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Sunday sauce (or gravy as some call it) is a long standing Italian-American tradition. In Italy many years ago, very poor Italian women made their sauce mostly with tomatoes and vegetables and if they were very lucky pork. After immigrating to America most found that meat here was so much less expensive, and the addition of beef to the sauce became a symbol of prosperity! 

Italian Mama’s and Nona’s put the sauce on first thing in the morning and it puttered all day while the rest of the family chatted and caught up. Each family adds a little something unique to their sauce so really no two family recipes would be the same.

I used Evening in Tuscany because the delicate blend of garlic, Kosher salt, Mediterranean oregano, basil, crushed red pepper, black pepper, rosemary, onion and parleys perfect for a Sunday Sauce!

There are many varieties of pasta available to us today. Spaghetti is traditionally used, but any shape you like will work.

Today, most families are too busy to be cooking all day! This is a quicker version of a Sunday Sauce. Though tradition has it that it only gets richer the longer it simmers.

Mangia! Mangia! (eat, eat!)

Want to get out of a rut?  This recipe is easy to prepare and will make your taste buds sing!  Adobo Lime Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce. The flavors are truly spectacular.  You can also use chicken or pork, you can grill or you can use a grill pan.  

Adobo Lime is hand blended with fennel seed, cumin, coriander, black pepper, garlic, Mexican oregano, lime zest, kosher salt, thyme and rosemary. This blend is great in any mexican recipe, bean soup and even great on fish! 

A nice chilled glass of Merlot pairs really well with this dish.

Wine & Spice Makes Everything Nice!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

I have found a sandwich that is beyond delicious! The pressed Cubano Sandwich has evolved into a sophisticated blend of flavors that dance on your tongue! Adobo Lime rubbed pork tenderloin, ham, swiss cheese and Quick Pickles on a french roll and pressed to perfection.

Adobo Lime is hand blended from fennel seed, cumin, coriander, black pepper, garlic, Mexican oregano, lime zest, kosher salt, thyme and rosemary. This spice blend is amazing on pork, chicken, veggies, salmon and shrimp. One of my personal favorites!

This recipe includes another recipe for Quick Pickles. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP! These pickles make the sandwich a 15 instead of an 10! Super easy and truly quick! I used Devils Dust (but you can use red pepper flakes too) to spice it. Remember that as the name implies, a little bit goes a long way! For the lovers of SPICY HOT this blend is amazing! Ghost pepper, jalapeno and habanero flakes come together in this fiery mix.

A cold mug of Hatuey Beer pairs perfectly with this sandwich!

Wine & Spice Makes Everything Nice!

Leg of Lamb is a very traditional Easter meal. Though it is fabulous at any time—our Ravensview Rosemary Garlic is a perfect complement to the lamb, really enhancing the delicate luscious flavors! Hand blended from cracked black pepper, rosemary, roasted garlic flakes, chives and sea salt.

This recipe is super simple to make. Lamb can seem overwhelming and difficult to make, but we promise, it is not. Roasted fingerling potatoes and asparagus is a great accompaniment for this dinner. We used Herbes de Provence to season the potatoes.  

While the lamb is resting, there is a Popover biscuit recipe to make to round out your meal. We used a little Wordhouse Wow to add flavor to the popovers, the tarragon in this blend is fantastic.

We hope you enjoy!

I adore pairing savory with a sweet component. A perfect example is this wonderful pork tenderloin with a sweet and spicy apricot salsa. Pork lends itself so well to a sweet accompaniment. The pork tenderloin needs to marinate for 4-24 hours. Also, remember when you are cooking a loin, that you need to cook all four sides.  

To season the pork tenderloin today I used Fabulous Fajitas. This adds such a great depth of flavor! Might just be one of my new favorites for South of the Border cooking. This blend is hand crafted using cumin, Mexican oregano, sea salt, red pepper, black pepper, garlic, coriander, paprika, white pepper, cinnamon, rosemary, marjoram, cardamom and basil. Truly fabulous in any South of the Border recipe.

A nice cold Tecate pairs really well with this dish.

Pulled Pork is a basic start to so many dishes. It cooks long and slow—12 hours in a very low oven. The result is an amazingly tender and juicy pork that shreds almost by just looking at it!

We used Pontiac Trail Pig Powder to season the roast. This is hand blended with brown sugar, Kosher salt, California paprika, marjoram, sea salt, garlic powder, onion powder, yellow mustard, grains of paradise, sugar, chili powder, black pepper, rosemary, brown mustard, clove and allspice.  

I added a layer of BBQ Sauce on top to help seal in the spices and also for moisture. 

You can use the shredded pork for Pulled Pork Sandwiches—as I did today—or in tacos, soups, salads and stews. This also freezes really well, which is great because it leaves a lot of leftovers.

A ice cold Pale Ale tasted fabulous with this meal.

Wine & Spice Makes Everything Nice!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

I received a Sous Vide for Christmas! I have seen this type of cooking on the cooking shows for many years. I'm excited to try it at home.

Today I am making filet mignon using this method seasoned with Up North Grilling, which has a fabulous peppery finish and lots of flavor complexity. It is hand blended from coriander seed, coarse black pepper, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, onion, garlic, dill, coarse sea salt, caraway seed, thyme and lemon peel.  

Sous Vide is a French cooking method and it means “under vacuum”. It is slow cooked in a temperature controlled water bath. The Sous Vide circulates the water and the temp remains steady throughout the cooking process.

