Category: Wine

Ingredients

1 cup pimento-stuffed green olives, crushed
1/2 cup drained kalamata olives, crushed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup roughly chopped pickled cauliflower florets
2 tablespoons drained capers
1 tablespoon chopped celery
1 tablespoon chopped carrot
1/2 cup pepperoncini, drained
1/4 cup marinated cocktail onions
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup canola oil
2 (1 pound) loaves Italian bread
8 ounces thinly sliced Genoa salami
8 ounces thinly sliced cooked ham
8 ounces sliced mortadella
8 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese
8 ounces sliced provolone cheese

Directions

To Make Olive Salad: In a medium bowl, combine the green olives, kalamata olives, garlic, cauliflower, capers, celery, carrot, pepperoncini, cocktail onions, celery seed, oregano, basil, black pepper, vinegar, olive oil and canola oil. Mix together and transfer mixture into a glass jar (or other nonreactive container). If needed, pour in more oil to cover. Cover jar or container and refrigerate at least overnight.

To Make Sandwiches: Cut loaves of bread in half horizontally; hollow out some of the excess bread to make room for filling. Spread each piece of bread with equal amounts olive salad, including oil. Layer ‘bottom half’ of each loaf with 1/2 of the salami, ham, mortadella, mozzarella and Provolone. Replace ‘top half’ on each loaf and cut sandwich into quarters.

Serve immediately, or wrap tightly and refrigerate for a few hours; this will allow for the flavors to mingle and the olive salad to soak into the bread.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon lime juice (optional)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup hot pepper sauce (such as Crystal?(r)) (optional)
3/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 (8 ounce) package fresh mushrooms, stems removed
1 small red onion, cut into chunks
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cut into 1 inch pieces

16 wooden skewers, soaked in water
16 fresh pineapple chunks
16 maraschino cherries, stemmed

Directions

Make the marinade by whisking the brown sugar, honey, lime juice, lemon juice, maraschino cherry juice, garlic powder, ginger, black pepper, cayenne pepper, pineapple juice, wine, hot pepper sauce, and soy sauce together in a large, non-metallic bowl. Toss the mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, and chicken in the marinade; cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.

On each skewer, thread a piece of chicken, then three of the veggies followed by another piece of chicken then a pineapple slice and one maraschino cherry at the end. Mix and match the vegetables as you assemble the skewers. Cook on the preheated grill until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.

Ingredients

7 chicken drumsticks, with skin
6 bone-in chicken breast halves, with skin
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning blend (such as Tony Chachere’s(r)), or to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cups chicken broth

1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 large celery stalk, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup canola oil
10 cups boiling water, divided
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (such as Tony Chachere’s), or to taste
1 teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 1/2 pounds smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups uncooked jasmine rice
3 cups water
1 bunch green onions, chopped

Directions

Peel back the skin from the chicken drumsticks and breasts without removing the skin, and make several deep cuts in the chicken meat. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning into the cuts and onto the meat, then replace the skin. Whisk 1/2 cup olive oil and white wine together in a bowl. Place the chicken into a large bowl, pour the olive oil mixture over, stir to coat, and refrigerate 1 hour.

Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade, and discard the marinade. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet until the oil shimmers, and brown the chicken pieces over medium heat, working in batches if necessary, about 5 minutes per side. Place all the chicken pieces into a large soup pot, and pour the broth over the chicken. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook the chicken until tender, about 20 minutes.

While the chicken is simmering, place the onion, green bell pepper, and celery into a skillet with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and cook and stir until the onions are transparent and the peppers have softened, about 8 minutes. Set the onion mixture aside.

Make a roux: mix flour and canola oil

Ingredients

1 pound sausage
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups sliced carrots
1 cup sliced celery
6 cups beef broth
1/2 cup red wine
1 (16 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, with liquid
1 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup zucchini, sliced
1 pound fresh tortellini pasta
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Brown sausage in pot; drain off fat. Add onions and saute until tender. Add carrots, celery, beef broth, red wine, tomatoes, ketchup, Italian seasoning, and garlic. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Skim away the fat from the soup.

Stir in the zucchini, tortellini, red bell pepper, and parsley. (If you use fresh tortellini, cook them according to package directions.) Simmer, covered, for about 25-30 minutes or till the tortellini are tender. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with cheese right before serving.