As the holidays approach (yikes!), we’re all thinking of calmer, simpler ways to handle the hustle and bustle. Dinner planning and meals may well be farthest from our minds, yet those times of restful replenishment are essential to our well being under stress. The answer might seem to be take out or delivery fast food… we know these alternatives are costly and not necessarily health-conscious. Here is a healthy, hearty recipe for a quick and easy dinner using Falcon Nest 2003 Zinfandel. Another red wine might work, but I used Falcon Nest, so cannot attest to the success of a recipe with another wine. Please note this recipe feeds quite a few hungry souls!

“Zinfally” Hearty, Healthy Minestrone

Ø      2 pounds smoked sausage, diced

Ø      2/3 cup Falcon Nest 2003 Zinfandel wine

Ø      26 ounce jar Mushroom pasta sauce (store brand is fine)

Ø      16 ounce package frozen, mixed vegetables (store brand is fine)

Ø      15 ounce can red beans, drained (store brand is fine)

Ø      2 cups uncooked pasta (author prefers elbow macaroni)

Place a large, nonstick pot on your stovetop burner and preheat over medium heat. Add diced, smoked sausage and brown, stirring occasionally, for five minutes. Pour wine over browned meat, stir and simmer, stirring occasionally for another 3-5 minutes. Add entire contents of jarred Mushroom pasta sauce plus two jars of warm water; stir and simmer over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir in frozen vegetables and drained, canned beans. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add uncooked pasta, stir, reduce heat to low, cover pot and continue to cook for 8-10 minutes. Turn off burner, remove lid, stir and recover pot until ready to serve while still hot.

 A loaf of fresh bread and tossed salad make this a delicious, nutritious meal of up to 12 servings in less than 30 minutes! Great reheated on those evenings where holiday chores leave you tired and hungry.

     Let’s face it… the current economic news (not to mention our household budgets) have the affect of dampening autumn spirits. We’re not even sure how we’ll manage the holidays at this rate, let alone enjoy the prelude to the holidays. As I whittle my own budget, I’ve discovered a way to entertain simply, easily, and on a shoestring! How? Glad you asked! Plan and throw a casual wine party at your home on a weekend evening. I can hear you now. “WAIT JUST A MINUTE! THAT’S EXPENSIVE!” Well, if you’re locked into a traditional idea, it might be. However, if you’re willing to be creative and resourceful? And do a tiny bit of pre-planning? It isn’t as costly—or impossible—as it might sound.  

Start by picking a date at least two weeks in advance. Most of us need a few weeks’ worth of notice. Print simple invitations on your computer, or better yet, send email invitations. Request that everyone attending bring a bottle of wine of his or her choice. Set a price limit on the individual bottle of, say, twenty-five dollars? Once your invitations have been sent, it’s time to plan your menu. We’re talking appetizers and snacks here, so you won’t break your grocery budget to host the party. Recipes for a quick and easy appetizer follows. Throw in a fresh veggie plate, sliced cheese and perhaps bread crisps or bread sticks? You’re set to go!

Italian Sausage, Fruit & Syrah Nibbles

Part One:

• 1 lb. Fresh, mild, Italian sausage
• ½ cup Falcon Nest 2003 (or other) Syrah
• Water
• 3-4 medium, fresh apples (any kind), diced with peels on
• 3 oz. dark raisins

Part Two:

•  
  • 1 long, sourdough baguette (locals can buy San Luis Sourdough)
  • 1 cup shredded, low fat mozzarella cheese

 Ahead of time preparation: Poke uncooked sausages with a fork several times and soak in a glass bowl or pan with ½ cup of Syrah plus enough water to cover for at least an hour in the refrigerator. The sausages can be soaked all-day or overnight.  Preheat a skillet over medium heat on your stovetop, remove the soaked sausages with tongs, and brown in skillet on all sides. This should take no more than ten minutes. Transfer the sausages to a 9 X 11 inch baking dish, and bake in a 325-degree oven for approximately 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool until you are able to handle them without burning yourself. Core and dice fresh apples, then place the diced apples in a small pot on your stove. Dice the cooled sausages into tiny pieces. Add to apples. Pour about half of the pan juices over the apples and meat. Bring the ingredients to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add raisins, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring a few times. Most of the liquid should be reduced, and the apples should have softened. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool. The mixture will thicken as it cools. 

