This sauce can be a tasty addition to almost anything you make. You can use it over grilled meats, plates of pasta, meatloaf, and even over roasted vegetables. Elevate your meal tonight with this tasty sauce!
Versatile Red Wine Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large shallot finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp dried thyme or 2 tsp fresh thyme
- 1 Tbsp flour
- 1 ¼ cups dry red wine
- 1 ¼ cups beef broth
- kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Melt butter in a medium-sized sauté pan.
- Turn heat to medium low and add shallots, garlic and thyme. Sauté for about 2-3 minutes until shallots are soft, stirring occasionally.
- Add flour and stir for about 1 minute.
- Pour in wine and broth and bring to a boil. Turn down slightly, allowing the sauce to have a small boil, stir occasionally.
- Cook until sauce is reduced and has thickened. This could take up to 45-60 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
This spread is very versatile. Use it for our turkey sliders, on top of roast turkey or chicken, pork tenderloin, or as a spread on a cheese and cracker platter. It will last in the refrigerator for at least a week. A great “make ahead” recipe.
Cranberry Spread
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups red Zinfandel wine
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup packed golden brown sugar
- 6 whole cloves
- 6 whole allspice
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 3x1-inch strip orange peel
- 3 slices whole ginger about 1/4 inch thick
- 1 12 ounce bag fresh cranberries
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except cranberries in medium saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
- Reduce heat and simmer until reduced to 1 ¾ cups, about 10 minutes.
- Strain syrup into large saucepan.
- Add cranberries to syrup and cook over medium heat until berries burst, about 4-5 minutes. Cool.
- Transfer sauce to a bowl, cover and refrigerate.
Notes
One of our favorite places to “do” lunch in downtown St. Pete is at the MFA Café (255 Beach Drive NE at the Museum of Fine Arts). You can sit inside or enjoy your lunch on the patio at the rear of the museum overlooking Vinoy Basin. A fabulous sandwich on their menu is a caprese tapenade baguette. Using their ingredients as inspiration, The Simple Celebration came up with a similar recipe and it is equally as delicious!
St. Pete Caprese Sandwich
Ingredients
- 4 small rolls - such as cheese, olive, or Rosemary
- 3 Tbsp chunky olive tapenade we like Trader Joe's
- 4 slices fresh mozzarella
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes sliced in fourths or halves depending on size of tomato
- 1/4 cup fresh basil sliced
- 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
- Avocado thinly sliced (optional)
- Kosher salt and freshly grated black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut each roll in half and place on a platter.
- Spread tapenade over 4 halves of the bread.
- Top with mozzarella (if using avocado layer it next).
- Place tomatoes and basil in a small bowl, toss with olive oil and salt and pepper.
- Place tomatoes on top of mozzarella. Cover with top of roll.
Notes
Don’t have a panini press? No worries, just use a non-stick skillet and remember to press down on your sandwich with a metal spatula.
Tomato & Triple Cheese Panini
Equipment
- Panini Press
Ingredients
- sourdough bread cut in 4 - 1/2 inch slices
- 1 package Boursin cheese spread - garlic & herbs
- fresh mozzarella sliced into 6 thin slices
- 4 slices provolone
- 4 slices tomato sliced thin
- 1/2 avocado sliced
- fresh basil 4-6 large leaves
- fresh ground pepper
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- On 2 slices of bread, spread a generous amount of Boursin.
- Top with mozzarella, provolone, tomato, avocado and basil. Sprinkle with pepper. Top with remaining bread.
- With a brush, spread half of the olive oil on each of the top slices of bread.
- Place oiled side down in preheated panini press (or skillet) then brush plain bread with oil and close press.
- Cook until cheese melts and bread in golden brown.
Notes
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Fall Salad
Ingredients
- roasted Butternut Squash see notes for recipe
- grilled skirt steak see notes for recipe
- 7 ounces arugula
- 8 ounces halloumi cheese grilling cheese, sliced into 8 equal pieces
- 1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds see notes for recipe
- walnut oil
- red wine vinegar
- kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
- pumpkin bread homemade or store-bought
Instructions
- Early in the day, roast the pumpkin seeds and the butternut squash.
- Grill the skirt steak to rare or medium-rare. Once finished cover with aluminum foil and let rest.
- In the meantime, grill the halloumi cheese for about 5 minutes per side.
- Place arugula on 4 dinner plates.
- Top with skirt steak, cheese, and butternut squash.
- Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.
