top cellars

Four great wines for under $18

2012

A great Southern Rhone wine value. In fact, we haven’t found a better wine at this price point in years. 80% grenache, 20% syrah. A stellar wine paired with lamb marinated with rosemary, thyme, and garlic and then grilled to perfection

BRANDER AU NATUREL

Very Loire Valleylike, with bright acids and minerality accompanying the citrus and delicate herbal notes

Rose of Cabernet Sauvignon

Beautifully melding elegance and grace with irrepressible style and verve. A perfectly dry rose that says, ‘bring me on your next picnic’. It a wine to sip all afternoon this summer.

Bursting with fresh, vibrant berries, violets, and underbrush, this wine delights the palate with its intensity and length. This and a perfectly grilled steak, and you have the start to a perfect evening.

Blackened Rockfish With Avocado Fish Taco Sauce

Tender white fish baked in the best blackened seasoning recipe and dressed in a delicious avocado and cilantro sauce! Medium-bodied red wine like a Pinot Noir or a medium-bodied Sangiovese pair well with this dish! Serves 4 | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 6-10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon coconut oil, melted

1 lb. Rockfish (about 2 large fillets)

Blackened Seasoning:

1 Tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves

1 teaspoon of dried oregano leaves

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Avocado Fish Taco Sauce:

1 avocado

½ cup non-fat Greek yogurt

1 cup of water

2 cups of cilantro with stems

½ lime juice

1 large garlic clove

½ teaspoon salt (I use Himalayan)

1-2 splashes of chipotle sauce (optional)

Directions:

Blend all ingredients of the avocado fish taco sauce in a blender. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.

In a small bowl mix all the ingredients for the blackened seasoning. Set aside.

Preheat the oven the Broil. In a baking dish drizzle

1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Add rockfish. Pour blackened seasoning on top of the fish and using hands rub it into the fish and around the sides. Bake uncovered 6-10 minutes or until the center is cooked and flakes apart when pulled with a fork. 6 minutes for thin slices, thick slices might need about 10 minutes. If it starts to burn on top cover in foil.

Serve with a side of rice or vegetables and drizzle on top the avocado fish taco sauce.

Recipe by Danielle Fahrenkrug (Delightful Mom Food) delightfulmomfood.com

CARDAMOM-PISTACHIO COOKIES

Ingredients:

1 cup vegetable shortening

1 cup sugar

1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

2 eggs

2 Tbs milk

1.5 tsp vanilla extract

1.5 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

4 cups whole grain oats

1 cup pistachios, unsalted

1.5 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cardamom

Glaze:

1.5 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp cardamom

1/4 cup milk

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, blend shortening with sugars, adding sugar gradually. Add eggs, milk and vanilla, beat well. Add flour, salt and baking soda, beat well. Stir in oats and pistachios. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls, about 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Place cookies in a wire rack to finish cooling. Mix together glaze ingredients until smooth. Once cookies are cooled use rubber spatula and spread glaze over cookies.

Slow Cooker Beef Carnitas

Ingredients

For the beef carnitas:

2 - 3 lbs chuck roast

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 onion, sliced (I like sweet onions)

1 green pepper, sliced

1 red pepper, sliced 1 (4oz) can diced green chiles (don’t drain)

For serving:

Corn tortillas

Your favorite taco toppings: lettuce, salsa, guacamole, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, etc.

Instructions

1. Place rump roast in the slow cooker. In a small bowl, whisk together chili powder, salt, pepper, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Sprinkle spice mixture over the roast. Scatter the onion, bell peppers, and green chiles over the roast. 2. Cook on low for 7 - 8 hours, or until beef is pull a part tender. (You should be able to easily shred it with a fork or a pair of tongs). 3. Serve with corn tortillas and your favorite taco toppings.

1/4 cup raisins

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (1/2 cup)

4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Fresh cilantro leaves, for serving

Preparation

Season chicken thighs with salt and place in a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker. In a blender, puree tomatoes, onion, ancho and chipotle chiles, almonds, raisins, chocolate, garlic, oil, cumin, and cinnamon until smooth.

Add tomato mixture to slow cooker, cover, and cook on high until chicken is tender, 4 hours (or 8 hours on low). Serve chicken and sauce topped with cilantro.

