Blueberry and Sparkling Red Moscato Jelly

I love the use of wine in this recipe, it is the first time I have added it to a jam and it gives it such a wonderful unique taste.  From Food and Drink Spring 2016.

4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup sparkling red Moscato wine
6 cups sugar
Juice of 1 large lemon, about 1/3 cup
1 pouch (85ml) liquid pectin

•  Before you start cooking, pop a plate into the freezer; you’ll use that in a little bit to test the readiness of the jam.
• Into a large, heavy-bottom saucepan over medium-high heat, add the blueberries, wine, sugar and lemon juice. Bring up to a good boil, stirring constantly and watching closely, in case it starts to foam and boil over.
• When it comes to a boil, add the whole pouch of liquid pectin—try to squeeze out every drop; you need it!—stir in and bring back up to the boil. Boil for about 1 minute stirring constantly.
• Spoon a drop of hot jam onto that chilled plate and pop it back into the freezer; if it begins to gel or set within 30 seconds or so, it’s time to bottle. If not, boil for another minute, then retest.
• To bottle, transfer the still-hot jam into warm, sterilized jars. Don’t overfill; about ¼ inch (5 mm) from the top is perfect.
• Pop on the lids, tighten, and finish canning by submerging the filled, tightly sealed jars into a very large pot of boiling water for about 20 minutes. Remove from the water bath and allow to cool on the counter. You should hear a chorus of metallic clinks and clunks coming from the kitchen, as the seals set tight!

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  Makes about 6½ cups (1.625 L)

Veal in White Wine With Cream Sauce

A quick and elegant meal.

1 tsp cooking oil
1/4 cup flour
6 slices provini veal (thin)
1/4 cup dry white wine
Pinch salt
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tbsp butter

Heat oil in a heavy skillet.  Flour veal; cook for 1 minute over high heat, turning once.  Pour off oil.  Place veal in dish.  Add wine to skillet and over high heat, reduce liquid slightly.  Add salt, cream and butter.  Again over hight heat, reduce this mixture until it coats the back of the spoon.  Pour sauce over veal.  Enjoy.

Pink Lemonade Sangria

A perfect summer drink - from Food and Drink Summer 2011

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add 1 chopped wedge each of lemon and orange, 5 raspberries, 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 1/2 oz simple syrup.  Shake and strain into a glass filled with ice, top with dry rose wine and garnish with additional raspberries and a slice of lemon or orange.
Serves 1

Pitcher Size
To a large pitcher, add 1 lemon and 1 small orange, both thinly sliced, and a cup of raspberries.  Stir to bruise the raspberries slightly and top with 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, 3/4 cup simple syrup 1 cup water and bottle (750ml) of dry rose wine.  Chill thoroughly for at least 4 hours to allow the flavours to steep, and serve in a tall glass or large wine goblet over ice.

Serves 6

Simple Syrup Combine equal parts sugar and boiling water and stir until sugar has dissolved.  Once cooled, store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Fragrant Chicken and Mushrooms

From Food and Drink 1999 here is a great fall dish.

1.5 kg chicken cut in 8 pieces
3 tbsp flour, season with salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
8 cloves garlic, peeled
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 5ps dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 1-inch piece orange peel
2 cups dry red wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp brandy
12 small button mushrooms, sauteed in butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tbsp chopped parsley

1. Trim fat from chicken and coat lightly with seasoned flour.  Heat oil in skillet on medium heat.  Add chicken in batches and fry 3 to 5  minutes each side or until golden.  Remove from skillet.  
2. Add garlic cloves, onions and carrots and fry until onions begin to turn colour, about 3 minutes.  Stir in thyme, bay leaf and orange peel.  Pour off any fat.
3. Add wine, stock, tomato paste and brandy to skillet.  Bring to boil, and cook 3 minutes.  Return chicken to skillet.  Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes.  Add mushrooms and cook 5 to 10 minutes longer, or until juices are clear.
4. Remove chicken and vegetables and keep warm.   Raise heat to high and reduce stock for 3 to 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Season well with salt and pepper and pour over chicken.  Sprinkle with parsley.

