garlic (minced)
salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a small pot, combine chicken stock with quinoa, garlic, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.

2. While cooking the quinoa, chop all of your veggies.

3. Once quinoa has absorbed all of the chicken stock (about 20 minutes) remove from heat for 5 minutes and fluff with a fork.

4. Combine spinach, veggies and feta and pour quinoa over top. Juice lemon and add olive oil and balsamic. Toss and serve.

5. Two great wines to pair… this one and this one 🙂

Salad Wars – Easy Spinach Salad

October 8, 2014

As much as I wish I could say that I’m a health nut, it just isn’t the truth. I blame part of it on growing up with a should-have-been-a-chef father who was always whipping up something absolutely incredible that generally included rich flavors: garlic, spices, great meats, savory cheeses, etc. Now that I work in the wine industry, my foodie levels have only been heightened by pushing myself to think about pairings and learning more about what foods bring out certain characteristics in wines and vice versa. However, when I started running a LOT earlier this year (more than ever before in my life), I started to learn a few things about my body. Mainly that I absolutely could not continue eating anything and everything I ever wanted.

The issue for me is that it’s really hard to find healthy food that is flavored well and that I really, truly crave. I need salads that are way more interesting than the pre-made quinoa and kale station at Whole Foods during lunch to keep me going or else I wind up at the ridiculous taco joint down the street for the best fish tacos on the planet, or god forbid, CHIPOTLE, which is also conveniently within walking distance to the office. Additionally, I took a hard look at my bank account a few weeks ago and it’s just sad how much money goes to eating lunch out almost every day of the week. It’s no secret that packing a lunch saves you money, but it was a truth I chose to ignore for quite a while.

Enter Salad Wars which is mainly a great big experiment and challenge to find the best, most convenient and healthy salads out there. In my quest, I have found a few and to my disbelief, I’m actually excited for them by lunch or dinner – a feat I never thought possible 😉 Over the course of the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing a few of those recipes and hope to inspire you to join me on the quest for good health.

#1 is my go-to Spinach Salad… check out the recipe below!

Prep: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

2-3 handfuls of fresh spinach
1 handful of cherry or grape tomatoes sliced in half
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 avocado
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt (to taste)
a dusting of freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions

If you’re taking this for lunch and would like to prep it the night before, I usually mix the spinach, pine nuts, parmesan and a little salt in a travel container. I slice the avocado and tomatoes just before eating to keep things fresh 🙂

This salad could not be simpler, which I love. No dressing at all (including EVO) is always better than dressing, but cutting out pre-mixed, store bought dressing also cuts out major calories so I feel ok with a little drizzle of olive oil. With a tiny bit of salt and just a slight dusting of cheese, I’ve found that I don’t miss the pre-mixed dressing at all and I feel fulfilled and re-energized when I’m done eating instead of slipping into total food-coma… We’ve all been there after lunch. You know what I’m talking about.

*If you’re having this for dinner or if you’re allowed to have a taste of wine at work, this wine or this one are great options and pair deliciously with all of the flavors above 🙂 Cheers!

Wine Wednesday | Radiant Orchid Granita

July 16, 2014

Happy #WineWednesday! You know those projects that come across your desk and you just cringe at the thought of having to tackle them? This one was it for me. I honestly can not remember being so stuck creatively – ever. When Pantone announced its color of the year for 2014, a part of me died inside. To go from Emerald Green (hello, best color EVER), to a bright purple hue inspired by my least favorite flower on the planet, seriously bummed me out. Fast forward a few weeks into 2014 and our PR firm was asking for us to whip up some sort of Radiant Orchid concoction. WHY.

I spent forever trying to figure out a way to make this happen. I knew whatever wine we used needed to be virtually colorless (Sparkling) and that there needed to be some sort of mixer that was a borderline unnatural shade of purple to make the entire look come together. I can’t say I’ve ever tested, tried and mixed so many ingredients in my life to make it happen, but it finally worked and I was floored with the results. Of course the primary ingredient ended up being one simple, pretty natural thing – Blueberry Lemonade. Seriously? After all of that?!

You know how they say your greatest challenges often wind up being your biggest rewards? This one was it. I could not be happier with how it turned out. Thank you, amazing PR firm for challenging me to think outside of the box… you girls absolutely rock 🙂

Check out a few of my favorite outtakes from the shoot and the full recipe below. Cheers!!!