While your mixture is cooling, slice the sourdough baguette into thin slices, arrange on two cookie sheets and place into a 325-degree oven for 5-10 minutes to make toasted bread crisps. Remove from the oven and spread each crisp with approximately 1 teaspoon of the sausage fruit mixture, sprinkle lightly with shredded mozzarella, and return to the oven for an additional five minutes (or until the cheese melts). Turn the oven off; remove pans from the oven and transfer the “pizza style” treats to a serving platter or platters.

 Author’s note: This recipe makes enough treats to serve a good-sized crowd on a bare bones budget! Everyone enjoys a fantastic evening for very little money, and you become the star of the show. OK… well… of course the wine and food are the real stars of the show, but your friends (and family) will appreciate your hospitality, and you didn’t break the bank to entertain!  

I lived in Texas for just over four years, and one of the things I learned there was how to make a KILLER beef brisket. The thing about brisket is it has to cook at a low heat for a long time. Another critical factor is seasoning. Recently, I purchased yet another bottle of Falcon Nest’s 2003 Syrah, which I use sparingly in recipes (as I so love the wine itself). I’m also teaching my sons how to cook. This recipe is geared towards a small crowd, is quite easy to throw together, and will surely glean many compliments. As an aside, any leftovers can be made into pulled beef barbeque sandwiches (recipe follows the main recipe):

 SIMPLY SYRAH-TERIYAKI BRISKET

• 4-1/2 to 5 lbs. fresh, beef brisket, trimmed
• 2/3 cup purchased teriyaki sauce
• 1/3 cup Falcon Nest 2003 Syrah
• 1/4 t. each of ground ginger, garlic salt and course, black pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Open brisket package, rinse the meat and place into a 9 X 11 inch baking dish. Pour remaining ingredients into a glass measuring cup and wisk until smooth. Pour over meat. Place on center rack in preheated oven and bake at 325 degrees for approximately two hours, basting once per hour with the pan drippings. Remove from oven, allow to rest for 10 minutes, and carve. Serves up to twelve people.

 SIMPLY SYRAH BEEF BARBEQUE

• Leftover beef, sliced thin
• Leftover pan drippings
• 1/2 cup Falcon Nest Syrah
• 1/2 cup purchased teriyaki sauce

Place all ingreidients in a nonstick, deep, medium sized pan and bring to boil over medium low heat. Once the mixture has begun to boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for no less than 20 minutes, and up to 35 minutes. Turn off burner, remove from heat and allow to rest for up to 20 minutes before serving. Spoon meat mixture onto buns, add some fresh salad and enjoy with a glass of wine!

 Think FALL, football games, and cool weather with this winner of a recipe!

Stretching grocery dollars is important to us all, and we still want delicious meals. Doing both on a budget seems like “Mission Impossible”. They also can’t be simple to prepare, right? Oh… are YOU in for a surprise!   The past few months have been—in my life—a challenging opportunity for growth. Which means I’m hanging onto my sanity by my fingernails. Curve balls are great in the World Series baseball games. Not so in real life experiences. We’ve had a few serious curve balls recently, and I find, unfortunately…  I still need to feed my family. Go figure!  The following “basic” recipe lends itself well to three full meals for 4. Any leftovers from any of the meals can also be used for quick, cheap, heat-in-the-microwave lunches at work. To begin with, you’ll need a basic, NO COOK, sun dried tomato and onion sauce: 

NO COOK Sun Dried Tomato & Onion Sauce

• 1 pkg. Sun dried tomatoes (3 oz.)
• 2 heaping tablespoons dried, minced onion
• 1 rounded teaspoon garlic salt
• ½ cup Falcon Nest Cabernet Sauvignon
• ½ cup Falcon Nest Merlot
• ½ - 1 cup water

 Place tomatoes, minced onion and garlic salt in a clean, sterile, glass or plastic jar; add wine and enough water to just cover dried contents. Seal tightly with lid and place in your refrigerator for at least 24 hours (and up to one week).  

