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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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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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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Mexican Cake with Mango Salsa by Dalia Ceja

Dalia Ceja whips up a tantalizingly delicious Mexican cake with a mango salsa. Ceja Vineyards' new dessert wine, Dulce Beso, is the perfect accompaniment to this yummy postre.

Feb 21, 2011 at 12:44 PM

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Learn How To Make Fried Plantain Chips (Tostones) and a Spicy Aji Salsa with Dalia Ceja

Dalia Ceja rings in the new year with a fantastic recipe inspired by her trip throughout South America last year. She pairs fried plantain chips (tostones) with a savory and spicy aji salsa. Suggest Wine Pairing: Ceja Vineyards Carneros Chardonnay.

Jan 14, 2011 at 4:30 PM

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Learn How to Make Churros with Dalia Ceja

Sometimes referred to as a Spanish doughnut, churros are fried-dough pastry-based snacks, sometimes made from potato dough, that originated in Spain. Dalia Ceja prepares her version of this satisfyingly delicious treat that has become hugely popular all over Latin America. Paired with Ceja Vineyards Cabernet chocolate sauce, these churros have something sweet for everyone. Suggested Wine Pairing: Ceja Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Dec 21, 2010 at 5:25 PM

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Learn How to Make Tortilla Soup with Dalia Ceja

From Mexico we bring you tortilla soup! Presented in a unique way by Dalia Ceja, this savory soup with spicy and smoky elements is a perfect accompaniment to any cold night.
Suggested wine pairing: Ceja Vineyards Carneros Pinot Noir 

Dec 17, 2010 at 2:15 PM

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Making a Torta Ahogada with Dalia Ceja

Long a favorite from the Mexican state of Jalisco, tortas ahogadas have satisfied countless adventurous eaters. Dalia Ceja serves up this "drowned" dish using traditional birote bread, chicken breast and an assortment of veggies that's topped off with tomato and chile de arbol salsa. Ceja Vineyards' Vino De Casa White blend is called upon to complement this rainbow of flavors! What's your favorite type of torta ahogada?

Oct 4, 2010 at 4:51 PM

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Preparing Bread Pudding with Dalia Ceja

Why throw away day-old bread when you can turn it into yummy bread pudding! Also known as "broodpudding", "Capirotada," "Migas" and "Pudín de Pan", this tasty dish is revered all over the world. In this episode, Dalia Ceja complements the bread pudding with Ceja Vineyards' Cabernet Chocolate Sauce as well as Ceja's Cabernet Sauvignon.

Sep 13, 2010 at 3:04 PM

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Making Pesto with Dalia Ceja: Part 2

Using the base pesto sauce she made in Part 1, Dalia Ceja creates three delectable dishes: sun-dried tomato and a bow-tie spicy cilantro pasta and Parmesan bruschetta. Dalia then pairs these tasty treats with Ceja Vineyards' Carneros Pinot Noir.

Sep 2, 2010 at 5:18 PM

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