wine

#SundaySupper: Easy Dinner Recipes for Two

~ lk529 ~ 19 Comments

Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon Associate affiliate links.

It’s been two months (and a day) since I’ve posted with Sunday Supper and I’m so excited to be back! This weekend we’re sharing dinner ideas for two. It probably has something to do with Valentine’s Day coming up. Thank you, Candace of Authentically Candace, for hosting this event. Scroll past my recipe to see some other great ideas for your next date night.

Most of the recipes I make I make for two. With two boys under 3 it’s hard to include them in my serving size head count. While they’re always provided some of whatever I’ve made, they don’t often eat it. I swear, they live off of cheese and bread.

Pork tenderloins are always an easy dinner option. It’s a perfect protein for slow cookers or popping in the oven with zero babysitting required. Pork often pairs well with mashed potatoes and some sort of green vegetable, making the complete meal also easy enough to assemble.

This recipe uses red wine, making it a perfect date night dish. Dried plums (aka prunes) are reconstituted in red wine and then pureed to create a deep sauce for the pork. Fresh sage leaves were to be laid across the top of the tenderloin, but the two grocery stores I went to were sold out of the herb. I substituted by sprinkling some dried sage (not rubbed sage) onto the meat. Still delicious, just not as visually striking as I imagine the fresh sage leaves would have looked.

We served the pork with Brussels sprouts. Mashed potatoes would have been a nice addition, too.

Roast Pork Loin with Plum Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1 bottle Pinot Noir wine
  • 3/4 C prunes
  • 1/2 C sugar
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 lb pork tenderloin
  • 4 fresh sage leaves (or some dried sage)
  • 1-2 tbsp olive oil

Steps:

  1. Put wine, prunes, sugar, and vinegar in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, until the prunes get soft. Transfer sauce to a blender and puree until smooth. Season to taste with S+P. Keep warm until ready to serve.
  2. Season the pork with S+P. Arrange the sage leaves down the center of the tenderloin, or sprinkle with dried sage. If using fresh sage leaves, tie them in place with kitchen twine.
  3. Coat a cast iron skillet with the olive oil and heat over medium-high. Sear the pork on all sides. Place in the oven and cook 12-15 minutes, until an internal temperature of 145-160 degrees F is reached. Allow pork to rest 10 minutes before removing the twine (if using) and cutting in 1″ thick slices.
  4. Serve with plum sauce.

*This recipe is adapted from Tyler Florence’s Real Kitchen*

Roast Pork Tenderloin with Plum Sauce for #SundaySupper from Sew You Think You Can Cook

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Sunday Supper MovementJoin the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement

Cherry Cabernet Cheeseburgers

~ lk529 ~ 10 Comments

I don’t know what I was thinking trying to make this gourmet burger on a weeknight. But I was determined to make and eat these burgers with our handpicked cherries.

Wednesday was going to be the day I upped our weeknight dinner game with these burgers. As if the children knew it, they simultaneously took a two hour nap. I took full advantage and made the cherry chutney and the caramelized onions. While washing the never ending supply of dirty dishes.

An hour or so before I wanted to have dinner served I started working on the wine reduction for the burger patties. And cooked the bacon. At that point all cooperation was out the window. Treat has taken to being intensely clingy and fussy around 5 o’clock making it difficult to do anything that can’t be done with one hand. Good thing pouring wine in a saucepan over a flame doesn’t require much skill. I kept a watchful eye on the wine but it went from “not quite” to “burnt and sticky” in the blink of peeling an orange.

I had to step away from the stove to recollect myself, wipe Firecracker’s sticky orange hands, and change a couple of diapers. It was now too late to get dinner on the table in time to ensure the new earlier bedtime for the boys. So, we ordered pizza. I would try again tomorrow.

Thursday rolls around and I thought I’d be able to make the reduction and form the burger patties during nap time. Too bad nap time didn’t happen! After fighting with them for an hour I gave up. Very surprisingly Firecracker took his grounding from the TV the rest of the day quite well and pulled every single toy out of his cabinet. Around 4:30 Treat caved in and took an hour nap. During that nap I strapped Firecracker into his seat at the table with some crackers and his laptop. Mission accomplished! image3

The resulting burger was worth the two day wait! That cherry chutney provides the perfect sweetness to a well balanced burger. And I’ll eat almost anything with caramelized onions on top of it. Smoked Gouda cheese rounded out the burger with its savory bite.

I set aside some of the meat mixture before adding in the wine for the boys. Both boys quite enjoyed their burger patties! Granted, it took me telling Firecracker that there was bacon in it for him to take a bite. His dinner plate was a “deconstructed” cheeseburger: a slice of smoked gouda, a little bread, and his burger patty. Treat was given just the patty followed up with green beans.

