With the weather becoming a little more brisk, we all know this is the time of year that I head into cozy-mode and start creating some warm-up/comfort recipes and reverting to some old faithfuls.

It all starts out with a trip to the [vintage section] at the LCBO of course! I picked up a few gems- some I’m saving for another time and some that I paired with these meals.

1. Pasta Carbonara: linguine, egg, cream and parmesan mix, and turkey-bacon paired with Lindeman’s Bin 85: Pinot Grigio.
2. Taco Salad: lean ground beef, iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, jalapeños, sour cream and salsa, and crumbled nacho chips paired with a Shock Top (for him) and Bersano Barbera D’Asti.
3.  Pesto Omelette: chicken, mushroom, spinach, and feta omelette, topped with caramelized onions, green onions, avocado, and a homemade pesto cream sauce (my favourite recipe yet!)
4. Pear and Blue Cheese Chicken: pear and blue cheese stuffed chicken breast with a honey glaze with green beans, mushrooms, and parmesan rice paired with Jackson-Triggs Cab Franc/Cab Sauv.
5. Lasagna Roll-Ups: after a nice hike in Gatineau to the Champlain lookout, we enjoyed freshly made lasagna roll-ups. Lasagna noodles, lean ground beef, mozzarella, ricotta, and parmesan, smothered in roasted garlic tomato sauce, with garlic sticks, and caesar salad paired with a stunning bottle of Le Arche Valpolicella Ripasso.
6. Broccoli Chicken Divan: as Eric calls it “chicken fancy”- it’s so easy and so delicious. chicken and broccoli in a condensed broccoli (soup) cream sauce over pastry puffs.
7. Gorgonzola Tortellini: another hockey game- another bottle of wine and delicious tv dinner. Chicken, mushroom, roasted red pepper, and artichoke heart tortellini in a garlic and Gorgonzola cream sauce paired with 20 Bees 2013 Pinot Grigio.

Stay warm, and stay full ♥