Transfer soaked tomatoes and diced onions—along with any remaining liquid—into an electric blender. Puree until smooth. Return to original jar and refrigerate until ready to use. Due to the alcohol in the wine (which acts as a preservative), the resulting sauce will keep refrigerated for up to one month.

Classic Spaghetti Dinner

• 2 ½ pounds ground beef, lamb or turkey
• No Cook Sun Dried Tomato & Onion Sauce
• 4 cups diced, fresh tomatoes OR 2 (two) 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes
• 1 cup canned tomato sauce
• 1 heaping teaspoon dried, red pepper flakes
• 1 heaping tablespoon freshly chopped basil OR 1 t. dried basil
• 1 heaping teaspoon freshly chopped oregano OR ¼ t. dried oregano

 Brown the ground meat in a skillet over low heat until evenly cooked. Drain and transfer to a stockpot. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a low boil over medium heat, stir and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer (stirring occasionally) at low heat for approximately 10 minutes. Turn off heat and set-aside until serving. 

Cook and drain 2 pounds of spaghetti. Serve with above sauce, tossed, green salad and garlic bread.

Week Night “Lasagna” From Leftovers

• Left over, cooked spaghetti
• 2-3 cups low fat, cottage cheese
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup bottled Italian Dressing (any brand)
• Left over sauce from your spaghetti dinner
• Left over garlic bread from your spaghetti dinner

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9 X 11 baking dish with cooking oil spray. Arrange cooked spaghetti in bottom of prepared pan, evenly. Puree cottage cheese, eggs, and Italian dressing in an electric blender until smooth and creamy. Pour over pasta in the baking dish. Top with an even layer of left over sauce (approximately 3 cups). Break up left over garlic bread into a food processor and pulse until crumbed. Sprinkle over the above “lasagna”. Place in preheated oven and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, or until bread crumbs have browned. Remove from oven and allow cooling for 10-15 minutes before serving.  

Note: I serve this with cooked green beans and a tossed, baby green salad. Also, this can be frozen for a few days prior to baking.

Quick & Easy Tortellini Dinner

• 24 oz. fresh or frozen, three cheese tortellini
• 3-4 cups left over sauce from your original spaghetti dinner
• 2 cups chopped, fresh spinach or arugala greens
• ½ cup sliced, pitted black olives (canned, drained)

 Cook the tortellini as per package instructions. Drain, and add remaining ingredients. Return to stove top burner at low heat and cook for two to three minutes, stirring or tossing to incorporate and evenly heat the sauce with the pasta. 

Serve with freshly steamed vegetables of your choice and a spinach or arugla salad. Gelato is a fine dessert with this meal, and rounds out the overall nutrition provided for less calories than ice cream or other desserts.

 There you go… three easy, delicious meals compliments of Falcon Nest wines and my kitchen experiments!  

Recently, my local grocer marked down ground sirloin for a manager’s special, so I (wisely) stocked up. Grilling season is upon us: sirloin is rarely cheap. Given my budget and my frugal tendencies, extending the meat becomes important to me. Below is a marvelous burger recipe using ground sirloin with Falcon Nest Syrah, which is tasty as well as heart-healthy! As an aside, this recipe can also be used for cocktail party meatballs.

Summertime Savory Sirloin & Syrah Burgers

3 ½ - 4 lbs. Ground sirloin or extra lean ground beef

3 cups fresh bread crumbs (I use crumbs from my sourdough bread)

¼ cup Falcon Nest Syrah

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

2 fresh eggs

Small bunch of fresh basil to taste

1 teaspoon Kansas City Steak Seasoning

1 teaspoon coarsely ground, black pepper

Place ground beef and bread crumbs into a large mixing bowl. Pour Falcon Nest Syrah, soy sauce, garlic, mayonnaise and fresh eggs into blender; pulse to combine. Add seasonings and blend well. Pour over beef and breadcrumbs in mixing bowl, and combine well until thoroughly mixed. Cover mixing bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour—or up to 12 hours—so flavors will saturate and the bread crumbs will become re-hydrated.

Remove from refrigerator and form into burger patties. Grill immediately or wrap and freeze for future use. Burgers should be grilled until well done. Makes approximately 12 1/3 pound or 16 ¼ pound burgers.

