Easy Party Sangria
1 1/2 cups Spanish brandy (such as Fundador)
1 cup Grand Marnier
Juice of 6 small oranges
Juice of 6 lemons
1 cup superfine sugar
1 3-liter box Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Shiraz
4 peaches, washed and thinly sliced
3 16-ounce bottles of seltzer or club soda, chilled
In a 2 gallon container, mix the brandy, Grand Marnier, orange juice, lemon juice and sugar. Add the wine and peaches and stir thoroughly. Refrigerate 1 hour. To serve, pour about a third of the mixture into a large pitcher half-filled with ice, add 1 bottle of seltzer or club soda, and pour into glasses. (The seltzer will go flat if you mix it together all at once.) When the pitcher is empty, add another third of the mixture and another bottle of seltzer. Repeat.
Makes 30 drinks
Real Simple Magazine
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Peach and Tomato Gazpacho
1 1/2 lb tomatoes, chopped (4 cups)
1 lb peaches, pitted and chopped (2 cups)
1/4 cup crushed ice
2 tablespoons chopped shallot (1 medium)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 cup water
Purée two thirds of tomatoes and half of peaches with ice, shallot, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 2 teaspoons tarragon, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a blender until very smooth, about 1 minute. Force through a medium-mesh sieve into a large glass measure, discarding solids. Stir in water to desired consistency.
Toss together remaining tomatoes and peaches with remaining tablespoon oil, remaining 1/2 tablespoon vinegar, remaining teaspoon tarragon, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a bowl. 3Serve soup in bowls topped with tomato peach salsa.
Yield: Makes 4 first-course servings
Notes: We use ice in this recipe because it gives the gazpacho just the right chill without the soup having to be refrigerated for any length of time. If you don't have precrushed ice, crush about 1/4 cup ice in a blender.
Epicurious.com
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Piquillo Peppers stuffed with Orange Cumin Goat Cheese
1 jar piquillo peppers, whole
8 oz. goat cheese
1 tsp orange zest, minced fine
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice
1 tsp ground cumin
Combine goat cheese, orange zest, orange juice and ground cumin. Mix throughly until softened. This is your stuffing. Fill a plastic freezer bag with the cheese mixture. Snip the corner of the plastic bag. Pipe the stuffing into each whole piquillo pepper. Only pipe half or 2/3 up the pepper. Gently squeeze the top of the pepper closed. Arrange all of your stuffed peppers on a plate and top with Almond and Parsley Salsa Verde.
ifoodtv
Notes from Angie: * I used chevre. I also couldn't find piquillo, so had to use whole roasted red peppers.
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Almond and Parsley Salsa Verde
2/3 cup whole-roasted almonds
1 cup olive oil (Spanish if you have it)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bunch Italian flat-leaf parsley
Shave the leaves of parsley off of the stems by holding your knife at a 45 degree angle and slicing into the bunch. Mince the parsley. Set aside. Chop the almonds fairly fine. Add the parsley back onto the almonds on the chopping board and chop together until both are well combined and finely minced. Add the combined mixture into a bowl. Add the garlic and olive oil. Stir well. (You can use a food processor, but be warned that it may have a more pasty consistency.)
ifoodtv
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The Ultimate Paella
Ingredients:
Spice Mix for chicken, recipe follows
1 (3-pound) frying chicken, cut into 10 pieces
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Spanish chorizo sausages, thickly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Spanish onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
Bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped, reserve some for garnish
1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and hand-crushed
4 cups short grain Spanish rice
6 cups water, warm
Generous pinch saffron threads
1 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed
1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 lobster tails
1/2 cup sweet peas, frozen and thawed
Lemon wedges, for serving
Special equipment:
Large paella pan or wide shallow skillet
Directions:
Rub the spice mix all over the chicken and marinate chicken for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Heat oil in a paella pan over medium-high heat. Saute the chorizo until browned, remove and reserve. Add chicken skin-side down and brown on all sides, turning with tongs. Add salt and freshly ground pepper. Remove from pan and reserve.
In the same pan, make a sofrito by sauteing the onions, garlic, and parsley. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes on a medium heat. Then, add tomatoes and cook until the mixture caramelizes a bit and the flavors meld. Fold in the rice and stir-fry to coat the grains. Pour in water and simmer for 10 minutes, gently moving the pan around so the rice cooks evenly and absorbs the liquid. Add chicken, chorizo, and saffron. Add the clams and shrimp, tucking them into the rice. The shrimp will take about 8 minutes to cook. Give the paella a good shake and let it simmer, without stirring, until the rice is al dente, for about 15 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, when the rice is filling the pan, add the lobster tails. When the paella is cooked and the rice looks fluffy and moist, turn the heat up for 40 seconds until you can smell the rice toast at the bottom, then it's perfect.
Cook's note: The ideal paella has a toasted rice bottom called socarrat.
Remove from heat and rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with peas, parsley and lemon wedges.
Spice Mix for chicken:
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken; marinate for 1 hour, covered
Tyler Florence
