Bavarian Egg Noodles, Chicken Sausage, & Charlie Rae

By Laina Carter of McGrail Vineyards

I’m a huge proponent of authentic German food, especially during the fall months, and I wanted to share the happy, warm feeling I get from this comfort cuisine with you all. I will admit, this recipe is cheating just a little bit, because I mostly use the easiest packaged dry ingredients where I felt was necessary. I don’t think packaged is necessarily bad, but actually making Bavarian egg noodles from scratch just sounds like a headache to me. Plus, these ingredients actually come from Germany, so there has to be some level of authenticity to them, right? Anyway, I hope you consider making this tasty German specialty. It pairs amazingly with our crisp, California-style Charlie Rae Chardonnay!

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Cheese, Herb, & Onion Bavarian Egg Noodles & Chicken Apple Sausages

Makes about 8 servings.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 1 small yellow onion, peeled and diced finely
• 3 cups dry (1 package) Bechtle Traditional German Egg Noodles Spaetzle (1.1 lbs. or 17.6 oz.)*
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and sliced
• 8 chicken apple sausage links (about 26 oz. or 3 1/4 oz. per link)
• 3 oz. chopped crimini mushrooms
• 2 tbsp. Chardonnay
• 8 oz. Jarlsberg cheese, chopped finely
• 1 packet dry Maggi Fix & Frisch Kase-Spatzle (35g or 1.23 oz.)*

*The Maggi Fix & Frisch Kase-Spatzle and Bechtle Traditional German Egg Noodles Spaetzle can be found on Amazon or at Cost Plus World Market online or in-store.

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pan, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil on medium. Add small diced yellow onion and sautée until soft and slightly browned. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Prepare dry German egg noodles as directed on package.
3. While German egg noodles are cooking, heat the remaining olive oil on medium in the large pan. Stir in sliced yellow onion and sautée until soft and slightly browned. Add chicken apple sausages and cook until slightly brown on all sides, turning occasionally. Add mushrooms and Chardonnay and continue to cook until mushrooms are soft and wine has been cooked out.
4. When noodles are still hot and have been drained, add chopped Jarlsberg cheese and stir well. Add packet dry Maggi Fix & Frisch and sautéed onions. Mix well.
5. Enjoy the cheese spaetzle and chicken apple sausages with some Terrapin Ridge Pumpkin Honey Mustard (can be found at McGrail) and a glass of McGrail Charlie Rae Chardonnay!

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Please let us know if you make this yummy Bavarian staple at home! I’d appreciate feedback and would love to hear from you.

Cheers and enjoy!

Easy German Red Cabbage & McGrail Cab Reserve

By Laina Carter of McGrail Vineyards

What’s not to love about this classic Bavarian dish with a delicious Cab? This easy German red cabbage recipe and award-winning Cab are a no-brainer! There are just eight simple ingredients and three steps to whipping up this delectable fare that can be served cold or hot.

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Easy German Red Cabbage

Makes about 8 servings.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 small apples, thinly sliced
• 1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced
• I medium head organic red cabbage, sliced
• 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 3/4 tsp. pepper
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Spray a large, heavy-bottomed pot with cooking spray and heat on medium. Add apples and onions and cook until onions become soft.
2. Add remaining ingredients. Stir. Cover and continue to cook on medium for about an hour, stirring occasionally.
3. Serve hot or cold with grilled brats, spaetzle, a soft Bavarian pretzel, and a glass of 2016 McGrail Cabernet Reserve.

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I hope I’ve inspired you to make this easy, but delicious fall staple at home! Please let us know if you do try out this easy German red cabbage recipe. We’d love to hear from you!

Cheers and enjoy!

Easy Beefy Baby Bella Bites & McGrail Merlot

By Laina Carter of McGrail Vineyards

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Easy Beefy Baby Bella Bites

Makes about 9 servings (with 2 mushrooms per serving).

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 1/2 small yellow onion, minced
• 1/2 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1/3 lb. ground organic grass fed beef burger
• 2 tsp. herbs de Provence, divided
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 oz. organic baby bella mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed
• 2 tbsp. raw pine nuts
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium.
3. Sautee onion and garlic until soft. Add ground burger, 1 tsp. herbs de Provence, and salt and pepper to taste. Brown until beef is cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. In a bowl or ziplock bag, add baby bella mushrooms and remaining olive oil. Coat mushrooms with olive oil.
5. On an oiled baking sheet, place mushrooms upside down about 1-2 inches apart. Sprinkle raw pine nuts around mushrooms. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 5 minutes.
6. Turn oven heat to 400 degrees F.
7. Spoon cooked burger mixture into concave half of mushroom, using back of spoon to push burger into mushroom.
8. In a small bowl, combine parmesan, bread crumbs, remaining herbs de Provence, and salt and pepper. Mix well.
9. Pile parmesan mixture on top of mushrooms and bake at 400 degrees for about 7 minutes, or until bread crumbs and parmesan topping have become crispy and crunchy.
10. Sprinkle baked pine nuts over stuffed mushrooms and serve hot with a glass of yummy McGrail Merlot.

