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Party-worthy wine pairings perfect for easy entertaining

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(Family Features) Red or white, sweet or dry, wine lovers are often entertainers at heart. When inviting guests to share your personal favorites, nothing enhances a tasting get-together quite like complementary snack and wine pairings.

The next time you find a wine party on your schedule, consider these simple yet delicious recommendations from sommelier and founder of “The Lush Life,” Sarah Tracey, who partnered with Fresh Cravings to create “Dips and Sips.” Aimed at reinventing wine and cheese parties, the movement focuses on simplistic recipes, easy dip pairings and suggested wines.

“When I entertain at home, I’m always looking for ways to impress my friends with fresh, creative bites I can pair with wine,” Tracey said. “My favorite hack is finding great products with high-quality ingredients then creating simple, elevated ways to serve them. The less time I spend in the kitchen, the more time I get to spend with my guests.”

Tracey relies on the versatility of Fresh Cravings’ array of dip options and crowd-pleasing, bold flavors worth celebrating. With authentic-tasting chilled salsas offering a vibrant alternative to soft, dull blends of jarred salsa and flavor-filled hummus made with premium ingredients like Chilean Virgin Olive Oil, these dips elevate both traditional and reinvented recipes.

For example, Tracey’s recipes for Polenta Rounds with Pico de Gallo Salsa and Crab, Spiced Butternut Squash Naan Flatbreads, Cheesy Tortilla Cutouts with Salsa and Hummus-Stuffed Mushrooms offer flavorful, easy-to-make appetizers that can make entertaining easy and effortless. Plus, these crave-worthy morsels are just as tasty and approachable for guests choosing to skip the wine.

Find more recipe and pairing ideas perfect for enhancing your next party at FreshCravings.com.

Hummus-Stuffed Mushrooms

Recipe courtesy of Sarah Tracey
Total time: 15 minutes
Servings: 6

  • Nonstick olive oil spray
  • 16 ounces cremini mushrooms, stems removed and gills scooped out
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  • 1 container Fresh Cravings Classic Hummus
  • 1 jar manzanilla olives stuffed with pimientos, cut in half
  • 1 jar roasted red pepper strips
  • Oregon Pinot Noir
  1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Prepare sheet pan with nonstick olive oil spray.
  2. Place mushroom caps on sheet pan, spray with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  3. Roast 7-8 minutes then let mushrooms cool to room temperature.
  4. Fill each mushroom cap with hummus and top each with one olive slice.
  5. Thinly slice roasted red pepper strips and arrange around olive slices.
  6. Pair with lighter bodied pinot noir with cherry tones from Oregon.

Cheesy Tortilla Cutouts with Salsa

Recipe courtesy of Sarah Tracey
Total time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6

  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 6 large flour tortillas
  • 16 ounces pepper jack cheese, grated
  • 1 can (4 ounces) green chiles, drained
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1 container Fresh Cravings Restaurant Style Salsa, Medium
  • New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Place large flour tortilla on sheet pan. Top with handful of grated cheese.
  3. Sprinkle chiles on top of cheese layer. Add chopped cilantro. Sprinkle with additional cheese.
  4. Top with another tortilla. Bake until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Work in batches to make three sets of cheese-filled tortillas.
  5. Cut out desired shapes with cookie cutters.
  6. Serve with salsa and pair with sauvignon blanc from New Zealand with zest and zing.

Spiced Butternut Squash Naan Flatbreads

Recipe courtesy of Sarah Tracey
Total time: 25 minutes
Servings: 6

  • 1 1/2 pounds butternut squash
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  • 1 container Fresh Cravings Roasted Garlic Hummus
  • 1 package mini naan dippers
  • 1 bunch fresh rosemary, minced
  • La Veielle Ferme Rosé
  1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
  2. Chop butternut squash into 1/2-inch chunks.
  3. Toss squash with olive oil, maple syrup, cumin and chili powder.
  4. Spread on sheet pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste, and roast until tender, about 20 minutes.
  5. Spread hummus on naan dippers and top each with squash and fresh rosemary.
  6. Pair with deeper, savory and earthy rosé.

