Stuffed Dolmas

Dolma is a family of stuffed vegetable dishes in the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire and surrounding regions such as Russia, Iran and the Caucasus and Central and South Asia. Perhaps the best-known is the grape-leaf dolma. Common vegetables to stuff include zucchini, eggplant, tomato and pepper. The stuffing may or may not include meat. Meat dolma are generally served warm, often with sauce; meatless ones are generally served cold, though meatless dolma are eaten both ways in Iran. Both are often eaten with yogurt. Amelia exquisitely pairs her stuffed Dolmas with a Carneros Chardonnay.

Jun 6, 2011 at 10:07 AM

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Cocadas or Coconut Macaroons by Dalia Ceja

Cocadas are a typical coconut candy or cookie that is served in Mexico, Brazil and over much of Latin America. They are oven baked but are served at room temperature to obtain their chewy and soft texture. Dalia Ceja presents her simple yet yummy version of this famed delight incorporating sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract. Try cocadas with cafe con leche or a bright dessert wine from Ceja Vineyards!

“Cocadas” a.k.a Coconut Macaroons

Ingredients:
3 ½ cups shredded sweetened coconut
½ cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup chopped pecans
½ teaspoon of vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a medium-mixing bowl, stir together the coconut, condensed milk, pecans & vanilla extract. Let the mixture sit for 3 minutes.

Roll two tablespoons of mixture into miniature balls and place them onto a parchment lined cookie sheet about 1- inch apart. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown (watch closely). Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Pair with cafe con leche or a yummy dessert wine!

May 16, 2011 at 2:27 PM

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Making Mousse de Guayaba (Guava Mousse) with Amelia Ceja

Using one of her favorite fruits from her native Mexico, Amelia Ceja is thrilled to showcase her delicious guayaba mousse, a light dessert perfect for warm sunny days. Amelia pairs this creamy and tantalizing dessert with Ceja Vineyards' Sauvignon Blanc.

Mousse de Guayaba - Guava Mousse
From Amelia Ceja's Kitchen
Serves 8

Suggested wine: Ceja Sonoma Coast Sauvignon Blanc

Ingredients:
• 1 28oz can of whole guavas in syrup
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup of condensed milk
• 3 tspn unflavored gelatin
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• Whipped cream optional

Instructions:
In a glass bowl, place the milk and gelatin -- mix well and microwave until milk begins to boil and gelatin is dissolved. Let cool.

In a blender, place the guavas and syrup and blend until smooth. Strain the pureed guavas to remove the seeds and return to blender. Add the dissolved gelatin with milk, condensed milk and vanilla. Blend at high speed for one minute.

Distribute guava mixture in eight martini glasses and chill in refrigerator until set. Can be served with fresh whipped cream and garnished with a fresh mint leaf. 

May 9, 2011 at 2:14 PM

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Making Mexican Wedding Cake Cookies with Dalia Ceja

Dalia whips up one of her favorite desserts: Mexican wedding cookies! Suggested wine pairing - 2008 Dulce Beso Late Harvest White Wine.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

These melt-in-your-mouth cookies are very popular throughout Mexico and are savored throughout the year, not only at weddings.

Ingredients:

1 cup of butter
1/2 cup of white sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 teaspoons of water
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 cup of chopped almonds
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1/2 cup of powdered sugar

Directions:

In a medium bowl cream the butter and sugar. Stir in vanilla and water. Add the flour and almonds then mix until blended. Cover and chill for 3 hours. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Shape dough into balls or crescents. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from pan to cool on wire racks. When cookies are cool, roll in powdered sugar. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Apr 27, 2011 at 2:24 PM

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A Virtual Wine Dinner Announcement

Join Chef Robin White and Amelia Ceja on June 18th, 2011 @ 5PM EST for a Virtual Wine Dinner.

A virtual wine dinner is an online social event where millions of people around the world cook the same recipes, taste the same wine, and tweet up (you need a twitter account) about it all in real time on a specially scheduled date a time. To make sure that you tweet with all the participants, each of your tweets should contain a "hashtag" — for the Ceja Virtual Dinner our hashtag is "#cejawines". You have to include the "#" sign. Please visit www.chefrobinwhite.com for complete details.

Apr 26, 2011 at 2:02 PM

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Breakfast Potato and Longaniza Tacos by Dalia Ceja

Breakfast tacos anyone? Dalia prepares these delectable tapas infused with longaniza and potatoes. Ceja Vineyards' Sparkling Blanc de Noir in onhand as the perfect wine pairing. This yummy combination is sure to satisfy any morning craving or hamper any hangover!

