What I’m Serving Over the Holidays
I am really looking forward to having my grown kids home over the holidays. My son and his girlfriend arrive tonight from Canada and my daughter and her husband will come next week. They are all foodies, so I have had to up my cooking game a bit. Thankfully, I have VineDication wines to pair with my meals. Good wine makes every recipe better.
We go to church Christmas Eve so I try to make a low key, easy clean up meal. Plus I don’t get the whole family home that often so don’t want to spend the day in the kitchen. This year I have decided to make a crockpot of Jambalaya and pair it with Narmada’s Mom https://www.vinedication.com/our-wines/1e3dt66oi2e1i4h0p0o1h2bzddcwbs?rq=narmada%20mom. Mom is an award winning bold white wine that can stand up to spicy food. It is mostly Vidal Blanc so pairs well with seafood and chicken.
This is the Jambalaya recipe I am trying from Spicy Southern Kitchen. I had a recipe I have made a few times but I am hoping this has more robust flavor.
Crock Pot Jambalaya
Ingredients
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14.5-ounce) can beef broth
1 (8-ounce) can tomato paste
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound Andouille sausage or use kielbasa, cut into slices
2 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 cup white rice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Combine 1st 12 ingredients in a 6-quart slow cooker and stir to combine.
Add onion, green pepper, celery, garlic, sausage, and chicken. Stir to combine.
Cover crock pot and cook on LOW 4 to 5 hours.
Set a larger strainer/sieve over a large bowl and pour about 75% of liquid in the crock pot through strainer. You should have about 3 cups to cook the rice in. Add water to get 3 cups if necessary.
Return all solids to crock pot. Stir in parsley and shrimp. Cover crock pot and cook on LOW 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring the 3 cups of liquid to a boil. Stir in rice and cook according to package directions.
Add cooked rice to slow cooker and mix in. Serve.
I always make roast beef on Christmas Day. We don’t eat a lot of beef, but we all enjoy our annual Christmas dinner. Beef calls for a full bodied wine so I am serving Fabbioli’s Cabernet Franc https://www.vinedication.com/our-wines/cabernet-franc-fabbioli-cellars?rq=fabbioli It has rich tannins and cranberry notes that will perfectly complement the beef.
My kids have been rather scathing about my frozen vegetables over the years and I have finally convinced my husband he does in fact like Brussels Sprouts. I am going to try this Roasted Brussels Sprout recipe from Real Simple:
Crispy Brussels Sprouts With Pancetta and Lemon
Ingredients
2 pounds Brussels sprouts
6 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces pancetta, cut into ¼-in. cubes
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Trim Brussels sprouts and halve lengthwise, pulling off and reserving any loose outer leaves. Transfer Brussels sprouts and leaves to a large bowl.
Place 2 rimmed baking sheets in preheated oven on upper and lower racks; let heat until hot, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, add oil, pancetta, salt, and pepper to Brussels sprouts in bowl; toss to coat.
Place hot baking sheets on a heatproof surface; divide Brussels sprouts mixture (including oil) evenly between them, carefully placing as many Brussels sprouts cut sides down as possible. Return baking sheets to oven; roast for 10 minutes. Rotate baking sheets from top to bottom; continue roasting until Brussels sprouts are deeply browned and leaves are browned and crispy, 6 to 8 minutes.
Remove Brussels sprouts from oven; sprinkle evenly with lemon zest and serve immediately. (To make ahead, let roasted Brussels sprouts stand, undisturbed, on baking sheets for up to 2 hours. Reheat at 350°F until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes, then garnish with lemon zest.)
My family spends holiday time together playing games, watching movies, sitting in front of a fire and building Legos! I think the cheeriest complement to a cozy night at home on a cold night is mulled wine. VineDication has the perfect wine for this – the Effingham Manner Norton https://www.vinedication.com/our-wines/norton-effingham-manor-winery?rq=Norton. This red wine already has some spiciness, so it really pops in a mulled wine. Norton is a true Virginia grape. I have made this easy crockpot mulled wine from My Recipes before:
Slow-Cooker Blood Orange Fizzy Mulled Wine
Ingredients
10 whole black peppercorns
10 whole cardamom pods
6 whole clove
5 whole juniper berries
2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
2 (750-milliliter) bottles Effingham Norton
1 whole star anise
1 navel orange, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 (25.4-ounce) bottle blood orange Italian soda (such as Whole Foods)
Combine first 8 ingredients in an electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 hours; stir in sugar and vinegar. Stir in soda just before serving.
I love a sparkling Rose for New Year’s Eve. I just think they are pretty, fun ad, festive in a champagne flute and I love the fruitiness. This year I will be popping the cork on Cave Ridge’s Daughter of the Stars https://www.vinedication.com/our-wines/fille-des-etoiles-daughter-of-the-stars-cave-ridge-vineyard?rq=sparkling%20rose. The wine is made with the Charmat method using Cabernet Franc ghrapes. I enjoy the pop of berry I get from this wine and that has inspired my choice of appetizer to have with it. And have some dark chocolate on hand! It is so easy because you start with Pillsbury Crescent Rolls. Here is the recipe:
My friend made cranberry Brie bites for Thanksgiving and I have been wanting to try the recipe. For New Year’s Eve though, I am going to replace the cranberry with raspberry preserves.
Raspberry Brie Bites
Ingredients
Raspberry Preserves
1 Can Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
4 oz Brie cheese
Instructions
Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 24 miniature muffin cups with cooking spray. Unroll dough onto work surface, and reshape into 13x7 1/2-inch rectangle. (If using crescent dinner rolls, press seams together.) With pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut dough into 6 rows by 4 rows to make 24 squares.
Press 1 dough square into each miniature muffin cup. Cut cheese into 24 thin wedges. Place one piece of cheese in bottom of each dough-lined cup. Fold cheese pieces in half to fit inside cups, if necessary.
Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 3 minutes; use metal spatula to loosen edges, and remove from pan. Spoon 1/4 teaspoon preserves on top of each cup to serve.
Garnish with an almond slice.
If you have any left over bubbly, make sure you use a champagne bottle stopper to preserve the effervescence.
I am a transplanted Yankee and I always try to serve traditional Southern good luck food for New Year’s. At some point, I started including grits in that category. If you should find yourself with left over bubbly, I recommend making mimosas (just mix with orange juice to your taste) and serving with this breakfast casserole I found on All Recipes. What better way to start a new decade!
Southern Grits Casserole
Ingredients
6 cups water
2 cups uncooked grits
1/2 cup butter, divided
3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1 pound ground pork sausage
12 eggs
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking dish.
Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan, and stir in grits. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 5 minutes, until liquid has been absorbed. Mix in 1/2 the butter and 2 cups cheese until melted.
In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage until evenly browned. Drain, and mix into the grits. Beat together the eggs and milk in a bowl, and pour into the skillet. Lightly scramble, then mix into the grits.
Pour the grits mixture into the prepared baking dish. Dot with remaining butter, and top with remaining cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned.
Every Southerner knows grits make the best breakfast!
All the wines mentioned are available on our website, https://www.vinedication.com/our-wines. Whatever your holiday wine needs, VineDication has a match for you. We hope your holidays are wonderful and joyous. Until next decade, cheers!