Cooking With Wine

1 (1 lb. ) pkg. thawed fish fillets
1 scallion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 tbsp. parsley
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup Selection Estate Sonoma Dry Creek Valley Chardonnay

Place fillets on 13x9x2 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with scallion, tomato, parsley and pats of butter. Pour wine over fish. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes.

Recipe:

5-6 lb ham
2/3 cup each of onions, celery and carrots
1 leek
6 peppercorns
6 allspice berries or cloves
3 cups Selection International South African Chenin Blanc (or similar styled white wine. Selection International South African Chenin Blanc is a medium to full-bodied, dry white wine which evokes luscious tropical fruit flavours and has a palate-pleasing, well balanced, crisp, lingering aftertaste.)

Directions:
Put ham in baking pan. Add veggies and pour wine over all. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 mins. Reduce temperature to 325 F for 2 1/2 hours until internal temp reaches 160 degrees F.

(Photo Credit: Wen’s Delight)

This classic varietal is rich with ripe fruit and berry flavours, yet soft and elegant. Dry, full-bodied and deeply coloured, with a complex velvety taste accentuated with premium French oak.

Recipe:

3 lbs. beef roast, rib-eye or sirloin
2 carrots, large dice
1 onion, large dice
6 stalks celery, large dice
4 mushrooms, quartered
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 bottle Selection International French Merlot
1 oz. cooking oil
4 oz. flour
2 oz. Worcestershire sauce and 2 oz. Dijon mustard
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper as needed

Rub roast with Dijon mustard, garlic, salt and pepper until coated on all sides. Brown the roast in a roasting pan with oil. Add Selection International French Merlot after meat is browned. Add Worcestershire sauce and cover in roasting pan. Bake in oven at 400 degrees for approx. 2 hours or until beef is tender.

In a separate pan, saute all vegetables with bacon until bacon is done. Remove roast from oven and set aside for slicing. Mix flour with cold water until a smooth paste is formed. Whisk the paste into the wine and juices left in the roasting pan. Pour in the sauteed vegetables; cover pan and place back in oven for 20 mins. to make sauce. To serve, slice and ladle sauce over top.

Serves 6.

The nose of this wine holds an intense aroma of plum, black cherries and vanilla with an underlying hint of pepper and spice. Fruit flavours of plum and currants blended with the silky-smooth taste of chocolate and firm tannins give this medium-full bodied wine a pleasant finish, leaving you wanting more.

Recipe:

1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 1/2 lb. beef, cubed
3/4 cup Selection Estate Washington Cabernet Franc Merlot
1 can beef consomme
1 large onion
1 tsp. salt
pinch of pepper

Combine flour and bread crumbs and mix well. Combine other ingredients; blend all together and place in a large casserole dish. Cover. Bake at 300 degrees for 3 hours.

Beef Stroganoff is an age-old recipe that is favored around the world. This dish first originated in Russia as far back as the 19th Century and has since become popular in its variations from China to Brazil, The UK to Australia and all across North America. There are many variations of Beef Stroganoff such as using white wine in place of red, excluding mushrooms, serving the stroganoff with rice instead of egg noodles and the addition of tomato paste. Either way, this is a quick and simply delicious meal. Here is just one version.

Recipe:

1 lb flank steak, cut into strips about 2″ long and 1″ wide

1 medium white onion, diced

1 lb button mushrooms, chopped into 1″ pieces

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup dry red wine

1/2 cup beef stock

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

1. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with oil and heat to medium high. Add the beef to the hot oil. Cook on one side 2-3 minutes or until the beef is browned. Flip the beef and cook another 2-3 minutes or again, until browned.

2. remove the beef from the pan and set aside. Add a little more oil to the pan if needed, reduce the heat to low medium and add the onions and mushrooms to the pan. Saute the onions and mushrooms for about 10 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and saute another 5-6 minutes.

3. Add the red wine to the pan, increase the heat to medium high and simmer for 5-6 minutes or until the wine is almost entirely absorbed by the mushrooms. Add the beef stock and simmer 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, return the beef to the pan along with the paprika, thyme, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the sour cream and mustard. Serve over cooked egg noodles.

Thought a glass of bubbly was reserved just for sipping? Not so. Baking with sparkling wine or champagne is a delicious way to enjoy it as well. These cupcakes are fabulous and will be a hit at any celebration.

For Cupcakes:

2 3/4 cups of flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

2 sticks of butter

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

3 firm-ish but ripe pears, peeled, cored and grated

1 cup sparkling wine or champagne

For Frosting:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened

8 oz cream cheese, softened

3 cups powdered sugar (sifted)

2 tbsp sparkling wine or champagne (you may want to up this, just make sure it’s not runny)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a small bowl sift flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In mixer (or large bowl), cream butter and sugar until well mixed and airy.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, making sure each one is full incorporated before adding next.
5. Slowly add in flour mixture – I do it 1/3 at a time – making sure it is fully incorporated.
6. Stir in vanilla and champagne.
7. Stir in pears.
8. Line the cupcake tin with muffin liners.
9. Scoop an even amount of dough into each cup – I filled them to the top. You should have enough for about 24 cupcakes.
10. Bake for about 16 minutes. I started checking around 12 just to be safe. You want them to be golden in color.
11. While cupcakes are baking, make frosting. Mix cream cheese and butter together. Add powdered sugar and whip until smooth. You can add more powdered sugar if desired.
12. Remove cupcakes from oven and cool in tins for 2 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack.
13. When cupcakes are completely cooled, top with frosting. Decorate if you have anything. I had planned on using diced candied ginger, but after tasting the cakes, I did not want to distract from the light champagne flavor.

(Recipe from YumSugar.com)