2009 Holiday Shopping Spree Recipes

Smoked Brisket on Crestini

with Slaw

by Americana Vineyards & Crystal Lake Café

Dry Rub for Brisket

½ cup paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. onion powder
2 tsp. mustard powder
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. brown sugar
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Pepper

Combine all ingredients and liberally apply to brisket.  Smoke at 180? for 24 hours, or in oven at 220? for 15 hours, or until internal temperature reaches 180.

Spicy Slaw

½ head of cabbage, finely chopped
½ cup white sugar
½ cup cider vinegar
2 tbsp. coarsely ground black pepper
Pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients except cabbage.  Adjust dressing seasonings to taste. Pour over cabbage and mix well.

 Dulce de Leche Torte

by Bellwether Hard Cider

1 package waffle-type wafers
3 cans sweetened condensed milk, paper labels removed
4 tbsp butter, melted
¼ cup brandy or cognac (use a little more or less, to taste)
1 ¼ cup walnuts, ground (optional)

Place cans in saucepan and cover with water by at least 1”.  Cover pan, bring water to simmer and cook for 3 hours, checking often to add more water if necessary –cans will explode if not covered.  Remove cans from water and cool completely before opening – hot milk can splash out and burn.  Combine butter, cooled condensed milk, brandy and 1 cup nuts (if using).  Whisk to make a smooth sauce.
Place one wafer on serving platter.  Spread with sauce almost to edges.  Repeat with remaining wafers and sauce, ending with sauce. Sprinkle with ¼ cup walnuts.  Let torte rest at least one hour before cutting with serrated knife.

Turkey Meatballs in Red Wine

& Cranberry Sauce

by Buttonwood Grove Winery

Served with Buttonwood Grove Rose de Lori

The Sauce

1 can whole cranberry sauce
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup Buttonwood Grove Rose de Lori semi sweet red wine
2 tsp Chinese mustard

The Cranberry Meatballs

1 – 2 lbs ground turkey
½ medium onion, finely chopped
1-2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
¾ cup bread crumbs
1 egg
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp salt to taste
½ tsp pepper to taste
½ tsp red pepper flakes to taste
½ cup dried cranberries – optional

Meatballs:
Preheat oven to 375?. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick oil.  Combine all meatball ingredients in a large bowl and mix well and evenly.  Shape into 1 ½ inch balls.  Place in one layer on cookie sheet and bake in oven for 20 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
Sauce:
Stir all ingredients together in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.  Simmer for at least 10 minutes stirring often. Remove from heat and set aside, waiting for the meatballs to cook.  When meatballs are cooked, transfer the sauce into a crock pot, then add the meatballs and let them cook together, stirring occasionally.  Serve hot with a delicious glass of Buttonwood Grove Rose de Lori. (Recipe can be doubled)

Holiday Tomato Soup

by Cayuga Ridge Estate’s

Served with Cayuga Ridge Non-Oak Chardonnay

1 tbsp Butter
1 ½ cup sweet onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tbsp Cayuga Ridge Estate Non-Oak Chardonnay
2 – 28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes
4 oz cream cheese
1 good squirt of honey
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp fresh thyme
1 oz balsamic vinegar

Caramelize the onions in butter.  Add garlic at the end.  Add the wine & simmer. Stir in the tomatoes, honey, salt & pepper, thyme & balsamic vinegar.  Heat until bubbly.  Cut up the cream cheese into a bowl and ladle in some of the hot soup mixture and stir until smooth.  Add this to the soup and stir until mixed. Heat through and serve with Cayuga Ridge Non-Oak Chardonnay! Enjoy!!!

Penne Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce (Spicy)

by Cobblestone Farm Winery

1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 oz.) can crushed or diced tomatoes
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. sugar (to taste)
1/2 to 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes(to taste)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 lb. penne pasta( uncooked)

In saucepan, sauté onions and garlic in oil( 2 tbsp); do not brown.  Add tomatoes, basil, salt, oregano, sugar and red pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Stir in heavy cream, reduce heat & simmer  Cook pasta, pour sauce over pasta, toss &  serve

Serves 8 

Artichoke-Spinach Spread

by Goose Watch Winery

1 (14 oz) can artichokes, minced
¾ c. mayonnaise
1 cup parmesan cheese
¾ cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 (10 oz) pkg. frozen, chopped spinach
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper

Thaw spinach and drain; press with a spoon to get out excess moisture.  Mix spinach with artichokes, mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese, garlic, salt and pepper.  Serve with crackers or corn chips.

