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Monatsarchive: August 2012

Beer Soaked Apple Pie With Cheddar Beer Crust

When it comes to baking, I’m always intrigued by a new spin on an old favorite. Not to say that I don’t fully appreciate the simplicity and beauty of a perfect and well done classic recipe.  I’ll never tire of a traditional, straight forward apple pie with a huge scoop of homemade vanilla bean ice cream.

But I was introduced to the pure magic of a cheddar pie crust as an encasement for a traditional apple pie, by Kelly of Evil Shenanigans. I couldn’t stop thinking about how much I want to beer-ify (it’s a word) that perfect pie. Kelly’s cookbook, Not So Humble Pies is all about how to take that sweet little pie you’ve always loved and turn it into something they’ll never forget.

She even agreed to let me post my modified and beer-ified version of the crust that’s in her book. Maybe because she watched me greedily inhale two pieces of her pie in record time and was afraid of my possible reaction to not having said pie in my life any longer.

Here is my beer version of an apple pie with a cheddar crust. Which served as dessert, then breakfast the following day, then dinner.

It’s pretty versatile.

 

 

Beer Soaked Apple Pie With Cheddar Beer Crust

Ingredients
  

Crust:

  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 6-8 tbs beer pale ale, or wheat beer work best
  • 2 tbs melted butter to brush on prior to baking

Filling:

  • 7 cups Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and sliced (Granny Smith are the only apples that will not turn mushy during this process)
  • 16 oz pale ale or wheat beer
  • 2 lemons juiced
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • 2 tbs flour
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp corn starch

Instructions
 

  • Combine 1 1/2 cups of flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor, pulse a few times until its combined. Add the butter and process until well combined, about 2 minutes.Add the remaining flour and process until incorporated, about 1 minute.
  • Move to a bowl and add the cheese and 6 tbs beer, mix until just incorporated. Don't over mix. If the dough is too dry, add more beer until the right consistency is reached.
  • Split into two equal sized portions and form into disks. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and chill until very firm, about two hours. Because this dough is so soft, it is very important for the pie dough to be very cold and very firm.
  • Place the apples, lemon juice and 16 ounces of beer in a bowl and allow to soak at room temperature for 2 hours. If the apples are not fully submerged, toss every half hour to redistribute. Remove the apples from the beer and allow to drain and dry for about 30 minutes, or until fully dry.
  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Add the apples and the remaining filling ingredients to a bowl and toss to coat.
  • On a well floured surface, place one of the disks, add flour to the top of the disk as well.
  • Roll out into an even thickness. Marble rolling pins are very cold and don’t disrupt the fat inside the dough, making them an excellent choice for rolling pie dough. When you place your dough in the fridge to chill, add your marble rolling pin as well, allowing it to chill.
  • Add you pie dough to a pie pan and press into shape, removing any excess. Add the filling.
  • Roll out the second disk of pie dough and add to the top of your pie. Press the top crust and the bottom crust together at the edges, cut holes to vent steam.
  • Brush with 2 tbs melted butter.
  • Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Cover the edges with foil of the edge starts to brown too quickly.

Crust adapted from Not So Humble Pies, Kelly Jaggers

Brownie Waffles

I can’t decide if I’ve been obsessed with Dessert for Breakfast or if it’s really an obsession with Breakfast for Dessert.

 

Well, you say, it depends on what time of day said meal is being consumed. Although if this dessert/breakfast hybrid is eating all day long, the lines get a little blurred.

Now that I’ve shared with you my Pecan Pie French Toast, and Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes now I throw these Brownie Waffles at you.

I figured out that although I eat pretty well most of the week, I let myself eat whatever I want at my Saturday morning breakfast, making me want to get the most bang for my bite. Hence, breakfast and dessert crammed into one plate. I hope you don’t mind too much.

And if you want to get craaaazy, go ahead and top this with vanilla ice cream. And sprinkle it with bacon. But make sure and invite me over.

