This is a bright, refreshing sangria and the addition of green apples, cranberries and rosemary make it perfect for the holidays.
In today’s world, it is all the rage to have a theme cocktail or punch at a party, wedding, or event. This is where sangria comes to the rescue. There are no rules to sangrias. You can mix and add whatever you choice. Usually a sangria has wine and some addition of a fruit and or fruit juice and a sparkling element. Red or white is always the questions, however when making sangria for a crowd, more people will go for the white sangria, that’s just how it works out. Even those that do not like wine will like white sangria. Generally, sangrias will have less alcohol content than a traditional cocktail, unless you add vodka or brandy to the sangria, and yes, that is a thing. I like the clean wine taste of sangria and can appreciate the lower alcohol content, so I opt out of the high powered kick of liquor in my sangria.
The wine- I opt for something I would drink, an inexpensive brand, even the big bottles (1.5L) will work. Obviously this recipe is for a white sangria so I would use a chardonnay or pinot grigio. If you like things a little more sweeter, you could use a riesling or even a moscato. Again, there are no rules!
The fruit- This recipe calls for diced green apples and cranberries. The red and green combo is perfect for the Christmas season. You could add limes, oranges, grapes, etc.
The sparkling- You could do sparkling white grape juice or sparkling apple cider. In a pinch, I have dumped in ginger ale.
Here is the great think about sangria, if you have some leftover wines from a dinner or a party, dump them all in and add fruit and a sparkling element. It is a great way to stretch the wine and use leftovers.
This wine features fresh rosemary and I encourage you not to skip this step. It does make a difference and gives just a hint of the rosemary essence. If you have fresh rosemary in your yard, consider “frosting” some to use as a garnish. Simple dip the rosemary into water and dip into sugar. Sit on a paper towel to dry.
I like to mix and store the sangria in a 2 quart container with a lid. I found several this week at the Dollar Tree and they are absolutely perfect. I whipped up 8 quarts for a party Wednesday night and ran out mid way through the party. I ended up pouring some white wine and ginger ale over the cranberries, apples and rosemary that were left in the containers and I am not sure anyone was the wiser. Improvising is easy with sangria.
I know we all have those large glass or plastic containers with a spout and that is perfect for tea and lemonade. Sangria needs to be in a glass pitcher or even a punch bowl. You want to get some apple, cranberry and rosemary in your glass and it is best accomplished in a pitcher or bowl.
For a downhome vibe, or outdoor gathering, I have put these in individual glass pint jars, mason jars, screwed on the lid and place on ice in a galvanized tub or cooler. For a fancier gathering, I would serve in a wine glass, stemmed or stemless would work.
If you feel like your sangria needs more sweetness, add sugar, splenda, agave, etc.
1 bottle white wine
I cup sparkling apple cider or sparkling white grape juice
1 cup cranberries (take a few and cut in half)
1 green apple, diced
3-4 springs of fresh rosemary
Directions
Mix and chill. Can be prepared 1-2 days before. Serve over ice.
Make this recipe your own. Sub cranberry juice cocktail and club soda for the sparkling. Add oranges, grapes or limes. The possibilities are endless.
This post contains everything I have learned over the years about turkey. I think it is important to note, I did not grow up in a “turkey” family. Yes, we had turkey at least one time a year, but no more than two times a year- Thanksgiving and maybe Christmas. I have definitely learned some lessons over the years:
Lesson #1: Big turkeys are hard to manage and cook. I find the turkeys between 9-16 lbs are the perfect size. Anything larger is too much in many ways. Turkeys over 16 lbs are hard to manage, don’t often fit in the oven and are more difficult to cook through without some spots being overcooked.
Lesson #2: You can usually count on 1lb a person when trying to decide what size, this takes into consideration the bone weight and will leave you with some leftovers. If you have 24 people coming for dinner then I would suggest purchasing two turkeys. That means double the drumbsticks and thighs and that normally makes everyone even happier. This round I made a 9lb turkey for 7 people. I had 30% of the bird not eaten to use for left overs.
Lesson #3: You can’t purchased a frozen turkey the day before Thanksgiving. Chances are it will not thaw in time, especially if you purchased a large bird.
Lesson #4: Bring your turkey up to room temp before you cook it. I like to set it on the counter in the pan and let the skin dry out for an hour or so. This holds true for any type of meat you cook.
Lesson #5: You need a meat thermometer. The last thing you want to do is give all your guests salmonella poisoning. Birds need to be cooked through, specifically, 165 degrees in the thickest part. Depending on your turkey, the thickest part will either be the thigh or the breast. If you are roasting a spatchcock turkey, I usually take the temp in the thickest part of the breast.
