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Sausage, Ribs & Beans over Parmesan Polenta

This is a great comfort dish for cool nights and pairs beautifully with our Pinot Noir! The sausage, ribs and beans are braised in a rich tomato based sauce until moist and fork tender. I serve this in large bowls over a bed of creamy, parmesan polenta.

Ingredients

  • 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes in tomato juice
  • 2 large carrots, diced
  • 1 large red onion, diced
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 6 fresh sage leaves, minced
  • 6 links of Mild or Sweet Italian Pork Sausage
  • 3 lbs Pork Baby Back Ribs – cut into individual ribs
  • 2 15 oz cans Red Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15 oz can Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 cup Pinot Noir
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 tsps salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 2 tbsps olive oil
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add sausages and cook until brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove sausages from the pot and set aside. Add ribs to the pot and cook until brown on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove ribs and set aside with the sausages.

Deglaze the pot by adding the Pinot Noir and then stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits in the bottom of the pot. Add the onion, carrot, and sage to the pot and continue to cook over medium heat until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and continue cooking until the garlic is fragrant but not brown, about 1-2 minutes more.

Add the chopped tomatoes and the juices from the can to the pot.  Add 1 tbs tomato paste and stir to combine.

Add the water, salt and pepper. Add the ribs, sausage, and any juices that have collected from the meat back to the pot. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for 1 hour.

After 1 hour of cooking, add the drained and rinsed beans to the pot, stir and bring the pot back to a simmer. Continue to simmer partially covered for another hour until the ribs are fork tender and the meat is nearly falling off the bone.  The longer you cook this the more tender the ribs will get.  After 2 hours total cooking time, cover the pot and keep at a low simmer until ready to serve.

While the ribs, sausage and beans are simmering away prepare the polenta (see recipe below.)

To serve, put the polenta in the bottom of a large bowl, top with the ribs and sausage, then top generously with the beans and sauce.

Parmesan Polenta

– 4 cups water
– 1 cup yellow cornmeal
– 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
– 4 tbs salted butter
– 1 1/2 tsp salt

In a medium sized pot bring the water and salt to a boil. Reduce heat to low and slowly whisk in the corn meal. Stir frequently until the polenta begins to thicken. Cover and continue cooking over low heat, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until the polenta is soft and smooth – about 20 – 30 minutes.  If the polenta becomes too thick, you can add more water to reach your desired consistency.  Finish by stirring in the cheese and butter until melted.

 

Serving Size: 6

Cook Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Measurements: Imperial (US)

Italian Meatloaf

Homemade Italian Meatloaf and our Cab/Merlot is a perfect comfort food combination. It all starts with “The Trinity” of Italian cuisine: onion, celery, and carrots. This trio of vegetables is also called a “soffritto.” Gently sautéing these ingredients in olive oil provide a flavor base for the other components to build on. The rich and savory tomato topping replaces traditional (and boring) ketchup and the absence of bread crumbs (which absorb fat) makes this dish gluten free and calorie friendly.

Ingredients

  • 1 yellow onion – diced
  • 1 large carrot – diced
  • 2 stalks celery – diced
  • 1 1/2 lbs ground chuck
  • 1/2 lb ground pork
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme
  • 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
  • 2 tbsps apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tsps garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp dijon mustard
  • kosher salt
  • fresh ground pepper
  •  

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, add 2 tbs olive oil.  Add diced onion, carrot and celery and sauté till vegetables have softened – about 5 minutes.  Set sautéed vegetables aside.

In a small bowl, add tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, water, garlic powder, onion powder, Dijon mustard, 1 tsp of kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp of fresh ground pepper.  Mix well using a small whisk or fork.  Set tomato topping aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add ground beef, pork, sautéed vegetables, eggs, thyme, 2 tbs of the tomato topping, 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper.  Mix well with your hands then form into a meatloaf in a large baking dish.  Spread remaining tomato topping over the top of the meatloaf.

Bake meatloaf at 325 degrees for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes till the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.  Remove from oven, cover with foil and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

 

Serving Size: 6

Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Measurements: Imperial (US)

Cavatappi with Sausage, Kale & Fingerling Potatoes

This quick and easy pasta dish will be a perfect accompaniment to your night in with guests and your bottle of Brys Estate Pinot Grigio! Spicy sausage, melted cheese, and extra flavors from crisp kale and savory potatoes…yes, our mouth is watering too.

Ingredients:

  • 3 tbsps olive oil
  • 1 lb uncooked Hot Italian Sausage (pork or turkey) – casings discarded and sausage crumbled
  • 1 bunch kale – cut out center stems and rough chop the leaves
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 fingerling potatoes – sliced into 1/4 inch medallions
  • 3 c chicken stock (not broth)
  • 1 lb Cavatappi noodles
  • 1 c grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving
  • Kosher salt

Directions:

Heat oil in saute pan over medium high heat. Add sausage and cook until sausage is browned and well cooked, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and saute for an additional 1-2 minutes. Add potatoes, chicken stock, 1/2 teaspoon salt and kale and bring to a boil, stirring frequently to help mix the kale in. Once the pot comes to a boil and the kale is cooked down and mixed in well, cover and reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes until the potatoes have softened. Add additional 1/2 tsp salt to taste.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta, cooking a few minutes less than the package directions. Drain and return pasta to the pot. Add sauce to the pot of pasta and cook the sauce with the pasta over medium heat for a few minutes until the pasta is perfectly cooked. Add cheese and drizzle with olive oil then toss vigorously to combine. Serve garnished with a sprinkle of cheese on top.

