Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

 We stayed home last Christmas day as Skylar was only one month old and we just couldn't manage to get ourselves together to get out of town to see family.  Chuck made these ribs for dinner and we loved them.  We decided to make them for a Sunday dinner on a day that was supposed to be cold and rainy but ended up being sunny and warm.  The best drink pairing is a Zin or Cab.  You can drink the second half of the bottle you used for the ribs or go ahead and open something fancy.  You deserve it.   

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs. bone in short ribs
• Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
• Penzeys Spices Northwoods Seasoning
• 1 cup or so of flour
• 4 TB. Oil (we used grape seed because it has a higher smoke point that most oils)
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 1/2 cup red wine (Zinfandel or Cabernet work best)
• 1 1/2 cup beef broth
• 2 TB. tomato paste
• 5 whole cloves of garlic
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees
2. Season ribs with Tony Chachere's and Northwoods (any combo of seasonings will do if you don't have the Tony's and/or the Northwoods)
3. Dredge ribs in flour
4. Heat the oil in a dutch oven
5. Sear meat on high temperature until brown crust forms (don't crowd the pot so do it in small batches if necessary)
6. Set the ribs aside
7. In the dutch oven saute the onions, carrots, and celery in the remaining oil on medium heat until soft
8. Add red wine to deglaze the pan scraping the bits off the bottom of the pan and let simmer for 3 or 4 minutes
9. Stir in the beef broth and tomato paste then add the garlic
10. Let simmer until liquid is reduced by half stirring frequently
11. Return the ribs to the dutch oven
12. Add rosemary and thyme
13. Put the lid on the dutch oven and bake for 4 hours

Guacamole Crudo and Rosangel Diablo

Chuck makes delicious guacamole.  He makes it smooth or chunky, but I prefer it chunky so today it's my style.  We paired the guac with a spicy and refreshing cocktail we call Rosangel Diablo that stars Gran Centenario Rosangel Tequila.  This tequila has a unique color and flavor because it's hibiscus infused and the addition of the jalapeno gives it just the right kick.   

Guacamole Crudo
Party size- half the recipe for a smaller batch

Ingredients:

• 6 avocados peeled and pitted
• 1/2 cup tomato seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup jalapenos seeded, deveined, and diced  
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
• 2 tsp. Tony Chachere's original creole seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1. place avocado sections in a large bowl
2. rough chop the avocado with a large spoon or fork to break down the avocado, but keep it chunky
3. add the remaining ingredients and mix until desired consistency  
4. serve with tortilla chips or cut up veggies for dipping

Rosangel Diablo
Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Gran Centenario Rosangel tequila
• 2 oz ruby red grapefruit juice
• 1 oz agave nectar
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• one 1/4 inch slice of jalapeno

1. fill a mixing tin with ice.
2. add tequila, grapefruit juice, agave nectar, lime juice, and jalapeno slice to the mixing tin.
3. shake vigorously. 
4. strain and serve over fresh ice. 
5. serve on the rocks. 

Note: this cocktail is also amazing without the jalapeno so feel free to eliminate it if desired

Pesto Shrimp Panzanella Salad & Strawberry Basil Martini

Chuck began making his version of Panzanella salad about 6 months ago.  We have served it as the main course with the pesto shrimp on top and also as a side dish with baked chicken and grilled salmon.  The martini is a fun pre-dinner or dinner time cocktail that will elevate your Italian experience.  If you do serve the martini pre-dinner you can pair the salad with Pinot Grigio.   

Strawberry Basil Martini
Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 2 fresh strawberries
• 3 oz Lemoncello
• 1/2 oz lemon juice
• 6-7 medium size basil leaves
• 2 oz prosecco or other sparkling wine 

1. Slice the strawberries.
2. Tear the basil leaves.
3. Put strawberries and basil in a mixing tin.
4. Pour the lemoncello and lemon juice into the mixing tin and muddle.
5. Fill the mixing tin with ice and shake vigorously.
6. Strain the liquid into a martini glass (we used an extra strainer to make sure the liquid was clear however this step is not necessary for a tasty martini). 
7. Float the prosecco on top.
8. Garnish the glass with a strawberry.

Pesto Shrimp Panzanella Salad
Serves 2-3 as a main dish or 4-5 as a side dish

Ingredients:

• 1/2 artisan style bread loaf (we like olive or roasted garlic for this)
• 1 1/2 Cups grape tomatoes halved lengthwise
• 1 Cup basil chiffonade
• 1 Cup pitted kalamata olives halved lengthwise
• 1/3 Cup plus 2 1/2 TB. Olive Oil divided 
• 2 TB. red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 TB. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp. oregano
• 1/4 tsp. dried basil
• 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 8-10 large uncooked, peeled & deveined shrimp
• 2 TB. prepared pesto (jar or fresh)
• 1 Cup shaved parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

1. Cube the bread into bite sized pieces.
2. Spread the bread out onto a baking sheet.
3. Toss the bread with 2 TB. olive oil.
4. Bake bread for 20 minutes tossing halfway through.
5. Put bread in a large bowl.
6. Set oven to 400 degrees for the shrimp.
7. In a small bowl whisk together a 1/2 Cup of the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, dried basil, thyme, salt, and pepper.  Set aside.
8. Remove the tails from the shrimp.  Rinse and dry.
9. Lay shrimp on the same baking sheet you used for the bread, drizzle 1/2 TB. olive oil over the shrimp and gently toss to coat.  Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper.
10. Roast shrimp for 8-10 minutes, turning halfway through.
11. Place shrimp in a medium size bowl and toss with pesto.
12. Add tomatoes, basil, olives, and cheese to the bowl with the bread and toss with the olive oil mixture (use as much or as little as you want).
13. Plate the salad and top with shrimp.
14. Garnish with additional cheese if desired.

White Wine Steamed Clams with Spicy Sausage and Blue Cheese

We were walking through Costco on Sunday all set to buy some salmon to grill on a cedar plank when we saw the fresh clams on display.  We changed our dinner plan on the spot.  This dish can be done with a mixture of clams and mussels or one or the other.

Ingredients:

• 5 pounds clams, mussels or combo of both
• 4 spicy sausages such as Aidells
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1 sourdough baguette
• olive oil
• garlic powder

1. Thoroughly rinse clams
2. Slice baguette into 4 sections and then slice lenghtwise so you have 8 large pieces of bread 
3. Slice sausages in half lenghtwise and grill on high heat for 3 to 5 minutes on each side.
4. Slice grilled sausages on the bias into bite size chunks.  Set aside.
5. In a large pan with a lid (a saute pan, pot, or dutch oven will all due it just must have a lid) combine chicken broth, white wine, garlic, and capers.  Simmer for 15 minutes or until liquid has reduced by about a third. 
6. Add butter and sausage.  Season broth with salt and pepper to taste.  Go easy on the salt as adding the blue cheese later will also add some saltiness.
7. Bring broth to a slow boil
8. Brush baguette slices with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder.  Grill on medium heat until golden brown. 
9. Add clams to the broth and cover until clams have just opened.
10. Spoon clams into a serving dish or bowl and pour the broth over the top.  Sprinkle on the blue cheese.

Serve family style and don't forget to dip the baguette in the broth! 
Our Perfect Pairing- We found this dish paired best with a Medocindo style Sauvignon Blanc.