โI participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Millennial Central for Brancott Estate Wines. I received product samples to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.โ
Since we’ve been on the topic of choosing cleaner, lighter alcohol when you want to imbibe, I thought I’d introduce all you wine drinkers to Brancott Estate‘s new premium range of lighter wines, “Flight Song.” The range includes a premium Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and a Marlborough Pinot Grigio. The winemaker, Brancott Estate, was the first to plant the Sauvignon Blanc grape in the Marlborough region of New Zealand. The wines made a perfect pairing with my healthy pad thai recipe (more on that later).
For all you Marlborough lovers, the taste profile is classic: balanced, bright, crisp and fresh and while I don’t count calories, it’s worth noting that these varietals are crafted to be 20 percent lighter in calories without sacrificing flavor. What I like best about this is that Brancott Estate uses a natural process to reduce the calorie content by harvesting the grapes early and closely controlling the fermentation process.
These wines pair well with a variety of foods from delicate or spicy seafood, green salads and Mediterranean fare.
So why not healthy pad thai?
For months I’ve been searching for a healthy pad thai recipe and finally found one that excited me. This past cold, rainy Tuesday night was the perfect opportunity to try this Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai recipe and make it my own. I took the initiative to pour myself a glass of Brancott’s Sauvignon Blanc “Flight Song” to go with it – the perfect healthy comfort meal!
The wine brought out the flavor in the fresh ingredients as well as the overall spiciness of the dish. The Pad Thai was so good it will make it into my usual rotation and at $14.99 per bottle, the wine will probably remain a fixture in my fridge, especially as the weather heats up.
Healthy Pad Thai
Ingredients:
- 1 small spaghetti squash (1.5 to 2 pounds)
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 1/2 Tbsps. mirin (a rice wine vinegar)
- 1 1/2 Tbsps. fish sauce (I used a gluten-free teriyaki sauce)
- 1/2 jalapeno, minced
- 1 Tbsp. water
- 1 Tbsp. grape seed oil
- 3 cups thinly sliced mustard greens (or any other leafy green)
- 1 14-ounce container extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
- 4 large eggs, whisked
- peanuts, chopped
- cucumber, chopped
- pea shoots
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees . Slice squash in half length-wise, scoop out seeds and prick all over with a knife. Coat flesh with oil and roast on a rimmed baking sheet about 1 hour, or until tender when pierced.
2. Whisk together lemon juice, mirin, teriyaki sauce, jalapeno and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer; keep warm over low heat, whisking occasionally.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add greens and saute 1 minute. Stir in tofu and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low and pour in eggs. Let sit 30 seconds, then stir constantly until eggs are just cooked, about 2 minutes more. Turn off heat.
4. Using a fork, scrape squash from shell. Transfer strands to skillet and fold into egg mixture. Drizzle with sauce, stirring to incorporate. Garnish with peanuts, cucumber and pea shoots.
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