Trying something new

Enchiladas with Wisconsin raspberry/grape wine.

Hi All!  Well last night I thought I would try something different with dinner.  We love enchiladas and I decided I wanted to try to make it healthier by changing up some of the ingredients.  I thawed out some of our grass-fed ground beef and seasoned it with taco seasoning.  After it was nicely browned, I added some canned, diced green chilies and stewed tomatoes.  I then added a bit of shredded mozzeralla to the pan. 

Here’s where I really went wrong though.  Normally, I make enchiladas using flour or corn tortillas.  This time, I thought I would try a different brand that was super high in fiber and lightly flavored with basil.  After I loaded the tortillas with the meat sauce, rolled up and placed in the lightly greased pan, I covered it with a “hot” enchilada sauce and more shredded mozzeralla cheese.  This was then placed in the oven for about an hour at 350 degrees. 

When I pulled it out, it looked great!  The cheese was nicely browned on the edges and everything smelled wonderful.  We had also decided to try a raspberry/grape Wisconsin wine.  I didn’t realize that it was slightly carbonated but thought it still might taste good.  Then I read the label closely and realized that I had bought a dessert wine!  It is meant to be drunk while enjoying some sort dark chocolate creation.  Unfortunately, I had not planned dessert, let alone a dark chocolate one.  Our friend, Bob, had brought fresh black berries from his garden to be served with our white chocolate/vanilla ice cream.  Ugh!

Needless to say, it was not one of my best meals.  It wasn’t horrible but the flavors just didn’t play across the palate like I would have liked and the texture of the high fiber, flavored tortillas just didn’t work for me.  My husband and Bob did have seconds but I could barely finish my first serving.  While I didn’t like the wine with the meal, I would be willing to try it again with a dark chocolate dessert.

Live and learn.  Cooking is not something that comes easily to me but I will continue to try new recipes with locally produced food at least once a week and if it fails, I just need to remember that is part of the learning process.

Have you ever had a meal that, while totally edible, just didn’t taste the way you wanted?  Or choose a wine that really didn’t go with the meal?  Tell me your failed attempts and what you learned from it.  Know your farm, trust your food and bring fun back to the table!  Check out www.localdirt.com for local food near you.