Red Wine Rice with Grapes

Red Wine Rice with Grapes

This is one of those recipes that I would not dare to change. It is unbelievably delicious, and it is like the saying:  If it ain't broken, don't fix it.  
This recipe belongs to Rachel Ray.  I saw it when she presented it on her 30 Minute Meals Show on the Food Network.  Most people would be afraid of trying this one, not me, I am always inventing and when I saw it, it was love.  What could be wrong with Wine, rice and grapes? Nothing! 

Please, try it, you will not regret it.  

Ingredients:     

• 1 3/4 cups dry red wine (I used Cabernet sauvignon*)  
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup white rice
• 1 cup red seedless grapes, halved

Directions:

1. Bring red wine to a boil with bay leaf and olive oil, stir in white rice and reduce heat to a simmer. 
2. Cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes, stir in grapes, turn off heat and let stand 5 minutes.

Buon Appetito!

*Next time I make it, I will use a different red wine. I will let you know. 

Fresh Pizza Dough

We all love pizza, at least in my home, we do.  I make the pizza from scratch, like almost everything I do in the kitchen.  A few years ago I found this amazing pizza dough recipe and want to share it with my readers.

Fresh Pizza Dough - this recipe makes 3 12-inch pizza pies-

Ingredients:

• 11/2 cups of warm water (115F)
• 11/2 tablespoons of sugar ( I use splenda, therefore I use  only 1 tablespoon)
• 11/2 envelopes of dry yeast
• 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 21/2 teaspoons salt
• 41/2 cups of flour (I use half all purpose flower and half of whole wheat flour) 

Preparation:

1. Combine 11/2 cups of warm water and sugar in a medium bowl and sprinkle yeast over.  Let stand until mixture is foamy, about 10 minutes; add oil and salt.
2. Mound 41/2 cups of flour on work surface (you could use a large bowl or the food processor). Make a well in the center and poor yeast mixture into well, kneading until dough forms. Continue to knead until dough is smooth and elastic, sprinkling with more flower by tablespoonfuls, if dough is very sticky, for about 8 minutes.
3. Oil a large bowl. Add dough and turn to coat.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then towel.  Let rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.  Punch dough down; knead gently until smooth. 
4. Shape into 3 balls.

The result:  Two amazing pizza pies.

One I made the top with vegetables and
the other one was a white pizza with onions.
Both absolutely delicious

I still have a couple of balls in the freezer.  I am not sure what to top them with, although I have a pretty good idea.

I hope you enjoy this recipe because there is nothing more delicious than a homemade pizza.








Buon appetito!

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

This is another Quinoa recipe you are going to love.  I found it in a vegetarian magazine and made my version of it.  I always make my version if the recipe allows it of course, some dishes are meant to be left alone.

Here we go.


Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped 
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 Tbs. ground cumin
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
• 1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 cup quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups grated reduced-fat pepper Jack cheese, divided
• 3 large peppers, halved lengthwise, ribs removed ( I purchased a package that contains red, yellow and green peppers)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion until soft. Add cumin and garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in spinach and drained tomatoes. Cook until most of liquid has evaporated.
2. Stir in black beans, quinoa, and 2 cups water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender. Stir in 1 cup cheese. 
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour liquid from tomatoes in bottom of baking dish.
4. Fill each bell pepper half with heaping 3/4-cup quinoa mixture, and place in baking dish. Cover with foil, and bake 1 hour. Uncover, and sprinkle each pepper with the remaining cheese. 
5. Bake 15 minutes more, or until tops of stuffed peppers are browned. Let stand 5 minutes. Transfer stuffed peppers to serving plates, and drizzle each with pan juices before serving. 

I am almost certain you will make this dish more than once. 

Buon Appetito!