Marriage, Merlot & Murder (Wine & Dine Mysteries Book 4)
Page 22
In your omelet pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat. Add the egg mixture, evenly distributing it across the pan. Let it cook—without moving it or stirring it—until the middle just starts to set, roughly 4 minutes. Then add the spinach and Brie to one half of the omelet, cover the skillet, and cook until the cheese begins to melt. Carefully fold the empty side over the filled side to enclose and cook for another 1 minute.
Remove the pan from the heat and slide the omelet onto a plate with the toasted ciabatta bread.
Makes one omelet, though it can be large enough to share!
Tips!
Use a 10–12-inch nonstick skillet for your omelet pan—10 if you like them thicker, 12 if you prefer more thin. When adding ingredients to the omelet, leave about an inch between the cheese and edges all around so it doesn't ooze out when you fold the omelet over.
Wine Pairings
Best served paired with acidic white wines that cut through the fatty eggs and cheese, like champagne, Sauvignon Blanc, or a Chardonnay. Some of Emmy's suggestions: Dry Creek Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Poco a Poco Chardonnay, Argyle Oregon Brut Sparkling Wine
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Crustless Vegetable Quiche
6 eggs
1 cup milk
½ cup grated cheddar cheese
½ cup grated swiss cheese
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
⅓ cup chopped broccoli
⅓ cup chopped spinach
⅓ cup chopped green onions
1 tomato, thinly sliced
Preheat your oven to 350°.
In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, cheese, and salt and pepper. Gently stir in the broccoli, spinach, green onions.
Pour the egg mixture into a pie dish and bake uncovered for about 25–30 minutes, or just until the top layer is set. Arrange the thinly sliced tomatoes on the top—in any pattern that looks pleasing to you! Return to the oven for an additional 15–20 minutes until the egg mixture is no longer jiggly and is fully set. Slice and enjoy!
Wine Pairings
As with the omelet, this is best served paired with acidic white wines that cut through the fatty eggs and cheese, like sparkling wines or dry white wines. Some more of Emmy's suggestions that also compliment the vegetables: LaMarca Prosecco, The White Knight Pinot Grigio, Pacific Peak Pinot Grigio
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Roasted Eggplant Mozzarella with Homemade Basil Marinara Sauce
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
28 ounce can San Marzano crushed tomatoes
¼ cup freshly chopped basil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 large eggplant
2 teaspoons salt
8 ounces mozzarella cheese
For the Sauce:
In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium low heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened and translucent, about 8–10 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté an additional minute then add the crushed tomatoes, basil, tomato paste, sugar, and salt. Stir to combine and simmer uncovered over low heat for 20–30 minutes.
For the Eggplant:
Preheat oven to 375°.
Slice eggplant into about ½-inch slices. Sprinkle with salt and set aside for roughly 20 minutes, to draw out the moisture. Then arrange on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
In a shallow baking pan, spread a few spoonfuls of the marinara sauce along the bottom. Then arrange the roasted eggplant slices in the pan. Add the remaining marinara sauce then cover with mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven and bake an addition 20–25 minutes, until dish is bubbling and cheese is golden brown.
Makes about 4 hearty servings!
Shortcut!
If you're short on time or ingredients, jarred marinara sauce can be substituted for homemade. For a brighter flavor, stir in some chopped, fresh basil to your jarred sauce before heating. If you're not a fan of eggplant (which even Emmy knows is a hit and miss vegetable), you can substitute zucchini.
Wine Pairings
Best served paired with a rich, bold red to counteract the acidic tomato sauce, like a Cabernet, Pinot Noir, or Merlot. Some of Emmy's suggestions: Titus Cabernet Sauvignon, Menage a Trois Pinot Noir, Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot
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French Onion Soup with Sherry
5 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
1 ½ cups dry white wine
6 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 baguette
1 garlic clove, cut in half lengthwise
2 teaspoons sherry
4 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated
In a large pot, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and onions, cooking until the onions are until softened. Add the salt, pepper, and sugar and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until onions caramelize, roughly 30–40 minutes. Once caramelized, add wine and raise heat to high to cook off the alcohol, roughly 7–9 minutes. Add broth, thyme, and bay leaves to pot. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer for roughly 30 minutes. Remove from heat then remove the bay leaves and whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
While the soup is simmering, preheat your oven's broiler.
Slice the baguette into ½-inch slices and place them on a rimmed baking sheet and brush with remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toast in oven until crisp and dry but not overly browned, about 1 minute per side. Rub one side of each toast with the garlic clove and set aside.
Place ramekins or oven safe bowls on a rimmed baking sheet, add ½ teaspoon of sherry to the bottom of each. Ladle soup into bowls. Top each serving of soup with toast—depending on the size of your bowl, you may need two slices. Divide the grated cheese among the servings, covering the bread and some of the soup. Carefully transfer baking sheet to oven and broil until cheese is melted and bubbling, roughly 5–9 minutes.
