Garlic Rosemary & Thyme Lamb Chops

Put garlic, rosemary, thyme, and salt in a food processor and pulse. Add olive oil and pulse again. Rub this paste on both sides of the lamb chops and marinate in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator and allow the chops to come to room temperature for 20min.

Heat a grill pan on high heat until nearly smoking. Sear the chops for 2 minutes on the first side and 2-4 minutes on the other side depending on your preferred level of doneness. Times will vary depending on size of the chops but I typically sear mine two minutes each side for medium rare.

I recommend making roasted Brussels sprouts or a garlic cauliflower puree to pair with this lamb dish.

Tomato Spinach Tortellini Soup with Zinfandel

Bring 2 cups water and diced tomatoes to simmer. Add 1 cup water and 1 cup wine and vegetable bouillon. Stir to bouillon dissolves. Add garlic, oregano and basil. Stir. Add tortellini and cook to manufactures instructions. Two minutes before tortellini is done…add spinach to pot and stir. Garnish with a bit of Parmesan and serve.

Paired with Wood Family Vineyards Big Wood Zinfandel

Rhonda’s Chili Recipe

Potato Soup with Mortadella and Salami

In a large soup pot, heat the 4 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the salami, mortadella , onion, garlic, parsley and red pepper flakes and cook until the onion is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often. Add the potatoes, wine, broth, reserved tomato juice, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Add the cream, stir well and cook 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in ¾ cup of the cheese. Serve in large bowls topped with the remaining cheese, sliced basil and drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Serves 6 to 8 people. Pair this soup with Wood Family Vineyards Syrah.

Blue-Shroom Cabernet Sauvignon Soup

Note:
If using low sodium soup base: use 6 cups water instead of 7.5 cups.

Heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. When butter has melted, add onion and garlic. Sauté onion until soft, then add mushrooms.
Turn up heat slightly and sear mushrooms until juices are released.

Add water, base, and potatoes, Bring to boil and simmer until potatoes are soft. Remove from heat and stir in blue cheese until melted. Add parsley just before serving.

Serves 6
Serve with Wood Family Vineyards, ‘Viva’ Cabernet Sauvignon.

Rhonda’s Prune Stuffed Pork Roast

1). Slit pork roast all over and around with 1 inch slits
Stuff each slit with prune
Heat oil in ovenproof stockpot
Brown pork and remove

3). Return pork to pot
Bring to boil
Cover and place in oven
Cook at 325 for 1 ½ hours basting occasionally
Remove cover and cook 30 min longer

Serve with garlic mashed potatoes, green beans drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with almond slivers and pair with Wood Family Vineyards Merlot.

2). Mince garlic and onion
Sauté in pot until tender – approx 5 min
Add applesauce, cider vinegar, wine, chili powder, salt, oregano and cinnamon

4). Remove pork from sauce
5). Boil sauce over high heat stirring and reduce sauce- 3-5 min
6). Slice pork and serve with sauce

Rhonda’s Hearty Black Bean & Vegetable Soup

In a large soup pot, sauté onions and garlic in oil until onions are soft.

Add salsa and cook for about 2 minutes. Add cilantro, beans, ½ the tomatoes and broth.
Bring to a boil, and then lower heat to simmer for about ½ hour.

Puree soup.
Add remaining tomatoes, corn, lime juice and cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Pair with Wood Family Vineyards ‘Big Wood’ Zinfandel. 

Chicken Bacon Walnut Terrine

Cut chicken breasts into thin strips and season lightly
Mash garlic, bread & egg together then add in the chopped bacon, liver, walnut, sherry, spices.
Preheat oven to 400 F

Lined the bacon strips inside a 1.5 pound loaf pan, then pack in half of the meat mixture.
Lay chicken strips on top and spread the rest of the meat mixture over. Cover the pan with lightly greased foil, seal well and press down very firmly.

Place terrine in a roasting pan filled (half full) with water and bake for 1 – 1 1/2 hour or until firm to the touch.
Place weight on top of the cooked terrine and let it cool completely.
Drain off excess fat/liquid while terrine is warm.
When it’s really cold, turn out the terrine and cut thick slices. 

Pair with Wood Family Vineyards Cabernet Franc.

Rhonda’s French Onion Soup with Syrah

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat.
Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 25 minutes.
Add Syrah, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are dry. About 5 minutes.
Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Dust the onions with the flour and stir. Turn down the heat to medium low so the flour doesn’t burn and cook for 10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
Add the beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes .
Add the cheese and dress it on top, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pair this soup with Wood Family Vineyards Syrah.

Rhonda’s Instant Pot Lemon Shrimp Risotto with Vegetables and Parmesan

1 cup spinach
7 oz asparagus chopped into small pieces
1 bag frozen peas
juice of 1 lemon
Trader Joes 21 seasoning salute (or other seasoning)
salt & pepper to taste
1 tbsp parsley chopped

Paired with ‘Para Mas Amigas’ Chardonnay

Instructions
1. Turn the Instant Pot on to the saute’ function.  Wait about 1 min to heat up.
2. Pour olive oil into the pot and add the onions and garlic.  Cook until fragrant.
3.  Add the butter to the pot and melt. Add the rice to the pot and stir for 1 – 2 minutes until the rice is coated in butter.
4. Add the white wine.  Deglaze the pot and stir till coated.
5. Add the chicken broth and ½ the Parmesan reggiano.  Stir in the cheese.  Season with salt and pepper. Stir well.
6. Place the lid on the top and seal.  Manually adjust the timer to Manual – High Pressure Cooking – 11 minutes.
7.  Season the shrimp with 21 salute seasoning, salt and pepper to taste while risotto cooks.
8. Quick release the steam
9. Adjust the Instant Pot to the sauté function.  Add the shrimp, chopped asparagus and peas.
10. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes until the shrimp is pink.
11.  Add the spinach and stir till wilted.
12. Drizzle with fresh lemon juice throughout.
13. Cool before serving and serve with sprinkled parsley.

I used very thin asparagus and I like it with a slight crunch.  If you prefer soft asparagus you may consider steaming first. Feel free to use different vegetables if you have.  If I had mushrooms I may have added these as well.  You could also do this recipe with the traditional Arborio rice and leave out the heavy cream (substituting) more broth.

Espresso rubbed Top Sirloin with Asparagus

Ingredients

For the rub:

• 2 tsp ground espresso
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp garlic powder

 10 oz of Top Sirloin

Fresh Asparagus

Great substitute cuts include Ribeye or New York strip steaks.

Paired with ‘Especial’ Cabernet Sauvignon

Instructions

First season the steaks with sea salt and fresh ground pepper and then follow up with the rub.
I like to prepare the steaks using the reverse sear method. I place them in the oven at 200F until they reach an internal temperature around 100F. Top sirloins typically take 40min to reach 100F but timing will vary widely depending on the thickness and size and of course your oven. I then sear them on high heat with my propane grill until they reach a temp of 130F – this typically takes 2-4min per side.
Let the steaks rest 5-7min – the steaks will continue to cook while resting and should reach 135F or medium rare. Please adjust cooking times to reach your desired level of doneness.

This method takes practice but once you’ve mastered it you will have perfectly cooked steaks every time! You can alternatively use this method and finish the steaks off in a cast iron pan with ghee butter if you prefer.

We like to pair this with a simple asparagus and for that you’d cut the ends off of the asparagus as they tend to be less tender. Melt ghee butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add asparagus and grind sea salt and black pepper over the top. Cooking time is typically 10min.