Basil-Peach Sangria, suggested by Amy

Basil Peach Sangria
INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

* 3/4 cup white sugar
* 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
* 3 1/2 cups peach nectar
* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
* 1 (750 milliliter) bottle white wine such as Pinot Grigio

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DIRECTIONS

1. In a saucepan, combine the sugar, basil leaves, half of the peach nectar and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer, crushing the basil leaves with the back of a spoon to release their flavor. Simmer just long enough to melt the sugar, then remove from the heat and allow to cool.
2. Strain the basil mixture into a pitcher filled with ice cubes. Pour in wine and remaining peach nectar. Stir briefly and serve.

*These were delicious!

Kebobs, an idea from Carolyn

I like to marinate chicken with teriyaki, wine (usually just sherry, but feel free to play), and garlic. Mushrooms get the same treatment (but in a separate container). Then I usually add cherry tomatoes, onion, and zucchini. Serve with rice, maybe a salad or a fruit salad.

Chicken Cordon Bleu, from Karen

It's a decent amount of work with the pounding of the chicken and the rolling/toothpicking. But it's so fancy and delicious!!! It tastes incredibly rich, but Ive made the recipe healthier.


Chicken Cordon Bleu

1 boneless chicken breast for each person. 1 slice of proscuitto and swiss cheese per breast.

Pound chicken breasts flat. Place 1 slice of proscuitto and swiss on each breast and roll tight, securing with toothpicks.

Roll each breast in flour seasoned with salt, pepper and paprika.

Brown breasts well on all sides in olive oil in a large deep skillet or pan with lid(original recipe calls for a sick amount of butter!).

Add 1 cup white wine, and 1 chicken boullion cube or 1 teaspoon "better than boullion" chicken flavor.

Stir to dissolve, and cover pan. Simmer on medium-low for about 30 minutes, turning once or twice.

When done, remove breasts. Add 1 cup skim milk (original recipe calls for heavy cream! WTF!!) and whisk with flour (3-4 tbs?) to thicken.

Serve with rice and steamed veggie, and enjoy how insanely good it is!!

Notes

Kris: I did most of Karen's steps except that I took the chicken out of the pan after I browned it, added chopped onions to the hot pan and sauteed them for a couple of minutes. I then added the white wine (I used Reisling - I would recommend NOT doing that. It was too sweet. Next time, a chardonnay), bouillion, about 3/4 cup water and 2 big TBSP dijon mustard and 2 TBSP butter/ I mixed that well, then added the chicken back into the pan to finish cooking. When the chicken was done, then I added about a half cup milk and the flour like Karen suggested. It thickened up nicely and was pretty good. Again, next time I'll plan ahead and buy Chardonnay. The Riesling made it too sweet. But, overall it was really good... my daughter helped me make it and she was really proud of herself.

Joanne: I made Karen's cordon bleu last night! It was yummy!

I'm lazy though. I never pound my chicken flat enough to do the pretty roll. If I were to do that recipe again, I think I'd just slice the chicken to make a pocket, stuff it, then close it with a toothpick. I think the cheese would be less likely to spill out that way, too.

Rabbit Stifado (Stew), from Nastia

Here is a Stifado (Stew) recipe with rabbit. Its concidered to be one of the best Greek dishes

Stifado

1	large rabbit, jointed
2	tablespoons tomato paste
2	bay leaves
4	tablespoons red wine vinegar (balsamic also works nicely)
1/2	cup olive oil
1/3	teaspoon sugar
4	cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1	small cinnamon stick (about a 3-inch length)
	salt and black pepper
4	whole allspice
1	sprig rosemary
2/3	cup red wine
1 1/4	cups hot water
11/2	lbs white pearl onions, peeled,left whole

Rinse the rabbit pieces and place them in a mixing bowl together with the bay leaves and vinegar; mix well and leave to marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnigh; remove the rabbit from the marinade and pat dry with kitchen paper.

1. Heat half of the olive oil in a large saucepan until hot, add the rabbit and fry the pieces until quite brown on all sides; add the tomato paste, bay leaves, sugar, garlic, spices and the hot water.
2. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Bring to the boil mixing well then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan; add the onions and sauté gently for 15 minutes stirring occasionally, until golden all over; after the rabbit has been cooking for 1 hour, add the onions and oil from the frying pan to the saucepan; combine, then re-cover and simmer for a further 15 minutes; fish out the cinnamon stick, allspice berries and rosemary sprig.
5. Note: This can be served with pasta, noodles, rice or oven-roasted potatoes, but my personal favourite is homemade french-fries, which taste delicious dunked in the spicy sauce.

Risotto, from Sarah

Risotto

This is a pretty basic recipe, but I like my small modifications so I'll share.

Cook 1 cup arborio rice, 1 or 2 cloves of garlic, and sliced mushrooms in olive oil over medium heat until the rice is slightly brown. Add about 1/2 a cup to 1 cup of white wine, lower heat a bit, and stir. (Wine's optional).

In the meantime, heat up about 3 cups of chicken broth (or veggie broth if you swing that way). Once the wine is absorbed, pour the broth about 1/2 a cup at a time. Stir. Each time you add broth, add one of the following: carrots, peppers, asparagus, olives. Stir. Keep stirring. At the end, add walnuts, a dash or two of Worchestireshire sauce (either for chicken or meat, both are good), and a few sprinkles of lemon juice. Stir in some parma cheese and some shredded muenster.

