TheVineyardMom

Everyone loves enchiladas and they can be made so many different ways.  I love entertaining with this dish because everyone gets to pick what they want and you can make it ahead of time.  It looks pretty too!  My recipe below is made with beef, but you can easily make it with shredded chicken or ground turkey. I make the enchiladas ahead of time and pop them in the oven when I'm ready to serve.  Red or white wine goes great with this dish or even The Vineyard Mom's Sangria!  Cheers! Serves 4 1 lb. lean ground beef.  1 3.8 oz. can of sliced black olives. 4 cups shredded Mexican Blend cheese or cheddar cheese. 1 package OR 2 Tbs. taco seasoning. 8 Medium size flour tortillas. 1 10 oz. can of Red Chile Sauce. 1 10 oz. can Green Chile Sauce. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray large baking dish with nonstick spray. Cook beef with seasoning in a saute pan.  Add about 1 Tbs. of water to combine seasoning with the beef.  Cook until beef is browned. Place ...

Shrimp salad is delicious, easy to make and great on a warm day for lunch or dinner.  This recipe is full of flavor and you can make it ahead of time.  I serve the salad in either butter leaf lettuce cups, over romaine lettuce or on some mixed green. You can buy frozen shrimp or fresh shrimp.  I usually have a bag of frozen shrimp, so I defrost the shrimp, peel and devein them before I make the salad.  I cook the defrosted shrimp a head of time in some boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes.  Then I drain them, plunge them into some cold water to stop the cooking process and drain them again. If you buy your shrimp already cooked, that's fine too! Savignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier or Rose goes perfectly with this salad.  Cheers! Serves 4 1 lb. cooked peeled shrimp.  I use 36-40 count. 1/4 cup finely diced celery. 1/4 cup chopped green onion. Green and white parts. 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley. 2 Tbs. fresh dill chopped. 3/4- 1 cup mayonnaise. 1 Tbs...

Here is a delicious and refreshing sangria that isn't too sweet.  I've traveled  throughout Spain a few times and have tried many different varieties.  Like Paella, it's different everywhere you go.  In Seville, I had Sangria Especiale. It's Sangria with a white rum floater.  If you like your Sangria a little sweeter, add 2 tablespoons of super refine sugar. It's refreshing over ice.  Cheers! 750 ml bottle of Cabernet Savignon. 2 limes juiced. 1/2 cup brandy. 1/2 cup orange juice. 1 sliced lime for garnish. 1 sliced lemon for garnish. Mix well and serve over ice.

This is one of the easiest recipes, but a fun one too.  There's something for everyone in the pot. Prep time is as long as it takes you to peel the shrimp and corn and get the water in the pot to a boil.  I make mine a couple of different ways.  The Boston girl in me likes to have lobsta, but the San Francisco side of me loves crabs.  I usually look at the seafood department to see what they have and what looks best.  If your from the south, you can put in crawfish.  My boils always include corn on the cob, baby red potatoes, Italian and spicy sausages and shrimp. The rest is up to you.  I usually pair my boil with a Rose or Savignon Blanc  Cheers! 1/2 cup Old Bay Seasoning 3 lemons  1 lb. small red potatoes halved 4 ears of corn on the cob, cleaned and cut in half 3-4 lobster tails 1 lb. cleaned fresh clams in their shell 1 lb. cleaned fresh mussels in their shell 1 lb. kielbasa or Andouille sausage cut into 2 inch slices 1 lb. large raw shr...

I've taken a familiar chicken recipe and added more veggies.  I make it 2 ways; on the stove top in a dutch oven and in a slow cooker.  Either way the chicken comes out tender and flavorful (not spicy).  If I'm pressed for time during the day, I put it in the crock pot in the morning. I'll share both recipes with you.  I love a Pinot Noir with this recipe.  Cheers! Serves 4 4 Chicken thighs.  Bone in and skin on. 4 drumsticks.  1 Green bell pepper seeded and sliced. 1 Red bell pepper seeded and sliced. 1/2 yellow onion sliced. 1 1/2 cup Chicken stock. 3 Tbs. sweet or smoky Paprika seasoning. 1/2 cup sour cream. salt and pepper. Crock Pot: Salt and pepper chicken pieces and put into a saute pan on high heat with 1 Tbs. olive oil and 1 Tbs. butter. Brown all sides. This will take 8-10 minutes. Slice in long strips onion and peppers. Do not dice. Transfer chicken once it is browned into the Crock Pot.  Add chicken stock, peppers, onions and paprika a...