Slow Cooker Chicken Mole

Ingredients

4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 12)

Coarse salt

1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes

1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped

2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed

2 large chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

CHILLED BEET & GOAT CHEESE

SOUP WITH BEET, FENNEL & PISTACHIO RELISH

Ingredients:

7 red beets, cleaned and trimmed

1 leek, washed and chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

8 cloves garlic

½ bunch celery, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 fennel bulb split, half chopped and half minced

1 small shallot, minced

2 Tbsp pistachio, chopped

4 cups vegetable stock

5 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

5 Tbsp. red wine vinegar, divided

6 oz. goat cheese

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

In a stock pot, add beets, onions, leeks, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and cook until beets are tender. Turn off heat and remove beets to cool.

Peel beets, chop 6 beets and return to stock pot reserving 1 beet for relish.

Working in batches ladle half of the soup mix in blender. Add 3 oz goat cheese, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar, salt & black pepper to taste. Blend until smooth. Pour into a deep pan able to fit in refrigerator. Repeat with remaining soup mix, goat cheese, 2 Tbsp. oil, 2 Tbsp. vinegar, salt & pepper. Pour remaining soup into deep pan and chill in refrigerator. While soup chills, mince remaining beet. Place in bowl with minced fennel, shallot and pistachio. Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar, salt & pepper to taste and mix well. Ladle soup into 4 bowls. Garnish with relish.

Recipe and photo by James Stefiuk

Fusilli With Quick Caponata

Perfect for picnics and beach days, this summer vegetable pasta salad is delicious at any temperature. Make use of in season,farmer’s market produce, and pair with an ice-cold dry rosé. Serves 8-10

For the caponata:

2 medium Japanese eggplants, ½” dice

2 medium sweet peppers, seeded and cored, ½ “ dice

1 red onion, ½ “ dice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup Italian or French green olives, pitted and roughly chopped

2 tbsp capers, chopped

¼ cup golden raisins

¼ cup olive oil, such as Scout Olive Oil

¼ cup red wine vinegar

1 tbsp honey, such as Dylan’s Raw Hive Honey

½ cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped sea salt, such as La Jolla Sea Salt

For the pasta:

1 pound Fusilli pasta, or short cut pasta such as penne sea salt

Heat a swirl of olive oil in large saute pan over medium-high heat. Brown the vegetables in batches until they are cooked through, 5-10 minutes, seasoning each batch. Set aside cooked vegetables in a large bowl, as you go.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over low heat and quickly sauté the garlic until just fragrant. Add olives and capers, stirring for another 30 seconds. Add the vegetables back into the sauté pan, stirring to combine, then add the vinegar, honey, and 1/4 cup water to the pan. Cover the pan, and simmer for 5-10 minutes, turn off heat and let stand until ready to assemble.

While the vegetables are simmering, cook the pasta in boiling, salted water for 6-8 minutes until al dente, then drain.

Toss caponata with pasta then finish with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh basil.

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Blackberry Lime Tequila Smash

A rim of lime sea salt electrifies this fizzy agave cocktail. Seek out the best local berries available.

Makes 2 large drinks

1/3 cup fresh blackberries, about 14, divided

2 tablespoons agave nectar

4 oz. tequila anejo

Curries

Seafood Salads Take out

1819 Cliff Drive

Santa Barbara (805) 882-9244

4 oz. fresh lime juice (2 limes) club soda

2 thin lime wedges for garnish

La Jolla Salt Co. lime sea salt for rim

Reserve 4 blackberries and 2 slices of lime for garnish. Using two toothpicks, skewer each with two blackberries and a slice of lime. Moisten the rim of two low ball glasses with a lime wedge, then dip in sea salt.

Put the remaining berries into a cocktail shaker, add agave nectar and muddle until well combined. Add tequila, lime juice and ice, then shake aggressively.

Fill glasses with ice and strain the blackberry tequila mixture between each glass. Top with soda and blackberry-lime garnish.

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LIME SEA SALT

A pleasant crunch and mid-level saltiness paired with tart lime citrus: ideal as a finishing salt. Made in San Diego.

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