Psycho Chicken from Heather

Psycho Chicken

1 Whole chicken (a small one-- what are they, like 3 1/2 pounds?)
Approx 1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Approx 1 tablespoon garlic, pressed
Approx 1 tablespoon cider or malt vinegar
Dry white wine (sauvignon blanc works well)
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Clean chicken and remove giblets. Hack chicken all over with the tip of a sharp chef's knife to make gashes. (Invariably I find the music to the shower scene in Psycho running through my mind, thus the name, Psycho Chicken-- and lest you think I am thoroughly deranged, this manner of slash and season is actually very common in Cuban cooking.)

2. In a small bowl, mix together thyme, garlic, salt, pepper and vinegar, and slather liberally on chicken, taking care that mixture gets into slits in the meat. Place chicken on rack in roasting pan (if you don't have a rack, no biggie-- throw the thing directly into the pan) and roast about 2 hours until golden and fragrant, basting every twenty or thirty minutes with a splash of wine and any juices in the pan. Your house will smell wonderful.

3. Now this is the crucial part, which will make or break the entire dish: If this is cooked properly, your chicken should be running with wonderful juices as you carve. Dredge each slice of carved meat in those juices before placing on platter-- the juices are loaded with garlic and herb flavor.

Suggested by Heather - Roast Chicken Provençale

I make this one pretty often. It's very tasty.

Roast Chicken Provençale
Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2002

Thinking of roasting a chicken? Think big. Large roasters have a greater proportion of meat to bone, and leftovers are a time-saver. Look for herbes de Provence, a combination of dried herbs (basil, lavender, marjoram, rosemary, sage, savory, and thyme), in the spice section of supermarkets. Rubbing the flavorful paste under the skin means even though the skin is discarded, the meat keeps the flavor.

2 tablespoons dried herbes de Provence
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (7-pound) roasting chicken
1 small onion, quartered
Cooking spray
1/3 cup Sauvignon Blanc or other dry white wine
2/3 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; mash to a paste consistency.
Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat.

Rub seasoning mixture under loosened skin. Place onion in body cavity. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under chicken. Tie legs together with string.

Place chicken, breast side up, on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Insert a meat thermometer into breast, making sure not to touch bone. Bake at 400° for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until thermometer registers 180°. Remove chicken from pan. Cover with foil, and let stand 10 minutes. Discard skin.

Place a zip-top plastic bag inside a 2-cup glass measure. Pour pan drippings into bag; let stand 5 minutes (the fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain drippings into pan, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat.

Place pan over medium-high heat. Stir in wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add broth; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 2/3 cup (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat; add butter, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Serve sauce with chicken.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 4 ounces chicken and about 1 tablespoon sauce)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 204(37% from fat); FAT 8.4g (sat 2.6g,mono 3.1g,poly 1.7g); PROTEIN 28.2g; CHOLESTEROL 86mg; CALCIUM 25mg; SODIUM 433mg; FIBER 0.3g; IRON 1.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 1g

Suggested by Heather - Beef Daube Provençal

Beef Daube Provençal
Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2004

This classic French braised beef, red wine, and vegetable stew is simple and delicious. The flavor and texture allow you to keep it warm for your guests. Buy a whole-grain baguette, bagged salad greens, and bottled vinaigrette to round out the meal.

2 teaspoons olive oil
12 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (2-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 cup red wine
2 cups chopped carrot
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup less-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Dash of ground cloves
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
3 cups cooked medium egg noodles (about 4 cups uncooked noodles)

Preheat oven to 300°.

Heat oil in a small Dutch oven over low heat. Add garlic; cook 5 minutes or until garlic is fragrant, stirring occasionally. Remove garlic with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Increase heat to medium-high. Add beef to pan; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove beef from pan. Add wine to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add garlic, beef, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, carrot, and next 8 ingredients (through bay leaf), and bring to a boil.

Cover and bake at 300° for 2 1/2 hours or until beef is tender. Discard bay leaf. Serve over noodles.

Note: To make in a slow cooker, prepare through Step 2. Place beef mixture in an electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 5 hour

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup stew and 1/2 cup noodles)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 367(31% from fat); FAT 12.8g (sat 4.3g,mono 5.8g,poly 0.9g); PROTEIN 29.1g; CHOLESTEROL 105mg; CALCIUM 76mg; SODIUM 776mg; FIBER 3.9g; IRON 4.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 33.4g

Angel chicken from Shauna

Angel Chicken

1 can golden mushroom soup
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 package (4 oz) cream cheese
1 package dry Italian dressing seasoning
Raw rotisserie chicken (or chicken breasts, or cooked chicken)

Add all ingredients into slow cooker, and cook until thick and creamy. If you use cooked chicken, add it in the last 1/2 hour or so.

I serve it over angel hair pasta (hence the name). Not the healthiest meal, but yum!

Beef burgandy from Carrie

Beef Burgundy

5 medium onions, thin sliced
2 lbs stew meat
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried marjoram
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp pepper
3/4 cup beef broth
1 1/2 cup burgundy wine

Place onions in slow cooker. Dredge meat in flour. Place in slow cooker. Add mushrooms, salt, marjoram , thyme, pepper. Pour in broth and wine. Cover. Cook 8-10 hours on low. Serve over noodles.