Prep: 5 minutes
Total time: 3-6 hours

Serves: 8-10 (depending on glass size)

Ingredients
1 (750ml) bottle of ONEHOPE Sparkling Wine
1 liter blueberry lemonade

Directions
1) Pour blueberry lemonade into an 8″ x 8″ glass baking dish and freeze for 1-2 hours.
2) Carefully remove freezing lemonade from freezer. Using a fork, scrape the mixture until the consistency is slushy throughout (lemonade will be more frozen toward the outside edges of the dish when you start).
3) Put the mixture back in the freezer for 1-2 hours and repeat two more times. Scraping the mixture prevents it from freezing into a solid brick of ice and maintains the slushy, icy consistency that is so delicious about a granita 🙂
4) Scoop granita mixture into glasses (we used champagne coups) and top with ONEHOPE Sparkling wine. Cheers!

Tropical Sangria

June 16, 2014

When putting together our “Sangria Summer” for work, I was having serious wanderlust for Hawaii and was ready to consume anything that satisfied my Oahu nostalgia in the slightest. The fruit on the Hawaiian islands is insane and I can’t say I’ve had so much pineapple, mango and papaya in my life as I did that week we were away. I decided to throw this one together from scratch using all of my favorite tropical fruits and it was one of our team’s top picks of the week. Aside from being just so darn pretty, it was SO delicious and I can’t wait to make it again soon. Perfect for the hottest months of the year or anytime you’re just needing a mental tropical vacation… if even for a few moments 🙂 Cheers!

Ingredients

1 bottle of ONEHOPE Sauvignon Blanc
1/2 cup guava juice
1/4 cup orange juice
1 cup pineapple (cut into 1″ wedges)
orange slices
blood orange slices (optional)
mango slices
passion fruit (seeds and juice from 1 passion fruit)

*consider additional fruit for garnishing before serving

Directions

1) Combine all ingredients in one of your sangria bar carafes and seal tightly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.

2) Fill glasses with crushed ice and garnish with fresh blood orange, pineapple and mango if desired.

Yield: 4-6 servings

White Peach Sangria

June 14, 2014

If there is anything in the entire world that I love about summer, it’s peaches. Growing up, my grandma and grandpa who had retired and moved to Florida, would move to Michigan for the summer to watch my cousin Mike and I during the day while our parents were at work. Since my aunt and uncle had a larger home on the lake, my grandparents would live there and my mom would drop me off every morning to spend my days running through sprinklers, swimming in the lake or having water balloon fights with the neighborhood kids. I remember my grandma always buying peaches and she would heat them up for just a few seconds before putting them over vanilla ice cream. The combination was so simple and heavenly and is one of my favorite memories from growing up.

When searching for sangria recipes for the summer, I knew we needed to include one with peaches and this was it! The quintessential summer sangria! Cheers!

PS: If I were to make this again, I would probably omit the apples and the lime to bring out more of that peachy flavor, but that’s just my two cents 🙂 Xo

Ingredients

1 bottle of ONEHOPE Sauvignon Blanc
1 bottle ONEHOPE Sparkling Wine (optional topper just before serving)
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
1 cup raspberries
lime slices (1/2 lime)
orange slices (1/2 large navel orange)
2 ripe peaches (cut into wedges)
2 apples (seeded and cut into slices)
orange juice (from 2nd half of large navel orange or ~1/4 cup)

*Consider extra fruit for garnishing glasses if desired

Directions

1) Combine all ingredients in one of your sangria bar carafes and cover tightly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.

2) Fill glasses with crushed ice and garnish with fresh orange slices, raspberries, and peaches. Top with sparkling before serving (if desired).

Yield: 4-6 servings

Recipe adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/white-sangria-recipe.html

Grapefruit Sangria

June 11, 2014

Happy #WineWednesday!!! I can’t believe the week is halfway over already! Last weekend was complete perfection (you can see it all documented on Insta), but there is SO much to get done before our big catalog shoot at work next week. Cue the anxiety! I will definitely be enjoying a glass of wine tonight to calm the nerves 🙂

Today I’m sharing the Grapefruit Sangria recipe I created/shot for work last month. I was really on the hunt for some unique sangria options and wanted to throw a little grapefruit in there to mix things up a bit. Grapefruit is something I do not get enough of and I realized that with the grapefruity presence in our Sauvignon Blanc (as well as it making mean mimosa!), it would be the perfect fit for a super citrusy sangria.

