Fall is here and this simple and quick dish featuring mushrooms, chicken, and couscous with apricots will please everyone in your family and guests alike!  Pair it with a full white wine, such as, our Premier Series wine Bodega Huguet Can Feixes Penedès Blanc Selecció.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds cremini mushrooms, halved
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts (2 to 2 1/2 pounds)
• 1 cup whole-wheat or regular couscous
• 1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or dill
• Plain yogurt, for serving (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss the mushrooms, 2 tablespoons olive oil, the garlic, cumin, cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste on a rimmed baking sheet.

Rub the chicken breasts with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the chicken skin-side up among the mushrooms. Roast until the chicken skin is crisp and golden and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165 degrees F, 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the couscous with the chopped apricots as the package directs. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the chicken to plates. Toss the mushrooms with the lemon juice, cilantro or dill, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve the chicken with the mushrooms, couscous and yogurt.

Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen from www.foodnetwork.com

Fast and easy, this impressive dish pairs great with steamed veggies and Domaine Sigalas Santorini Assyrtiko 2014 from this month’s Collector’s Series!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup hazelnuts
• 1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Four 6-ounce sea bass fillets
• All-purpose flour, for dredging
• 2 large eggs, beaten

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. On a baking sheet, toast the hazelnuts for 8 minutes, until fragrant. Using a clean kitchen towel, rub the skins off the nuts. Coarsely chop the hazelnuts.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the bread crumbs with the parsley, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
3. In a skillet, cook 4 tablespoons of the butter over moderate heat until browned, about 4 minutes. Add the chopped nuts and fresh lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
4. In a large skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of the butter in the olive oil over moderate heat. Season the sea bass fillets with salt and pepper, then dredge them in flour, dip in the beaten eggs and coat with the parsley and bread crumb mixture. When the butter starts to brown slightly, add the fillets to the skillet and cook until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip the fillets and cook until just white throughout, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer the fish to plates, spoon the browned butter alongside and serve.

Recipe and photo from www.foodandwine.com.

“This hearty pasta dish is studded with chunks of Italian sausage and mixed with a quick garlic-infused tomato sauce. It’s then topped with dollops of fresh ricotta and a sprinkling of both mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano, which form a cheesy layer as the pasta bakes.”  Pair it with this month’s Premier Series Valle Secreto Key Cabernet Sauvignon Carmenère 2014.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 pound hot or sweet Italian fennel sausage, casings removed
• One 28-ounce can tomato puree
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon ground fennel
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound penne
• 3 cups Creamy Ricotta
• 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat, until browned, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato puree, water, sugar, bay leaf and fennel. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until thickened, about 30 minutes. Remove the garlic, mash it to a paste and stir it back into the sauce; discard the bay leaf.
2. Meanwhile, cook the penne in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Using a slotted spoon, add the cooked sausage to the pasta, then add 1 cup of the tomato sauce and toss to coat the penne.
3. Spoon the pasta into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the pasta and dollop large spoonfuls of the Creamy Ricotta on top. Gently fold some of the ricotta into the pasta; don’t overmix—you should have pockets of ricotta. Scatter the mozzarella on top and sprinkle with the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake the pasta for about 45 minutes, or until bubbling and golden on top. Let rest for 20 minutes before serving.

MAKE AHEAD
The baked penne can be refrigerated, covered, overnight. Rewarm before serving.

Photo and recipe from: www.foodandwine.com

This super colorful and simple sangria tastes as good as it looks!

INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS:

With summer finally here, these boozy popsicles are the perfect way for all adults to cool off! You can also mix things up by adding different combinations of fruit!

Yields 24 popsicles

Ingredients

• 1 bottle dry white wine
• 1/2 cup simple syrup
• 1/2 cup orange liqueur
• 2 lemons
• 2 cups chopped fruit (I used strawberries, green apples, peaches, and blackberries)

Instructions

1. Combine wine, simple syrup, and orange liqueur in a large pitcher.
2. Juice 1 lemon into the pitcher.
3. Slice the other lemon thinly and then halve the slices. Add to the pitcher with the remaining fruit.
4. Pour into 3-ounce paper cups and freeze for ~2 hours until it starts to ice over.
5. Insert popsicle sticks and freeze for another 2-3 hours until solid.
6. To serve, carefully peel the paper cut away from the sangria pop starting with the seam.
7. Eat immediately.

Recipe and photo from Confections of a Foodie Bride. 

“This dish is simply luxurious: grilled beef tenderloin smothered in a vibrant herb butter served on top of a garlicky slab of whole-grain toast. And yes, with only about 303 calories and 14 grams of fat total, this steakhouse-worthy entree can be part of a healthy diet. If you like, make extra herb butter to top chicken, fish or even a grilled pork chop.”

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon whipped or regular butter, slightly softened
• 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives, or shallot
• 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and chopped
• 3 teaspoons minced fresh marjoram, or oregano, divided
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest, divided
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• 2 cloves garlic, (1 minced, 1 peeled and halved)
• 1 pound filet mignon, about 1 1/2 inches thick, trimmed and cut into 4 portions
• 4 slices whole-grain bread
• 4 cups watercress, trimmed and chopped

PREPARATION

1. Preheat grill to high.
2. Mash butter in a small bowl with the back of a spoon until soft and creamy. Stir in 2 teaspoons oil until combined. Add chives (or shallot), capers, 1 teaspoon marjoram (or oregano), 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover and place in the freezer to chill.
3. Combine the remaining 1 teaspoon oil, 2 teaspoons marjoram (or oregano), 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper, rosemary and minced garlic in a small bowl. Rub on both sides of steak. Rub both sides of bread with the halved garlic clove; discard the garlic.
4. Grill the steak 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Grill the bread until toasted, 30 seconds to 1 minute per side. Divide watercress among 4 plates. Place 1 toast on each serving of watercress and top with steak. Spread the herb butter on top of the steaks and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe and photo from www.EatingWell.com.

A unique twist to a classic brunch favorite, this is drink is perfect for Father’s Day or with brunch on a hot summer day! If you don’t have time to make your sorbet, store bought orange sherbet works well too!

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice (5 to 6 oranges)
• 1 orange, zested
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 cup superfine sugar
• 1 bottle sparkling wine or Champagne*
• Strawberries, for garnish
• *Non-alcoholic sparkling wine, sparkling cider, or ginger ale can be substituted

Directions

1. Put orange juice, zest, half-and-half, and sugar into a blender and process until the sugar has dissolved, about 30 seconds. Pour this mixture into a shallow pan and freeze until hard, 4 hours or overnight.
2. Remove the frozen orange mixture from the freezer and let it sit to soften slightly, about 10 minutes. With a scoop or tablespoon, scrape out a small scoop and put it into a Champagne glass. Slowly fill the glass with Champagne and serve garnished with strawberries.

Recipe and photo from: www.FoodNetwork.com