Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee Season 1 Episode 1 Open House: Tapas and Wine

Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee season 1 episode 1, "Open House: Tapas and Wine," showcases Sandra Lee's ability to make hosting a party stress-free. In this episode, she focuses on tapas and wine, perfect for any open house or get-together.

The episode begins with Sandra introducing the theme of the day, open house, and revealing her secret to easy entertaining: semi-homemade cooking. She explains that semi-homemade cooking is all about combining prepared ingredients with fresh ingredients to create an elegant dish that looks and tastes homemade.

Next, Sandra demonstrates how to make a classic tapas dish, bacon-wrapped dates. She first sautés chopped garlic in olive oil, then adds chopped bacon and cooks it until crispy. She then stuffs dates with almonds, wraps them in the bacon, and bakes them in the oven until golden brown. Sandra emphasizes the importance of presentation, recommending serving the bacon-wrapped dates on a silver platter with a sprig of rosemary for a pop of color.

Sandra's next dish is prosciutto-wrapped asparagus. She explains that this dish is perfect for an open house because it can be served at room temperature. She quickly blanches the asparagus and then wraps it in prosciutto. She recommends arranging the asparagus on a platter and garnishing with lemon wedges and a sprinkle of black pepper.

For the main course, Sandra prepares her twist on traditional Spanish paella, which typically involves a lot of time and effort. She uses store-bought Spanish rice and adds a variety of protein, including shrimp, chicken, and chorizo sausage. She also includes vegetables such as bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and green peas. Sandra adds her own touch to the dish by topping it with a poached egg, which she suggests breaking and mixing into the rice. The finished dish looks colorful and flavorful, with the poached egg adding an elegant touch.

Finally, Sandra discusses wine pairing for the different dishes. She recommends a light, fruity red wine for the bacon-wrapped dates, a crisp white wine such as Pinot Grigio for the prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, and a bold red such as Tempranillo for the paella. She explains that the key to successful wine pairing is to match the weight and flavors of the food with the wine.

Throughout the episode, Sandra emphasizes time-saving tips, such as using store-bought ingredients and freezing leftover ingredients for later use. She encourages viewers to experiment with their own flavor combinations and presentations, while still maintaining the principles of semi-homemade cooking.

Overall, "Open House: Tapas and Wine" is a great introduction to Sandra Lee's unique cooking style, which combines convenience with elegance. Sandra's tips and recipes are perfect for anyone looking to host a stress-free, impressive open house, and her wine-pairing suggestions add an extra layer of sophistication.