Brownie Waffles

Ingredients

  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1 cup milk (divided in half)
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs, divided
  • 1/4 cup sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturers specifications.
  2. Get out three bowls.
  3. In the largest bowl, add the flour, baking powder,cocoa powder, and salt, stir.
  4. In a microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate chips and 1/2 cup milk. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir and repeat until melted. Add the remaining milk, vegetable oil, vanilla and only the yolks of the two eggs.
  5. Add the whites to the third bowl, along with the sugar. Whip with a hand mixer until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes.
  6. Make a well in the dry ingredients, add the chocolate milk mixture and stir until just combined. Gently fold into the egg whites until just incorporated.
  7. Cook in waffle iron according to manufacturers specifications, using butter flavored cooking spray if indicated.
  8. And I recommend topping with whipped cream, or ice cream, or frosting, or chocolate chips, or all of it.

Chocolate Chip, Stout & Beer Nut Cookies

 

If you live in the Los Angeles area, I’m going to need you to do me a favor. I’ve somehow been booked on CBS, Los Angeles mid-day news with a cooking segment this Friday, August 31st. They want me to do a quick Cooking With Beer segment on the news at noon. People will be hungry, naturally, it is lunch time, and my hope is that this will persuade them to ignore any brief moments of nervousness that I have.

But If you could tune in, and support me, that would be great. I’m not really nervous, I keep waiting for that to set in, but it hasn’t yet. When it does, I would love to know that people who have been visiting me here on this little blog for the past year are out there cheering me on.

That would be great.

In the meantime we’re going to make some cookies. These call for the classic Beer Nuts, which I found myself in possession of after a particularly round night of cards at my house. Several bags of Beer Nuts left by an anonymous donor.  And I can’t just leave them in my pantry, I need to find a use for them.

We are also going to revisit that crazy idea I have of making beer extract. Because vanilla is just too…well, vanilla.

 

Chocolate Chip, Stout & Beer Nut Cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 cup stout beer
  • 1 cup cake flour
  • 3/4 cup bread flour
  • 1/2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup butter
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips 60%
  • 3 oz bag Beer Nuts

(Makes 10-12 cookies)

    Instructions
     

    • In a pot over medium high heat add the beer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1 tbs.
    • In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and both types of sugar, beat until well creamed. Add the egg and beat until well combined. Add the 1 tbs of beer extract and beat until well combined, scraping the bottom to make sure all the ingredients are well combined.
    • In a sperate bowl, add both types of flour (these two types of flour are very important to the end result of your cookies, regular all purpose flour will not give you the same results), cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Add dry ingredients to the stand mixer and mix on medium/low speed until just barely combined, don't over mix. Add the chocolate chips and Beer Nuts, and stir until incorporated.
    • Resting the dough is an important step in this recipe. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper, scoop golfball sized scoops of dough, roll them into round balls and place on the baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours.
    • Preheat oven to 350.
    • Bake for 20-22 minutes or until light golden brown, don't over bake. (If you don't chill the dough, or if you make smaller sized cookies, the cooking time will be much shorter. Start to keep an eye on your cookies after about 14 minutes).

     

    Panko Pork Chops With Jalapeno Peach Jam

    My two-year old has started to name her stuffed animals.

    While the majority of two-year olds default to naming stuffed animals after physical attributes (Spot, Stripes, Blackie, Snowy), Tater has decided, all on her own, on the following names for her 5 favorite stuffed animals, who she collectively refers to as her "Pals:"

    Dobies, Rocket, Stewie, Sam and Zach

    I have no idea where these names came from and to my knowledge she knows no one by those names. I’m constantly impressed by her and inspired to push the boundaries of my own creativity. Because if she has already started to eclipse the limits of my own ability to innovate what will I have to offer her in the years to come?

    While Tater and Stewie (the bear) helped me make these pork chops I needed to add something new. I dug out some peaches and made a little jam with some jalapeno.

    Not as creative as a two-year old naming Pillow Pet "Dobies", but pretty tasty and I’ll have to work on upping my game so I’m not out crafted by my offspring, who requested "Chocolate Bacon Pancakes" for breakfast on Saturday morning.

