Though a perfect addition to any winter dinner, this easy-to-make port wine sauce recipe is ideal for those later, cool days of summer--those days when you can “sense” that fall is just around the corner!

You’ll need a bottle of your favorite port wine, 1 tablespoon butter, 2 tablespoons chopped shallots, 1/2 cup of mushrooms (thinly-sliced), 1 tablespoon of cream, 1/2 cup of beef or chicken stock, thyme, rosemary, dried oregano, salt, and pepper.

In a deep frying pan, melt the butter. Sauté the mushrooms and shallots over medium heat. When done, add about 1/2 a cup of port wine, plus the other ingredients listed above: cream, beef or chicken stock, and a pinch of thyme, rosemary, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir well, and reduce heat to low once the mixture boils. Simmer, while stirring occasionally, until your main dish is almost fully-cooked, then remove the sauce from heat for 2-4 minutes. (Sauce will naturally thicken.) Drizzle your port sauce liberally over your main dish, and even side dishes, and serve. Watch for smiles, and listen for “yummy” sounds! This sauce makes a delightful companion to almost any dish with beef, chicken, pork, veal, turkey, goose, bass, figs, eggplant, and (for those of you who have overcome your childhood aversion) Brussels sprouts! Enjoy this sauce with a glass of your favorite port now, as a precursor to the colder months ahead.

<div id="attachment_2428" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 300px">Port wine sauce with veal and assorted vegetables<p class="wp-caption-text">Image courtesy of finestchef.com</p></div>