Dried Fruit Soup

INGREDIENTS

¼    cup dried apricots

¼    cup dried pears

¼    cup dried mango

¼    cup dried papaya

¼    cup dried pineapple

1     bottle (375 ml) Chaucers Raspberry wine

½    cup water

1     tablespoon sugar

½    cup whipping cream

METHOD

Cut all the fruit into small (less than ½ inch) pieces. In a medium sauce pan, add the fruit to the Raspberry wine and water, bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes.  

Add the sugar and remove from the heat. Allow the soup to cool to room temperature and add ½ cup whipping cream, stirring it in to a consistent color. Refrigerate until well chilled and serve as a dessert in ½ cup servings.

Bulgur with Fruit

INGREDIENTS

2    cups water

1    cup bulgur

2    tablespoons butter                                         

1    chopped, peeled pear

1    chopped, peeled apple

½   cup dry roasted peanuts* (optional)

1    tablespoon brown sugar

METHOD

Bring water to a boil in a medium sauce pan and add the bulgur. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook the bulgur for about 10 to 12 minutes until soften throughout. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again. Set aside.

In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and add the fruit and nuts. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until softened, remove from the heat and stir in the brown sugar. Mix in the bulgur and return to re-heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately

*NOTE: Instead of peanuts, use whatever nuts you have on hand, chopping larger ones to peanut size. Or, use seeds instead. Or Not. Your choice.

Adapted from a recipe in Cooking Light magazine

Mixed Berry Dutch Baby

INGREDIENTS

3    large eggs

1    teaspoon grated orange rind

1     pinch salt

½    cup granulated sugar

1    tablespoon baking powder

1    cup all-purpose flour

1    cup low fat milk 

4    tablespoons butter  

1    cup blueberries

1    cup raspberries

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 450 F and preheat a 10 inch cast iron skillet on top of the stove.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, orange rind, salt and sugar until well beaten. Slowly add the baking powder and flour, stirring to combine. Then slowly add the milk and stir that in until the batter is well combined. Remove the frying pan from the heat using a pot holder and pour the batter into the pan. Add the fruit, carefully spreading them evenly in the batter Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Remove carefully from the oven – the handle is very hot – and place onto a wire rack to cool .before serving.

Based on a recipe in Food and Wine magazine.

Clafouti

A different method of making pies. Two different pies are featured here - one mushroom, the other fruit - both good. If pie crust is the bane of your existance - try this
.

INGREDIENTS

Crust
1    cup all-purpose flour
¼   teaspoon salt
1 1/3  cups low fat or skim milk
3    large egg whites
1    large egg
½   tablespoon dried thyme
Filling 1
3    tablespoons olive oil
1    medium onion, chopped
1    pound mushrooms, thinly sliced
¼   cup Emile’s dry Sherry wine or equivalent
½   cup grated Parmesan cheese
Filling 2
2    apples, like Granny Smith, p\eeled, quartered, cored, sliced cross-wise
2    Comice pears, peeled, quartered, cored, sliced-cross-wise
1    tablespoon lemon juice
1    tablespoon butter
2    tablespoons Emile’s dry Sherry wine or equivalent
¼   teaspoon ground cinnamon

METHOD
Crust. Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease the sides and bottom of a pie plate. In a large bowl, add the flour and salt. Using a whisk, slowly whisk in the milk and then do the same with the egg whites and whole egg. Stir in the thyme and then pour the whole thing into a blender and process for at least 30 seconds to thoroughly mix the ingredients. Pour 1 cup of the mix into the pie plate and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Set the rest of the crust mix aside.

Filling 1

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and the onions. Stir and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until transparent. Add the mushrooms and the Sherry wine and cook until the mushrooms begin to give off their juices, about 4 to 5 minutes. Pour the mushrooms into the prepared pie plate and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the filling.

Filling 2

Pour the lemon juice over the apple and pear slices to prevent browning and mix to coat. In a large skillet, melt the butter and add the apples and pears. Stir to coat and add the Sherry wine. Cook until the pears and apples are softened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the cinnamon over the fruit. Mix the cinnamon in well and pour the fruit into the prepared pie pan and crust.

Finishing
Once the filling has been added to the pie plate, give the remaining crust mix another whirl in the blender and then pour it over the filling. Carefully place it into the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm or cool.

