Mack’s Montreal Mixes VII

Getting colder, food is getting warmer.

Green Apple and Carrot Pork Roast with Spatlese: OMG. Favourite meal we’ve had here yet. This roast was done in the crock-pot and was cooked to perfection. It’s so nice to walk in the front door and think “wow… who’s cooking that delicious meal and wants to share with us?”, realizing it is your dinner that’s filling the hallway with sweet aromatics. I paired this with a spatlese from Germany and can’t even describe the synergy of the match. It’s best to say that the pork and apples brought out the dairy notes in the spatlese and the spatlese brought out the sweet juiciness of the roast.
Crock-Pot Chicken Fajitas: another crock-potter! I’m so thankful for this device, as I put in little effort and get all the reward. These chicken fajitas came out juicy, flavourful and could pair nicely with a Grenache.
Eggplant Parm: you live and you learn. This was not my best eggplant parm ever, but did the trick. I paired this with Ravenswood Zinfandel from California and as I’ve been told- it’s a match made in tomato sauce heaven! Next time: homemade tomato sauce and a different way of cooking the eggplant. Stay tuned for fine tuning. **I had some friends over for the weekend and we were celebrating our reunion with a bottle of Ferghettina Franciacorta! We had discussed Franciacorta in class and I had tried it at the Champagnerie in Old MTL in the summer and was drooling for another glass (or bottle). I counted my lucky stars after finding the only bottle left in the city. Cheers!
Sesame & Teriyaki Chicken Over Rice with Cucumbers: apparently I like the ease of a crock-pot, what can I say? The chicken was marinated overnight with teriyaki and soya sauce, lime juice, sesame seeds, and garlic. Topped with green onions and paired with another German Spatlese.
Spicy Fish Sauce Salmon with Tomato, Feta Chick Pea Salad: healthy, spicy, delicious and surprisingly filling. I would normally pair the spiciness with a riesling, but we happened to have Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio in the fridge, ready to go. May I just say, worst. pairing. ever. There was nothing in the meal that paired well with the crisp acidity of the pinot grigio, unfortunately.

*What’s For Dessert? Did Someone Say Pie(s)?

Classic Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie: my boyfriends favourite dessert in the world. Naturally, I wanted him to be happy, so I made enough for two weeks straight apparently. This deliciously creamy pie will make anyone instantly happy. So true, because everyone at work was in a bad mood, until I brought one of these bad boys in!
Apple Pie Bites: these are phenomenal for the winter time, or would be great as a little Thanksgiving treat. You simply buy Pillsbury croissant rolls, separate them, drizzle them with honey, top them with cinnamon and chopped pecans and green apples (you can use any apple really), roll them up, glaze them with melted butter and bake them in the oven for about 15 minutes. I did perfect these after I realized the apples do not cook well with the skin left on. Also, make sure to boil the apples in a pan with water at the beginning (before adding them to the roll).