Sip Quips

We all occasionally pop open a bottle of something new and realize that it is just not at all to our liking. Hmm… what to do? Do you throw the whole bottle away? Do you force yourself to choke it down? Do you take it over to your neighbor’s house and pawn it off on them? What if you could turn this junk you aren’t going to drink into something irresistibly tasty? You can – it’s called Sangria. Sometimes it is the kindest treatment for subpar wine – red, white, pr pink.

Sangria is a summertime wine-based cocktail, native to Spain and Portugal. It is refreshing, lightly alcoholic, and deceptively easy to drink. The variations are endless depending on what type of wine you start with, what fruits you and and whether or not you want carbonation (believe it or not, I, the queen of bubbly drinks, prefer my sangria still).

The basic recipe is pretty simple, essentially nothing more than a ratio. Play around with it, try different fruit/wine combos until you find one you like best. As for the extra kick of brandy – feel free to use up that flavored brandy that you bought for one cocktail recipe and you have stuck in the back of your liquor cabinet. Once you try good homemade sangria you will definitely want to serve it at your next patio party, or just make up a batch tonight and have a little fiesta en su casa.

Basic Sangria Recipe

1 bottle of wine
2 cups fruit, sliced or chopped
1-2 T sweetener, I prefer honey, but lemonade concentrate also works really well
1 shot brandy, triple sec, or other spirit
2 cups sparkling water, club soda, or ginger ale (optional)
Lots of ice

Combine wine, fruit, sweetener, and liquor or liqueur in a large pitcher and stir well. Allow the wine to sit in the fridge for at least six hours, but overnight or longer is better. 

Just before serving, add ice and the bubbly beverage of choice, put some festive music on, set your patio table with olives, or an antipasto platter, pop up your patio umbrella, sit back and enjoy.

Some suggested combos?
Sauv Blanc and citrus
Sauv Blanc and kiwi
Riesling with apricots and oranges
Pinot Noir with raspberries (crushed up a little) and sliced strawberries
Viognier with white peaches and nectarines (especially tasty with peach brandy)
Merlot with plums and cherries
Zin with blackberries and raspberries (both muddled a touch)

Have fun with it and send me your best combos!

I can’t recall where I got this recipe, but it makes a moist, delicious, spiced cake. 

½ c sugar 

1 t vanilla

2 eggs 

½ c all-purpose flour

½ t baking powder

pinch of salt

½ t cinnamon

½ t cocoa (dutch processed)

¼ c red wine, I like bigger reds for this recipe

2 oz grated bittersweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar. Add vanilla and eggs and mix thoroughly. In a medium bowl combine dry ingredients. Gradually add dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternating with the wine until well blended. Fold in the grated chocolate. Pour batter into a buttered 8-inch cake pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy topped with freshly whipped cream and a glass of ruby port

Sort of like a beurre blanc, this sauce is delicious on chicken, fish, or even pork. If you don’t have fresh tarragon on hand, substitute any fresh, leafy herb. Think about pairing it with a grassy Sauv Blanc. 

1 medium shallot, minced

2-3 sprigs fresh tarragon

1 c white wine, dry is best

1 T + 1 t lemon juice

1 stick of butter, cubed (I said it was tasty, not low-cal or low-fat)

In a small saucepan combine the shallots, tarragon, white wine, and 1 T lemon juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer until reduced to about ¼ the original volume. Remove the tarragon sprigs and discard.

Add the butter, one cube at a time, whisking continually. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the final teaspoon of lemon juice. Pour over just about anything – it’d even be good on toast.

2-3 pieces of bacon

3 cups of brussels sprouts (these are rough approximations, I don’t measure when I cook!)

Walnuts or pecans, if desired

Trim the bottoms off and halve the brussels sprouts, even the littlest ones – more surface area to absorb bacony goodness! Toss the sprouts into a steamer basket and bring the water underneath to a boil. Cook until the sprouts are crisp tender.

Rough chop the bacon, throw it in a hot pan and let the bacon render its fat and become nice and crispy. Remove the bacon to a towel lined plate and leave the fat behind. Toast the walnuts (if using) until they become fragrant. Toss your cooked sprouts into the bubbling bacon grease and crank the heat up. Let the sprouts brown just a bit, remove from the heat and sprinkle the cooked bacon over everything. Serve with a bottle of Syrah and a tasty steak and you’re in heaven! If you think you don’t like brussels sprouts, try this recipe and you will.

1 bunch Chard

Several beets, we used red and yellow

Chicken Breasts (one per person)

Goat cheese (any soft cheese will do)

Walnuts

Dried Cranberries

Red Wine and Balsamic Vinegars

Preheat your grill pan (or grill) to medium high heat. Season chicken breast with salt and pepper (I used a little garlic powder as well) and grill until cooked through.

Remove the ribs from the chard and reserve. Put the chard leaves into a pot of heavily salted boiling water. Boil for 3 minutes and drain well and chop roughly. Rough chop the chard stems and the roasted beets.

In the same pot add a tablespoon of olive oil and 1 clove of garlic, minced. Add the chopped chard stems and cook until they begin to soften. Add the chard leaves to the stems and allow to come up to temperature. Meanwhile mix 1 T red wine vinegar, 1 t balsamic vinegar, 1 t olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl or a dressing shaker. Pour the dressing over the pan of hot greens. 

Plate it up – dressed greens, topped with beets, crumbled goat cheese, toasted walnuts and dried cranberries. Slice the chicken breast and set it alongside the salad. Pop a bottle of crisp Sauv Blanc and dig in!