Smorrebrod -  Danish Open-Face Sandwich - a family entertaining favourite!

Ingredients

• 1 loaf pumpernickel bread, un-sliced
  
• 1/4 cup softened butter

Dill Spread ingredients

• 12 oz cream cheese, softened
• 6 green onions chopped
• 1/4 cup minced fresh dill
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• dash of hot pepper sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Garnish ingredients

• 1/2 an English cucumber sliced
• 4 oz smoked salmon
• package pre-cooked shrimp
  
• 4 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
  
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 8 capers
• fresh dill sprigs

Method

1. Slice off top and bottom crusts from loaf (saving crusts for another use)
   
2. Slice loaf lengthwise to make two long slices
3. Spread butter on one side of each slice and set aside
4. To make the dill spread in a bowl combine the cream cheese, green onions, dill, mayonnaise, lemon juice, hot pepper sauce and salt and pepper to taste.  Mix until blended.
5. Reserving 1/3 of the spread for garnish spread the remaining mixture over buttered side of bread slices
6. For the garnish, fill a pastry bag fitted with a star tip with the reserved dill spread
   
7. Pipe the border around edges of bread with the spread
8. Arrange the cucumber slices, salmon, shrimp, egg slices, onions, capers and dill decoratively over the spread
9. To serve, cut into slices.  * an alternate to using unsliced loaf would be to use a sliced loaf and make individual sandwiches.
   

Big on flavour this giant sandwich can be served as elegant little bits and served as an appetizer, or served as individual sandwiches - perfect for a Sunday brunch, or an evening meal during the week.  Serve with Cru Select New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. 

recipe modified from Canadian Living Magazine

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Waller Family Special - Sausage, Broccoli & 4 Cheese Macaroni Casserole

Ingredients

• 2 cups uncooked macaroni
• 1 cup Polish sausage, diced small
• 1.5 cups Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 cup old Cheddar, grated
• 1 cup medium Cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup applewood smoked Cheddar
• 1 cup broccoli, cut into small florets
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons Frank's Red Hot sauce
• 1 1/2 cups cream
• 1 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 3 tablespoons butter

Method

1. Cook macaroni in well salted boiling water until not quite done, about 7 minutes. 
2. Drain.
3. Make white sauce by melting butter, whisking in flour and allowing to cook for a few minutes. 
4. Add warmed cream/milk mixture. 
5. Whisk until thickened.  (Gail did hers in the microwave -- microwaved a minute at a time until thick.)
6. Add garlic, whisk well.
7. Add hot sauce and whisk again. 
8. Add cheese one at a time, reserving old Cheddar and 1/2 cup of Parmesan for topping. 
9. Whisk sauce until cheese is melted. 
10. Add macaroni, mix well. 
11. Add broccoli and Polish sausage and mix until combined.
12. Pour into well buttered casserole dish
13. Smooth top
14. Sprinkle reserved cheeses on top. 
15. Cook at 400 for about 20 minutes, or until cheese is brown and bubbly. 
16. Let rest for 10 minutes, then cut and serve.

  recipe courtesy of Gail Waller

Wine pairing recommendation - Unoaked Chardonnay

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Sticky Ribs

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 pound baby back ribs
• Salt
  
• Freshly ground pepper
• Granulated garlic, for sprinkling
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 1 tbsp whole cloves
• 1  12-oz bottle of lager
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 cup peach or apricot jam
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C.
   
2. On a rimmed baking sheet, season the ribs with salt, pepper, and garlic.
   
3. Drizzle with oil and scatter the cloves over the ribs and in the pan.
   
4. Pour the beer over the ribs, cover with foil, and bake for 2 hours, until the meat is tender.
5. Strain the pan juices into a saucepan.
   
6. Whisk in the ketchup, jam, and lemon juice
7. Boil over high heat until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 20 minutes.
8. Preheat the broiler.
   
9. Set the ribs meaty side down on the baking sheet, brush with glaze, and broil 4 inches from the heat for 7 minutes.
   
10. Turn the ribs and brush with half of the remaining glaze.
    
11. Broil for 10 minutes, until starting to char.
    
12. Brush with the remaining glaze and broil until browned, 10 minutes.
    
13. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Wine pairing recommendation Unoaked Chardonnay for a white, or an Australian Cabernet Sauvignon for a red.

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Slow roasted shredded chicken with tomatoes, basil and fettuccini:

Ingredients

• 6 chicken legs, thighs & drumsticks separated
• 2 cups basil leaves roughly chopped
• 4 cups cherry tomatoes halved
• 3 ripe plum tomatoes quartered
• 1 bulb garlic, separated and peeled
• 675g fettuccini
• 1 1/2 TSP red chili flakes
• Olive Oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
   
2. Pat chicken pieces dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Rub chicken with olive oil.
3. In a large bowl toss together the tomatoes, basil, red chili flakes and garlic. Drizzle with some olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.
4. Add half of this mixture to the bottom of an oven safe pan that is large enough to lay the chicken pieces flat.
   
