Water 2 Wine Blog : North Austin

Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage

Given to us by one of our founding members of Wine Club, Tom Hoopes! Our first customer, at our first winery in San Antonio brought this in to us one day, and it has been a favorite in the McFadden household ever since.

Prep Time: 1 hour**
Cook Time: 1 hour

**Note: Prep time requires tons of “chopping” I found it is easier to do this the night before in order to cut down on time the day of…

Ingredients:
1lb Sweet Italian Sausage
2 clove garlic (sliced)
1 can 14-15 oz diced tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
8 oz can tomato sauce
3 tbl fresh chopped parsley
1 med green pepper (cut into ½ inch pieces)
1 tsp fennel seed (can be left out)
1 cup chopped white onion
5 cups beef broth
½ cup W2W Luna Rossa
1 tsp chopped basil
1 ½ cups sliced zucchini
1 cup sliced carrots
8 oz (1 large package) three cheese tortellini
Fresh grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Start by doing all of your chopping. Start with the 1 cup of onions and the 2 cloves of garlic because they will be used first (these can be stored together until needed).

Next slice up the cup of carrots, they will be added second.

Lastly chop up and store together the one cup of zucchini, the medium bell pepper (cut in to ½ inch pieces) and the 3 tbl of parsley.

Remove sausage from casing and brown, drain fat and then add the onion and garlic. Sauté together until tender, and onion is clear.

Add sausage, beef broth, wine, carrots, basil, oregano, fennel seed, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce into a large pot or Dutch Oven. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes.

(Side note: all of this can be done early in the day, and then pulled off until about 30/45 minutes before you would like to serve the meal. If you chose to wait, make sure that you bring the soup back up to boiling and then reduce heat again before following the remainder of the instructions.)

Lastly, add tortellini, zucchini, green pepper, and parsley. Simmer covered for about 35 to 40 minutes or until the zucchini is cooked. Be careful not to overcook, as tortellini will start to fall apart.

Serve the meal sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

It might seem like a lot of work, but I can promise this is one Super Bowl food that your guests will be talking about for the rest of the year!!! People might forget who was playing, but they wont forget what you served! Pair the meal with the remainder of the W2W Luna Rossa or try some W2W Italian Amarone.

Chicken Cordon Blue with White Wine Sauce

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
6 slices Swiss cheese
6 slices ham
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon paprika
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup W2W Dry Creek Chardonnay
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

Pound chicken breasts if they are too thick and then place a cheese and ham slice on each breast within 1/2 inch of the edges.

Fold the edges of the chicken over the filling, and secure with toothpicks.

Mix the flour and paprika in a small bowl, and coat the chicken pieces.

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the chicken until browned on all sides.

Add the wine and bouillon. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Remove the toothpicks, and transfer the breasts to a warm platter.

Blend the cornstarch with the cream in a small bowl, and whisk slowly into the skillet. Cook, stirring until thickened, and pour over the chicken.

Serve warm with homemade mashed potatoes and fresh vegetable of you choice. Serve the meal with a crisp chilled glass of W2W French Chardonnay and enjoy your gourmet meal cooked in under an hour!!

Pepper Steak With Red Wine-Rosemary Sauce

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
2 Beef New York Strip Steaks (1 1/4 pound), cut 1-inch thick
2 tsp. Morton & Bassett Black Peppercorns, crushed
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. Da Vinci Olive Oil
1/4 c. onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
1 c. Chianti
3/4 c. condensed double-strength beef broth
1 tsp. brown sugar

Directions:

Place peppercorns into a 1-quart sealable plastic bag, crush with a rolling pin or meat mallet.

Season steaks with salt and press pepper evenly into both sides of steaks.

Heat olive oil 3 minutes in a large skillet over Medium heat. Cook steaks 6 minutes per side for Medium-Rare doneness (cook to 140°F internal temperature). Remove to a plate or platter and keep warm
Meanwhile, chop onion and mince garlic. Remove rosemary from stems and chop.

Add onion, garlic and rosemary to skillet. Saute 2 minutes. Add wine and boil 2 minutes. Stir in beef broth, brown sugar and meat juices that have collected on platter. Boil 5 more minutes.

Pour sauce over steaks and serve, to complete the meal serve with fresh green beans and steamed rice. Pair meal with a glass of Lodi Ranch 11.

Pepper Steak With Red Wine-Rosemary Sauce

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
2 Beef New York Strip Steaks (1 1/4 pound), cut 1-inch thick
2 tsp. Morton & Bassett Black Peppercorns, crushed
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. Da Vinci Olive Oil
1/4 c. onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
1 c. W2W Selection Chianti
3/4 c. condensed double-strength beef broth
1 tsp. brown sugar

Directions:

Place peppercorns into a 1-quart sealable plastic bag, crush with a rolling pin or meat mallet.

Season steaks with salt and press pepper evenly into both sides of steaks.

Heat olive oil 3 minutes in a large skillet over Medium heat. Cook steaks 6 minutes per side for Medium-Rare doneness (cook to 140°F internal temperature). Remove to a plate or platter and keep warm
Meanwhile, chop onion and mince garlic. Remove rosemary from stems and chop.

Add onion, garlic and rosemary to skillet. Saute 2 minutes. Add wine and boil 2 minutes. Stir in beef broth, brown sugar and meat juices that have collected on platter. Boil 5 more minutes.

Pour sauce over steaks and serve, to complete the meal serve with fresh green beans and steamed rice. Pair meal with a glass of W2W Estate Lodi Ranch 11 Cabernet Sauvignon.