Polenta Rounds with Pico de Gallo Salsa and Crab

Recipe courtesy of Sarah Tracey
Total time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6

  • 1 tube (16 ounces) prepared polenta
  • nonstick cooking spray
  • salt, to taste
  • 8 ounces jumbo lump crabmeat
  • 1 container Fresh Cravings Pico de Gallo Salsa, Mild
  • 1 bunch fresh mint, finely chopped
  • Mateus Rosé
  1. Heat oven to 400 F.
  2. Slice polenta into 1/4-inch thick rounds. Arrange on baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray and bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Sprinkle with salt, to taste, and let cool.
  3. Combine jumbo lump crabmeat with salsa.
  4. Top each polenta round with crab salsa mixture.
  5. Garnish with finely chopped fresh mint and pair with vibrant, fruity rosé.


SOURCE:
Fresh Cravings

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EDIBLES

Turn a favorite spring veggie into a stellar soup

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(Family Features) If you’re in need of a soup outside the usual mushroom or celery varieties, turn to another springtime favorite: carrots. More than just a veggie you can serve with dip, they’re creamy, delicious and pair well with ginger in this Creamy Carrot Soup. Discover more easy recipes for family meals at Culinary.net.

Creamy Carrot Soup

Recipe courtesy of “Cookin’ Savvy
Servings: 4-6

  • 2 cans (14 ounces each) carrots
  • 2 cups broth of choice
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons ginger
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  • honey
  • BLT wraps, for serving
  1. In blender, blend canned carrots, including juices, until smooth. Transfer to pot and add broth.
  2. Mix in brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, ginger and orange juice. Bring to simmer then add cream. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
  3. Drizzle honey over each bowl. Serve with BLT wraps.


SOURCE:

Culinary.net

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EDIBLES

Enjoy a lighter soup on cool spring days

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(Family Features) Permanent heat may be on the way, but spring still offers plenty of chilly, rainy opportunities for a warmup from the inside-out. Serve a comforting bowl of Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup to keep spring chills away. Discover more seasonal recipes at Culinary.net.

Watch video to see how to make this recipe!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=RM3jqbY0nfs%3Fsi%3DwiYYdMtn9WPm4k8a%26controls%3D0

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Recipe courtesy of “Cookin’ Savvy
Servings: 4-6

  • 2          carrots
  • 2          celery stalks
  • 3          tablespoons butter
  • 2          cups cooked, chopped chicken
  • 1/3       cup lemon juice
  • 2          teaspoons lemon pepper
  • 6          cups broth
  • 1          cup orzo
  • 1          tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1          tablespoon onion powder
  • 1          tablespoon thyme
  • 1          tablespoon sugar
  • 1          cup heavy cream
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  • cucumber sandwiches, for serving
  1. Chop carrots and celery. In pot, saute with butter.
  2. In bowl, mix chicken with lemon juice and lemon pepper then set aside.
  3. After carrots and celery are tender, add broth and orzo to pot. Then add garlic powder, onion powder, thyme and sugar. Simmer 10 minutes then add chicken and cream; simmer about 5 minutes.
  4. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with cucumber sandwiches.

SOURCE:

Culinary.net

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EDIBLES

Green onions welcome the spring season

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By Suzanne Storey

Do you have an abundance of green onions this time of year? If you’re fortunate enough to experience this, consider yourself lucky! First, let’s clarify a few terms.
Essentially, green onions and scallions refer to the same vegetable; however, the terminology often depends on cultural context. I often call them spring onions, and my parents referred to them the same way. On the other hand, fancy chefs and culinary experts typically use the term “scallions.”
I wasn’t even aware of what a scallion was until about 10 years ago, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you’re in the same boat.

Read the full story on spring onions, along with definitions of onions and the efforts to grow a community garden in Nocona in your Thursday Bowie News.

Onions from the Nocona Community Garden. (Photos by Suzanne Storey)
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