Vin Chaud – Hot Spiced Wine

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Gourmet Greek Girl

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I just love the days leading up to Christmas! Christmas movies, music, and lights all make me really happy. After my time spent in Europe however, I feel as though I am missing out on one very important thing: Christmas markets!

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The markets were one of my favorite parts about Christmastime in France. And the best part of the markets was the vin chaud: hot spiced wine.

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I dream about it all the time… wandering through the market on a chilly evening with a steamy cup of vin chaud to warm me up, being careful not to spill it all over myself of course.

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In order to fix this deficit in my life, I found a promising recipe for vin chaud and decided to try it out. One of my very best friends, Valerie, came over Thanksgiving weekend to help me recreate the hot spicy goodness. This is Val:

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We went to high school together and despite living in different cities for a while, we’ve remained really good friends. She also really likes to cook (and makes delicious carrot cake!) so we decided it’d be fun to make something for my blog together. We decided on vin chaud since it seemed like a good way to begin the holiday season and it also reminded us of our trip to Paris when we bought some vin chaud and strolled through the Tuileries Gardens together.

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There are many recipes for mulled wine out there, but this vin chaud recipe is extremely authentic! It tasted EXACTLY like the vin chaud I used to get from the markets. I couldn’t have been any more pleased!

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First, gather your spices for the vin chaud. You will need 1 star anise, about 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, 3 green cardamom pods, 4 cloves, and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper.

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Before making this recipe, I had no idea what cardamom pods were. I found them at my local grocery store, and even though they were on the expensive side, I love the flavor and I definitely see myself using these again. Plus they are pretty strong, so a little bit goes a long way – 1 bottle will last a long time. Make sure to get the whole pods though and not ground cardamom because it will be a lot weaker.

It occurred to me to add cinnamon to the recipe, but apparently that is not very French and I wanted this recipe to be as close to the original as possible. That being said, if you are a cinnamon-lover, I’m sure it would be a great addition!

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Now that all your ingredients are ready, add a bottle of red wine into a stainless steel saucepan. Make sure that it’s stainless steel because red wine could definitely stain other materials.

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You could use any type of red wine, but a fruity one works best! We used a Red Zinfandel wine that Val already had. It worked wonderfully!

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Don’t go out and buy an expensive bottle of wine for this!!!! A cheap wine works JUST as well so save your money!

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Add the spices to your wine, along with 1/4 cup of honey.

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Bring your wine to a simmer. As soon as it is simmering, turn off the heat and let stand for 15 minutes.

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After 15 minutes, reheat the wine until it’s hot and steaming (but not TOO hot), then turn off the heat again. Add 1/4 cup of brandy. Serve hot and cover the remaining wine to keep it warm. We added an orange slice into each glass to add a little more fruity flavor and it was a great idea! Plus eating the orange after it was soaked in the hot wine was delicious as well.

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This vin chaud is seriously awesome. It’s the perfect beverage to warm you up on a cold winter’s night.

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Vin Chaud (Hot Spiced Wine) 
Adapted (very slightly) from David Lebovitz
Makes 4 glasses

Ingredients: 

1 bottle fruity red wine
1 star anise
3 green cardamom pods
4 cloves
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup brandy
1 sliced orange (optional)

Directions: 

  1. Pour wine into stainless steel sauce pan. Add spices and honey, then bring to a simmer. Once wine is simmering, turn off the heat and let it stand for 15 minutes.
  2. Reheat the wine until it’s hot and steaming, then turn off the heat. Add the brandy and serve hot with an orange slice . Keep leftover wine covered to keep it warm.DSC_0077

I LOVE this hot mulled wine! If I close my eyes, I can pretend I am back in France, strolling through a Christmas market.

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Posted in Christmas, Drinks, French Dishes | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hawaiian Salad

Posted on December 1, 2013 by Gourmet Greek Girl

Long time no see! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! I took a little break from blogging for the weekend so I could spend lots of time with my friends and family.  Even though our trip to New York didn’t happen, I still had a really great time at home with my family.

Check out our Thanksgiving dinner: turkey, stuffing, ham, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, gravy, broccoli casserole, cranberries, Hawaiian salad, cherry jello, and pumpkin squares. It was all delicious!

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We also had a visit from my brother’s pit-bull, Grace. Isn’t she adorable?