Cooking a filet mignon this way ensures that the meat is the same “color/temp” from edge to edge. So, in my case perfectly medium rare all the way through.

Is is necessary to sear quickly after it is cooked to get the crust that we all love!

A glass of Cabernet Sauvignon is perfect with this dish!

Wine & Spice Makes Everything Nice!

Pontiac Trail Pig Powder is one of our family’s favorite spice rubs. It makes any pork dish sing with flavor. Today I decided to brine my chops before grilling, and the result was an amazingly moist and tender pork chop with a ton of flavor!

Pontiac Trail Pig Powder is Memphis-style BBQ rub that is well balanced with sweet and hot components. It caramelizes beautifully. This award-winning rub has a history of first place winners in competition cooking. Ideal for pork chops, pork tenderloin and baby back ribs. Also great on chicken. We love it when used on pork tenderloin in the Crockpot. Just a little touch of heat. Hand blended from brown sugar, Kosher salt, California paprika, marjoram, sea salt, garlic powder, onion powder, yellow mustard, grains of paradise, sugar, chili powder, black pepper, rosemary, brown mustard, clove and allspice.

I served this with Grilled Mixed Veggies with Up North Grilling.

A glass of cold White Shiraz is a perfect pairing with this dish.

Wine & Spice Makes Everything Nice!

Ropa Vieja is one of the national dishes of Cuba. It literally translates to “old clothes” because it resembles a heap of colorful cloths. This dish started as a shepherd's meal in the Middle Ages. It tastes even better the second day, so make a large batch ensuring you have enough for letfovers. There are many different ways to make this fabulous meal, this is my favorite. Simple and very tasty! Definitely a family favorite!

Adobo Lime is hand blended from fennel seed, cumin, coriander, black pepper, garlic, Mexican oregano, lime zest, kosher salt, thyme and rosemary. It is a wonderful addition to chicken, beef, pork, fish and veggies. Adobo or Adobar (which means marinade or sauce) traditionally is cooking raw food in a sauce to enhance its flavor, then served over rice. It has been used by the Spanish/Portuguese/South American cultures for centuries and is now main stream all over the world. Adobo can be used in a sauce or as a rub.

I served this with Baked Mexican Rice.

An ice cold Tecate beer is perfect with this dish.

Wine & Spice Makes Everything Nice!

I absolutely love making Sheet Pan dinners! It is so quick and easy—not to mention healthy!

Today I made Pork Chops & Roasted Vegetable with Ravensview Rosemary Garlic. This is such a versatile spice blend, fantastic on veggies, chicken, pork and lamb. It is hand blended with black pepper, sea salt, garlic, onion, chives and rosemary.

You can pretty much use any hardy veggies you have on hand. I used cauliflower, carrots, red onion and mushrooms. Some other great veggies are potatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli, squash, bell pepper, poblano or jalapeño peppers to name a few.

You can cook on one or two sheet pans. I wanted a ton of veggies so I used two. 

A cold glass of Fat Tire Ale is a perfect match with the meal.

Wine & Spice Makes Everything Nice!

Cooking your steak in a cast iron skillet creates a wonderful crust very much like you get when ordering steaks in the finest restaurants. Of course the most important thing when doing this at home, is buying the best steak you can find and/or afford! The second most important thing is of course the seasoning. We have many seasoning blends that pair beautifully with steak. Today I am using Mark’s Espresso Rub II.

Mark’s Espresso Rub II is hand blended with ancho chile powder, ground espresso beans, Spanish paprika, brown sugar, yellow mustard, sea salt, black pepper, Mexican oregano, coriander, ginger root and de arbol chile powder. It has just a little bit of heat...so delicious.

So today I chose Filet Mignon. I love really thick pieces of filet—my personal favorite. You can use any cut you like for this cooking method, you just have to adjust the cooking time depending on the size.

A key to ensuring that your meat is evenly cooked is to leave it on your countertop to become room temperature (no longer than 2 hours). And, you must let the steak rest when done cooking, at least 10 minutes. This is imperative or all the beautiful juices will be all over the cutting board, which is a colossal waste of flavor!

A glass of Shiraz goes well with steak and spice.

Wine & Spice Makes Everything Nice!

I have absolutely fallen in love with the Mediterranean Blend! I adore the fresh flavors of the region. This is the essence of the Mediterranean with herbs, spices and citrus. This blend is great for chicken, fish, pork and beef as a rub. Take your fresh veggies and sprinkle this blend for a full range of flavors. It is a great table condiment without the salt and sugar. Hand blended from thyme, oregano, sage, basil, rosemary, garlic, lemon peel and black pepper.

I made a vinaigrette and seasoned the veal with this rub. You can substitute veal with chicken and it would still be great. With almost any spice blend you can make a vinaigrette. Just use equal amounts of oil to vinegar. For this recipe I used 1/3 cup olive oil and a 1/3 cup lemon white balsamic vinegar with 1 tbsp Mediterranean Blend. Let it sit to soften the dried herbs and enjoy!

This is a really easy meal to make and is so light and flavorful. Perfect for a summer night's supper. The veal/chicken can be grilled outside or in a grill pan inside.

I also made a really quick garlic flatbread instead of croutons. Yummy!

A glass of chilled Chardonnay paired very nicely with this salad!

Wine & Spice Makes Everything Nice!