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Lemon Fish Fillets - Oven-Roasted Cauliflower - Ginger Carrot Soup -  Wine Choice

GINGER CARROT SOUP

1 tbsp olive oil                        2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped       4 cups chicken broth

1 1/4 tbsp ginger                     1/2 tsp cumin

1 pear, cubed                          2 tbsp lemon juice

Ground pepper to taste

sliced carrots, approx. 6 cups

2 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded & cut in cubes

2 cups half & half or 1 cup sour cream

Heat oil in pot and saute garlic & onion about 5 minutes. Add 2 cups broth, ginger & cumin. Add carrots, squash, pear, lemon juice & pepper. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat until vegetables are tender (15-20 min.). Stir in half & half or sour cream. Remove from stove and serve.

LEMON FISH FILLETS

6 4-6 oz halibut fillets         3 tsp dill weed

3 1/2 tsp onion powder      1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp lemon pepper         2 tsp dried parsley

1/4 tsp garlic powder         3 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut 6 squares of aluminum foil for each fish fillet. Place fillets in center of each foil square and sprinkle each with dill, onion, paprika, lemon pepper, parsley and garlic powder. Sprinkle lemon juice over each fillet. Fold aluminum foil over fillets to make a pocket. Pleat seams to secure. Place packets in a shallow baking dish and place in oven for 30 minutes. Serves 6

OVEN-ROASTED CAULIFLOWER

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place the cauliflower in a roasting pan and drizzle oil over the cauliflower. Add the garlic, lemon juice, salt & pepper. Place in the oven for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the oven & top with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately. Makes 6-8 servings.

WINE CHOICE

Do you remember the old days, when we had that simple rule about white wine with fish or fowl, red wine with meat?  Not heard very often these days, when everyone seems to have a contradiction or special recipe to challenge your wine matching ability.  A meal like this makes you long for those simple days -- and to remind us that there was a reason for that general rule.

The truth is that a light, delicate taste (such as this Lemon Fish Fillets) usually requires a delicate wine to match and enhance it.  Fish and chicken fit into that category where the defining taste is often the sauce used.  The lemon juice will move this dish into an acidic taste, and that is what I think I'll try to match.

Given that, the wines that spring to mind are Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio.  These are not wines with bold tastes to overpower the meal, but they tend to be food-friendly.  Both are more on the acidic side.  If you have a strong preference for a red wine or a wish to offer your guests a choice, try a Pinot Noir.

Alas, when I looked down under the stairs, there was no Sauvignon Blanc to be found.  Nor, for that matter, was there a bottle of Pinot Grigio.  This led to a trip to our local wine store where we found a Bogle Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc we will try with this.

They were tasting wine while we were there, and we had to see what they had.  One of the wines offered was an Alder Fels 2003 Pinot Noir.  It might be a little young yet, but if we had needed a red for this, I would have bought a bottle then and there.

Lemon Fish Fillets - Oven-Roasted Cauliflower - Ginger Carrot Soup -  Wine Choice

 Last modified: August 07, 2007