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I hope I’ve inspired you to make these easy little beefy baby bella bites at home! Please let us know if you do try out this recipe. We’d love to hear from you!

Cheers and enjoy!

Irish Beef and Potato Stew and McGrail Cabernet

By Laina Carter of McGrail Vineyards

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Irish Beef and Potato Stew

Makes about 12 servings.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 2 1/2 lbs. choice beef roast, cut into 1.5″ cubes
• 2 tbsp. minced garlic, divided
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 large sprigs of rosemary
• 3 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
• 6 large carrots, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped celery stalks, leaves removed
• 1 tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
• 2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 tbsp. fresh oregano leaves, chopped
• 1/2 tbsp. fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup leeks, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 1/4 cup Irish stout beer
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 2 1/4 lbs. red potatoes, cubed into 1″ pieces
• 1 cup frozen organic peas

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium in a large frying pan.
2. In a medium sized bowl, add cubed beef roast, 1 tablespoon minced garlic. Stir.
3. Sprinkle salt and pepper over beef, while stirring, to coat evenly.
4. Slowly coat beef chunks flour with flour and stir to coat evenly.
5. Cook dredged beef and sprigs of rosemary in hot olive oil, stirring constantly, until beef is just browned around edges. Remove from pan and set aside. Toss rosemary sprigs.
6. In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and chopped bacon, then stir until bacon is cooked through. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic, chopped onion, carrots, and celery. Sautee until soft.
7. In a large crockpot, add browned beef, cooked bacon and veggie mixture, chopped herbs, leeks, bay leaves, beef broth, tomato sauce, Irish stout, and red wine. Stir. Cover and cook on high for about 2-3 hours or until stew has began bubbling.
8. Remove one of the two bay leaves and add the potatoes. Stir. Continue to cook on high for about 1.5-2 more hours or until potatoes have been cooked through.
9. Add frozen peas to soup and stir.
10. Serve stew hot with toasted herb focaccia bread and a glass or two of 2017 McGrail Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve.

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I hope I’ve inspired you to make this warm classic Irish beef and potato stew at home! Please let us know if you do try out this recipe. We’d love to hear from you!

Cheers and enjoy!

Prawns In Lemon White Wine Sauce & Chardonnay

By Laina Carter of McGrail Vineyards

It’s summertime, which means most people are drinking crisp, chilled white wines. Accordingly, I’ve been coming up with more recipes for white wine pairings. This pairing suggestion came from Heather McGrail, who loves to recommend healthier versions to classic meals. Using just a bit of butter, a lean protein like shrimp, and veggies as an alternative to starch, I’d say this pairing is a bit more healthy than most. Not only is it delectable, it’s also wonderful paired with our McGrail Family Chardonnay!

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Prawns In Lemon White Wine Sauce Over Zucchini Noodles & Cous Cous

Makes 3 servings.

INGREDIENTS:

• ¾ lb. fresh uncooked shrimp, shelled and deveined, tails on
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¾ cup uncooked couscous
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 heaping tbsp. minced garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp. dry white wine
• 2 tbsp. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• ⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper
• 4 ½ cups zucchini noodles
• 3 tbsp. fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium bowl, soak shrimp for 6-12 hours in a mixture of water, milk, and apple cider vinegar to reduce fishy taste and smell. Dump liquid and rinse shrimp well before using.
2. Make couscous as directed. Set aside.
3. In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Once hot, add butter and garlic. Brown garlic in butter-oil mixture.
4. Add shrimp to pan and season well with salt and pepper. Stir in white wine, lemon juice, cayenne, and zucchini noodles and cook for about five minutes or until shrimp are cooked through, stirring constantly. 
5. Add more salt and pepper to pan as necessary. Sprinkle parsley leaves over pan and stir well. 
6. Spoon most of the excess sauce from shrimp and noodle pan and stir into couscous. 
7. Serve couscous with shrimp and zucchini noodles alongside some McGrail Family Chardonnay. Enjoy!

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Please let us know if you end up making this zesty pairing at home. We’d love to hear from you!

Cheers and enjoy!