    Panko Pork Chops With Jalapeno Peach Jam

    Ingredients

    For The Jam:

    • 3 cups peaches, skin removed, chopped
    • 2 tbs fresh lemon juice
    • 1/4 cup sugar
    • 1 jalapeno, stem and seeds removed, diced
    • 1 tsp cornstarch

    For The Pork Chops:

    • 1 egg
    • 1 cup Almond Milk (can use regular whole or 2% milk cow’s milk)
    • 4 Boneless Pork Loin Chops
    • 1 tsp salt, plus one tsp salt, divided
    • 1 1/2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs
    • 1 tsp pepper
    • pinch cayenne
    • 1/4 cup oil

    Instructions

    1. In a pot over medium high heat, add all of the jam ingredients. Stirring occasionally, allow to simmer (not boil) until thick, and the peaches have broken down, about 45 minutes. Smash peached with a potato masher until a jam like consistency is reached. Remove from heat and set aside.
    2. In a bowl, combine the milk and egg, beat well. Sprinkle the pork chops on all sides with salt and add to the milk mixture. Place in the fridge and allow to marinate for one hour.
    3. In a bowl mix the bread crumbs, remaining 1 tsp salt, pepper, and pinch cayenne. Remove the chops from the milk mixture, allowing excess milk to drain off. One at a time add to the bread crumbs and toss to coat.
    4. In a skillet with a lid, heat the oil over medium heat (not too hot or the bread crumbs will burn). Add the Panko coated chops to the pan and replace the lid. Cook until the underside is golden brown, about 4 minutes, carefully turn the chops and replace the lid, allow to cook until cooked through but still moist in the center, about 4 additional minutes.
    5. Serve the pork chops topped with the jam.

      This jam can also be used as a dipping sauce for Coconut Cornmeal Shrimp!

    Smoked Olive Oil Rosemary Shrimp & A Smoker Giveaway

     

     

     

     

    This is by far my favorite giveaway I’ve ever been a part of.

     

    I’ve secretly always wanted a smoker. Such unique flavors and no real way to get that without very specific culinary equipment. But the smokers I have always come across are so large, bulky and intimidating. Including those that my Step Dad seemed to fashion on a regular basis out of abandoned aluminum items such as non-working refrigerators and ancient gym lockers.

     

    I didn’t really want one of those eyesore monstrosities just hanging around my back yard. Clearly there was some adolescent trauma involved in my hesitation to purchase a smoker.

     

    And then I get an email from those wonderful people over at Big Kitchen, with tales of a stovetop smoker that I can store in my pantry.  They even wanted to give it to me, and give one to you. Of course, I said something along the lines of Hell Yes.

     

    This is a fantastic option for those of you who want those great flavors of smoke without a gigantic metal object taking up residence in a remote corner of your yard.

     

    And if you win, you can walk around your kitchen thinking, “I wonder if I can smoke that?” as you slowly realize what it must be like to live in Snoop Dogs head. Sort of.

     

    As a girl who is constantly striving to fit into skinny jeans, I also feel compelled to point out that this little sucker crams an enormous amount of flavor into any food without adding a single calorie. And in most instances, it removes calories by rendering fat from meat. So much win.

    It’s also simple to use.

     

    Step 1: Place the base of the smoker on top of a stove burner, and add a few table spoons of woodchips in the middle of the base of the smoker

     

     

     

    Step 2: add the drip try right on top of the pile of wood chips.

     

    Step 3: Spray the wire rack with cooking spray and add to the top of the drip tray. Add the food to the wire rack.

     

    Step 4: Slide the lid onto the smoker leaving a small vent. Turn the burner to medium heat (don’t turn it too high).

     

    Step 5: once you start to see the first slight whips of smoke (about 2 minutes) use oven mitts to close the lid and start the cooking time.

     

    A few things to remember while smoking food indoors:

    • Be realistic about the fact that you are using a smoker indoors, the smell will invade your house. But it seemed to dissipate in a few hours.  Run your hood fan on high while smoking.
    • This gets blazing hot. Keep the hands of tiny humans far far away from this thing.
    • Although this stovetop smoker was a bit smaller than I had expected, the instructions show you how to easily modify the unit to accommodate larger items, like a turkey. You can smoke a TURKEY in this thing! (Get ready for a very smoky Thanksgiving)
    • You can even use this on your regular grill alongside your burgers and hot dogs.