Author’s note: I like to serve our burgers with coleslaw, baby green salad and fresh fruit. A glass of Falcon Nest Syrah is nice, too!

Lest anyone think all I do is cook up preserves, it might  be useful to give some background on how versatile those jars can be. In spite of the cooking I do (and have done for years), preserves used to seem intimidating. Then diabetes hit a member of my immediate family. I was surprised to realize how much sugar is in everything, including salad dressing. Having cooked with wine over the decades, I began playing around with wines and fruit. First of all, I discovered soaking fruits or dried fruits in wine means little or no sugar is required for some very tasty treats. Then I started playing around with those little jars. My last blog included a recipe for Curried California Fruit Mince–this makes a very tasty dressing with a few additions and amazingly little time. The recipe for a full meal salad with dressing follows:

Curried California Fruit Dressing is a fast, easy recipe anyone can whip up in less than three minutes. You’ll need a blender.

Place all ingredients in your blender and liquify. Store in a clean, airtight jar in the refrigerator or serve immediately.

Sensational Syrah Salad is a meal in and of itself. To prepare, soak 3 ounces packaged, sundried tomatoes in 1/2 cup Falcon Nest 2003 Syrah.

It takes several hours for sundried tomatoes to rehydrate unless boiled, so you can begin soaking these in the wine in a clean jar first thing in the morning. I keep mine in the refrigerator. When dinner time rolls around, drain the sundried tomatoes (reserving the liquid for a later recipe), and in a large bowl, place the following:

*Note: my local grocer will confirm that I buy copious amounts of Babe Farms Continental Salad blend, though any organic baby salad greens will do.

Add dressing, toss lightly and serve with a glass of Falcon Nest 2003 Syrah (if possible) for a heart healthy, light meal. This recipe is enough to serve 4-6 people, depending on appetite. I bake bread nearly every day of my life and have an active sourdough starter… this salad is great with a slice or two of sourdough bread.

Have I mentioned dancing? Dance is terrific, fun exercise. I’ve an exercise bike gathering dust & rust in my garage plus a treadmill in my living room that’s very handy for stacking things on. Trust me, I understand how challenging it can be… life should be truly enjoyed, so eat great tasting food and dance!

Looking for something special to try? Falcon Nest Winery in east Paso Robles hosts a themed dinner party every month–March was an Italian Dinner dance, and April will be a Turkish theme. The April event will be complete with a professional belly dancer! This is particularly exciting to me, as one of my books (Every Child is a Genius) was translated into several languages and sold worldwide, with the most popular translation being… you guessed it… Turkish! So I started playing around with Falcon Nest’s 2003 Syrah. The recipe below is for Curried California Fruit Mince, which is very easy to prepare; the amount of curry spice can be increased or decreased to suit your taste.

*Note: I like Avila & Sons Farms Fruit Medley, which is available at our local Farmer’s Market or by contacting them at 13391 Fargo Avenue, Hanford, California, 93230. You can also call them at (559) 584-7156 or use the link.

Soak the diced, dried fruits for several hours or overnight in the juice, wine and water. I like to use a large, clean jar with a lid or a glass bowl covered with plastic wrap. Once the fruits have hydrated in the liquid, transfer the entire mixture to a large, nonstick pot, and begin heating to a low boil over medium low heat.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, blend the following:

Pour the blended sugar and spices over the heated fruit, stir, and continue cooking for 10 to 15 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. The fruit should become thick as it gently boils.

Meanwhile, prepare clean jars as described in my first blog. Spoon the fruit into clean, sterile jars, sealing tightly. Place well-sealed jars into a bath of boiling water for a few minutes (using tongs), place on clean towels or a cooling rack on the counter and allow to reach room temperature. This makes about six cups of mince, which will keep unopened in the pantry for several months.

It’s excellent spooned into store bought, bite sized pastry cups as a sweet & spicy party nibble, or served on the side with roasted lamb, chicken or pork.

As for belly dancing? I’m brushing up my skills with an instructional DVD, but I’ll leave it up to you if you want to give that a try. Hey, it’s great exercise and a fun way for me to work off some of my belly… not that I’m admitting to having one, of course.