5. Lay the chicken pieces on top of the tomato mixture trying not to overlap. Scatter the other half of the tomato mixture over top and around the chicken pieces.
6. Bake chicken for about 1 1/2 hours until chicken is falling off the bone, stirring once.
7. When chicken is done allow to cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle remove skin and shred the chicken pieces back into the tomatoes, throwing out the bones as you go.
8. Toss tomatoes and chicken together and season to taste.
9. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente.
10. Drain the pasta and pour the noodles into a large bowl.
    
11. Toss with tomatoes and chicken and top with generous gratings of parmesan cheese.

Serve with Italian Valpolicella Ripassa available from Carafe Wine Makers

Blue & Pear Salmon

Ingredients

• 2 filets of salmon, skinless
• 3 slices bacon, crumbled
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 2 pears, peeled, cleaned and diced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 TBSP chopped fresh savory
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 slices of bread, crumbled
• 4oz blue cheese sliced

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375F or 190C
2. In a skillet saute bacon, onion and garlic over medium heat
3. Add pears, wine, maple syrup and savory
4. Season with salt and pepper
   
5. Simmer for 5 minutes
   
6. Remove from heat and add bread to absorb liquid
7. Place one filet on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet
8. Garnish with pear preparation and then add the blue cheese slices
9. Cover with the second filet
10. Bake 30 minutes
11. Cut and serve immediately

Serve with New Zealand Un-oaked Chardonnay available from Carafe Wine Makers

 

Easy Cheesy Stuffed Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 TBSP butter
  
• 2 medium zucchini, shredded (about 2 cups)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 pkg stuffing mix for chicken
• 1 cup Kraft 4 cheese Italiano shredded cheese
• 8 bone-in chicken breasts or legs
• 3/4 cup brown sugar BBQ sauce

Method

1.  Preheat oven to 400F
2. Melt butter in medium saucepan on medium heat.
   
3. Add zucchini and onion, cook and stir 2 minutes or until tender.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Stir in stuffing mix and cheese until well blended.
6. Carefully insert fingers between the meat and skin of each chicken breast or leg to form a pocket.
7. Fill the pockets evenly with stuffing mixture.
8. Place, skin sides up, in large roasting pan.
9. Bake 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
10. Brush with BBQ sauce.
11. Bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until heated through.

*this recipe can easily be turned into a Mexican-style chicken dish by using Tex Mex shredded cheese instead

Serve with Lazy Lizard Valley Pinot Gris available from Carafe Wine Makers

recipe modified from Kraft what's cooking magazine

Cornish Hens - serve with strawberry salsa

Ingredients

• 4 Cornish hens
• salt
• pepper
• water
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 cup dry white wine*

Method

1. Rinse each hen and pat dry with a paper towel.
2. Salt and pepper each hen.
3. Place hens on a rack in the centre of a baking dish or aluminum pan.
4. Place pan in centre of preheated grill, adding water to a depth of 1-2 inches.
5. Turn centre burners off and turn outer burners to medium.
6. Cook for 45-60 minutes basting hens with wine and butter mixture.

* recommended wine for both the recipe and also to enjoy while cooking is an unoaked California Reserve Chardonnay.

 recipe modified from 2nd edition of the Aussie-Style Outback Cookbook.

Shrimp & Feta Papillote
In French, to cook something en papillote means to cook it in a folded pouch (parchment paper or aluminum foil) that is tightly sealed before baking.

Ingredients - for 4 servings

• 1 pound fresh or frozen uncooked shrimp
• 2 cups frozen corn kernels
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 7 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 cucumber, dices
• ground pepper
• lemon wedges
  

Method

1. Preheat grill to high
2. Place shrimp, corn, butter, garlic and parsley on a large sheet of aluminum foil
3. Cover with a second sheet and fold the edges together sealing the contents
4. Cook approximately 10 minutes on grill with lid closed
5. In a large bowl mix tomatoes, feta cheese and cucumber
6. Add contents of the papillote
7. Stir
8. Serve immediately with provide ground pepper and lemon wedges to add per taste

   recommended wine is New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc - En Primeur

  recipe modified from "all you need is cheese"

Seafood Crepe - just in time for spring Sunday brunches

Ingredients - for 4 servings

• 1/2 cup fresh scallops
• 1/2 cup medium shrimp
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp white wine (suggest Riesling)
• 3 tbsp all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup milk, 2%
• 4 crepes
• salt and pepper to season

Method

1. Heat butter in fry pan on medium heat.
2. Add garlic & onion, stir until soft but not brown.  (approximately 5 minutes)
3. Add scallops & shrimp, stir until seafood is slightly cooked on the surface. (approximately 4 minutes)
4. Add milk & wine, stir and cook til boils.
5. Sprinkle in flour and stir.  Season the sauce with salt & pepper & mix.  Remove from heat.
6. Pour contents on one side of crepe & then fold over.