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She sits outside my cat’s room (where we keep my kitty when we have puppy visitors because she’s not very nice to them…) and just stares at the door, waiting for something to happen. So weird!

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Ahhh she’s so cute! And she’s such a sweet dog. Look at her shirt by the way – “sexy and I know it” – so sassy!

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Oh and here’s a picture of my cat, Magic, in her new favorite box. She’s so funny.

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Today, I’m going to share my mom’s recipe for Hawaiian Salad. It’s very easy, doesn’t take long, and makes a delicious side and/or dessert for any special occasion or even just a normal meal. My mom makes it for Thanksgiving and Christmas and it always gets devoured. I love it!

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First, add 1 large can of fruit cocktail, 1 small can of mandarin oranges, and 1 large can of pineapple to a bowl. Mix them all together.

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Next, fold in 1/2 a tub of light Cool Whip.

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After the Cool Whip is evenly distributed, gently mix in 1/2 cup of marshmallows.

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Finally, mix in 1/4 cup coconut.

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Put the mixture in the refrigerator for an hour or until you plan on serving it. You can make this recipe ahead of time and refrigerate it overnight as well.

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Hawaiian Salad 
Serves 6

Ingredients: 

1 large can fruit cocktail
1 small can mandarin oranges
1 large can pineapple
1/2 tub Cool Whip
1/2 cup marshmallows
1/4 cup shredded coconut

Directions:

  1. In a bowl, mix together fruit cocktail, mandarin oranges, and pineapple.
  2. Fold in 1/2 tub light Cool Whip
  3. Mix in 1/2 cup marshmallows
  4. Mix in 1/4 cup shredded coconut.
  5. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Serve chilled.

I hope you like it! I have some more yummy recipes coming your way soon: pumpkin squares and hot spiced wine. Stay tuned!

Posted in Desserts, Sides | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Peppermint Brownie Truffles

Posted on November 26, 2013 by Gourmet Greek Girl

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It’s a shortened week… hooray!!! And Thanksgiving is the day after tomorrow!!! I was supposed to fly to New York early Thursday morning to spend Thanksgiving with some extended family that we don’t get to see very often, however the weather is supposedly going to be horrible in the Northeast so my parents and I have decided to stay home and do Thanksgiving here instead. It’s a little disappointing, but we would be driving home from NY which is a pretty long drive and would have been horrible in a snow storm.

I always envy people with big families who all live near each other and have huge family gatherings for the holidays. My family lives mostly in Greece and on the East coast – my parents, brother, and I are the only ones in the Midwest. I am definitely excited for some time off work and a little rest and relaxation. I’ve been feeling pretty stressed out lately so it will be a much-needed break.

How are you celebrating Thanksgiving this year?

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Tomorrow after school we are having a Thanksgiving luncheon for the staff, and I immediately volunteered to bring a dessert because I LOVE making holiday desserts. I decided to make Peppermint Brownie Truffles – freshly baked brownies, rolled into balls with pieces of peppermint chocolate, and covered in chocolate. It’s unreal how excited I am to bring these in to my coworkers tomorrow; they are going to loooooove them! It’s taking all my willpower not to scarf them all down before I have a chance to bring them to work. That’s how good they are.

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First, bake your brownies. You’ll need 1 box of brownie mix (any kind that is “fudgy”) and the ingredients on the box (mine required 2 eggs, water, and vegetable oil). Bake your brownies according to the directions on the box. Once you take them out of the oven, let them cool.

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While the brownies are baking away, take 10 Candy Cane Hershey Kisses and either shave them or cut them into very small pieces. Try to resist the urge to eat a million of these Kisses. Trust me… it’s a lot easier said than done.

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Once your brownies have cooled, crumble them in the pan, then discard the hard, outer edges. By discard, I mean eat or save for later!

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Add about 3/4 of your Candy Cane Kiss pieces to the brownies, then mix them all together.

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Use a tablespoon to roll the brownies into balls, then place them on a wax paper-lined baking sheet.

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Once you’ve made all the brownie balls, it’s time to cover them in chocolate. Melt 6oz semi sweet and 6oz white baking chocolate in separate bowls in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until the chocolate is melted.

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Roll the balls one at a time in the chocolate until covered completely, then return them to the baking sheet. You can use a fork to help roll them around in the chocolate to keep your hands a little less dirty.

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While the chocolate is still hot, top your truffles with sprinkles, the leftover Hershey Kiss pieces, or drizzle with the opposite color chocolate.