Makes about 4 melty servings!
Tips!
You can make the soup ahead and refrigerate, warming later and adding the toast and cheese. The soup can even be frozen for up to 6 months!
Wine Pairings
Best served paired with a rustic Pinot Noir or a rich white Pinot Gris to accentuate the buttery flavors in the cheese and crouton. Some of Emmy's suggestions: Hartford Court Pinot Noir, Jules Taylor Pinot Gris, Thomas Fogarty Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir
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Maple Bacon Pancakes
1 lb. bacon, frozen
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 ¼ cup milk
½ cup maple syrup (plus extra for drizzling)
5 tablespoon butter, melted
Slice frozen bacon into thin slivers and add to a heated skillet. Cook until crispy then drain on a paper towel and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In another bowl, combine the dark brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, ½ cup maple syrup, milk, and butter.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients bowl and stir just until combined. Don't over stir or you will break the air bubbles in your pancake batter that make it light and fluffy. Then add in half of the bacon and gently combine.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium-low. Then add about ¼ cup of your batter to the griddle at a time, creating your pancakes. When bubbles begin to form in the batter—roughly 3–5 mi
nutes—flip to the other side. Cook until lightly browned on each side then remove.
To serve, sprinkle a little bit of reserved bacon on each pancake and drizzle with maple syrup.
Tips!
By freezing the bacon before use, it makes slicing it into slivers that crisp up to perfect much easier than with raw bacon.
Shortcut!
Short on time but still craving this salty sweet goodness? Use a pancake mix and decrease the wet ingredients (water or milk) slightly, substituting ½ cup maple syrup until you get the right consistency. Add in bacon and cook as above!
Wine Pairings
Bacon forward dishes are best served with tannic red wines, like a Malbec or Syrah. Some of Emmy's suggestions: Big Basin Santa Cruz Mountains Syrah, Riccitelli Republic Malbec Wine, Recuerdo Malbec
Or, if having this dish earlier in the day, try pairing with the light brunch sangria below!
Brunch Sangria
1 orange, thinly sliced
½ lemon, thinly sliced
20 large strawberries, sliced
1 cup orange juice
1 750ml bottle sweet white wine, like a Riesling
1 750ml bottle champagne or sparkling wine
Place all fruit and orange juice in a large pitcher or bowl, add wine, and allow to sit in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, though it's best overnight. Right before serving, add champagne.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gemma Halliday is the #1 Amazon, New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of several mystery series, suspense novels, and young adult books. Gemma's books have received numerous awards, including a Golden Heart, two National Reader's Choice awards, three RITA nominations, and a RONE award for best mystery. She currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her large, loud, and loving family.
To learn more about Gemma, visit her online at http://www.gemmahalliday.com
Connect with Gemma on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/gemmahallidayauthor
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BOOKS BY GEMMA HALLIDAY
Wine & Dine Mysteries:
A Sip Before Dying
Chocolate Covered Death
Victim in the Vineyard
Marriage, Merlot & Murder
Death in Wine Country
Fashion, Rosé & Foul Play – coming in Summer 2020!
High Heels Mysteries:
Spying in High Heels
Killer in High Heels
Undercover in High Heels
Christmas in High Heels (short story)
Alibi in High Heels
Mayhem in High Heels
Honeymoon in High Heels (novella)
Sweetheart in High Heels (short story)
Fearless in High Heels
Danger in High Heels
Homicide in High Heels
Deadly in High Heels
Suspect in High Heels
Peril in High Heels
Jeopardy in High Heels
Hollywood Headlines Mysteries:
Hollywood Scandals
Hollywood Secrets
Hollywood Confessions
Hollywood Holiday (short story)
Hollywood Deception
Hollywood Homicide
Hollywood Revenge
Jamie Bond Mysteries:
Unbreakable Bond
Secret Bond
Bond Bombshell (short story)
Lethal Bond
Dangerous Bond
Bond Ambition (short story)
Fatal Bond
Deadly Bond
Marty Hudson Mysteries:
Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Brash Blonde
Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Disappearing Diva
Tahoe Tessie Mysteries:
Luck Be A Lady
Hey Big Spender
Baby It's Cold Outside (short story)
Anna Smith & Nick Dade Thrillers:
Play Dead
Dead to Rights
Young Adult Books:
Deadly Cool
Social Suicide
Wicked Games – coming in 2020!
Other Works:
Viva Las Vegas
A High Heels Haunting (novella)
Watching You (short story)
Confessions of a Bombshell Bandit (short story)
The Missing Laughing Leprechaun (short story in the Pushing Up Daisies collection)
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