Category: Wine

Ingredients

4 beets, trimmed, leaving 1 inch of stems attached
1/4 cup minced shallot
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil, and place onto a baking sheet.

Bake beets in preheated oven until easily pierced with a fork, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Once done, remove from oven, and allow to cool until you can handle them. Peel beets, and cut into 1/4 inch slices.

While the beets are roasting, whisk together shallot, parsley, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and red wine vinegar in a bowl until blended; season to taste with salt and pepper, and set aside.

To assemble the dish, place the warm, sliced beets onto a serving dish, pour vinaigrette over the beets, and sprinkle with feta cheese before serving.

Ingredients

Tomato-Seafood Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 celery stalk, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 1/2 cubes fish-flavored bouillon cubes
1 cup dry red wine
3 cups canned diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 pinch paprika
1 pound mixed frozen seafood
4 squid, cleaned and cut into rings and tentacles
salt and pepper to taste

Polenta:
3 cups water
1 cup coarse polenta (not instant)
1/2 cup baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
garlic salt to taste

Vegetable Mix:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red onion, diced
2 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise then into 1/4-inch slices
10 cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in onion and garlic; cook until the onion has softened and the garlic has begun to turn brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the celery and cook for 5 minutes. Add olive oil, Italian seasoning, parsley, bouillon cubes, and red wine; simmer for 5 minutes, stirring to break up the bouillon cubes. Stir in canned tomatoes, sugar, cayenne, and paprika. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Take the tomato sauce off of the heat and puree with a stick blender until smooth. Stir in the mixed seafood, and return to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in squid, reduce heat to medium-low, and gently simmer for 30 minutes; season to taste with salt and pepper.

While the tomato-seafood sauce is simmering, prepare the polenta by bringing water to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium, and slowly whisk in polenta with a wire whisk. Allow to simmer 5 minutes, whisking const

Ingredients

1/4 pound bacon
2 pounds venison stew meat
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup wine vinegar
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon prepared Dijon-style mustard
1 cup ketchup
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Remove from skillet, crumble and set aside. Brown stew meat in bacon grease for flavor.

Put onion, sugar, vinegar, cumin, chili powder, garlic, mustard, ketchup, salt and pepper in slow cooker and mix well. Add bacon and venison and stir together.

Cook for a minimum of 8 hours on Low setting. Use a fork to separate the meat into a thick and yummy Sloppy Joe-style barbecue.

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves chopped garlic
2 pounds ground beef
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
6 eggs
1 (15.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with liquid
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 cups red wine
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onions and garlic, and cook until the onions have caramelized to a deep, golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir frequently as the onions cook. Meanwhile, place the ground beef, celery, bell pepper, eggs, tomatoes, and parsley into a mixing bowl; mix until evenly combined.

Add the meat mixture into the caramelized onions, and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook and stir until the beef is crumbly and no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in the red wine and red pepper flakes. Continue simmering, covered, until the liquid evaporates, about 1 hour.