Sautéed Potato and Longaniza Breakfast Tacos
Serves 4-6 people

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
10 ounces Mexican Longaniza, casings removed*
1 small onion, diced
5 garlic cloves
1 serrano chile diced
4 roma tomatoes
1 pound red skinned new potatoes, cut into small (1/4-inch) dice, and boiled
Sliced avocado
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the longaniza and cook, breaking up the clumps, until dry and crisp, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chorizo to a paper lined plate to absorb any additional oil. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan and heat the pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, tomatos and sauté for 5 minutes (once there done cooking remove and set aside).

Next add the potatoes and sauté until brown, about 12 minutes. Stir in the cooked longaniza with the onion, garlic, tomato combo and season with just a little salt and pepper, to taste. Warm up some corn tortillas and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve with a glass of Ceja sparkling wine and enjoy! Ole!

*Dalia's Note: Mexican Longaniza is an uncooked sausage, made with fresh ground pork and well seasoned with smoked red chilies. Since it's fresh, you will need to remove the casing before cooking it. They can be found at most supermarkets. This is also a great filling for a variety of tacos, burritos and quesadillas. Just add shredded cheese, beans or your favorite taco filling!

Apr 14, 2011 at 3:39 PM

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Roasted Beet Salad by Amelia Ceja

Amelia prepares a roasted beet salad served with spicy pumpkin seeds and Cotija cheese from Mexico. Suggested Wine Pairing: Ceja Vineyards Vino de Casa Red Blend

Apr 4, 2011 at 3:12 PM

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Restaurant Spotlight - Bistro Sabor

We're proud to feature Bistro Sabor as our first eatery in our restaurant spotlight series. Located in downtown Napa, Bistro Sabor serves contemporary expressions of Latin America's favorite street food and snacks. This casual and hip joint also pours a number of Ceja wines by the glass. Please stop in on your next trip to Napa!

Apr 4, 2011 at 3:01 PM

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Spicy Chipotle Potato Salad by Dalia Ceja

Dalia Ceja spices up a traditional potato salad with chipotle chiles and longaniza. Suggested Wine Pairing: Ceja Vineyards Carneros Chardonnay

Spicy Chipotle Potato Salad
Serves 6-8 people

Ingredients

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt (no mayonnaise)
• 15 small red potatoes (cut into 1-inch cubes after boiled)
• ½ cup of cooked longaniza
• 2 tablespoons spicy mustard
• 2 canned chipotle chiles and extra juice
• 1 red onions chopped
• 2 tablespoons of white vinegar
• 1 jalapeño pepper
• 3 long sticks of celery
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 hard-boiled eggs, cut into cubes
• Chives as a garnish

Directions

1. Fill a pot with water, add salt and potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook potatoes until tender for about 15 minutes. Drain and cool.
2. Boil eggs for 5-7 minutes. Drain and let cool. Once cool, cube eggs and remove half of the yolk then set aside.
3. In a sauté pan, cut the longaniza link until it's nice and crumbled. Cook until tender yet crispy on the edges. Once it's done cooking, place longaniza on top of paper napkins and set aside.
4. Finely chop onion, chipotle chiles, jalapenos, celery, and place into separate bowls.
5. In a large mixing bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, red onions, chorizo, jalapeños and ground pepper & salt. Mix ingredients until they are fully incorporated.
6. Add the potatoes and the eggs into the mixture. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
7. Enjoy with a glass of Ceja Chardonnay! 

Mar 7, 2011 at 11:50 AM

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Spicy Ahi Tuna Tartare Tostadas by Amelia Ceja

Amelia Ceja creates a delectable appetizer with this spicy ahi tartare dish. Serve it with chips and/or tostadas. Suggested Wine Pairing: Carneros Pinot Noir.

Spicy Ahi Tuna Tartare
Serves 8

From Amelia Morán Ceja's Kitchen
I love this sophisticated, fresh, and spicy topping for tostadas or chips to use as an appetizer.

Wine: Ceja Pinot Noir

Ingredients:

• 1 8-ounce ahi tuna steak
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large avocado, peeled, pitted, diced
• 2 minced Serrano chiles
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/3 cup chopped red onion
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
• Salt & pepper

Preparation:

Heat ½ tablespoon of oil in a heavy small skillet over high heat for 2 minutes. Brush tuna with ½ tablespoon olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in skillet and sear until slightly brown outside and almost opaque in center, about 2 minutes per side. Cool tuna; dice finely. Combine tuna, remaining 3 tablespoons oil, and all remaining ingredients in medium bowl. Using fork, mix just to blend. Season tartare to taste with salt and pepper and chill. Serve with chips or over a small corn tostada. 

Feb 28, 2011 at 10:45 AM

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