MULLED WINE RECIPE

Mulled Wine

Mulled Wine Ingredients:

To begin, gather your ingredients. For this mulled wine recipe, you will need:

• Wine: Red or white, you pick. And definitely nothing expensive, since the mulling spices and citrus will be the dominant flavors here.


• Citrus: Oranges (or clementines) are classic here, but feel free to add lemons or limes for color.


• Cinnamon: I love the look of sticks, but you could whisk in some ground cinnamon if that’s what you have on hand.


• Other spices: These vary from country to country, but I cloves and star anise are my favorites, plus occasionally a few pods of cardamom.


• Sweetener: Feel free to add your favorite sweetener to taste. Sugar is classic, but I prefer a few tablespoons of maple syrup or honey.


• Extra liqueur: Similar to sangria, it’s also traditional to spike your mulled wine with an extra bit of liqueur, if you’d like. I like a bit of brandy, but any favorite liqueur will do here. (Or again, you can nix this step too.)

How To Make Mulled Wine:

Also, I tend to traditional just simmer my mulled wine on the stove. But it’s also easy to make in the slow cooker or even Instant Pot, if you prefer. The rule of mulled wine is just to be sure that it does not boil, so that you don’t accidentally boil off the alcohol. ;)

Just simmer for at least 15 minutes, or up to 3 or 4 hours, so that all of those delicious flavors can come together. Then strain out the spices, and serve warm…

…topped with any of your favorite garnishes, if desired.

So simple, and so delicious. Enjoy, everyone!

BEEF ROAST RECIPE

Perfect Pot Roast

Ingredients

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

One 3- to 5-pound chuck roast

2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil

2 whole onions, peeled and halved

6 to 8 whole carrots, unpeeled, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 cup red wine, optional

3 cups beef broth

2 or 3 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 or 3 sprigs fresh thyme

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.


2. Generously salt and pepper the chuck roast.


3. Heat the olive oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the halved onions to the pot, browning them on both sides. Remove the onions to a plate.


4. Throw the carrots into the same very hot pot and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so. Reserve the carrots with the onions.


5. If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pot. Place the meat in the pot and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.


6. With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pot, scraping the bottom with a whisk. Place the roast back into the pot and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway.


7. Add in the onions and the carrots, along with the fresh herbs.


8. Put the lid on, then roast for 3 hours for a 3-pound roast. For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours. The roast is ready when it's fall-apart tender.

CREAM OF CELERY SOUP

Celery soup

Ingredients

Olive oil

Probably the most widely-used oil in cooking, olive oil is pressed from fresh olives. It's…

Celery

A collection of long, thick, juicy stalks around a central, tender heart, celery ranges in…

One of the most widely used ingredients, milk is often referred to as a complete food. While cow…

Method

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, tip in the celery, garlic and potatoes and coat in the oil. Add a splash of water and a big pinch of salt and cook, stirring regularly for 15 mins, adding a little more water if the veg begins to stick.

Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 20 mins further, until the potatoes are falling apart and the celery is soft. Use a stick blender to purée the soup, then pour in the milk and blitz again. Season to taste. Serve with crusty bread.

TACO IN A BAG

Walking Tacos

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef


• 1 envelope reduced-sodium chili seasoning mix


• 1/4 teaspoon pepper


• 1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chiles


• 1 can (15 ounces) Ranch Style beans (pinto beans in seasoned tomato sauce)


• 5 packages (1 ounce each) corn chips


• Toppings: Shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and sliced green onions

Directions

• In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles, 6-8 minutes; drain. Stir in chili seasoning mix, pepper, tomatoes and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until thickened, 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.


• Just before serving, cut open corn chip bags. Add beef mixture and toppings.

SPAGHETTI MEAT SAUCE

Method

Put a large saucepan on a medium heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil.

Add 4 finely chopped bacon rashers and fry for 10 mins until golden and crisp.

Reduce the heat and add the 2 onions, 2 carrots, 2 celery sticks, 2 garlic cloves and the leaves from 2-3 sprigs rosemary, all finely chopped, then fry for 10 mins. Stir the veg often until it softens.

Increase the heat to medium-high, add 500g beef mince and cook stirring for 3-4 mins until the meat is browned all over.

Add 2 tins plum tomatoes, the finely chopped leaves from ¾ small pack basil, 1 tsp dried oregano, 2 bay leaves, 2 tbsp tomato purée, 1 beef stock cube, 1 deseeded and finely chopped red chilli (if using), 125ml red wine and 6 halved cherry tomatoes. Stir with a wooden spoon, breaking up the plum tomatoes.

Bring to the boil, reduce to a gentle simmer and cover with a lid. Cook for 1 hr 15 mins stirring occasionally, until you have a rich, thick sauce.

Add the 75g grated parmesan, check the seasoning and stir.

When the bolognese is nearly finished, cook 400g spaghetti following the pack instructions.

Drain the spaghetti and stir into the bolognese sauce. Serve with more grated parmesan, the remaining basil leaves and crusty bread, if you like.

Savory Crepes

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole milk, divided use

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus whole butter for cooking crepes

Directions

1. Whisk together the flour, eggs, 1/2 cup milk, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Continue whisking until you have a smooth batter. Add the remaining cup of milk and stir well to combine. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator to chill the batter for at least 30 minutes or several hours.


2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Just before you are ready to make the crepes, whisk in the melted butter. The batter should be the consistency of heavy cream; if it is too thick, add milk slowly while whisking constantly until it is the right texture.


3. Heat a 9-inch non-stick skillet or crepe pan over medium heat. Melt a teaspoon of butter in the pan or spray with vegetable spray and heat the pan until a drop of water "dances" across the surface.


4. Using a ladle or a measuring cup with a lip, pour about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the batter into the pan. Hold the pan with 1 hand and pour the batter in with the other. Swirl the pan while pouring so that the batter covers the pan thinly and evenly for each crepe. Pour off any excess batter. Try not to leave any holes. After the first few crepes you will know exactly how much batter your pan will hold.


5. Cook the crepe over medium-high heat until the edges turn brown, about 15 seconds. Flip the crepe using a small spatula and your fingers. Cook on the second side for another 10 to 15 seconds. The second side will not be as evenly browned as the first side. Remove the pan from the heat and invert it over a warm plate to stack the crepes. Keep warm until ready to use. Continue making crepes with remaining batter, adjusting the heat as needed.


6. If not using immediately, place a square of waxed paper between each 1, place in a resealable plastic bag and store in the refrigerator. Crepes can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for several months. Reheat uncovered in a low oven (250 degrees) for 15 minutes or until warm. Fill with your favorite filling.

BEEF TIPS RECIPE

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound sliced baby portobello mushrooms


• 1 small onion, halved and sliced


• 1 beef top sirloin steak (1 pound), cubed


• 1/2 teaspoon salt


• 1/4 teaspoon pepper


• 2 teaspoons olive oil


• 1/3 cup dry red wine or beef broth


• 2 cups beef broth


• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce


• 2 tablespoons cornstarch


• 1/4 cup cold water


• Hot cooked mashed potatoes

Directions

• Place mushrooms and onion in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat; brown meat in batches, adding additional oil as needed. Transfer meat to slow cooker.


• Add wine to skillet, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Stir in broth and Worcestershire sauce; pour over meat. Cook, covered, on low 6-8 hours or until meat is tender.


• In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and cold water until smooth; gradually stir into slow cooker. Cook, covered, on high 15-30 minutes or until gravy is thickened. Serve with mashed potatoes.