Red Wine and Ginger Syrup (with poached pears)

Rich dark syrup with a strong wine flavor and a hint of ginger and spice.  Goes wonderful with pears.

Recipe:
1 bottle red wine (this is what your syrup will taste like, so use one you enjoy)
1 1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh ginger, sliced
1/2 cup water
2-4 tsp ground white pepper

Boil the water with the ginger in it, after five minutes add wine, sugar and pepper and reduce heat.  Simmer until it is a medium-thin syrup, it will thicken quite a bit as it cools.  Strain out ginger.  It's done now.  Use it warm or at room temperature.

Variation with pears:

Increase water to 2 1/2 cups, add all ingredients to pot at once and also add a few peeled pears (I used the Bosc variety).  Simmer for about half an hour, turn the pears over a few times while it is simmering so they cook evenly and get pretty colored.  Remove pears.  Let the remaining liquid turn to syrup.  Remove from heat, strain out ginger.  Serve the pears with the syrup.  I like whipped cream on it.

Uses:
Over waffles (especially good with my new recipe coming soon - spicy nut waffles)
On yogurt for breakfast (good with the greek yogurt, feels like dessert for breakfast!)
In drinks (I like it in sparkling water)
As a drizzle on a plate (very pretty with a slice of chocolate cake)

And whatever else you can think of!

Grapefruit Avocado Salad with Langostino Tails

A delicious summery salad ties the sweet-tart grapefruit to the creamy avocado with a balanced cabernet sauvignon and balsamic dressing.  

For dressing:

3/4 cup cabernet sauvignon, or other red wine if you desire

1 cup olive oil

5 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tsp honey

2 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp red wine vinegar

salt

pepper

Reduce wine in a saucepan until it is slightly less than half volume.  Mix 1/4 cup of the reduced wine with all other ingredients.  Shake well and chill.  

For the salad:

1 bag baby spinach leaves

1 pound langostino tails, cooked

2 ruby grapefruits

2 ripe avocados

4 green onions

Divide baby spinach onto chilled plates, I found it works well for four dinner salads or six to eight side salads.  Cube grapefruit and avocado.  Slice green onions.  Top spinach with grapefruit, avocado, langostino tails and a sprinkling of green onion.  Drizzle dressing over top, as much as you feel fit, there will probably be extra dressing.  Grind pepper overtop.  Enjoy!