10 + 1 reasons to drink wine

Strengthens bones

According to a study from Tufts University in Boston (USA) women who drink red or white wine are less likely to lose bone density than women who do not drink.

Reduce Heart Risk

A study from Harvard University (USA.) Found that those who consume wine in moderation are 30% less likely to suffer a heart attack.

Antibacterial

Both red wine and white wine have antibacterial properties. This was highlighted by the study conducted by the expert Martin E. Weisse of West Virginia University (USA), which shows that the wine has the capability to reduce bacteria in food, protecting the human body.

Prevent Blindness

Red wine can stop the growth of blood vessels out of control in the eye (angiogenesis) that causes blindness, according to a study by a team of researchers from the University of Washington School of Medicine in St. Louis (USA ). Again is resveratrol, the compound may be in the wine, which protects vision.

Against depression

According to a study of scientists in Spanish universities, drinking wine can reduce the risk of depression. The experiment was conducted with 2,683 men and 2,822 women (55 to 80 years old, over 7 years). They found that in both cases, those drinking 6 or 7 glasses of wine per week were less likely to be diagnosed with depression (even taking into account lifestyle factors).

Lowers cholesterol

Studies have proven that a glass of red wine a day decreases the concentration of atherogenic plaques in the arteries and increases levels of HDL or good cholesterol, improving cardiovascular health.

Decreases the chances of colon cancer

Scientists at the University of Leicester (UK) explained that moderate consumption of red wine on a regular basis can reduce the rate of intestinal tumors by approximately 50%.

It helps prevent dementia

A team of scientists from Loyola University Medical Center (USA) analyzed data from academic studies on red wine from 1977 until today. The studies showed a significantly lower risk of dementia on regular and moderate drinkers of red wine in 14 different countries. Resveratrol reduces the stickiness of platelets in the blood, which helps keep blood vessels open and flexible (no clots), which helps to maintain good blood supply to the brain.

Rich in minerals

Wine provides minerals such as: lithium (balancing the nervous system), magnesium (reduces stress), zinc (improves the immune system), potassium and calcium (ionic and electrical balance).

Slows aging

Consuming a glass of wine a day helps to delay the aging process due to its vasodilatory properties that fight oxidation of cells. It is also recommended for memory.

Prevents Breast Cancer

Drinking any kind of alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer. However, consumption of red wine has the opposite effect, as concluded a study of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles (USA). The reason is that the chemicals in the skin and seeds of red grapes reduce estrogen levels and increase testosterone levels, resulting in a lower risk of developing breast cancer.

Mejillones en escabeche (Mussels in pickled sauce)

1.5 - 2 kg mussels 
1 glass of white wine
2 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic
100 ml virgin olive oil
100 ml white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sweet or spicy paprika
pinch of salt (optional)









For starting clean the mussels very well and put them in a saucepan with a glass of white wine. Cover with a top lid and cook up to medium heat until all mussels are open. When ready drain (and keep the broth aside), remove the shells and reserve the cooked meat.


Low heat in a saucepan the olive oil with the garlic finely chopped. Let it cook until they get brown color. 

Then add the bay leaves chopped, along with the paprika. Stir constantly otherwise you can burn the paprika. Quickly pour the white wine vinegar and the broth from cooking the mussels, stir for couple of minutes and stop the heat.

Try and add a pinch of salt if it is need it, but usually is not necessary. Pour the marinade over the mussels. Let it cool to room temperature.

Wine Sausage with sauteed cabbage

12 homemade sausages 
1/2 cabbage 
2 big potatoes 
2 cloves of garlic 
1 glass of white wine 
water 
olive oil 
salt 
parsley 


Peel the potatoes, chop and boil in a saucepan with water and salt. Drain and mash with a fork. Place the puree in a bowl, add a pinch of salt, chopped parsley and 2tbsp of olive oil. Set aside. 

Wash and chop the cabbage into thin strips. Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves. Golden fry with olive oil, add the cabbage and saute. Mix the cabbage with mashed potatoes and reserve. 

Meanwhile, cook the sausages in a pan with olive oil, and after 2 minutes add the white wine and cook for 3-4 minutes. 

Tips
Add manchego cheease go the mash potato mixture and cabagge. Yummy!

Spicy Romesco sauce with potatoes (Salsa Romesco con patatas.

5 large chillies
10 roasted almonds
6 roasted hazelnuts 
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 thick slice of country bread
3 tomatoes 
1 clove garlic
parsley
1/2 lemon juice
1 tablespoon of white wine
salt



Remove the seeds and stems from the chillies. Soak in warm water, and after 10 minutes dry them with paper towels. 

In a frypan heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and fry the slice of bread on both sides until golden brown. Let it cool and cut it in cubes and set aside.

High heat the pan with 2 tablespoon olive oil and the chiles. Cook for a minute and add the tomatoes chopped. Season and stir constantly until the tomato juices have evaporated.

