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Wine Pairing Weekend: Spring Fling with Greek Pizza & Wine

 “Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.”  So said Demosthenes, a Greek orator of the 4th century BCE.  Good old Demosthenes anticipated the utterly clever Food Network show “How to Feed Your Family on $99 a Week” by Michele Urvater.  Unlike today’s faux reality cooking shows, Michele’s practical advice could be employed in one’s own kitchen.  Her genius was in formulating leftovers into an entirely different, albeit tasty and appealing, dish.  Her creativity resulted in economies of scale:  cook once, repurpose, save time and money.  The show has been an inspiration for my weekday cooking and for a wonderful pizza recipe for Wine Pairing Weekend. Cocktails Greek 191“One thing I know, that I know nothing.”  Socrates is so right when it comes to my cooking.  As Hippocrates said, “The life so short, the craft so long to learn.”  So when I discover recipes that are begging to be transformed into another meal, I don’t hesitate to experiment.  Take for example the Perfect Herb Roasted Chicken and Greek Bruschetta I wrote about recently.  There were leftovers that just begged to be the foundation for other dishes.  One was Greek pasta that used the chicken and the bruschetta sauce over spaghetti noodles.  The other was a Greek pizza that used the chicken and the bruschetta sauce as toppings.  The results were terrific in each case and made me want to break into bouzouki dancing like Frasier in the “Beware of Greeks” episode.Cocktails Greek 134Pasta merely requires an adequate pot.  But when it comes to pizza, my secret weapon is the Breville Pizza Maker.  I love it.  In less than 10 minutes cooking time I can transform dough and a panoply of toppings into a crusty, gooey, aromatic pie.  Pizza is truly limited only by one’s imagination.  And leftovers from the Perfect Herb Roasted Chicken and Greek Bruschetta were my Tinker Bell to Sous Chef’s Peter Pan.Cocktails Greek 254

Man does not live by bread alone, so I paired the pasta and pizza with two Greek wines, a white and a red.  The first was a 2013Assyrtiko Santorini.  This is a dry white that drinks well when young.  It has minerality and a distinctive character.  Most Assyrtiko wines are unoaked , so they are crisp and enjoyable on their own or when paired with food.  And for an added benefit, they are light in alcohol.  Light alcohol, great minerality, and crispness form the holy trinity of a wine that can be consumed for every occasion or no occasion at all.

Cocktails Greek 247

The second wine was a 2012 Agiorgitiko Nemea.  Agiorgitiko means “St. George’s Grape” and is most likely named for a chapel near Nemea.  It is also believed to be one of the oldest varietals grown in Greece and is historically associated with the half-god Hercules and is often called the “Blood of Hercules.”  Pretty big shoes to fill.  The Agiorgitiko Nemea lived up to the hype and ended up being a very pleasant red wine that did not overpower the pasta or the pizza.  This is a really good $12 wine.

Don’t be afraid to reinvent your leftovers and explore new wine regions.  You never know what you might discover.

Just take a look at what this wonderful group has planned to meet my challenge to them.  We may never find ourselves in this dilemma again!!

Spring Pea Risotto with Picpoul de Pinet by Curious Cuisiniere 

Spring-Kissed Seafood Chowder with Pelerin 2011 Les Tournesols by Cooking Adventures with Camilla

Wine and Dine: Las Lilas Vinho Verde 2013 and Chilled Cucumber with Mint Soup by Grape Experiences.

Creamy Mushroom Pasta with Spring Peas and Westrey Pinot Noir by Pull That Cork

Red Wine with Asparagus and Mushrooms by Cooking Chat

Spring Hopes: Asparagus and Rosé by Food Wine Click

Leap into Spring with Pasta Primavera by Vino Travels

Spring Fling with Greek Pizza and Wine by Confessions of a Culinary Diva

Spring Flavors with Hungarian Pinot Grigio by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Welcoming Spring with #WinePW by Rockin Red Blog

Winter’s Hill Pinot Blanc and Warm Arugula, Bacon and Asparagus Salad by Tasting Pour

Roasted Halibut with Potatoes and Lemon and a Tablas Creek Cotes de Tablas by Enofylz Wine Blog

Beets and Wine Pairing by Girls Gotta Drink

Greek Pizza
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
  • 1 pizza crust (homemade or store bought)
  • 1 cup leftover Greek Bruschetta
  • 1 cup shredded Perfect Roast Chicken
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • fresh dill and basil to garnish
Instructions
  1. Preheat Pizza Maker to high/crispy setting.
  2. Let dough rest. Roll out dough to desired thickness. Drizzle a little of the liquid from the Greek Bruschetta over crust. Add tomato mixture and spread across the pizza crust. Add shredded chicken. Place in Pizza Maker and cook for approximately 7 minutes. Remove from pizza oven add crumbled feta cheese and fresh herbs, slice and serve.
WRITTEN BY

Christy Majors

Food enthusiast, wine aficionado, BBC Food fanatic, and cookbook bibliomaniac, who suffers from an incurable case of culinary wanderlust. Artist in progress. Creator of Tout va bien! (TM) where experiences in food, travel and wine are broken down for the home cook and traveler. Banker by day.
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14 Comments

  1. I consider you a good cook….my personal definition of a good cook is one who can make leftovers reappear as a brand new meal and their family is none the wiser. I repurpose leftovers every week in our house and my family claims that they don’t eat leftovers LOL.

  2. You had me at “Greek Pizza”. I didn’t know Breville made a Pizza Maker. I have one of their juicer, which I love. Looks like a great pairing with Greek wines. I’m a fan of Assyrtiko. Haven’t tried Agiorgitiko yet. Well done!

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