Pinot, Merlot...It's All Red

The change in season has gotten me started on drinking red wines. This year, I've kicked off my red season with pinot noir, or an occasional merlot thrown in for good measure. I'm not a big cabernet sauvignon drinker, preferring french burgundies when I choose to do some serious slurping. Cabernet is the little brother of french bordeaux which I save for special occasions.

The pinot noirs and merlots are softer than the cabernets, sometimes reminding me of black cherries or chocolate covered bourbon cherries. They go down smoother and the price is right, with or without food. I've been working my way through Australia, lately, and have really come to like Alice White. In addition to being tight little wines, they are also wonderful on the purse. My faves usually come in under ten bucks. I would spend more for Alice, but it's usually not necessary.

Another Australian brand that I would personally recommend is Black Opal, choose your type. Most are below fifteen bucks, and many under ten.

After choosing my pinot, I would pair it with something like Turkey Lasagna. I love lasagna. I'm trying to find recipes to use turkey instead of red meat. This recipe fills the bill. I originally used it for a dinner party, hence the high number of servings. Make the recipe, eat some, freeze some. In this economic climate, left overs are good....

Recipe: Turkey Lasagna

Servings: 16 Preparation Time: 20 min. Cooking Time: 65 min.

Ingredients:

2 Lbs. ground turkey 1 medium onion\cooked, finely chopped 1 tsp. rosemary 1 tsp. tarragon 1/4 Lbs. unsalted butter 1/2 cup all purpose flour 2 cup chicken stock 1-1/4 cups skim milk 3/4 cup dry white wine 1-1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese 12 lasagne noodle 2 cup lowfat cottage cheese

Cooking Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Heat a heavy nonstick skillet or flameproof casserole over medium high heat. Saute ground turkey and onion about 5 minutes, stirring to break up lumps of meat, until turkey is browned. Remove from heat and discard excess liquid. Stir in rosemary, tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium low heat. Whisk in flour and cook 2 minutes, stirring, without letting mixture brown. Whisk in stock, milk and wine. Increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer 3 minutes, whisking often. Stir in 1 cup Parmesan cheese. Set sauce aside. Cook lasagne noodles in a large pan of boiling water 8 minutes, or until al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain again. Cover bottom of a lightly buttered 9 x 13 inches baking dish with a thin layer of sauce. Arrange a single layer of 4 slightly overlapping lasagne noodles over it. Cover with half of turkey mixture. Spoon on 1 cup cottage cheese, then spoon on another third of sauce. Arrange another layer of noodles in dish. Cover with remaining turkey mixture and cottage cheese. Spoon on half of remaining sauce. Top with a final layer of noodles, then cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese over top. (Dish can be prepared to this point; cover and refrigerated for 1 day before baking.) Bake about 50 minutes, until lasagne is bubbling and top is lightly browned. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving. If freezing cooked food, divide into freezer/oven-proof containers in the amounts you will use at one time. Cool as quickly as possible to retain freshness. (Dairy, egg and meat based dishes should cool in refrigerator.) Cover tightly and place in freezer for up to 3 months. Reheating options: Place frozen food in oven and turn on heat to 375° F. Bake about 1 hour, or until bubbly. Or, transfer food to a covered microwave-safe container and heat on high setting until bubbly. (USDA recommends reheating meats to 165° F to destroy any bacteria.)

Per Serving: calories 243, fat 12.8g, calories from fat 47%, protein 18.5g, cholesterol 66.4mg, dietary fiber 0.5g *thanks Nubella! © 2008 Jo Anne Moore, JAM Publications