 Chilled Beet Soup

by Hosmer Winery

2 tbsp Olive Oil for frying
3 medium carrots peeled & chopped
1 onion finely chopped
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 (15 oz ) cans sliced beets w/liquid
1 tbsp honey
2 cups buttermilk
salt & pepper
garnish w/sour cream

In a large skillet, heat oil, add carrots and onion. Cover and cook until vegetables are just ender.  Add vinegar, cover and cook about 10 min. longer.  Working in batches, add beets with their liquid, honey and carrot mixture to blender.  Puree. Transfer to a large bowl, mix in buttermilk, season with salt and pepper. Chill until cold. 

Brandied Gingerbread Cake

with Ruby Port cream Cheese Frosting

by Chef John McNabb

Knapp Winery & Vineyard Restaurant

Served with Knapp Riesling or Rosabella

Cake

1 c. sugar
3¼ c. flour
½ c. water
1 T. baking soda
1½ t. salt
1 c. molasses
1¼. Vegetable oil
2 Large eggs beaten
1¼ T. Ground Ginger
2½ t. Ground Cinnamon
¼ t. ground cloves
½ c. Knapp Brandy
1 T. Diced candied ginger (if available)

Frosting

4oz. Softened butter
8 oz. Softened cream cheese
2 T.  Knapp Ruby Port
2 ½ lbs. Confectioner’s Sugar
1t. Vanilla

Preheat conventional oven to 325 degrees. Convection ovens to 300 degrees. Prepare either a 9x13 cake pan or two 8-inch round cake pans lined with parchment paper and buttered or lightly greased. 
In a medium bowl add oil, molasses, sugar, and eggs and crystallized ginger. Whip vigorously until incorporated.
In another large bowl; sift flour, ground ginger, cloves, salt, and cinnamon together. Now slowly add liquid mixture slowly to flour mixture while constantly stirring. Whip lightly until completely smooth.
In a small saucepan or sauté pan, add water and brandy. Bring to a simmer and add baking soda and stir to dissolve. Take off heat. Add water and brandy mixture slowly to batter while beating constantly. Transfer batter to prepared cake pan and bake 45-50 minutes or until cake “springs back” when touched. Let cake rest in pan for at least 30 minutes. Turn out onto serving platter and refrigerate. (If desired, make a simple syrup with brandy that can be drizzled over the cake to infuse more brandy flavor while resting in the refrigerator.)

Frosting: In a large bowl, beat ingredients for frosting until light and smooth. Refrigerate and use as needed on cake.

Cranberry Sauce with Meritage & Cinnamon

by Treleaven King Ferry Winery

1 cup Meritage
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
1 cup dried cranberries (about 6 ounces)
1 (12 oz) bag fresh cranberries
¾ cup water
¼ cup sugar

Bring meritage & cinnamon sticks to boil in heavy medium saucepan.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer mixture 5 minutes.
Add dried cranberries to saucepan; simmer until slightly softened, about 3 minutes.  Add fresh cranberries, ¾ cup water, and sugar, bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until cranberry sauce thickens and is darker in color and berries collapse, stirring often, about 20 minutes.  Transfer sauce to bowl; cool. Discard cinnamon sticks.  Can be made 3 days ahead.  Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Tone’s White Chicken Chili

by Long Point Winery

Served with Chardonnay

4 cans (15 oz) white beans, rinsed
2 large onions, chopped
½ cup butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 ¾ cup chicken broth
2 ¼ cups lite half n’ half
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 (4 oz) cans of whole mild green chilies, drained & chopped
5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs)
Extra butter & oil to cook to cook chicken in
1 ½ cups Monterey Jack
½ cup lite sour cream

Heat a large skillet over moderately high heat and put in some butter and oil.  Meanwhile coat your chicken with salt and pepper and chili powder.  Throw them in the skillet and leave them for five minutes, or until nicely browned, then flip them.  Leave it there until browned and then flip them every few minutes until they are done (which you can tell by poking a knife into the thickest part and seeing if it’s white instead of pink).
Remove chicken from the pan. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it with your fingers and set aside.
While waiting for chicken to cool, cook the onions in the same pan with 2 tbsp of butter until softened.
In a heavy pot, large enough to hold all the ingredients, melt remaining 6 tbsp of butter over moderately low heat.  Gradually whisk in flour.  Cook the roux and whisk constantly for three minutes.
Stir in onion and gradually add the chicken broth and half n’ half, whisking the whole time. Bring mixture to almost a boil.  Turn heat down to a simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes, or until thickened. (It will be nicely and obviously thick)
Stir in Tabasco sauce, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.  Add beans, chilies, chicken and cheese and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes.
Add sour cream.  May be served immediately – though like all chili’s this tastes awesome the next day.
Serve with the usual chili garnishes – cilantro, cheese, jalapenos, tomatoes, etc.