Serves 4

Orchard Chicken and Bacon Pie with Scalloped Potato Crust

This was flavour fabulous!  Everything I love including some extra wine to drink!  From Food and Drink Autumn 2011.

FILLING
1 tbsp olive oil
4 slices thick cut double smoked bacon, coarsely chopped
1 kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 carrot, thinly sliced diagonally
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 cup late harvest Riesling or other fruity white wine
1 cup homemade or low sodium chicken stock
1 large Northern Spy or Gala apple, peeled, cored and cut into 16 wedges
2 tbsp each cornstarch and cold water
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon
1 tbsp smooth Dijon mustard

SCALLOPED POTATO CRUST
1 kg Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
1 cup homemade or low sodium chicken stock
1 cup whipping cream
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp each kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

1. For filling, heat oil in a large deep skillet over medium high heat.  Add bacon and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp.  Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel lined plate.
2. Pour off and reserve all but 1 tbsp fat from skillet.  Season chicken thighs well with salt and pepper.  Cook thighs, in batches, for about 5 minutes, turning once, until golden brown on both sides.  Remove thighs from skillet, cut into 2 inch pieces and set aside on a second plate (separate from bacon).
3. Add an additional 1 tbsp fat to skillet if necessary and reduce heat to medium.  Add onion and carrot and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until onion is soft but not brown.  Add garlic and bay leaf and cook, stirring for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
4. Add wine to skillet and bring to a boil.  Stirring to scrape up any browned bits from bottom of skillet.  Boil for about 2 minutes or until wine has reduced by about half.  Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer over medium high heat.  Return chicken to skillet, along with any juices that have accumulated on plate.  Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, covered for 10 minutes.  Add apple to skillet and simmer, covered for 10 minutes or until chicken thighs are no longer pink inside and carrot and apple are tender.
5. IN a small bowl, stir together cornstarch and water.  Add to skillet and bring to a  boil, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens and is smooth.  Remove from heat and discard bay leaf.  Stir in bacon, tarragon and mustard.  Season with more salt and pepper if necessary.  Spoon chicken mixture into a shallow 8 cup baking dish.  If you're not completing the pie immediately, cover and refrigerate it until ready to proceed, removing it from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before adding the scalloped potato crust.
6. For scalloped potato crust, preheat the oven to 425F.
7. Slice potatoes very thinly.  In a large saucepan, combine stock, cream, garlic, salt, pepper and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat and add potatoes.  Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes.  Rearranging potatoes gently once or twice until potatoes are tender but not broken up.
8. With a slotted spoon, carefully remove potatoes from saucepan and arrange more or less in an even layer on top of chicken mixture,  discarding bay leaf.   Put dish on baking sheet.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until potatoes are golden brown and chicken mixture is bubbling.  Let stand 10 minutes, then sprinkle evenly with parsley before serving.

Mediterranean Veal Chops

Not really a good one for the kids but I love the flavour of artichoke and olives!   Braising blade chops in wine makes them delicious and tender.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 veal blade chops
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 onions, sliced lengthwise
100g mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme
1 cup dry white wine
1 can artichokes, drained and halved
1 each sweet red and yellow pepper, cut in strips
Black olives

Season chops on both sides with salt and pepper.  In skillet, heat half of oil over medium heat; brown one chop for about 2 minutes on each side.  Transfer to large shallow baking dish.  Repeat with remaining oil and veal chop.  Add garlic, onions mushrooms, basil and thyme to skillet and cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes or until liquid is released from mushrooms and they start to brown.  Pour in wine and bring to bil, scraping any brown bits stuck to pan.  Spread mushroom mixture over chops.  Bake in 325F oven for 20 minutes.  Sprinkle artichokes and sweet peppers over top; baste with juices.  Bake for 20 to 30 minutes longer until veal is fork tender.  Cut meat from bones and serve with vegetables and pan juices.  Sprinkle each serving with black olives if desired.  Makes 4 servings.