Ingredients

1 bottle of ONEHOPE Sauvignon Blanc
1 bottle of ONEHOPE Sparkling Wine (optional topper just before serving)
grapefruit slices (from 1 small grapefruit)
3/4 cup sliced ripe strawberries
lime slices (1/2 lime)
orange slices (1 small orange)
3/4 cup pink grapefruit juice
1/4 cup simple syrup, more if desired

Directions

1) Combine all ingredients in one of your sangria bar carafes and cover tightly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.

2) Fill glasses with crushed ice and garnish with fresh grapefruit, strawberries and orange slices. Top with sparkling before serving (if desired).

Yield: 4-6 servings

Recipe adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/strawberry-pink-grapefruit-rose-sangria-recipe.html

Blackberry Orange Sangria

June 10, 2014

To continue on our ‘Sangria Week’ as we gear up for summer, the next sangria recipe on this list is a Blackberry Orange Sangria that is absolute perfection. I had a really hard time picking a favorite sangria this year because they’re all so unique and have something about them that I truly love, but this one just has to take the cake.

In early April I was poking around the internet for a sangria recipe made with Cabernet. Most sangrias that call for red wines use a Pinot Noir, a Spanish red or Merlot, but we were hosting a lunch at our office for Autism Awareness month and our Cabernet gives back to Autism so Cab it was! Rather than serve Cab at noon, I decided to get a little creative and make a sangria instead. I came across this recipe and decided to replace the Spanish red for our Cab and I was floored with how good it turned out. For a moment, I was the crazy girl at the office asking everyone if it was really that good or if I was just nuts. Everyone agreed that it was awesome – the combination of pomegranate juice, orange and fresh juicy blackberries is simply heavenly – and so it became my favorite 🙂 Bookmark this one for when you’re entertaining this summer or just need a change from your usual drink of choice. I hope you love it! Cheers!

Ingredients

1 bottle ONEHOPE Cabernet Sauvignon
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1/4 cup simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water heated until sugar is fully dissolved)
orange slices
apple slices
blackberries
pomegranate seeds (optional)

Directions

1) Combine all ingredients in one of your sangria bar carafes and tightly seal for 24 hours before serving

2) Fill glasses with crushed ice and garnish with fresh orange slices, apple slices, blackberries and pomegranate seeds before serving.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Recipe adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/red-wine-sangria-recipe.html

Guava + Sage Sangria

June 6, 2014

TGIF! Is it me or was this week just bananas? I can’t believe how many things are happening at work and how many projects need to be wrapped up before the end of the month – major crunch time for sure! Last weekend we were in Seattle visiting some friends so this weekend is going to be a little catchup, gardening, some housework and of course… sangria. This one was an absolute crowd pleaser at work and I’ve never had a sangria that was quite so unique. The combination of guava, sage and cranberry is one that is truly special and that you will not find on a menu anywhere this summer. Plus… isn’t the color just incredible? Guavas really are one of the prettiest fruits and the flavor is so fresh and sweet… AND, they’re in season right now so go scoop some up before they’re gone and get mixing 🙂 Have a wonderful weekend! Cheers!

Ingredients

1/2 bottle ONEHOPE Sauvignon Blanc
1/2 bottle ONEHOPE Sparkling Wine
1/4 cup cognac
1/4 cup pureed guava (use guava juice if fresh guava isn’t available)
1/4 cup pear juice
1/4 cup cranberry juice
Thinly sliced orange spheres
Strained cranberries (use frozen cranberries if fresh cranberries aren’t available)
Fresh sage

Directions

1) Combine ONEHOPE Sauvignon Blanc, 1 cup of the ONEHOPE Sparkling Wine, all of the cognac, guava, pear juice, cranberry juice, sliced oranges and cranberries into one of your sangria bar carafes, stirring as you go.

2) Let the mixture chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Serve on the rocks, garnish with fresh sage, cranberries, orange slices and top with a dash of ONEHOPE Sparkling Wine.

Yield: 4-6 servings

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