TIP: The sauce can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator. Just reheat over medium heat and toss with cheese, olive oil and hot pasta before serving.

 

Serving Size: 

Cook Time:

Measurements: Imperial (US)

French Chicken

If you like chicken that is moist, flavorful and falls apart with a fork – then this recipe is for you! This super easy, one pan, make ahead dinner can be assembled in minutes, and is perfect for entertaining allowing you to focus on your guests and not on the stove top! The chicken is marinated, then cooked in a mixture of wine, honey, garlic, lemon juice and Herbs de Provence creating incredible depth of flavor. After braising for a couple hours we briefly roast the chicken at the end to create crispy golden brown skin. Enjoy this with a glass of our Rosé and savor the good life!

Ingredients:

  • 8 chicken thighs with skin and bone
  • 1 cup dry Rosé (or other dry white)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 juice of a lemon
  • 3 cloves garlic – sliced
  • 1 1/2 tsps Herbs de Provence
  • 1/4 tsp fennel seeds
  • kosher salt
  • fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix up the wine, olive oil, honey, lemon and garlic slices. Set aside.

Place the chicken pieces skin side UP in a baking dish. Season each piece of chicken with salt and fresh ground pepper. Sprinkle the Herbs de Provence and the fennel seeds on the chicken pieces.  Pour the wine/honey/oil mixture over the chicken. Flip chicken over so the skin side is DOWN in the marinade. Cover with foil and let it marinade in the fridge for at least an hour.

About 3 hours before you are ready to serve, preheat oven to 325. Remove chicken from fridge. Take the foil off and flip each chicken piece so the skin side is UP for baking. Put the foil back nice and tight. Put the chicken in the oven and bake for 2 hours.

After 2 hours, remove chicken from the oven. Turn the heat up to 425. Remove the foil. Put the chicken back in the oven for 30-45 minutes on the bottom rack until the skin is golden brown and crisp (making sure to watch that it doesn’t burn). 

Serve 2 chicken pieces per person, making sure to drizzle extra juices from the pan over each piece. Skin should be crispy and chicken should fall apart and be super moist!

Serves 4.  For 8 people, use 2 baking dishes and double the recipe.

TIP: if you want to serve roasted potatoes or roasted cauliflower with the chicken, take a sheet tray and toss the potatoes/cauliflower with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Place the sheet tray on the top rack of the oven during the final 30 minutes of cooking and it will be ready the same time as the chicken.

 

Serving Size: 4

Cook Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Measurements: Imperial (US)

Tortilla Pizza

Once you start making these I promise you will become addicted! Here is the secret to creating a perfect thin crust pizza: Use store bought tortillas! The tortillas crisp up perfectly and when cooked don’t taste like a tortilla but rather taste like perfect thin crust pizza dough! This super easy recipe can be lunch or dinner and takes only minutes to make! What I have detailed below is not so much a recipe but a general guideline to follow. I have listed a couple pizza combinations to try, however, experiment with your favorite toppings to create your own perfect thin crust pizza! Enjoy with a full glass of our rich Cab/Merlot blend!

Ingredients

  • Burrito sized (or larger) flour tortillas
  • Olive oil
  • Base sauce (pizza sauce, alfredo, olive oil, truffle oil, pesto, barbeque sauce, etc)
  • Your favorite toppings and cheese – see examples below

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place 2 burrito sized tortillas on a cookie sheet.

Choose a base sauce to work with (pizza sauce, alfredo, olive oil, truffle oil, pesto, barbeque sauce, etc.) and lightly spread the sauce over each tortilla, leaving a half inch border around the edges. The secret here is to use a small amount of sauce so that the pizza is as crispy as possible.

Layer on your favorite toppings and cheese. See examples below.

Place the cookie sheet in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes until the cheese is browning and the edges of the pizza are brown and crisp but not burnt. If you are cooking more than one cookie sheet, note that the pizzas on the top rack will cook faster than those on the bottom rack.

Slice the pizza in 4 slices and top with arugula, basil, fennel or your favorite topping. Enjoy!

