This Month's Theme: Texas Wine  

October is Texas Wine Month and we invite you to celebrate by enjoying a glass of Texas wine. To find a Texas winery located near you, visit www.gotexanwine.org/. The site features a great map of Texas wineries, food and wine pairings, and much more! 

Grilled Texas Lamb Chops with Lentil Salad
Created by Chef Michael H. Flores

Serves five to six

Grilled Lamb:
2 double lamb chops from the rib, per person
1 cup red Texas wine
2 cups olive oil
1 bunch rosemary (approximately 2/3 ounce, net weight)
1/4 cup garlic, minced
1/2 yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 T. freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch mint (approximately 2/3 ounce, net weight)
Salt

Combine all ingredients in a container except for the salt. The meat must be marinated in the refrigerator at least 12 to 24 hours before cooking. To cook, remove the lamb from the marinade, season with salt, and grill over a medium flame for about four to seven minutes per side, depending on desired doneness.  Let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.  (Note: If flame flares up during cooking, pull meat off with long tongs until it subsides.)

Lentil Salad:
8 ounces green lentils
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 cup kalamata olives, roughly chopped
1/4 cup mixed Texas herbs, chopped (try parsley, mint, rosemary, thyme)
1 T. Dijon mustard
2 T. honey
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup Texas red wine
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place the lentils in a pot and cover with water. Simmer over low heat for 25 minutes, or until the lentils are just tender. They should not be mushy. Drain the lentils if there is any liquid left and allow to cool. Put the lentils in a bowl along with the garlic, tomatoes, red onion, olives and herbs. In a separate bowl, mix together the mustard, honey, vinegar, wine, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the oils. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Pour the vinaigrette over the lentil mixture and stir together.  Taste the salad and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Refrigerate for several hours to overnight before serving.

Wine pairing suggestions: Texas Tempranillo 

Grilled Jalapeno Quail
Created by Chef Michael Flores

Serves four to six

Small jar of hot jalapeño jelly (approximately 10 ounces)
1 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup sesame oil
8-12 semi-boneless Texas quail
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together the jelly, rice vinegar and sesame oil. Dip the quail into the marinade one at a time, coating well; place in a large zipper plastic bag. Continue this process until all the quail has been coated. Pour the marinade into the bag, squeeze out the air and zip shut. Marinate for eight hours to overnight. To cook, season both sides of the quail with salt and pepper and grill four to five minutes per side over high heat. Let the quail rest for 3-4 minutes before serving.

Wine pairing suggestion: Texas Tempranillo

Texas is big enough to share, so pass along your favorite Texas recipes. If it calls for Texas ingredients, it's got to be good. Let's dish! E-mail us at mailto:bestbites@tda.state.tx.us?subject=Recipe of the Month and share the tastes of Texas. You never know, your recipe may be featured next month!

Hungry for more GO TEXAN news? Visit www.gotexan.org to find GO TEXAN members, tips, recipes and updated information about our other exciting marketing programs.
GO TEXAN and create the recipe for success.