This is a delicious and easy salad that is healthy and full of flavor.  It's great as a side dish or main course.  I love having Greek Salad for lunch and putting it over romaine lettuce to make it a little more hardy.  The salad goes great with a glass or 2 of Savignon Blanc or a Rose.  Cheers! 2 Cucumbers peeled, quartered and diced 1 5 oz. container of cherry tomatoes cut in half 1 9.5 oz. jar of sliced Kalamata olives drained 1 12 oz. container of crumbled feta cheese 1/2  of a medium sized red onion thinly sliced Dressing: 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil. 1/4 cup red wine vinegar. 1 Tbs. dijon mustard. 1 tsp. dried oregano. 1 tsp. lemon juice. 1/2 tsp. black pepper. Combine diced cucumber, tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta cheese and red onion into a mixing bowl. For the dressing, combine all the ingredients and shake in a closed container until dressing is completely mixed and emulsified. Pour over salad and mix.  I put my salad over some chopped romaine...

I love salmon! It's easy to make and good for you.  This recipe can be made with a whole piece of salmon or salmon steaks.  You can grill the salmon or pan fry it in a cast iron skillet.  My recipe below is made in a cast iron skillet.  The salsa I put over it is delicious, healthy and easy to make.  I love a Chardonnay with this recipe, but if you prefer red, drink it! Long gone are the days of white wine with fish.  Cheers! 4 Salmon steaks.   2 Tbs. olive oil. 1 Tbs. butter. salt and pepper. Heat skillet on high heat with olive oil and butter.  Season salmon with salt and pepper and put into the hot skillet skin side down. Allow to cook on high heat 5-7 minutes.  Flip and cook for another 5 -7 minutes. I flip the salmon back over skin side down and make sure the flesh is cooked through.  It should be opaque and not pink. Put onto a serving plate. California Salsa 1 Roma tomato seeded and diced. 1/2 jalapeno diced.  I like a l...

This is a decadent breakfast cake that is easy to make.  It's perfect when having overnight guests. I assemble the ingredients into the bundt pan the night before, cover it with a towel and let it rise.  In the morning, I take the towel off and bake it for 30 minutes.  It's delicious and goes great with coffee, tea or a mimosa.  Cheers! 1 package Bridgeford Parkerhouse Style rolls found in the freezer department in the grocery store 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts 1 Package Butterscotch Pudding.  Not Instant! 3/4 cup brown sugar Cinnamon to taste (1/4 to 1/2 tsp) 1 cup melted butter Spray bundt pan with non stick spray.  Layer in chopped nuts, rolls, butterscotch pudding, brown sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise over night on your kitchen counter. In the morning, Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take towel off the pan and place bundt pan on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.  Let the bundt pan cool for 10-1...

This taco salad is easy to make and you can add whatever you want to it.  I use ground turkey meat, but you can use ground beef.  Add the toppings you like to have on your taco's and you have a delicious and quick meal.  The best part is that you probably have all the ingredients in your refrigerator and pantry.  A nice Chardonnay or Savignon Blanc pairs great with the salad.  Cheers! 1 Lb. ground beef or turkey. 1 package of Taco Seasoning. 2 heads of chopped romaine lettuce. 1 can drained black beans. 1 can drained sliced black olives. 5 oz. cherry tomatoes cut in half. 3 green onions diced. 2 Cups of Mexican Shredded cheese. 2 Cups tortilla chips broken up. 1 Avocado diced. 8 oz. (1/2 container) sour cream. 7 oz. red Salsa. Optional: corn kernels, cilantro and sliced pickled jalapenos. In a fry pan, brown meat with a package of taco seasoning.  Let meat cool for 5 minutes.  Add meat to a big bowl with romaine lettuce.  Add beans, olive, tomatoe...

 Seriously, this is a super easy dinner that is full of flavor.  I use a can of whole clams and a few clams from the seafood counter at the grocery store to make it look good. I use mostly canned clams because they are delicious and I don't want to work too hard cleaning clams instead of eating dinner.  I cook with chardonnay in this recipe, so I drink the open bottle with the dinner.  Cheers! 1 10 oz. can of clams 1/2 lb of live short neck or cherry clams 2 Tbs. butter 1 Tbs. olive oil 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes 1/2 tsp. black pepper 1 Shallot diced 2 cloves of garlic diced 1/2 cup Chardonnay 1 1/2 cup clam juice 2 Tbs. chopped parsley 1 Lb. Linguine pasta Lemon wedges  Cook linguine al dente. About 3 minutes short of package directions. In a large sauce pan, saute red pepper flakes, 1 shallot and garlic cloves in 1 Tbs. of butter and 1 Tbs. olive oil for 4-5 minutes.  Add Chardonnay and reduce by half.  Once reduced, add clam juice, canned clams and ...