The Works
– Base Sauce: Pizza Sauce
– Hand Sliced Pepperoni
– Green Peppers
– Sliced Shiitake Mushrooms
– Red Onion
– Goat Cheese
– Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
– After cooking top with Arugula

Asparagus, Prosciutto & Goat Cheese
– Base Sauce: store bought Alfredo
– Prosciutto
– Asparagus (chopped and tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper)
– Fresh Mozzarella
– Goat Cheese
– After cooking top with fresh chopped Basil

Sausage, Fennel & Fontina
– Base Sauce: Olive Oil
– Sauteed Sweet Italian Sausage
– Sliced Fennel and Red Onion (sauteed with olive oil, salt & pepper)
– Fontina cheese
– After cooking top with fresh fennel fronds

Truffle Oil, Shiitake & Ricotta
– Base Sauce: Truffle Oil
– Sliced Shittake Mushrooms
– Fresh Mozzarella cheese
– Fresh Ricotta cheese
– Fresh Thyme leaves
– Roasted Garlic

 

Serving Size: 1

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Measurements: Imperial (US)

Roasted Chicken Pot Pie with Tarragon & Wild Mushrooms

Chicken Pot Pie must be the nearly perfect winter food.  Rich, hearty and comforting.  Instead of traditional boiled chicken, peas, carrots, and celery… I chose winter flavors such as roast chicken, wild mushrooms, french green beans and tarragon.  What resulted is a super easy, hearty pot pie that pairs perfectly with a nice winter red such as our Pinot Noir. 

Ingredients

  • 1 store bought rotisserie chicken – deboned and cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 16 ozs wild mushrooms – roughly cut into bite sized pieces
  • 2 medium leeks, thoroughly washed and cut into 1/2 inch slices (about 2 cups)
  • 2 cups French green beans – cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 5 cups chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 tbsp fresh tarragon – minced and packed
  • 2 tbsps olive oil
  • 2 tbsps butter
  • 1 1/2 tsps salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 package of puff pastry sheets
  • 1 egg
  •  

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Add the butter and olive oil to a large soup pot and place over medium heat.  Add the sliced leeks and saute for a couple minutes until the leeks have softened, about 2-3 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and continue to cook for 5-6 minutes until the mushrooms have browned and softened.

Add 4 cups of the chicken stock, the chicken, cream, salt, pepper, mustard, and tarragon to the pot.  

In a small bowl, add the remaining 1 cup of chicken stock then whisk in the 1/2 cup of flour.  Mix well dissolving any lumps.  Stir the flour/stock mixture into the pot.  Stir well to combine.

Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until slightly thickened.  Stir in the green beans.  Remove from heat and transfer chicken pot pie mix to a baking dish.

Cut puff pastry into 1 inch strips.   Weave a lattice pattern over the filling with the pastry strips.  Trim any excess pastry from the edge of the baking dish.  For a brown top, brush with an egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 tbs. water) before baking.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes until the puff pastry is nicely browned.

Makes 6 – 1 1/2 cup servings.

ALTERNATE SERVING SUGGESTION: If you don’t want to fuss with creating the puff pastry topping, after adding the green beans, simmer 5 minutes, then ladle the filling into bowls and serve with your favorite crusty bread or store bought biscuits.

 

Serving Size: 6

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Measurements: Imperial (US)

White Cheddar with Walnuts & Honey

Elevate your cheese plate with these creamy and sweet little bites!

Ingredients:

  • Sharp white cheddar cheese
  • Toasted walnuts, finely chopped
  • Honey

Directions:

Cut the white cheddar cheese into 1/2 inch cubes, insert a toothpick into each tube and sprinkle wth chopped walnuts. Drizzle with honey.

Curried Cashews

An unbelievably quick & easy to make snack with deliciously soft, smoky flavors!

Ingredients:

  • Roasted Salted Cashews
  • Curry Powder

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix the cashews with a sprinkle of curry powder to taste (about 1 tsp curry powder per 10 oz of cashews). 

Pinot Noir & Dried Cherry Reduction Sauce

Combining the flavors of the cherry and grape, this rich and delicious sauce is a perfect complement to grilled pork chops, grilled chicken, or fish.  It also can work on top of vanilla ice cream or even pancakes or waffles for breakfast.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups Pinot Noir
  • 1 cup Michigan dried cherries
  • 2 tsps sugar
  • 1 tsp corn starch
  • 1 tbsp butter

Directions:

Add the Pinot Noir, dried cherries, and sugar to a sauce pan.  Mix the corn starch with a little bit of wine before adding it to the pan to avoid any lumps.  Over medium heat allow the pan to simmer for about 10 minutes until the liquid has reduced down to about 1 cup.  Swirl in 1 tbs butter and serve warm.

Serving Size: 4

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Measurements: Imperial (US)

Rosemary Hasselback Potatoes

Chalk up these Rosemary Hasselback Potatoes as both aesthetically pleasing AND delicious! We believe it’s the perfect addition to your meal with Pinot Noir Braised Short Ribs, but we’re sure you’ll want to make these over and over again with other main dishes! Pour a glass of our Pinot Noir and enjoy.

Ingredients:

  • Yukon gold potatoes
  • Olive oil
  • Chopped fresh rosemary
  • Kosher salt
  • Fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

Cut a thin slice off the bottom of each potato.  This will keep it from rolling.  Then cut each potato crosswise into 1/8 inch slices, cutting only about ¾ of the way through – leaving the potato intact.

In a small bowl add some olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper.  Dip each potato into the bowl, working the mixture in between the slices of each potato.  Place the seasoned potatoes on a sheet tray with the sliced side facing up.  Sprinkle with additional rosemary, salt and pepper.  Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown.

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Measurements: Imperial (US)