Jelled Raspberries

INGREDIENTS
½    cup cold water
2     envelopes unflavored gelatin
3 ½   cups sweetened black current
         or cran-raspberry juice*
2    tablespoons sugar*
3    cups raspberries, divided*

METHOD

Pour the water into a large sauce pan. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and stir until evenly moistened. Let it stand for 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the juice and sugar in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Gradually stir this into the gelatin. Continue to pour and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved, about 2 to 3 minutes. Refrigerate for 2 ½ + hours until it is slightly thickened and syrupy.

Place a few raspberries on the bottom of a 3 quart glass dish. Pour a 1 inch layer into this dish. Carefully arrange half of the raspberries on top of this layer, and then refrigerate both dishes for 15 minutes. Carefully pour half of the remaining gelatin over the layer of berries and arrange the remaining berries on top of this layer. Cover these berries with the last of the gelatin and refrigerate again until completely set, about 2 hours.

To un-mold the gelatin, place the glass dish into a hot water bath for 3 to 4 minutes, place the serving dish on top of the 3 quart glass dish and flip the whole thing over, dropping the gelatin onto the serving dish.

*Notes: As far as the juice goes, I used raspberry wine instead, with even a bit of Zinfandel to round out the required amount. The alcohol boiled off.  Sugar: be sure to taste the juice/sugar mixture to make sure it is sweet enough. Unsweetened gelatin does not go far in the taste range. Berries: I used some blue berries also just to add a bit of fun. As it was, the gelatin was darker than I thought it would be and the blue berries were “hidden” until you tasted them.

Chickpea Date Tagine

INGREDIENTS
1    tablespoon olive oil
1    large onion, diced (about 2 cups)
4    cloves garlic, minced
1    teaspoon ground cumin
1    teaspoon ground coriander
1    teaspoon powdered ginger
½   teaspoon ground cinnamon
1    can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes
2    cans (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed, drained
1    cup whole wheat couscous
1    cup pitted dates, quartered
¼   cup lemon juice or ½ preserved lemon, rinsed, seeded, minced
½   cup chopped fresh cilantro

 METHOD

Heat the oil in a alrge sauce pan over medium heat and add the onion. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often, or until beginning to brown. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, ginger and cinnamon, stirring them in and cooking for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas and ¼ cup of water. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast the couscous in a medium skillet until it begins to brown and add 1 ¾ cups of water. Bring to a boil, remove from the heat, cover and let it steep for 5 minutes.

Stir the dates and lemon or juice into the tagine and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes to soften the dates. Remove from the heat and serve over couscous, sprinkled with chopped cilantro. Will serve 6 to 8 people.

Adapted from a recipe found at Food.com

 

Berry Cobbler

This is the other cobbler wherein the dough surrounds the fruit as it rises. You must go and buy two packages of fresh blackberries and make this now, before blackberries are out of season and you will have to wait a whole year to enjoy it. Trust me – it’s that good and it is that easy to make.

INGREDIENTS

 6    tablespoons butter, melted
1 ¼  cup all-purpose flour
¾   cup sugar
2    teaspoons baking powder
1    cup low fat (2%) milk
3-4    cups fresh blackberries (2 packages)

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Pour the melted butter into a 3-4 quart baking dish. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, sugar and baking powder. Add the milk and whisk to a smooth batter. Pour the batter into the baking dish, into the melted butter. Arrange the fruit on top of the batter, evenly spread. Bake for 25 minutes and see if it is golden brown. If not, bake for 5 minutes before checking again. Do not let the cobbler get too done. Remove and cool on a wire rack.

NOTE: If blackberries are out of season, find some other fruit to use; even canned cherries are good or canned peaches or apricots. Or mix two types of fruit for fun. Always use slices or slice the fruit yourself and always drain canned fruit before placing it into the dough

Fresh Plum Cobbler

This is one way of making cobbler wherein you put the bread portion on top of the fruit before baking. The other method is to put the fruit on top of the bread portion and as it cooks the bread rises and surrounds the fruit. That will be done herein as soon as I finish this cobbler. By the way, this would probably work well with peaches, apricots, nectarines and other similar fruit.

