Our Favorite Wintertime Recipes (and the wines we love to pair with them)

The very last Candlelight Night event we held in December, we featured Pepperoni Puffs and this recipe was a hit among the crowd.  My kids loved them so much that Eve, my twelve year old daughter, made a batch of these tasty appetizers for the family on Christmas.  This is a great recipe for any gathering and it pairs incredibly well with Deer Run Winery's Runway Red!

I found this recipe on Pinterest: http://nitenitemommy.blogspot.com/2012/03/kid-friendly-bite-size-appetizer.html

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs pair with Deer Run Winery's Runway Red
Ingredients 

• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• pinch of salt 
• pinch of red pepper flakes 
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup cubed pepperoni
• 1/2 cup store-bought pizza sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, Italian seasoning, salt and red pepper flakes (if using) ; whisk in the milk and egg. Stir in the mozzarella, Parmesan and pepperoni; let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, microwave the pizza sauce until warmed through. Serve the puffs with the pizza sauce for dipping.

Dori's Chicken French pair with Deer Run Winery's Vignoles

This recipe was given to me by one of our best customers, Dori. During one of her visits to the winery, Dori was telling me how she loved to make her chicken french using our Vignoles and so I decided to try this recipe and it was a home run! This is the same recipe I shared on our winter newsletter last year, but it's a good one so I am sharing it again!

Ingredients
(1) package of skinless chicken breasts 
1 egg scrambled with salt & pepper added 
flour with salt and pepper added
olive oil
minced garlic
1 lemon - cut into quarters
1/2 stick of butter - cubed
1/2 cup of chicken broth 
1/2 cup Deer Run Winery 2014 Vignoles
1 package of sliced mushrooms

Tenderize the chicken breasts.  In a large skillet heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1/2 tablespoon of minced garlic.  Dredge the chicken in the seasoned egg and then with the seasoned flour.  Add the chicken to the skillet.  Sear each side uncovered for 5 minutes on high until browned.  Add chicken broth, wine, mushrooms, butter and squeeze the juice from the lemons before adding them to the skillet (be sure to catch the seeds).  Cover and reduce heat to medium low.  Simmer for 20 minutes. Add flour to sauce to thicken if needed. Serve with a glass of chilled Vignoles & your favorite pasta!  Enjoy!

This next recipe is one that Scott, my husband and the winemaker, created and he enjoys making this for our family.  The portions can be cut smaller and served as an appetizer or serve this as the main dish.  If you know someone who loves salmon (like I do!) this recipe will be sure to please their palate.  

Scott’s Salmon Wellington with a Creamy Dill Sauce pair with Deer Run Winery's Traminette
You will need:

• Puff Pastry Sheet
• Fresh Salmon
• Fresh Dill
• 2 Lemons
• Cream Cheese softened

For the Dill Sauce you will need:

• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1 tablespoon of flour
• Whole milk
• ½ tsp mint leaves
• Dill

 
Preheat oven to 425. Mix the softened cream cheese with the juice from half of a lemon and a good amount of dill to make an herbed cream cheese mixture.  Rollout the dough and cut into squares large enough to wrap the salmon piece you will be adding.  Cut the salmon into 4” squares and top with your herbed cream cheese mixture (about a tablespoon per square).  Add more fresh dill to the top of the mixture and wrap it tightly and pinch the ends together.  Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. 
 
To make the dill sauce:
Brown 2 tablespoons of butter and add 1 tablespoon of flour to thicken.  Pour in milk until you reach a desired consistency.  Add dill, fresh lemon juice and ½ teaspoon of mint leaves to the sauce.  Serve the sauce over the salmon wellington and pair with Deer Run Traminette.
 
Wegman'sEndive with Creamy Gorgonzola paired with Deer Run Winery's Vignoles

This appetizer was sampled at the Wegman's Holiday MENU Magazine kick-off sampling last month at Deer Run Winery.  It was well-recieved by the customers and one of our staff members, Michele, ended up making this for her family over the holidays.  This is an easy and elegant appetizer to serve up for your next gathering or dinner party.  View the recipe on Wegmans.com. 

Spicy White Chicken Chili paired with Deer Run Winery's Riesling
You will need:

• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• Diced sweet red, orange and yellow peppers
• ½ white onion diced
• A jar of medium salsa
• 32 oz. of chicken stock
• Frozen package of sweet corn
• Two cans of white beans - drained
• One brick of pepper jack cheese – shredded
• 1 Cup of sour cream
• ½ Cup of cream cheese
• fresh cilantro
• Sriracha & crushed red pepper flakes to taste
• Crushed corn chips (optional, but you should really add them!)

In a medium stock pot, heat the olive oil and add the chicken breasts.  Over medium-high heat, sear the chicken for about five minutes on each side.  Add the diced peppers and onions and allow them to sweat.  Once onions are translucent, add the jar of salsa and the chicken stock & reduce heat to low.  At this point add your sriracha, red pepper flakes and cilantro & allow the chicken to simmer with the lid on for about 30 minutes.   After simmering, shred the chicken using two forks and add the corn and beans.  Heat the chili on low for another 15-20 minutes then add the pepper jack cheese, sour cream and cream cheese. Add crushed corn chips to the chili, it's fantastic and helps to thicken the chili!  Serve topped with dollop of sour cream, corn chips and cilantro leaves for garnish.  Everyone in my family loves this dish and it pairs well with Deer Run Riesling!

I hope you are able to find at least one recipe to enjoy with good friends or family!  Cheers!