    Smoked Olive Oil & Rosemary Shrimp

     

    ¼ cup olive oil

    1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

    pinch of salt

    ½ tsp pepper

    14 large raw shrimp, peeled

    7, 6 inch wood skewers

     

    2tbs Alder wood chips

     

    In a bowl combine the olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and allow to marinate for 5 minutes Remove from marinade and add two shrimp to each skewer.

    Smoke over alder wood chips using the above instructions for 15 minutes.

     

     

     

    Giveaway details:

     

    One Cameron Stovetop Smoker from Big Kitchen, shipped to USA addresses only.

     

     

    5 ways to enter,

    You do not have to do all five. Each one gets you a separate entry.

     

     

    1. Leave a comment of any sort.
    2. Follow me on twitter @domesticfits and leave a comment saying you did so
    3. Like Domestic Fits on Facebook and leave a comment saying you did so
    4. Follow Big Kitchen on twitter @BigKitchenStore and leave a comment saying you did so
    5. Like Big Kitchen on Facebook and leave a comment saying you did so

     

     

    Contest closes Thursday, August 30th. Winner will be chosen using a random number generator.

     

    We have a winner! Congrats to Meredith #59!

    Brown Butter Grilled Beer Cheese Sandwich

    There are some great elements in this world we live in that we beg the universe to some how bring together.

    Like a Yankees vs. Dodgers World Series

    Or an episode of The Office directed by Christopher Guest

    Or Trey Parker have complete creative control over The White House Holiday Card

    Or a reality show hybrid of The Bachelor and Fear Factor

    Even though I have to come to terms with the fact that those things will sadly never exist, I can meld brown butter and beer cheese into the greatest of all grilled cheese sandwiches. It won’t have the cultural repercussions of any of the above unions, but it is the best sandwich I’ve had in a long time. Too bad I didn’t have the forethought, or the consumptive restraint, to create a beer tomato soup to go along for the journey.

    Brown Butter Grilled Beer Cheese Sandwich

    Ingredients
      

    • 6 oz cream cheese
    • 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
    • 1 tsp cornstarch
    • 1/4 cup Pale Ale
    • 4 oz cheddar
    • 8 slices bread
    • 4 tbs butter

    Instructions
     

    • In a blender or food processor add the cream cheese, mozzarella, cornstarch and beer. Blend until smooth, about 3 minutes. Spread the beer cheese generously onto 4 slices of bread. Top with about 2 tbs of cheddar and then top with a clean slice of bread.
    • In a skillet with a lid melt the butter over medium heat (don't allow the butter to get too hot or it will burn) until just starting to turn a golden brown. Carefully add the sandwiches, and replace the lid allowing the sandwiches to steam in the pan until the underside is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip the sandwiches, replace the lid and allow to cook until the other side is a light golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 3 additional minutes.

     You can also use the pre-oven beer cheese from my Roasted Garlic & Parmesan Beer Cheese Dip.

     

    Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes

    I’ve spent all day with an internal struggle about the limits of my acceptance of other people. Probably a much too serious intro for a post about pancakes, but bear with me, you might have some insight I could really use.

    I’ve always prided myself on being a person who is able to see people for who they are, in the context of their own culture and life experiences and find beauty, talent and value without the qualification and framework of my own situation.

    Whether it be a trailer park in South Central Los Angeles, a cave in Morocco, or a bus bench in Greece I’ve always been able to do that. Easily.

    But today I was challenge with a though: what about hateful, small-minded, bigoted people?

    What about racists?

    The homophobic?

    Are those people I should love and keep in my life?

    I had an interaction with someone who left me wondering about my assertion that I have the anthropological capacity to care about other people regardless of who they are, what their beliefs or culture dictates, without judgement.

    Can I judge someone merely for judging others? Isn’t that the epitome of hypocritical?