Pluot Blackberry Amaretto Pie & McGrail Malbec

By Laina Carter of McGrail Vineyards

It’s the time of the year when your friends, neighbors, and coworkers all seem to have an overabundance of some sort of delicious, fresh produce from their home garden. This past week I had pluots, figs, tomatoes, and zucchini shared with me. Since stone fruit is so good in pies, is super seasonal, and I had more than I would probably eat normally, a pie seemed like the best use for these tasty treats. With a bottle of our new and bold, but jammy Malbec filled with notes of plum and blackberry, I opted for this sweet summertime pairing. Enjoy this delicious mid-summer pluot blackberry amaretto pie with our incredibly inky and fruit-forward Malbec!

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Pluot-Blackberry Amaretto Pie

Makes 8 servings.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 frozen pie crusts (between 9 and 11 oz. each)
• ½ vanilla bean
• ¾ cup granulated white sugar, divided
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 9 oz. ripe blackberries
• 3 large, ripe pluots, pits removed, chopped into ½” pieces
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 3 tbsp. amaretto (I used Disaronno)
• Extra sugar to sprinkle on top of pie crust.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Remove pie crusts from freezer and allow to defrost completely.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
3. Cut vanilla bean down the middle. Use a spoon to scoop vanilla beans out of shell into a medium bowl. Add ½ cup sugar. Take vanilla bean and rub inside with sugar to work the remaining tiny vanilla beans out of the shell. Stir vanilla beans and sugar, so they are evenly dispersed (vanilla beans will clump together).
4. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to sugar and vanilla mixture. Stir well.
5. In a large bowl, combine blackberries, chopped pluots, lemon juice, and amaretto. Stir.
6. Add sugar mixture to fruit mixture and fold together well.
7. Oil a 9” glass pie pan. Place one pie crust in pan. Pour pie filling into crust. Use extra pie crust to create a lattice over the filling or another classic pie crust design. 
8. Bake pie at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake pie for 15 minutes. Sprinkle pie with sugar and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until baked completely.
9. Allow pie to cool for about 45 minutes or longer before serving. Enjoy with a glass of McGrail Malbec.

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Please let us know if you make this warm, jammy pairing! We’d love to hear from you.

Cheers and enjoy!

Hearty Gourmet Corn Chowder & Chardonnay

By Laina Carter of McGrail Vineyards

I am a huge fan of the delicious summer veggies that come with living in California and the tail end of summer seems to give us the cream of the crop (pun intended). Having easy access to what is arguably the best corn in the world here in the east Bay Area, I’m going to eat it at nearly every chance I get. A hearty, chunky corn chowder is one of my all-time favorite dishes and it’s even more excellent alongside our yummy McGrail Family Chardonnay. This chowder is filling, but so fresh and flavorful. I can’t get enough. I hope you enjoy this tasty summertime treat as much as I do!

For those who are vegan or vegetarian, I have included substitution suggestions for this recipe below.

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Hearty Gourmet Corn Chowder

Makes about 8 servings.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 slices thick-cut bacon (about 7 oz.)
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• ¼ cup cornmeal
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 3 cups water
• Kernels cut from 8 ears fresh corn (approx. 3.5 lbs. or 9 cups), cleaned with husks and silks removed (I used 6 yellow ears and 2 white ears)
• 4 medium-large red potatoes (about 1.25 lbs.), cut into ½” pieces
• ½ tsp. fresh thyme
• ½ tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ tsp. dry oregano
• ½ tsp. dry basil
• 1 tsp. paprika
• ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup skim milk
• Optional: Freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese and chopped fresh chives

Make it vegan by cutting out bacon, subbing butter for vegan butter or olive oil, subbing chicken broth for vegetable broth, and subbing skim milk for unsweetened plain almond milk. Sprinkle nutritional yeast on top for an added cheesy flavor.

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DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large, thick-bottomed pot, cook bacon over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes, or until crispy. Remove cooked bacon from pot and place on a paper-towel-covered plate.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add butter to pot with bacon grease and allow to melt. 
3. Brown onion and garlic in butter. 
4. Whisk corn meal into butter for about 1 minute. Continue whisking while adding in chicken broth and water. Increase heat to medium and continue stirring while soup comes to a boil. 
5. Once at a boil, stir corn kernels, potatoes, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper into broth mix. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 20 (or until potatoes are soft), stirring occasionally.
6. Remove bay leaf from pot. In a blender, liquify 2 ½ cups soup, then pour back into pot. Add milk. Stir well.
7. Serve chowder with an optional sprinkling of freshly grated cheddar cheese and chopped chives and a bottle of McGrail Family Chardonnay. Cheers!

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Please let us know if you end up making this hearty gourmet corn chowder and McGrail Family Chardonnay pairing! We’d love to hear from you.

Cheers and enjoy!