Lesson #6: Your turkey needs to rest after it is cooked. Tent it with foil, set is aside and forget about it- AT LEAST 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours. No, it will not get cold. The longer it rests, the juicier it will be.
SPATCHCOCK: I love to spatchcock a turkey, this is basically just butterflying the bird. Cut down each side of the backbone, cut into the breast bone just a bit and flatten the breast down onto the pan. A spatchcock turkey will cook in almost half the time of a full turkey and 100 percent of the skin gets crispy. I also do this method with roasting whole chickens. I would not try to spatchcock a turkey over 16lbs. Today, I did the spatchcock method on a 9lb turkey and it cooked at 450 degrees for 50 minutes.
FRESH vs. FROZEN: Of course, I would opt for fresh if possible, but I have not always been able to find a fresh bird. If you have a frozen bird in the back of your freezer that has been there for a year to two, do everyone a favor and throw it out! Recently frozen works just fine.
BRINING: If I have time, I do like to brine my bird. Brining is not absolutely necessary, but it does make for a much juicier bird. I have purchased some wonderful brine mixes over the years, but lately I have found I like to make my own, so I can incorporate and try different things. A quick method to brining: don’t heat up all two gallons of brine. Just heat up 1.5 cups of kosher salt into 2 cups of water until it is dissolved. Let it cool and then add it to the brine mixture. You can brine for 12-36 hours. I usually do 12-24. For this turkey, the brine mixture included: apple cider, oranges, lemons, head of garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, allspice cloves, rosemary, sage, thyme, kosher salt and water.
INJECTIONS: I find some of the injections to be have a strange after taste. I would not be opposed to pure butter injections.
THAWING: Please go by the instructions on the bird. There is a quick method which consists of a water bath in the sink and a regular method of thawing in the fridge. The quick method takes hours. The regular method takes days.
COOKING METHOD: I have smoked turkeys, deep fried turkeys and roasted turkeys. It all depends on what kind of mood you are in and in some cases, the weather. I prefer to roast, using the spatchcock method. We have a Big Green Egg, and I have to admit, it is nice to have the oven free for other things. However, not everyone likes smoked turkey. I think a good, roasted turkey can’t be beat. If we are having a crowd, we may spatchcock two turkeys and smoke one and roast the other.
STUFFING vs. DRESSING: Since I prefer the spatchcock method, stuffing isn’t really an option. However, I still prefer a great pan of dressing. It is easier to control the moisture and that’s just how I remember Thanksgiving- a huge pan of dressing on the table.
SLICING: I do like to slice the entire turkey and place on a platter. I cut each breast into several pieces. If the thighs are large, I will slice them in half.
GRAVY: You can make a gravy from a spatchcock turkey. Just make sure to add some chicken stock and aromatics under the turkey. This weekend I watched an old episode of The Kitchen on Food Network. Alex Guarnaschelli made a gravy thickened with onions and garlic that was roasted separately from the turkey that looked fabulous. I am definitely going to try her recipe this year. It required no flour or thickener which is wonderful for gluten sensitive folks like myself.
AROMATICS: You can add aromatics below the rack, or if you don’t have a rack just place the bird on top of the aromatics. Good aromatics to consider- celery, carrots, onions. If I add aromatics, I usually cook the bird a little lower at 425 degrees.
HERBS: Use fresh if you have them. You can replace the fresh herbs with dried herbs, just adjust the amount. Dried herbs are much more condensed than fresh, so opt for about 1 tbsp of dried instead of 3 tbsp of fresh.
PAIRING: A Thanksgiving favorite at our house is Rombauer Chardonnay. This one is very oaky with hints of fruit and vanilla. The balance is perfection and goes very well with a holiday menu. At around $38 a bottle, and is perfect for special dinners. The Vivinno App scores it a 4.4, which is an excellent score for any wine, especially a Chard. It is also a wonderful selection to bring as a hostess gift if you are invited to a special dinner at someone’s home.
Don’t let a turkey get the best of you. It really is just a large chicken. If you feel overwhelmed, do a trial run with a whole chicken. And once you get the hang of it, fix a few turkeys throughout the year. The price is easy on the pocketbook and a very healthy protein. Tonight, turkey was on the menu and it was just a normal Saturday night in October.
BRINE MIXTURE:
4 cups apple cider
1 head garlic, cut in half
2 oranges, quartered
2 lemons, quartered
1.5 cups kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp black peppercorns
3 tbsp allspice cloves
water
Directions
Thaw the bird properly.
Prepare the brine: In a pan, heat up the kosher salt with 2 cups of water until the salt is dissolved. Let it cool and add it to all the other ingredients in a large pot or container. Add the spatchcock bird, add enough water to cover the bird and place in the fridge for 12-36 hours.