INGREDIENTS

½   cup sugar
3    tablespoons cornstarch
½   teaspoon ground cinnamon
1     tablespoon lemon juice
4     cups sliced, fresh, unpeeled plums
½    cup dry white table wine
 
1     cup all-purpose flour
1     tablespoon sugar
2     teaspoons baking powder
½    teaspoon salt
3     tablespoons butter or butter substitute
½    cup milk

METHOD

Preheat oven to 400 F. In a 2 quart sauce pan over medium heat, mix the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and lemon juice with the plums, stirring. Add the table wine and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken. Pour into an ungreased 2 quart casserole or baking dish.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into this mixture until the particles are like small crumbs. Add the milk and stir to create a soft dough. Drop this by spoonfuls onto the top of the plum mixture until it is all used. Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes until the topping is golden brown. Remove and cool to warm and serve with a topping of whipped cream.

Pear Apple Date Cake

INGREDIENTS
½     cup water
½     cup pitted dates, chopped
1      teaspoon baking soda
2      cups all-purpose flour
1      teaspoon baking powder
¼     teaspoon salt
½     cup butter, softened
1      cup granulated sugar
1      egg
1      teaspoon vanilla extract
1      cup chopped fresh figs
1      pear, cored, peeled, chopped (1 cup)
1      apple, cored, peeled, chopped (1 cup)

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 inch spring-form pan and line the bottom with parchment. In a small sauce pan, bring ½ cup of water to a boil and add the chopped dates. Remove immediately from the heat. Stir in the baking soda (it will foam) and set aside.

In one large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In another large bowl, cut the butter and sugar together using a pastry cutter and then whisk in the egg and vanilla Stir until well combined. Slowly add the flour, whisking only until combined. Drain the dates and fold into the batter with the chopped fig, pear and apple.

Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Carefully remove the spring form outer ring and the parchment paper. Serve when cool

 

NOTE: This comes out sort of damp and heavy but very good. I tried three times to eliminate the dampness without much success. Perhaps less apple and pear would do it. Let me know!

Melon Risotto

I know – why would anyone make a rice dish with melon. Try this and you will understand.

INGREDIENTS
1    cup low sodium chicken broth
1    cup water
1 ¼    cup dry white table wine, divided
2    tablespoons butter
1    medium white onion, chopped fine
1    cup Arborio or Carnaroli rice
2    cups roughly chopped melon (SEE NOTE)
1    tablespoon dry parsley flakes

METHOD

Combine the chicken broth, water and 1 cup of wine in a small sauce pan and warm on the stove. In a large skillet, melt the butter and add the onion. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes on medium-low heat until the onions are translucent. Add the rice and mix well. Continue cooking for 4 to 5 minutes until the rice starts to sizzle. Add ¼ cup of white wine.

Increase the heat to medium and stir until the wine is absorbed and add ½ cup of the warn broth/wine mix to the skillet. Continue stirring as it begins to absorb and then add the chopped melon. Continue stirring as the rice absorbs liquid and continue adding broth/wine in small amounts until the rice has cooked to a state of al dente, about 18 to 20 minutes.

You may not need all of the 3 cups of liquid, but if you run out before the rice is cooked, just add warm water in small amounts.  Add the parsley flakes, stir them in, and remove the risotto from the heat. Set it aside for about 5 minutes before serving. This recipe provides 4 to 6 servings as a side dish.

Red Cabbage and Apples

They just don’t make better side dishes than this. I can’t wait for St. Patrick’s day to have this with a pork dish and the Irish brown bread. A nice glass of ale will have to accompany it all since I don’t know of any Irish red wines to pair with it.

 

INGREDIENTS
1    large head of red cabbage
2    tablespoons cider vinegar
3    tablespoons granulated sugar
1/8  teaspoon cinnamon
½   cup water
3    Macintosh, Gala or Fuji apples

METHOD

Cut the cabbage into four pieces, remove the core and shred the cabbage. Place into a large steel skillet. Mix the vinegar, sugar, cinnamon and water and pour over the cabbage. Bring to a low boil.

Peel, core and cut each apple into 8 even pieces and put on top of the cabbage in the skillet, cover and cook for about 15 minutes until the cabbage is soft and the apples soft. Remove the cover and cook for about 5 more minutes to evaporate most of the liquid. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

Blackberry Sauce

This sauce could have a very extensive future. With pan fried cod, braised tilapia and butter-sautéed Portobello mushroom slices it was very tasty. There is enough sauce left to try it on several other foods. It is simple to make and far too easy to consume.