In a grinder place the almonds, hazelnuts and fried bread. After 1 minute add the peeled garlic clove, grind for 1 minute and add also the tomato mixture from the pan, parsley, lemon juice and white wine. Grind meanwhile adding 1 cup of olive oil until getting an homogeneous mixture.  Season to taste. 

Clams with Artichokes (Almejas con Alcachofas)

20 preserved artichokes
2 garlic cloves
3 - 4 tbsp olive oil
1 glass of water + artichokes liquid
1 tbsp flour
1/2 glass of white wine
24 clean clams
pinenuts or chopped almonds
salt and pepper





Drain the artichoke and set the liquid aside. 

Chop the garlics and brown them in frypan with hot olive oil. When almost ready add few pinenuts or chopped almonds for extraflavour. 

In a mixer wisk the flour, white wine and the 1 cup of remaining liquid from artichokes plus some water until filling up 1 glass. Pour in the frypan. 

Add the clams and cook until they are open. Then add the artichoke cutted in half and cook for a few minutes before serving. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Mussels and avocado spread (Paté de mejillones y aguacate)

1 can of pickled mussels (or 10 - 12 boiled mussels with a bay leaf) 
1 large avocado
A few drops of lemon
¼ sweet onion or fresh chives
2 tablespoon of thick mayonnaise
1 teaspoon of white wine



Drain the mussels well.
Peel the avocado and remove the bone.

Put in the glass of the mixer mussels, chopped avocado, few drops of lemon (important to avoid mixture oxidation), the chopped onion and mayonnaise and the white wine.

Putting the cool spread in a bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic touches the entire surface of the pate, to prevent it from rusting.

Guiso de pollo y chorizo (Chicken and chorizo stew)

6 large chicken thighs
200 g chorizo
1 onion
2 medium leeks
1 tespoon paprika
a pinch of saffron strands
2 whole heads of garlic
4 sprigs of thyme
200 ml sweet white wine
250 ml chicken stock
800 g boiled white beans
1 bay leaf
olive oil & salt



Heat some the olive oil in a large pot and fry the chicken thighs on both sides until they are crisp and golden, set aside in a plate. Cut the chorizo into 1-2cm chunks and add to the pot. Fry for a minute on each side and remove from the pot, leaving the oil behind. 

Add the onion cut into thin wedges and the leeks chopped into 2-3cm pieces (fry in the chorizo oil.) Reduce the heat, cover and soften the vegetables for 3 – 4 minutes. Check that they don’t catch on the bottom of the pot. 

Pollo al chilindrón (Chilindrón chicken)

4 chicken legs and 4 thighs 

4 cups diced onions
1 cup diced green peppers
1 cup diced red peppers
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup of Serrano ham or bacon
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
1 fresh rosemary sprig
1 bay leaf
2 cups plain  tomato sauce
2 cups of water
Olive oil & Salt 

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in pot over medium heat. Season the chicken pieces with salt and brown them on all sides. When ready set aside in a plate.

Guiso de cordero y alcachofas (Lamb and artichokes stew)

1 kg lamb

300 g of artichokes

300 g of peas

150 g ripe tomatoes

150 g potatoes

2 onions

1/2 head of garlic

1 glass of white wine

10 g of pine nuts

flour

ground black pepper

paprika

olive oil

2 bay leaves

parsley and salt

2 eggs boiled

Clean the lamb, cut it, season and dip in flour. Lightly fry the meat in olive oil, when golden place it in a pot. (Keep the olive oil in the fry pan) Add about 1 liter of water, and boil for 20 min along with the chopped artichokes and potatoes. After that time, add the peas and cook for another 10 minutes. 

Pollo al ajillo con patatas (Garlic chicken with baby potatoes)

1 whole chicken chopped or 2 kg of chicken wings or thighs
4 cloves of garlic
10 - 15 boiled baby potatoes
olive oil
parsley
1 cup water
1 glass of white wine
salt and black pepper

In a large frying pan put plenty of olive oil. When hot put the chicken and fry until well browned (20 min).

Incorporate the boiled baby potatoes split in half. Stir the chicken and the potatoes, making sure that they are not sticking to the bottom of the frying pan.

Pollo en pepitoria (Pepitoria Chicken)

1 chicken (chopped)
2 onions
1 carrot
1 green pepper
1 glass of white wine
2 cloves of garlic
8 almonds
3 slices of bread
olive oil & salt
black pepper
1 bay leaf
few strands of saffron
1 - 2 boiled eggs

Add salt and pepper to the chicken pieces and lightly fry in a saucepan with olive oil.

Chop the onions, garlic, carrot and green pepper, put them to fry over low heat in a saucepan with some olive oil and season. When they start to turn brown add the golden chicken, bay leaf, saffron strands, 1 glass of water and wine. Close the pan and cook for 50-60 minutes in low-medium heat.

