Delicious Ways to use Leftover Wine!

Although "leftover wine" may be a whimsical idea to some, every once and a while after a birthday, a celebration, or a great wine sale, we may have one or more open bottles lying around that won't last forever. You can hear it - the bottles lifeline slowly ticking away... and of course, you don't want good wine to go to waste! Before you reach to pour that sad half drank bottle of red or white down the drain, reach for pots and pans instead. Here are our top recipes that use leftover wine.

Red - Drunken Pasta


Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• 1 large garlic clove, cut into 3 pieces

• 1/2 teaspoon red hot chili pepper

• 1-1/2 cups red wine

• 8 ounces spaghetti

• pinch of salt

• 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

• 1 tablesoon chopped fresh parsley

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil.

1. In a large skillet, heat oil, garlic and chili pepper on low heat.  Gently cook about 5 minutes, being careful not to let the garlic burn.  Remove the garlic and add the red wine. Increase the heat to medium.

1. Add pasta to boiling water and cook for only about 3 minutes.  Drain well and add to the skillet, tossing in the wine with tongs until wine is absorbed and pasta is cooked, about 2 more minutes.  Test pasta for doneness. Taste for salt and add what you feel it needs.  Toss with the cheese and parsley and serve.

White - White Wine Mushroom Bruschetta 

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 350 g mushrooms I used a mixture of white mushrooms and chestnut mushrooms, diced

• 2 cloves garlic minced

• 200 g halloumi cut into 1/2 cm slices

• inch Small baguette cut into around 9 x 1 slices

• 100 ml chardonnay

• 50 ml single cream

• 3 tbsp fresh parsley chopped

• Salt

• Black pepper

Instructions

1. 
   
   Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, and add the mushrooms and garlic. Cook over a fairly low heat for 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are soft. Then add the white wine, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for a further 5 minutes, until there isn't too much excess liquid left over.

1. 
   
   White the mushrooms are cooking, put the slices of halloumi in a single layer in a different, dry frying pan, and place over a medium heat. Cook for around 5 minutes - the halloumi will release some liquid, and once this liquid has cooked off, the cheese will begin to brown. When the underside is nice and golden, flip the halloumi slices over and repeat with the other side (note: this side will cook a lot more quickly than the first side!).

1. 
   
   Place the baguette slices on a baking tray and grill (broil) for a couple of minutes each side, until golden brown and crispy.

1. 
   
   When the white wine has cooked right down, add the cream, and cook for a couple more minutes until the sauce is thick. Add the fresh parsley, and season with a touch of salt and plenty of black pepper.

1. 
   
   To plate the bruschetta, add a slice of halloumi to each piece of baguette, and top with the mushroom mixture and extra fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

Bubbly  - Sparkling Berry Chiffon



1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup granulated sugar
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 eggs, whisked
2 cups mixed berries, such as raspberries, blackberries and blueberries
½ cup confectioners' sugar
¼ cup moscato sparkling wine
1 ½ cups heavy cream

Instructions

1. Put a strainer over a glass bowl. Put the lemon zest and juice and the granulated sugar in a heavy bottom, non-reactive saucepan over high heat and stir until the sugar dissolves, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low, making sure the mixture is below a simmer, and whisk in the butter and eggs. Cook, stirring regularly and taking care to keep it below a simmer, until thickened, 9 to 10 minutes. Strain into the glass bowl, press some plastic wrap on the surface and cool.

2. Meanwhile, combine the berries, 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar and the sparkling wine in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate while the curd cools.

3. Whisk the cream and the remaining 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar together in a large bowl until thick and creamy and just under soft peaks. Fold the cream into the cooled lemon mixture. Transfer the chiffon to a pastry bag; snip off the tip of the bag.

4. Pipe some of the lemon chiffon into the bottoms of the wine glasses, then spoon in some berries with their juices; repeat, finishing with just a few berries on the tops. Serve immediately.