Cooking with Wine

As the seasons have shifted from winter to spring, I've struggled to get away from the soups, chili's, and other heavy meals that got us through the cold months.  Now that Farmer's Markets are opening up, and the nights are warm, its time to jazz up some old favorites, without spending time looking for new recipes.

Now, I prefer to use drinking wine over cooking wine, but I usually have a glass in hand as I cook.

Fish - As you are baking or grilling your favorite fish, drizzle a couple Tbls of your favorite wine pairing on top.  Or, if you prefer to pan sear, add a splash of wine to the pan.  I like to bake my fish.  Make a foil boat enclosing your fish and add your favorite wine.  Add a package of your favorite pre-mixed salad and some fruit, and you have a quick, easy, healthy, tasteful meal.

Slow Cooker - With the nice weather, who wants to stand at a stove making dinner, when you could be out enjoying the sun??  Cover the bottom of the slow cooker with wine, mix in your favorite herbs (I like the Lipton Secret Recipes Soup Mixes (onion or garlic and herb).  Add your favorite meat (be sure to coat the meat with the herbs).  Set it and forget it!

Marinades - Replace 1/2 of the oil used in your favorite marinade with wine.

Dessert - Replace 3/4 c of oil to your favorite cake mix with a dessert wine.  Yum.

Now a couple of my favorite wine recipies:

Apple Chicken in a Cream Sauce - This was inspired by Dr. John Berardi

Slice one apple.  The smaller the slices, the better.  I use my apple peeler/corer/slicer and it works great.  Lightly brown apples in sauce pan with butter.
Remove from pan.
Cook 2 strips of turkey bacon in separate pan.
In the same pan the apples were cooked in, brown 1lb of shopped chicken in EVOO.  The chicken doesn't need to be fully cooked, but just browned on all sides.
Add 1/4 c white wine to deglaze the pan.
Add 1/4 c of apple juice, water, or chicken broth and 1tsp of dried thyme ( use 2-3 tsp of fresh herbs), and cooked apples.
Reduce (boil heavy to reduce the liquid content, concentrating the flavors).
Remove from heat, and slowly add 1/3c of low fat plain yogurt.
Serve over rice and top with crumbled bacon. 

Oranges with Wine Sauce - Fantastic if put over chocolate ice-cream (sugar free of course)
In a sauce pan combine:
3c red wine
Juice from 1/2 orange
1/2 c splenda
1 stick cinnamon
Reduce over high heat until about 1 c remains (about 20 min).  Remove cinnamon stick.
Let coo1 (can stick in freezer at this point).
Stir in the zest from one orange.
Poor mixture over orange slices.


Feel free to share your favorite wine recipes, or your favorite wines!