Cherry Cabernet Cheeseburgers

Ingredients for the chutney:

  • 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar, divided use
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 C fresh cherries, pitted and halved
  • 1 poblano pepper, diced
  • 1/4 C Cabernet Sauvignon
  • 1/2 tsp chopped crystallized ginger
  • pinch cardamom

Ingredients for the onions:

  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Ingredients for the burger:

  • 1 C Cabernet Sauvignon
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 6 strips bacon, chopped
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 slices smoked Gouda
  • 4 buns
  • spinach

Steps:

  1. Make the chutney: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Whisk together 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, honey, and olive oil. Season with S+P. Add the cherries and peppers, toss to coat. Place on a foil lined rimmed baking sheet. Roast 14 minutes, stirring halfway. Transfer cherries to a medium saucepan and add remaining balsamic vinegar, wine, ginger and cardamom. Simmer 10 minutes until thickened. Allow to cool.
  2. Make the onions: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and red wine vinegar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender and golden. Add more butter or olive oil as needed. Season with S+P to taste. Set aside.
  3. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat. Remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.
  4. Combine wine and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer and let reduce to 1/4 C. Allow reduction to cool.
  5. Form burgers: Combine ground beef, bacon, Worcestershire, and S+P. Mix in the wine reduction. Form into 4 equal sized patties.
  6. Cook burgers in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook about 4 minutes on each side, or to desired temperature. Top each patty with cheese and cook until melted.
  7. Assemble burgers: Place spinach on the bottom bun, top with the cheeseburger, chutney, and caramelized onions.

*This recipe is adapted from Erin at http://thecrumbycupcake.com/cherry-cabernet-burger/*

Cherry Cabernet Cheeseburger Sew You Think You Can Cook

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Red Wine Marinated Flank Steak filled with Prosciutto, Fontina, and Basil

~ lk529 ~ 9 Comments

That’s quite the fancy recipe title, isn’t it?! There aren’t very many fancy recipes on Sew You Think You Can Cook because we’re just not that fancy of people. And fancy usually takes way more time and effort than I have patience for.

So why am I sharing such a fancy dish with you today?

Because today is the 5th anniversary of my marriage to a man who makes me laugh (don’t tell him I said that), makes me smile, and makes my dreams come true. photography by Cher Hanna

Photography by Cher Hanna

A little over 5 years ago we thought that today we’d be laying in a hot tub looking at the mountains and ocean in St. Lucia. It’s amazing how much happens in 5 short years! Instead of taking that anniversary trip we are expecting our second child and at a point in my husband’s career where taking a long vacation just isn’t possible. So get ready St. Lucia, we’re coming for you in 5 years! (Grandparents, clear your calendars.)

We aren’t doing anything tonight either. Similarly to last year, Stuart signed up for a race this weekend. Although this one is only 12ish miles and not 30 hours in the woods. Also – family is coming into town to attend our son’s baptism on Sunday (finally!).

Red Wine Marinated Flank Steak
filled with Prosciutto, Fontina, and Basil

Ingredients:

  • 3 shallots, diced
  • 3/4 C Cabernet red wine
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 1/2 lb flank steak, butterflied
  • 4 oz thinly sliced prosciutto
  • 4 oz thinly sliced fontina cheese
  • approximately 14 fresh basil leaves

Steps:

  1. Whisk together shallots, wine, and olive oil. Place in a large casserole dish (or a resealable plastic bag). Add the steak and marinate in the fridge a minimum of 4 hours.
  2. Remove steak from the marinade and dry with paper towels. Lay cut side up and season with S+P. Cover with prosciutto, fontina, and basil leaves. Roll the steak around the filling on the long side. Tie with kitchen string in 4-5 places.
  3. Brush the outside of the roulade with a little bit of olive oil and season with S+P.
  4. Grill the steak over medium-high heat on all sides for a total of 10 minutes. Move the steak away from direct heat and cook another 20 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 125 (or greater) is reached depending on your preference.
  5. Cover the roulade with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with Cabernet-Shallot Reduction (recipe below).

Cabernet-Shallot Reduction

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 1/2 shallots, diced
  • 1 2/3 C Cabernet red wine
  • 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
  • 1 tbsp honey

Steps:

  1. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat saute the shallots in olive oil until tender. Add the wine and peppercorns. Bring to a boil and cook 15 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced to 1/2 C. Strain. Stir in the honey and season to taste with salt.

*These recipes are adapted from Bobby Flay’s Grill It!*

Red Wine Marinated Flank Steak filled with Prosciutto, Fontina, and Basil | Sew You Think You Can Cook

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. 

Red Wine and Chocolate Cream Sauce

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

The title of this blog post has already created it’s first impression in your mind. You either thought “that’s just weird” or “yum!” Either way, you’re intrigued. I’ll clear up one assumption off the bat – it’s not sweet.

When I saw this blog post pop up on my WordPress Reader last year it was Carlynn’s photography that had me sold. What caught my attention was her use of chocoalte pasta! I didn’t have, couldn’t find, and wasn’t about to make chocolate linguini so I used the boring normal stuff.

I made this for Valentine’s Day last year and while we were all a touch skeptical we all found we really enjoyed it! But a uninamous vote agreed that it needed some protein. A cocoa or coffee rubbed steak would accompany this pasta pretty nicely.

