Various red and white wines

I do not claim to know much about wines by any means, in fact I don’t even drink wine for social occasions, except at communion. One thing I do know and appreciate about wines though, is that they can deepen or freshen certain tastes in food. There are times when a good meal calls for some wine to be added and times when it doesn’t, but the enhancement of flavor and aroma it brings to those few special dishes can make all the difference in the world! I often like to use red wines to enhance beefy flavors like a red wine pot roast, beef and vegetable soup, sausage soup, or one of my favorite recipes, beef burgundy. As far as white wine goes, I often like to use it to freshen up flavors such as shrimp scampi dishes, light pastas, or in some rare cases add it to a red sauce to give it something extra special. Wonderful things happen… trust me! One of my favorite dishes to add white wine to is my crock pot chicken cacciatore. For a red wine I recommend the brand “Big House Red”, it has a well balanced deep flavor. For white wine I recommend a Chardonnay variety. I have little experience with a wide variety of cooking wines, but with the little experience I have had, these are the two wines I keep coming back to. Enjoy the recipes! P.S. So sorry I don’t have pictures of these two beautiful dishes, but if I make them in the future I will be sure to upload them.

Beef Burgundy
(you may need to modify amounts accordingly, this recipe is made to feed a large crowd)

4 medium onions, sliced
1.5 lbs. mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp. butter

Add ingredients above to a pot and saute onions and mushrooms, then remove and set aside.

2 lbs. Top Eye Round Steak, cut into bite sized strips
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1/3 tsp. thyme
1 bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
1/8 tsp. black pepper
4-6 cloves of crushed garlic
1 c. red wine
2 beef bullion cubes
Uncle Ben’s Original recipe Wild Rice, cooked according to package directions ( 1 package serves 4 people)

Saute ingredients above in pot until browned and steak is cooked through, then set aside. Meanwhile in another small measuring cup or bowl, dissolve 2 beef bullion cubes in water. Make a rue in the pot over medium heat by adding 2 Tbsp. butter, and about 1 -3 Tbsp. of flour. Mix together until it forms a paste. Add liquid beef broth to the rouge and whisk together. Add in 1 cup of red wine and 1/2 cup of water. Cook for about 15 minutes, then add in the meat mixture and onions and mushrooms you set aside earlier to the liquid. Cook on low for about 1.5 – 2 hours. You may need to adjust the flavoring by adding a few more beef bullion cubes and some salt and pepper. Serve over wild rice.

NOTE: This dish does well prepared one day ahead of time. Just simply store in a pot with a lid or in a large container in the refrigerator over night, then reheat before serving.

Rachel’s Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients:
2 -3 boneless/skinless Chicken breasts or chicken thighs/legs
1 onion, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 package of mushrooms, chopped in quarters
1 Tbsp. bacon grease (optional)

For Sauce:
1 Large can of stewed or diced tomatoes
1 – 28oz. can of crushed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 cup of white wine
1 cup of low sodium chicken broth
1 bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
kosher salt
black pepper
1 package of thin regular or whole wheat spaghetti noodles, cooked according to package directions

Put all ingredients into the crock pot and stir around until the tomato sauce is blended in with the wine and spices. Cover crock pot with lid and cook on medium/high heat for 2-3 hours, or on low for about 4-5 hours. 30 min. before serving prepare thin spaghetti noodles according to package directions. Break up chicken pieces (if using chicken breasts) into a few sections, usually I pull apart each chicken breast into 4 pieces. Serve chicken and sauce over thin spaghetti noodles, garnish with some grated Parmesan or Romano cheese. Enjoy!