Summer Sides and Wines

Last month I shared our enthusiasm over the roof top being open and we’ve made it up there for quite a few meals. I made a big batch of those burgers and the pineapple rings have become my favourites! One of the reasons I love the summer so much is that the hubs does all the grilling and I really don’t have to do much in the cooking department.  However this month our Pataks challenge was to share some of our side dishes that accompany our summer meals and I must admit that I’m a lazy one. I look for super simple dishes to accompany our meals and corn on the cob and sauteed mushrooms are quite boring popular. Disclosure: I am part of the Patak’s Canada Ambassador program with Mom Central Canada and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog, as always, are totally mine!   I’ve shared our wine club stories in the past and this month our theme was South African wines where I paired my wine with Patak’s Sweet Mango Chutney flavoured Peas and Corn stuffed Onion and a Patak’s Curried Avocado Soup. The Little Monkey was a fan of the peas and corn but ofcourse not of the onion itself. The hubs thought I was crazy for using an onion but I thought it was very cute! What do you think?

 

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The beauty is that it’s also a very simple dish. Cut up an onion in half and trim root ends so they can sit up. Next scoop out the middle layers with a melon-baller, it can be a bit difficult but ensure you don’t get a hole at the bottom. Place the onion shells on a tray and pour in half a cup of pomegranate or  grape juice mixed in with two spoons of Patak’s Sweet Mango Chutney and place in a pre-heated oven (350 F). Pull them out after 20 minutes and let cool. Microwave a cup of peas and corn and then stir in two tablespoons of Patak’s Sweet Mango Chutney before scooping into the onion shells. Voila! Party and toddler ready! Not overly fancy, this slightly sweet tangy mixture is quite refreshing, especially if you garnish with a mint or coriander leaf.

 

IMG_7195 (Custom) IMG_7211 (Custom)Curried avocado soup is absolutely delicious and a great party dish because it can be prepped a day ahead. This is one avocado dish that won’t spoil! I saw the recipe in a local food and drink magazine but put my own Patak’s twist to it. In a saucepan boil 4 cups of beef broth with 3 tablespoons of Patak’s Mild Curry Sauce, 2 chopped onions and 1 chopped green chili for 20 minutes-about 1/3 of the broth evaporates. Once cooled, place this mixture in the fridge and let it ‘marinate’. I made this the night before the our wine club and then that morning I blended 3 medium sized avocados with the boiled onions and chili (I strained these out of the broth) and slowly added in the broth. I ended up using 2.5 cups of broth. It really depends on the consistency you prefer, so add the broth slowly. Chill the soup in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. You can have a lot of fun serving this chilled soup in wine glasses, shot glasses or in a bowl. This batch was still good four days later!

 

IMG_7201 (Custom)I paired these with the 2012 Fleur du Cap Chardonnay and it most definitely felt like summer’s finally here. The Chardonnay paired well aesthetically since it had tints of green and gold, and had a citrus notes for a refreshing pairing. What was surprising is that another wine club member brought the 2013 vintage of the same wine! There were slight differences but overall most of the whites we sampled blind at wine club tasted similar and none of the reds truly impressed us as much as the Porcupine Ridge we discovered last year. South African wine hunt is still on!

  • Darlene W
    August 3, 2014 at 6:34 pm

    Nicely done! You are welcome to come cook at my house whenever you feel like it. Not are items presented well but look delicious, and your pairing of wine completes the meal

  • kim Tanti
    August 13, 2014 at 9:12 am

    I will have to try this. I alway’s have patak’s in the fridge we love it.

    • Yashy
      August 13, 2014 at 11:22 am

      Let me know how you like it Kim!

  • Rick F
    August 18, 2014 at 7:14 pm

    Love Patak’s

  • nicolthepickle
    November 17, 2014 at 7:00 am

    I really like the idea of the onion appetizers. I’ve made meatballs inside onions, and my family all like them. I thin corn would be good too.

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