While I typically halve recipes that claim to serve 6 I made this one as is. We had a lot of pasta leftover. Good thing it reheated well! If you opt to serve this dish as a side then I’d highly suggest halving it – unless you’re feeding an army.

Red Wine and Chocolate Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1/2 C red wine
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 qt beef broth
  • 1 1/2 C heavy cream
  • 1/2 C marscapone cheese
  • 2 oz dark chocolate, chopped
  • 1/2 C Cacao Nibs
  • 1 lb uncooked pasta

Steps:

  1. In a large pot over medium-high heat melt butter. Saute onions until translucent, approximately 5 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve some if the cooking liquid, if needed.
  3. Deglaze the pan with the red wine and the balsamic vinegar. Simmer until thick. Add the beef broth and simmer until reduced by half, 15-20 minutes.
  4. Whisk in the cream. Melt in the marscapone cheese. Remove from heat and melt in the chocolate. Stir in the cacao nibs. Season to taste with S+P.
  5. Add as much of the sauce sauce to the cooked pasta as desired. Use the reserved pasta water if needed.

*This recipe is adapted from Carlynn at http://jjbegonia.com/2014/02/03/pasta-with-chocolate-and-red-wine-cream-sauce/*

Red Wine and Chocolate Cream Sauce | Sew You Think You Can Cook

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

#10DaysofTailgate: War Eagle Sangria

~ lk529 ~ 19 Comments

Tailgate Logo

Today marks the beginning of #10DaysofTailgate! If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter you might have noticed some sneak peaks of things coming your way. I was really honored when Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla invited me to be a part of this great adventure.

To kick off #10DaysofTailgate, I wanted to pick a recipe that would highlight my favorite team – the Auburn Tigers. My husband and I both graduated from Auburn University – and our combined three siblings also graduated from or are currently attending Auburn.

I decided to make a sangria using blueberries and oranges – complete with AU ice cubes! I followed the recipe for my Red, White, and Blue Sangria that I dish out on the Fourth of July. I used a little bit of my blueberry syrup in place of simple syrup too.

War Eagle Sangria 2

An Original Recipe

War Eagle Sangria

Ingredients:

  • 1 bottle white moscato wine
  • 2 tbsp blueberry syrup
  • 2 oranges sliced into rings
  • 3/4 C frozen blueberries
  • 1 bottle champagne

Steps:

  1. In a pitcher combine wine and syrup. Add orange slices, leaving some for garnish, and blueberries. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
  2. Before serving add the bottle of champagne. Garnish with orange slices.

War Eagle Sangria 1

Don’t forget to enter our giveaway and be sure to check out the other bloggers who posted more tailgating recipes today:


Starters
Loaded Baked Nacho Supreme by Cheese Curd In Paradise
Baked Blueberry Pork Egg Rolls by The Pajama Chef
Gazpacho Shooters with Spicy Shrimp by OnTheMove-In the Galley
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Meatball Sliders with BlueCheese Aioli by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventure
Dips
Soft Pretzels and Buffalo Cheese Dip by Things I Make (for Dinner)
Cheesy Bean Dip by Making Miracles
Garden Fresh Salsa by Eliot’s Eats
Pineapple Salsa by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
Devilish 7-Layer Dip by Miss Laura’s Kitchen
Sips
Spicy Strawberry Bourbon Shooters by CafeTerraBlog
Iowa Sunrise by From Gate to Plate
Sides
Deviled Egg Potato Salad by Cooking In Stilettos
Mains
El Diablo’d Lamb Lollipops by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Ginger Chicken Kabobs by Summer Scraps
Chili by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Spiced Fig and Garlic Chicken Wings by girlichef
Baked Mac and Cheese  with Bacon Pretzel Topping by Debbi Does Dinner Healthy
Asian Duck Sliders  by Curious Cuisiniere
Pineapple Chile Lime Wings by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches by Love and Confections
Sweets
Peanut Butter Pretzel Brownies by The Spiffy Cookie

Red, White, and Blue Sangria

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

This recipe is a Lauren Everson original!

I was looking for a white wine sangria for the Fourth. I couldn’t find one that matched both my personal taste and didn’t require me to search high and low for some exotic fruit juice. So, I combined the theories and flavor profiles of about four different recipes and created my very own sangria. Red wine lovers even preferred my recipe! I hope you serve this concoction at your next party.

An Original Recipe

Red, White & Blue Sangria

Ingredients

  • 1/2 C pitted fresh cherries
  • 1 C sugar
  • 1 C water
  • 1 bottle white wine
  • 1 diced apple
  • 6 oz raspberries
  • 6 oz blueberries
  • 1 chilled bottle champagne

Steps

  1. Make simple syrup – In a sauce pan, heat first three ingredients until sugar melts, being sure to mash the cherries. Strain and let cool.
  2. Pour white wine into serving pitcher along with the simple syrup and fruits. Let sit 1 hour or over night.
  3. Before serving, pour in the bottle of bubbly!
    Image