Roast Capon with Mushroom Onion Stuffing

A typical Seder chicken with a slight sweetness to it.  Serve with a green vegetable.  From Food and Drink Spring 2000.   I liked the addition of citrus juices to this and a bit of honey.  I was not able to find Matzo Meal around my home but did buy some Matzo crackers and just ground them up.  I did not buy the Kosher red wine but just used a very nice Italian red - which of course was served with dinner :)

1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp olive oil
2.2 kg capon or roasting chicken
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Stuffing:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic chopped
375 g white mushrooms, sliced
125 g shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 cup matzo meal
1 cup chicken stock
1 egg
1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon or 1 tsp dried
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Sauce:
1/2 cup dry Kosher red wine
1 cup orange juice
1 tbsp wine vinegar
1 tsp honey
3 cups chicken stock

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Combine tarragon, honey, lemon juice, orange juice and olive oil.  Brush on to chicken.  Leave to marinate for 4 hours, refrigerated or overnight.  Season with salt and pepper.
3. For stuffing; add olive oil to a large skillet on medium heat.  Add onion and saute for 3 minutes.  Add garlic and mushrooms and saute until about 2 minutes.  Stir in matzo meal, chicken stock and egg.  Season with tarragon, lemon juice and salt and pepper.  Place stuffing in casserole dish and cover with foil.  Bake alongside chicken for 1 hour.
4. Place chicken on rack over roasting pan.  Bake for 1 1/2 hours, depending on the size of chicken, or until chicken skin is crisp and juices are clear.
5. Place chicken on serving platter and cover lightly with a tea towel while finishing sauce.
6. Pour out any fat from roasting pan, leaving any juice.  Add wine, orange juice, vinegar and honey.  Bring to boil and boil for 5 minutes or until reduced by half.  Add stock and boil for another 10 minutes or until slightly thickened.
7. Carve chicken and serve with stuffing and sauce.

Serves 8

Cabernet Chicken

The sauce developed with this recipe is wonderful!  I used seedless grapes.  From Food and Drink 2003

3 lb (1.5 kg) chicken
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp butter
1 cup sliced leeks
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 tbsp fresh chopped tarragon or oregano
1 cup Cabernet Franc
1/2 cup red grapes, halved
1/2 cup red grapes, whole

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Truss chicken to help it keep shape.  Heat butter in ovenproof casserole on medium heat.  Brown chicken, breast-side down, until golden, about 3 minutes.  Turn on its side and brown another 3 minutes.  Brown remaining sides.  Remove chicken and drain off all but 1 tbsp fat.
3. Add leeks, carrots and celery into casserole and saute 2 minutes or until softened.  Add tarragon and wine.  Bring to boil and reduce by half, about 5 minutes.  Stir in halved grapes.  Return chicken to pan breast side up.  Cover and bake for 55 minutes, basting occasionally.
4. Remove chicken from pan to carving board and cover with tea towel to keep warm.  Skim fat from casserole.  Strain sauce into a skillet, pressing down on the solids.  Add whole grapes, bring to boil and simmer 1 minute or until flavours are combined.  Season with salt and pepper.  Carve chicken and serve with sauce.  

Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms

Marsala is a fortified wine - it is sweet but has a wonderful flavour for cooking!

750 g chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into cubes
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all purpose flour
3 tbsp oil

Sauce
1 small onion, finely chopped
250 g Cremini Mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup dry Marsala
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp parsley freshly chopped

1. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.  Dust with flour evenly coating chicken
2. Heat oil in heavy bottomed pan and add chicken in small batches being careful not to overload the pan.  Cook about 2 minutes each side.  Remove to a platter.
3. Return pan to heat and add oil if necessary.  Once hot add mushrooms and onion.  Cook until onion is soft and mushrooms slightly browned.  Add Marsala and bring to a boil.  Add stock and cook until reduced by about half.  
4. Add chicken to pan and heat through.  Sprinkle with parsley.