Tonight I’m going to be hosting a quiet New Years celebration. People would probably like to know what is on the menu. My theory on appetizers is that it should be able to be eaten with the fingers with minimal mess and disturbance of conversations. Appetizers should also have a liberally based theme. Also all of this should be done without breaking the bank.
The drink that everyone is aching for is gluhwien- the warmed mulled wine. I view gluhwein as a warm Sangria and I think the best food to mix with this would be “slightly Mexican.”
I will make red bean with roasted tomato nachos, mango salsa, and roasted corn chicken enchiladas. I know it doesn’t sound too exciting, but I will use fresh ingredients in order to jazz it up a bit. Plus, it will go nicely with the gluhwien.
I have been doing a recipe search for Gluhwien and one the first nugget of information I found is that it literally translate to “Glow Wine”- I think it is perfectly named. Here are the some of the recipes I found.
The recipe I use is a little bit different than kilted-txn but is a tried and true recipe passed on through my family. Hmm…I cannot wait to drink this over Christmas!
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 orange
10 whole cloves
1 (750 milliliter) bottle red wine
1. In a saucepan, combine the water, sugar, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer.
2. Cut the orange in half, and squeeze the juice into the simmering water. Push the cloves into the outside of the orange peel, and place peel in the simmering water. Continue simmering for 30 minutes, until thick and syrupy.
3. Pour in the wine, and heat until steaming but not simmering. Remove the clove-studded orange halves. Serve hot in mugs or glasses that have been preheated in warm water (cold glasses will break.)
1/2 liter red wine
1/4 liter water
1 stick cinnamon
3 whole cloves
1/4 c. sugar
Boil water and seasonings for 5 minutes. Add red wine and sugar. Heat until hot; do not boil. Remove seasonings and serve hot in glass over a slice of lemon. Serves 4. Great on a cool October evening.
Yummy recipe ready for winter service.
Serves Depends on how cold the weather is.
Degree of difficulty: Low
Cooking Time: Thirty minutes
You need:
2 Litres of Red Wine..(Claret, Cab Sav or Merlot)
1/3 Cup of Caster Sugar
3 strips of orange rind
3 strips of lemon rind
¾ cup orange juice
8 whole cloves
1 tea spoon coriander seeds
2 cinnamon sticks
Method:
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Stir over heat until sugar is dissolved…do NOT boil. When mixture begins to simmer gently, allow to simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
Serving Suggestion: Strain into a jug and serve in mugs.
The essential ingredients are cloves, sugar, citrus, cinnamon and wine. I’m going to get boxed wine from a local store and I’m going to head to the Foreign Mart in Itaewon to get the cinnamon and cloves. At the Foreign Mart I will also be able to get my corn tortillas- they are a bit mealy so they need a sauce. I’m going to make a modification of this recipe, but I’ll serve the sauce on the side for dipping.
3 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon oregano
3 cups water
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1. Combine all dry ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Stirring constantly, slowly add enough of the water to make a thin paste.
3. Pour into pan and add rest of water.
4. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens.
5. Stir in tomato sauce.
I’m going to steam the chicken and mix it with roasted corn and cheese. Then I’m going to wrap the chicken with the tortilla and bake until they are crispy. The mango salsa is just a mix of canned mango, red onion, lime juice, Thai bird chili, and cilantro.
The nachos are also pretty simple, but the secret is to have a steel pan with steel handle because you will be putting the pan into the oven. I’ll cube the chicken and saute this with onion and fajita seasoning. Then I’ll add kidney beans and black olives. Take this whole mix and then set in a separate bowl. Take nachos and add it to the skillet you just had the chicken mix in and layer in the mix with nachos, cheese, and chicken mixture. Serve with salsa and sour cream.
Dan
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