Sparkling Sangria

That last post reminded me of a drink I made last summer when Sharron and Jason came to stay with us. It was a favorite, however, it is hard to find cava. Perfect summer drink.

Sparkling Sangria

Cava is a Spanish sparkling wine with less acidity than Champagne; you may substitute another sparkling wine, such as prosecco, if you prefer. Top each beverage with a mint sprig for a fragrant garnish.

Yield
8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients
1 cup cherries, pitted and halved
1 cup blueberries
1 cup raspberries
1 cup quartered small strawberries
1/2 cup chopped nectarine (about 1)
1/3 cup brandy
1 cup apricot nectar, chilled
1 (750-milliliter) bottle cava, chilled

Preparation
1. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large pitcher, and chill for at least 2 hours. Stir in 1 cup nectar and wine. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 153 (3% from fat)
Fat: 0.5g (sat 0.1g,mono 0.1g,poly 0.2g)
Protein: 0.9g
Carbohydrate: 17g
Fiber: 2.7g
Cholesterol: 0.0mg
Iron: 0.5mg
Sodium: 2mg
Calcium: 13mg

Jackie Mills, MS, RD, Cooking Light, JUNE 2008

Strawberry Bellini

I forgot to post this yummy drink from the surprise baby shower. It was delicous!


Yield
6 servings

Ingredients
6 cups sliced strawberries
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons brandy
3 cups prosecco or other sparkling wine
6 large strawberries

Preparation
1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a blender. Let stand 10 minutes. Process until smooth; chill.
2. Place 1/4 cup strawberry mixture in each of 6 glasses. Add 1/2 cup prosecco to each serving, and stir to blend. Garnish each serving with 1 large strawberry.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 176
Fat: 0.7g (sat 0.0g,mono 0.1g,poly 0.3g)
Protein: 1.2g
Carbohydrate: 21.1g
Fiber: 3.7g
Cholesterol: 0.0mg
Iron: 0.8mg
Sodium: 2mg
Calcium: 29mg

Maureen Callahan, Cooking Light, MAY 2009

Mexican Stuffed Shells

This meal was a hit with the family. Cameron had two shells, Kaylee had three, and Eric enjoyed it as well (but I won't disclose how much he ate), so we will be making this meal again.

Mexican Stuffed Shells
(Recipe from HCS Timeless Recipes Cookbook)

12 Pasta shells, cooked and drained (under cook these and they won't get too soggy in the oven, plus they are easier to stuff)
1 lb. Ground Beef
1 (4 oz.) can Green chilies, chopped and drained
1 cup Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
1 can French fried onions
1 (2.75 oz) jar Picante sauce, mild
1/2 cup water
1 (8oz) can Tomato sauce

Brown the ground beef. Drain grease. Add chilies, 1/2 cup cheese, and 1/2 can fried onions to ground beef. Combine picante sauce, water, and tomato sauce. Add 1/2 c. tomato mixture to ground beef mixture. Mix well. Stuff shells with ground beef mixture. Pour 1/2 cup sauce on bottom of baking dish (10" round works well). Arrange shells in dish. Pour remaining sauce over shells. Bake, covered at 350 for 30 mins. Top with remaining cheese and fried onions. Bake uncover for 5 more min. Serves 6.

Penne with Roasted Vegetables and Proscuitto

I love this recipe because it is easy and it makes really good use of the vegetables that are in season. Plus, the leftovers are great lunch. The girls tend to pick around the vegetables they don't like and hopefully one of these days they will have tried the vegetables enough that they will enjoy them...or at least eat them.


Penne with Roasted Vegetables and Prosciutto
(From the HCS Timeless Recipes Cookbook)


10 cups Vegetables, mixed, and cut into 1 inch chunks.
(Mushrooms, Peppers, Onions, Summer Squash, Zucchini, Eggplant, etc.)
1/3 cup of olive oil
2 T. Fresh rosemary or thyme, minces
1 T. Garlic, minced
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper, ground
1 lb. Penne Pasta
3 oz. Prosciutto, thinly sliced
Parmesan cheese, grated


Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, toss veggies with oil, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer in rimmed baking sheet. Roast, stirring veggies occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, about 30 min. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Combine pasta, prosciutto, and vegetables in a large bowl. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese. Makes about 6 servings.

Romaine Salad with Mandarin Oranges

We also served this salad at mini-church. I don't think it taste as good as when my mom makes it though. My changes were that I used regular walnuts instead of sugared walnuts and I didn't have canola oil so i used Extra Virgin Olive Oil and I think that there was too much sugar in the dressing so I reduced it. Use as many or as little of the salad ingredients as you want.

Romaine Lettuce
Dried cherries or cranberries
One can Mandarin Oranges
Sugared Walnuts (put some butter in a pan until melted and add sugar until sticky and toss in the walnuts)
Red onion

Dressing:
1/2 cup of canola oil
1/4 T. of raspberry blush vinegar
4 T. sugar
1/2 t. Tabasco
1/2 t. salt

Ham and Swiss Hawaiian Sandwiches

This is a family recipe from my mom. It is a grown-up version of a ham and cheese sandwich. We served it at our mini-church/surprise baby shower and it was well received. The only change I made was using less poppy seeds in case the company didn't like them.

Package of Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
Deli Ham
Baby Swiss

Sauce:
One stick butter (melted)
2 T. Worcestershire Sauce
2 t. Dijon Mustard
1 1/2 t. Poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush the bottom of a 9x13 pan with the mixture. Cut the rolls and put bottom layer in pan. Layer ham, then Swiss, then the rolls tops. Brush the remaining sauce mixture over the rolls. Bake for about 15 mins. or until cheese is melted. Serve warm.