Toro Bravo (Brave bull)

300 gr of bull or beef
3 onions
4 carrots
1 red pepper
2 ripe tomatoes
1 bay leaf
3 cloves of garlic
black pepper
nutmeg
1 liter of white wine
10 - 12 apples

Place in a saucepan cubed beef with a bit of olive oil and fry 2 minutes. Onions, carrots and tomatoes will go entire. Add also chopped red pepper in little peaces, a bay leaf, peeled and chopped garlic, white wine, a little bit of black pepper and nutmeg. Let cook in a low heat for 1 - 2 hours. Add some water if need it. 

After that time place the carrots, onions and tomatoes in a mixer and grind all. Add the mixture to the saucepan with the other ingredients. Keep cooking for 30 min. Once it is ready, is convenient to break the beef cubes in order to make an homogeneous sauce. 

Almejas a la marinera (Sailor´s clams)

500 gr of clams
half onion
3 cloves of garlic
half tablespoon of flour
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 small glass of white wine or fish broth
chopped parsley
extra virgin olive oil
bay leave



Wash well under cold water and rub. Leave to soak in salted water.

Place some extra virgin olive oil, chopped garlic cloves and the chopped onion in a pan. When it is golden add the flour. Stir well. Remove the frying pan from the heat, add the paprika and mix.

Empanada Gallega (Galician patty)

500 grams of flour

25 grams of fresh yeast

160 ml water

50 ml white wine

1 pinch of salt

olive oil

1 egg

-

1/2 kg of onions

350 g of tuna (drained)

4 tablespoons of tomato sauce

sweet paprika

Peel and chop onions. Place it in a saucepan with olive oil (add plenty, extra olive oil will be used for the dough)  over medium heat until onions start to become transparent. Then add 1 tablespoon paprika, mix a little and add the drained tuna. Mix well.

Take out from fire, drain the olive oil and put aside. Add the tomato sauce.

Chipirones rellenos de cebolla caramelizada (Squids with caramelized onions)

8 squids
2 medium onions
3 cloves of garlic
1 green pepper
100 ml dry white wine
a bunch of parsley
salt and olive oil





Start chopping as small as possible 2 cloves of garlic. Cut into thin strips onion and green pepper.  In a pan add the garlic, and without browning add also the onions and green peppers.
Let fry slowly for about 40 minutes. The onions should be golden, but not brown. 
Finally add the white wine and boil down. Take away from the fire and let cool. 

Arroz cremoso marinero, salmonetes y ajo negro (Seafood rice, red mullet and black garlic)

200 gr. rice
4 large red mullet

1 small onion

2 black garlic cloves (or regular garlic)
green pepper
a glass of dry white wine
three quarters of a liter of fish broth
olive oil
chopped parsley
salt, pepper & saffron

With a bit of olive oil fry the chopped onion and green pepper until transparent, add the garlic and let it cook a couple of minutes.

Add the rice and stir a couple of minutes. Add the wine and cook until all the alcohol evaporates. Stir following the direction of clockwise.
Gradually add fish stock. The rice should always be covered with a some broth. Usually take twice as much water than rice. 

Guiso de Rabo de Toro (Bull tail Stew)

1 bull tail (or oxtail)

3 or 4 onions

2 carrots

1 head of garlic

1 cube beef bouillon

1 teaspoon paprika

3 bay leaves

1 glass of red or white wine

cinnamon, nutmeg

6 cloves, peppercorns and salt

Virgin olive oil

4 medium potatoes

Fry the chopped bull tail in a pot with olive oil.
When browned, add the paprika and stir a few seconds (be careful not to burn).
Then add the garlic cloves, finely chopped onions, carrots cut into discs, bay leaf, wine, cinnamon, a little bit of nutmeg, cloves, pepper and crumbled bouillon tablet. Add water to cover the ingredients reach. Let cook for an hour and a half.

Ternera en salsa (Beef Sauce)

1 kg of beef diced
1 kg of fresh or frozen peas
2 onions
4 ripe tomatoes
3 carrots
salt and ground black pepper
nutmeg
virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon flour
half liter of white wine (option)




Put a clay pot on the fire with a good splash of olive oil and fry the beef peppered previously.

Solomillo de cerdo a la manzana (Pork sirloin with apple)

1 pork sirloin
1 onion
1 apple
2 cloves of garlic
1 glass of white wine
Ground black pepper
Salt





The first thing we do is saute the onion and garlic in a pan with extra virgin olive oil. Add salt to taste.
Meanwhile, let's spice up pork sirloin. We can also peel and cut the apple into small squares.

Cordero al Chilindrón con patatas (Chilindrón lamb with potatoes)

1 kg. baby lamb chopped

1 onion

1 green pepper

4 cloves of garlic

2 tomatoes

3 potatoes

1 tablespoon paprika

1 glass of white wine

1 glass of  water

flour 

extra virgin olive oil

salt & pepper

1 sprig of thyme

chopped parsley

Chop the onion, garlic and green pepper. Bring to a simmer fry in a saucepan with oil. Add the tomato, peeled and diced. Add a sprig of thyme.

Batter the lamb in flour with salt and pepper. Fry in a pan with olive oil. Add the lamb to the fried vegetables and sprinkle with chopped parsley.