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They’re so pretty! Guaranteed to be a hit with whomever is lucky enough to eat them!

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Peppermint Brownie Truffles
Makes approximately 3 dozen truffles

Ingredients:

1 box brownie mix (the “fudgier” the better)
ingredients on back of brownie mix box (usually eggs, water, and vegetable oil)
10 Candy Cane Hershey Kisses
1 6oz box of semi-sweet baking chocolate
1 6oz box of white baking chocolate
Sprinkles of your choice

Directions:

  1. Bake brownies according to directions on box, then cool completely. While brownies are in the oven, cut 10 Candy Cane Hershey Kisses into tiny pieces.
  2. When brownies are cool, crumble them in the pan, discarding the harder edges. Pour 3/4 of the peppermint kiss shavings/pieces onto the brownies, then mix them up. Use a tablespoon to roll the brownies into balls and place onto a wax paper-lined baking sheet.
  3. Add baking chocolate into separate microwave safe bowls (semi-sweet in one bowl and white in another bowl) and microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until the chocolate is melted. Roll the brownie balls in the chocolate until covered and transfer back to the baking sheet. Add sprinkles or leftover Hershey Kiss shavings while chocolate is still melted or drizzle with the other chocolate. Place baking sheets into the fridge to let the chocolate harden, then transfer into tupperware containers and store in the fridge.

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Posted in Christmas, Desserts | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Easiest French Onion Soup Ever

Posted on November 24, 2013 by Gourmet Greek Girl

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You know what I love? Simple recipes. I love when I don’t have to go out and buy a million ingredients just for one recipe. That’s why this French Onion Soup recipe is great. It’s the easiest French Onion Soup recipe ever. Seriously. It’s just beef broth and onions.  That’s it!

I have to admit, I was quite skeptical when I began making it… beef broth and onions… that’s it?  This can’t be right. So I called my mom (it’s her recipe) and asked if I forgot to copy something down, but she assured me I had all the ingredients correct.

So I made the soup, still a bit unsure even though it smelled delicious. Then I tried some… wow!!!! It’s incredibly delicious! I was amazed that something so simple could be that amazing! Then I added the toasted bread with Gruyere and Parmesan to the soup and was in absolute food heaven. I thought it was even better than Panera’s French Onion Soup, and that’s one of my favorites.

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You have to give this a try. Just beef broth and onions. And it is AWESOME!!

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* Note: I halved this recipe since I was the only one eating it *

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First, thinly slice 2 yellow onions. Cut the top and bottom of a yellow onion, peel off the outer skin, then cut the onion down the middle, pole to pole. Next, thinly slice each half.

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Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large skillet on medium-high.

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Add in the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook until golden (NOT brown) approximately 8 minutes.

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While your onions are cooking, get your broth ready. Add 4 cans beef broth to a medium saucepan. Since I had beef bouillon cubes, I used those instead. So while my onions were cooking, I boiled water and added my bouillon cubes.

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When the onions are golden, add them to the saucepan with the broth and bring to a boil. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. To simmer, bring the liquid to just below a boil – there should be small bubbles rising to the surface, but not as vigorously or as often as a boil.

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When your soup is almost done, preheat the oven to broil and cut 4 slices of French bread. Toast 1 side of the bread, then remove from the oven, flip, and add 1/4 cup Gruyere cheese and 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese to the top, dividing evenly between each slice. Place back under the broiler and broil until the cheese is melted.

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To serve: pour the soup into individual bowls and place a slice of bread on top of each one, cheese side up.

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French Onion Soup
Serves 4

Ingredients: 

1/4 cup butter
4 cups thinly sliced yellow onion (about 2 onions)
Salt
Pepper
4 cans (10 1/2 oz size) condensed beef broth, undiluted (approximately 5 1/4 cups)
4 slices French bread, sliced 1 inch thick
1/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions: 

  1. Melt butter in large skillet on medium-high heat and saute onion until golden (but not brown) – about 8 minutes.
  2. In medium saucepan, combine beef broth and sauteed onion; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 30 mins.
  3. Meanwhile, in broiler, toast French bread slices on one side, flip, then add cheeses, dividing evenly. Place the bread back under the broiler, and broil until the cheese is bubbly.
  4. Pour soup into individual bowls then float toast on top, cheese side up.

Note: Best when refrigerated overnight and reheated the next day.