Prepare to roast: Place on a pan and let it sit so it comes to room temp before roasting. Preheat the oven. I like to cook at 450 degrees. You can cook it anywhere from 400-450. I like the higher temp because it produces a crispier skin. Remove the bird from the brine, rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Mix the butter, rosemary, thyme, sage, garlic powder with the butter and spread on both sides of the bird , then sprinkle with paprika, salt and pepper on both sides. I like to elevate the bird by placing it on a flat roasting rack or what some would call a cooling rack on a pan. Add a cup or two of chicken stock or water to the pan.
Cook until the thickest part of the turkey reaches 165 degrees. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes – 2 hours.
Make this recipe your own. Add ground cayenne pepper for a little heat. Play with the brine ingredients and add what you love.
This week I have an abundance of peaches. I have to be honest, I am not a fan of cooked or canned peaches. I do however love fresh peaches. Last night, the FOKRs (my tribe of wine lovers) came over for what we refer to as “a nibble and a sip”. Everyone brings an appetizer and a bottle of their favorite wine or beverage of choice. I had 30 minutes from the time I got home from work until the time they arrived to prepare something and the winner was peach caprese salad- I also threw some salmon in the oven for good measure.
The evening went off without a hitch. We laughed, we cried, we loved, and that is what we do best. The FOKRs are a diverse group- young, old, liberal, conservative, gay, straight, men, women, etc. We all have some common interests- we love food and wine, and we cherish our friendships. We have been friends for decades and together we have celebrated birthdays, births, anniversaries, weddings and life and we have been there for each other through breakups, divorces, deaths, sicknesses and hardships. Find your tribe and if you can’t find a tribe start building your own. And if you are lucky, you will have multiple tribes!
I would pair this with a chilled bottle of Mer Soleil Silver Chardonnay. It is unoaked with fruity notes and a crisp, bright finish. I wouldn’t be opposed to dropping a slice of fresh peach in the glass. Mer Soleil is part of the Caymus family and is a spectacular wine for the money- fabulous enough for a special occasion and affordable enough for a weeknight at home. We always keep some on hand in our wine fridge- you know, for emergency wine situations.
Slice the peaches. Removing the peel is optional.
Slice the tomatoes.
Slice the mozzarella.
Place the ingredients above on a platter and throw in basil leaves.
Drizzle the balsamic glaze right before serving.
You can make your own balsamic glaze by reducing balsamic vinegar by simmering on low until it is the consistency you are looking for, or you can purchase the glaze. I have done both and I prefer buying it! Make this recipe your own. You could omit the tomatoes, or substitute burrata or goat cheese for the mozzarella. You could opt for a white balsamic glaze instead of the traditional.
This is one of my favorite recipes when we have dinner parties. It is quick, simple and everyone is always impressed. No need to move it to a pretty dish, serve it right on the baking sheet.
Don’t get overwhelmed by the size of the salmon. Fish is easy. There is only one rule with salmon- do not over cook it. That dry, hard stuff you get in many restaurants is not even comparable to this recipe. Salmon should be moist, flakey and almost buttery.
I was not raised on salmon- unless you count canned salmon. I am not going to dis canned salmon as I believe almost everything has its place. Canned salmon is for salmon patties, at least the down home southern version that my Mom and Memaw cooked for me.
Sometimes it is difficult to find a whole side of salmon, I usually have good luck at Aldi’s, Costco and Sam’s Club. I know, they are chain stores… I always try to purchase things locally when I can.
Serve with a light sauvignon blanc, Emmolo is a great one, or a buttery chardonnay like Sonoma Cutrer.
Sides are easy with this dish. The last time I served it, I threw asparagus on the same baking sheet and it worked like a charm. You can pair it with angel hair pasta in a butter/wine sauce or alfredo sauce, or you can pair it with a potato and a salad.
If you are lucky you will have some leftovers. For breakfast take the leftover salmon and serve with a fried egg, or for lunch toss it on a salad or stuff in a taco.
This is an easy show stopper for a dinner party or just a normal weeknight dinner. A simple dish that looks amazing and takes only 20 minutes.
Ingredients
1 whole side of salmon
3 garlic cloves minced
2 lemons
3 tbsp of fresh, chopped dill
salt and crushed black pepper
Directions
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with non stick spray or drizzle with olive oil and spread with a paper towel. Place salmon on the baking sheet, skin side down- if skin is intact. Sprinkle with minced garlic and dill. Thinly slice one lemon and place on the top of the salmon. Cut the remaining lemon in half and lay on the baking sheet. Place in the oven for 20 minutes. Before serving, take the baked lemon halves and squeeze over the salmon.
Make this recipe your own. If you are not fan of dill, you can omit it. If you don’t have fresh dill, replace it with a much smaller amount of dried dill. Experiment with different herbs and spices.