INGREDIENTS

2    tablespoons butter
1    cup fresh blackberries
½   cup Eredita ruby port
1    tablespoon lemon juice
1    tablespoon honey
1    teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar

METHOD

In a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and add all the rest of the ingredients. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until the blackberries begin to break down. Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree. Return to the sauce pan through a sieve to remove all the seeds and continue to cook for 3 to 4 minutes until it thickens. Remove from the heat and drizzle over your favorite food. This will provide about 1 ½ cups of sauce.

 

Carrots in Apricot Sauce

This sauce is so good I can see it being used on other foods, like roast pork, leg of lamb, turkey breast, chicken, sweet potatoes, or....well enough. I'll try some of these ideas and let you all know later.  OK ??

INGREDIENTS
1    package (12 ounces) baby peeled carrots
1    cup low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped small
1    teaspoon honey
1    teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

METHOD
Steam the carrots in the microwave or on top of the stove for 4 minutes so they remain crunchy-tender. Set aside. In a medium sauce pan, combine the broth, apricots, honey, balsamic vinegar and cinnamon. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes until the apricot pieces have absorbed enough liquid to be soft and tender. Transfer to a blender or food processor and process to a slightly lumpy puree.

Return to the sauce pan and add the carrots. Cook over low for 1 to 2 minutes to reheat the carrots, remove from the heat and serve.

Based upon ideas from www.about.com Home Cooking

Poached Pears in Red Wine

INGREDIENTS
3    cups water
1    cup Eredita ruby port
1    dash vanilla extract
3    pears, peeled, cored and cut in half lengthwise
      cinnamon for garnish

METHOD
In a large sauce pan, combine the water and port wine, vanilla and the halved pears. Bring to a simmer, cover  and poach, turning occasionally, until the pears are soft yet still maintain their shape, about 12 to 14 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the pears from the poaching liquid and place into a bowl. Allow to cool for a few minutes and refrigerate.

Prepare one recipe of Berry and Cabernet sauce, from this blog and refrigerate.

When the pears and the wine sauce are both well chilled, place a single pear half into each individual serving dish and add a few spoonfuls of the wine sauce. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon and serve.

Partially based upon a recipe from the Internet, FoodNetwork.com

Berry and Cabernet Sauce

This is a wonderful sauce that is good with sliced beef, duck, pork or salmon. Or, if you don't have any meat to put it on, try it with the optional chocolate on a little vanilla ice cream. Just a little, now!
INGREDIENTS
1    cup Chaucer's Blackberry wine
1    cup Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon wine
3    tablespoons granulated cane sugar

METHOD
In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, add both of the wines and the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the sauce to cool before serving.

OPTIONS
(1) use Reserve Merlot or Reserve Zinfandel instead of the Cabernet.

(2) Instead of using Chaucer's Blackerry wine, try it with Chaucer's Raspberry wine.

(3) Reheat the sauce made with either Chaucer's wine and add 1 tablespoon of semi-sweet baking chocolate. Heat over low heat until the chocolate is melted and absorbed.

Blueberry Steak Sauce

WHAT ??? Blueberries on steak ?? Yep, that's what it is and, boy, is it good. But of course, you have to have the right kind of steak. No rib-eye here, or porterhouse. We are talking Chateaubriand, London Broil, Tri Tip, Filet Mignon roast. Steaks you have to slice to serve. Really.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 small white onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 -3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup Guglielmo Private Reserve Petite Sirah
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon butter or butter substitute
1 pinch ground allspice
1 1/2 to 3 pounds of steak, cooked medium rare to medium, sliced.

METHOD In a small sauce pan, add the olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until they are translucent, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 30 to 40 seconds until you can smell the garlic. Add the wine, reduce the heat to medium low and cook until half of the wine has been absorbed. Add the blueberries, allspice and balsamic vinegar and continue cooking for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.

Add the butter and whisk vigorously to break up any remaining whole berries. Remove from the heat and serve either on the side or drizzled over the slices of steak. Serve with Guglielmo Estate Petite Sirah.

I wanted some mushrooms with the steak, so I sliced a Portobello mushroom thinly (3/8 inch) and sauteed it in a little olive oil until the slices were limp. A little of the blueberry sauce snuck onto the mushrooms, followed by a LOT of the sauce. Add some steamed asparagus on the side for a truly heavenly meal