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Posted in Appetizers, Dinner, Lunch | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Breakfast Quesadillas

Posted on November 21, 2013 by Gourmet Greek Girl

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So today I have another breakfast recipe for you: Breakfast Quesadillas! See, I told you I’m obsessed with breakfast.

But first… I just spent the last hour playing this game: The Great Language Game. It’s so addicting! You hear 20 second clips of people speaking and have to guess what language it is. In the first few you get 2 choices but then the further along you get, the more languages you have to choose between. I feel like I’m pretty good at recognizing languages since I speak 3 languages and I’ve traveled quite a bit, but this was very difficult! There were some languages on there that I didn’t even know existed! My best score was 750. You should give it a try! I will warn you though – you won’t be able to stop.

Okay back to food. This quesadilla recipe was inspired by my trip to Qdoba over the weekend. I was in the mood for a plain ol’ cheese quesadilla with pico de gallo, and the cashier said “I always think $7 is way too much to pay for a quesadilla.” Then I said “well, I was in the mood for it.” I think he felt bad because then he gave me my quesadilla for free! Hooray for things that are free!

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This quesadilla is a lot different, however. Melty cheese, eggs, bacon, and onion make for a super yummy breakfast quesadilla!

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First, fry 4 strips of bacon. Then try not to eat it all immediately (incredibly difficult), and instead place it on a paper towel-lined plate.

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Pour out the grease, then place the skillet back on the stove on high heat. Don’t clean out the skillet completely – the leftover bacon grease will make the onions really tasty. Add some butter into the skillet then once it’s melted, add 1/2 diced yellow onion and cook until golden brown. Remove the onions to a plate.

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While the onions are cooking, whisk together 2 eggs, 4 egg whites, and salt & pepper. I also added a little sriracha sauce because I like the taste it adds to the eggs.

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Once the onions are cooked and removed from the skillet, turn the heat down to medium-low, melt in a little more butter, and scramble your eggs in the skillet by constantly moving them around in the skillet with your spatula. When the eggs are cooked, set them aside.

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Now it’s time to assemble your quesadilla.

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Heat a skillet (could be the same one if you’d like) on medium-low heat and place 1 tortilla on it. Add 1/4 cup shredded smoked gouda cheese on top (you could substitute the gouda with cheddar, monterey jack, or lots of different shredded cheeses – I just like gouda!).

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Add 1/2 of your onions.

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Add 1/2 of your eggs.

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Cut your bacon strips in half, then add 4 halves (2 slices).

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Top with 1 tablespoon chevre or another creamy cheese and another 1/4 cup of shredded gouda.

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Finish it off by topping it with another tortilla. When the bottom hardens, carefully flip to heat the other side. Cook until the cheese inside is melted and the contents are warm. The tortillas should be lightly golden.

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Cut the quesadilla into 4 quarters, then repeat the assembly steps for your 2nd quesadilla.

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Serve with some sliced avocado.

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Breakfast Quesadillas
Makes 2 quesadillas

Ingredients:

4 slices of bacon
butter
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 eggs
4 egg whites
salt & pepper
1 cup shredded smoked gouda (could replace with cheddar or monterey jack)
2 Tablespoons chevre (or any creamy cheese)
4 flour tortillas
1 avocado, sliced (optional)

Procedure:

  1. Fry bacon in skillet, then remove to paper towel-lined plate. Pour excess grease out of the skillet, then return to the stove.
  2. Turn heat up to high then after melting some butter, add in the onions and cook until golden brown. Set the onions aside.
  3.  Whisk together 2 eggs and 4 egg whites with some salt and pepper (and a splash of sriracha or tabasco sauce if desired) then cook on medium-low heat in the same skillet. Mix the eggs constantly with a spatula to scramble them until they are cooked, then remove to a plate.
  4. Assemble your quesadillas. Add a tortilla to a skillet on medium-low heat, top with 1/4 cup shredded gouda, 1/4 onion, 1/2 the scrambled eggs, 2 slices of bacon cut in half, 1 tablespoon chevre, and another 1/4 cup gouda then cover with another tortilla. Cook until the bottom tortilla hardens, then flip carefully to cook the other side. When the cheese is melted and the tortillas are slightly browned, take the quesadilla out of the skillet and cut into 4 pieces. Repeat steps for 2nd quesadilla. Serve with sliced avocado.

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Posted in Breakfast, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment