Sangria Mushroom Sauce

When we got grillin' last week, I made this simple sangria mushroom and onion sauce to go with the steak. Frankly, the steak needed no backup from any sauce because it was so tender and juicy on its own but there was rice on my plate and if there's rice, I've gotta have sauce and plenty of it!

I wanted a wine sauce but did not have red wine on hand. I did however have sangria which is pretty much a red wine enhanced with citrus flavors. So sangria sauce it was! The end result was a hearty, thick, sweet and savory sauce with a distinct red wine flavor that coated the tender mushrooms and onions. I call this a sauce dish but it could easily double as a side dish if you leave the mushrooms whole or very chunky. Either way, it makes for a delicious vegetarian dish when served over rice, pasta and even mashed potatoes.

SANGRIA MUSHROOM SAUCE

Ingredients:

12 oz. of white or baby bella mushrooms (halved if small, quartered if large or leave whole if you'd like)

1 large onion, diced

2 tbsp. of butter

1 cup of Sangria

1/2 cup water

2 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. cornstarch

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Melt the butter in a pan and saute the onions on medium to high heat until soft and starting to brown. Add the mushrooms, Sangria and water and simmer over low heat, covered, until the mushrooms are tender and the sauce has reduced, about 20 minutes. Combine the soy sauce and cornstarch then add the mixture to the pan while stirring at the same time. Continue simmering and stirring for another minute so that the sauce thickens further. Add salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat. Cool slightly then serve.