- Drizzle walnut oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with pumpkin bread.
Notes
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Maybe it was his sensitive side, his sense of humor, or perhaps it was his contagious laugh that made Vicki fall in love with Skip…but it all began with his pasta sauce. While studying at the University of California at Irvine, Skip and his roommates took turns with dinner duty. From pork chops to pasta sauce, Skip had a few recipes in his repertoire. Early in their dating relationship, Skip cooked Vicki the recipe below and there was no turning back. Six months later they were engaged, and six months after that they were married! Make this recipe for your guy or gal (ok, the kids too) and watch the sparks fly.
Basic Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef optional if you are adding meatballs or chicken
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 small onion minced
- 8 ounces fresh baby portobello mushrooms sliced
- 1 jar Rao's tomato and basil pasta sauce or your favorite jarred sauce
- 1 can diced fire-roasted tomatoes 28-ounce size
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasonings
- 1 Tbsp fresh basil
Instructions
- If using ground beef, brown in a large pot and drain off grease.
- Heat oil over medium heat.
- Add garlic, onions and sliced mushrooms and stir. Heat for about 2 minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Notes
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When my children were young (and even today) and they could smell the enticing aroma of onion and garlic cooking, they would come running while asking “are you making your sauce?” If the answer was yes, their immediate response was, “let us know when we can dunk!” They loved to stand by the stove with a piece of Italian bread in hand and dunk it in the hot sauce as it was simmering. A wonderful memory …
This makes a pot full of sauce, enough for over a pound of pasta. Or it makes enough for a tray of chicken parmesan and a side of spaghetti. Sometimes I double the recipe and freeze the leftovers which are great to have on-hand during busy evenings.
M-E's Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3/4 cup onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic diced
- 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes see photo below
- 2 cans tomato sauce
- 3/4 small can tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- 1 Tbsp dried basil
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- In a large saucepan or fry pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
- Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft.
- Add all tomato cans and stir.
- Add spices and bring to a gentle boil. Turn down heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
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Egg salad sandwiches – same old, same old? Not at The Simple Celebration! By adding dill for flavor and celery for crunch, this will be the best egg salad you’ve tasted!
Divine Egg Salad
Ingredients
- 6 hard-boiled eggs
- 1/4 cup light mayonnaise add more if you like a creamier texture
- 1 Tbsp dill
- 1 stalk celery diced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Slice boiled eggs.
- Mix eggs with mayo, dill and celery.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve on lightly toasted five-grain bread along with a pickle on the side and dig in!
We love tomatoes – their bright color, their savory flavor, and their versatility. Here is a recipe for a no-cook sauce that can be used to top pasta, bruschetta, cooked fish, chicken, the sky’s the limit. One more thing, the aroma of this recipe is absolutely mouth-watering!
"No-Cook" Fresh Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh, ripe plum or other garden tomato seeded and diced
- 1 cup fresh basil plus more for a garnish chopped
- 1/4 cup chives minced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cup good-quality olive oil
- 2 Tbsp aged balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Sauce
- Combine all of the sauce ingredients, reserving 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese for garnish.
To Make Bruschetta
- Thinly slice baguette bread, lightly oil each side, and broil for about 5 minutes, turning once (keep an eye on it, it can overcook quickly).
Notes
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Another make-ahead meal to get dinner on the table in no time! Most of this recipe can be made in advance, then popped in the oven for 10 – 15 minutes.
Spicy Mushroom & Chipotlé Fundido
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large red onion thinly sliced
- 12 ounces mushrooms sliced (baby bells, shiitake, oyster or wild mushroom mix)
- 3 chipotlé chiles canned in adobo, seeded and minced
- 1 chorizo sausage-optional found in the Mexican section of the grocery. You can also buy fresh and sauté and drain.
- 16 ounces whole milk mozzarella shredded (the commercial type, not fresh)
- 3/4 tsp fresh thyme minced
- fresh ground pepper
- 12-15 small flour tortillas
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°.
- In a large, non-stick pan add olive oil and heat over medium heat.
- Add the onions and cook for about 3 minutes until soft.
- Add the mushrooms and cook until they are soft and all moisture has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in chiles and sausage.
- Season with fresh ground pepper. This can be made several hours in advance and warmed.
- Add mixture to a shallow baking dish.
- Add cheese to mushroom mixture and stir.
- Wrap tortillas in a dampened tea towel and then in aluminum foil.
- Place mushroom mixture and tortillas in oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese melts.
- Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper and thyme.