Steve’s Cheesy Baked Potato Soup

by Lucas Vineyards

Served with Mistletoe Magic White Wine

Serves 6-8

5 lbs Baking Potatoes
2 Medium yellow onions (diced )
6 Tbsp butter
1 Quart Vegetable Stock
4 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese (sliced or shredded)
1 ½ cups half n half
Salt and pepper to taste

Bake potatoes @ 350 for approx. 75 minutes or until tender when poked with fork.
In soup pot, Caramelize onions in butter with a pinch of salt, over low heat, stirring often, until golden brown.  Add stock to onions and blend small batches in blender or with immersion blender.  Scrape potato meat into mixture and add cheese.
Blend with immersion blender or in food processor in small batches until smooth.  Do not over-blend. Return to pot.  Add half n half to preferred texture and stir.  Finish with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve hot, with a few butter parmesan croutons and/or a sprinkle of chives.

Apple Cranberry Crisp

by Montezuma Winery

Served with Golden Delicious Apple Wine

4 lbs. Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced      
2/3 cup quick-cooking oats
2/3 cup flour
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375°.  Butter a 9x13 baking dish.  In a large bowl, mix together apples, cranberries, white sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Place evenly in baking dish.  In the same bowl, combine oats, flour and brown sugar.  With a fork, mix butter until crumbly. Stir in pecans.  Sprinkle over apples.  Bake 40-50 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender.  Yield: approx. 16 servings.

Gourmet Macaroni & Cheese with

Goat Cheese, Bacon & Dill Cream

by Chef Sam Izzo

Simply Red Bistro at Sheldrake Point

Sauce

4 tbsp butter
1 tbsp canola oil
1 cup white onion
1cup sliced bacon
1 tbsp. garlic
1 tbsp. shallot
¼ cup flour
1 ½ tbsp Italian herb mix
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
1 tbsp lemon juice
4 cup whole milk
1 ½ cups parmesan cheese
1 cup goat cheese (Chevre)
½ cup chopped dill, fresh

Pasta

1 lb dry pasta, small shells, penne or macaroni
4 qts of water
½ salt
¼ oil
2 cups grated white Cheddar
¼ cup parmesan

Pre-heat oven to 350º

Melt butter & oil in heavy bottom pot on Medium.  Blend onion, bacon, garlic, and shallot in food processor until small.  Sauté the onion/bacon blend until translucent.  Make a roux by adding the flour, herb mix, mustard & lemon juice – stir constantly.  slowly whisk in the milk so lumps don’t form in the roux.  Once incorporated and the milk has warmed, whisk in the parmesan and Chevre.  Cook about 5 minutes until the cheeses have melted to a smooth consistency.  Whisk in the dill, remove from stove and allow to cool.
Heat the pasta water to boiling – add the salt & oil, then the pasta. Cook al dente, around 6 minutes.  drain the pasta but don’t rinse.  Put the pasta in an oven-proof dish and stir in the cheese sauce.  Top with the grated Cheddar & Parmesan.  Bake for 20 minutes. Makes enough for 8 hearty helpings.

Pumpkin Curry Soup

by Six Mile Creek Vineyards

Served with Vignoles

2 onions, chopped
2 tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp hot pepper flake
4 cups vegetable broth
1 (14 oz) unsweetened coconut milk
2 (15 oz) cans solid pack pumpkin
2 tbsp hot curry powder or to taste
salt & pepper to taste

Cook onions in butter in a heavy pot over medium heat, 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and spices and cook 4 minutes more.  Add the broth, coconut milk and pumpkin, simmer for about 30 minutes.  Puree the soup in batches in the blender or with an emulsion blender in the pot (the soup will be hot so be careful not to put too much in the blender at once).  Season the soup to taste with the curry powder and salt and pepper. Serves: 8-10

Chili Bianco

by Swedish Hill Vineyard

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken, cut in small pieces
1 ¼ cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 (15 oz) cans great northern white beans, drained
1 can white corn
1 can diced green chiles
½ cup chicken broth
2 tbsp diced jalapenos
2 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp oregano
2 cups shredded Jack cheese for Mexican blend
½ cup sour cream

Heat oil in large skillet and cook chicken for 5-6 minutes or until no longer pink.  Add onion and garlic and stir occasionally for 2-3 minutes more.  Stir in beans, corn, chiles, jalapenos, cumin and oregano.  Bring to boil, reduce heat to low. Add cheese and sour cream.  Stir until just melted.

Holiday Meatballs

by Thirsty Owl Wine Company

Sauce

2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
½ cup red moon wine
1 small onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tbsp oregano
½ tbsp basil
½ tbsp parsley

Sauté onion and garlic in a little olive oil.  Add tomatoes, Red Moon wine, and spices. Simmer for 1 hour.  Add your favorite meatballs, simmer for ½ hour and serve.