Straight Up Comfort Food and Mulled Wine Vinaigrette

Fall is creeping closer and closer to winter.  This year's transition seems particularly sneaky -- a plethora of produce still pervades the farmers market, 60 degree days abound, and no ice has appeared as of yet, even in most of the Northeast.  However, the increasing grey of the days, the temperature fluctuation, and the equally advertised Day of Thanks and holiday season forecast the seriously cold months.  Thus, today's need for comfort food and a reinvention of a winter warmer.

Random asides: Let it be known that I have always been anti-tomato soup, particularly tomato soup/grilled cheese combo (Supporting evidence: the soup interfered with the brilliant cheeziness and (gasp) tomatoes were best located in my pasta sauce and ketchup (until a year or so ago)).  Let it also be known that since becoming a vegan...I have not had a grilled cheese sandwich.  It is true -- they are not healthy for you no matter what kind of cheesetasticness you consume, but they do a soul good.  Thus, today's reaction:

Dear Mozzarella Daiya,

I love you.  I've drawn hearts around your name in my recipebook.  I  will wear a shirt with your name on it.  I will stand on a soapbox and preach your glory to the world.  I will stand outside your refrigerator case and play you Peter Gabriel on my iPod.

Be mine.  XO XO
Kate

Seriously, I don't care what your food lifestyle tendency may be, this stuff is AMAZING, especially of course if you have a "no can do" dairy tummy or inclination.  Ok. Praise session -- fin.  I LOVE YOU, M. DAIYA!  Ok really -- I'm done now.

The only thing of my own creation tonight is the Mulled Wine Vinaigrette.  I love a good glass of this warming beverage on those crisp days, and it is also a great way to use up the lingering end of a bottle and avoid waste  (some people also freeze the last bottle remnants for stocks - I've never tried this myself (let's be honest, there are rarely leftovers), but it sounds like a good idea).

Here's the scoop:
I used this quick recipe for mulled wine: http://www.food.com/recipe/quick-mulled-wine-124503 (didn't use brandy -- just had 3/4 c. wine for alc. element and used 2 T brown sugar for honey, as I didn't have any).

For the Vinaigrette
1/2 c. room temp mulled wine
1 shallot, finely minced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
salt and pepper
1 - 2 T. olive oil (or omit)

Combine all in a jar and shake.  (Here's how I know you can omit the oil:  I had the wrong lid for my jar and most of the oil escaped.  Doh. It was so one of those days in the kitchen.  Tt should be known that I am also quite happy to just put vinegar on my salad, but the hub liked it too (and he's generally a ranch man, so...).

I found the Tomato Basil Soup recipe here, and since it converted me, I must give you the link: http://www.food.com/recipe/fresh-tomato-soup-with-basil-222068

(My adaptations: I used 1 28 oz. can organic diced tomatoes, drained; one small potato peeled and diced and half of sweet potato, peeled and diced, to equal the med. requested (next time, could just do a medium sweet potato); 2 garlic cloves; 1 T. dried basil; 1 T. oil and then water to saute; 1 t. Veg. Worcestershire)

Dinner = happiness.  Check out The Revisionist's Treatery to find out what else I did with mulled wine.  I am need some serious power yoga to address all this "comfort" happening in my kitchen this week.

With a full tummy and a snoring dog,
K