    Isn’t the greater definition of open-minded and open-hearted to love those who are a challenge to love? I do believe that there is good in everyone. But is it worth it to try to dig past the hate and anger of a racist or homophobic friend or family member, or is that level of toxicity a fundamental deal breaker?

    If you have some insight, let me know. For now I will proceed with caution, because the bottom line is I want to love everyone. I don’t want anyone, or any group of people, to be designated as a group I should hate. Because hate just breeds more hate.

    Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup flour
    • 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 2 tsp baking powder
    • 3 tbs brown sugar
    • 1 tsp cinnamon
    • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
    • 1 egg
    • 1 1/4 cup milk (use coconut milk for dairy free, this is what I used)
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1/3 cup raisins (plus more for garnish)

    Instructions

    1. In a bowl add the flour, oats, salt, brown sugar, baking powder, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, mix until well combined. Make a well in the dry ingredients, add the milk, egg and vanilla, stir until just combined. Add the raisins and stir.
    2. Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat, coat with cooking spray.
    3. Drop about 1/4 cup of batter on the hot griddle. Cook until dry on the edges and bubbles start to form in the center. Flip and cook on the other side until cooked through, about 2 more minutes.

    (Yield: 6-8 pancakes)

    IPA Ceviche

     

    As summer nears it’s inevitable end, it’s not the weather that I’ll miss the most. In fact the leather boots and chunky sweaters of colder days are starting to beckon. The produce, back yard grills, the smell of life and food floating on a late afternoon breeze will be lost in the dawning of fall.

    This isn’t a recipe about avoiding the oven, or  grumbles of triple digit heat, it’s about enjoying August produce, paired with those Summer release beers and spending as much time as you can in the open air before we’re all forced to head inside, cook with squash, and drink stouts. Which I am already looking forward to.

    IPA Ceviche

    Ingredients
      

    • 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon
    • 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
    • 1 1/2 lb raw shrimp shell & tail removed, chopped
    • 1/2 cup IPA Beer
    • 1 yellow onion diced
    • 3 cups tomatoes diced
    • 1 large jalapeno diced, stem and seeds removed
    • 1/2 cup cilantro
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp red pepper sauce such as Sriracha

    Instructions
     

    • Add the lemon/lime juice and raw shrimp to a small bowl. (Shrimp will "cook" in the juice as it marinates.)
    • Mix beer, onion, tomato, and jalapeño in a large bowl, allow to marinate in the fridge for at least one hour.
    • Drain the vegetables and return to large bowl.
    • Once the shrimp have "cooked," drain and add them to the large bowl along with the salt and pepper sauce, toss to combine.
    • Serve cold with corn chips.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Beer Chicken Piccata

    Here it is, just like I promised. Beer Chicken Piccata, to go with those beer noodles I made.

    The first time I ever had Piccata I was a completely broke college student traveling through Italy. And it was cheap. It turned out to be one of the most memorable dishes I had on that trip, moving it to the top of my list of Italian Favorites. If I see it on a menu, especially those family run strip mall joints that I love so much, I can’t resist ordering it.

    If you are familiar with this dish, you can see that this is a pretty standard Piccata with the white wine replaced with beer. You need to choose a low hop beer with notes of citrus, an IPA will overwhelm this sauce.

     

    Beer Chicken Piccata

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 chicken breasts
    • about 1/4 cup flour for coating
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp pepper
    • 3 tbs butter Plus an additional 3 tbs, divided
    • 1 1/2 tbs flour
    • 1/3 cup pale ale
    • 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
    • 1/3 cup chicken broth
    • 1/4 cup capers

    Instructions
     

    • Filet each chicken breast in half horizontally, making each chicken breast thinner, not smaller. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the chicken and pound with a meat mallet or a rolling pin until about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
    • Sprinkle on all sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour until well coated.
    • In a pan over medium high heat, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the chicken and cook on each side until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan.
    • In a clean pan melt the remaining butter. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tbs flour and whisk until combined. Add the beer, broth and lemon juice and cook until warmed and thickened, about 3 minutes. Add the capers and stir.
    • Add the chicken to a plate on top of a bed of rice or pasta. Top with sauce, serve immediately.

     

     

     

    Cherry Peach Tart With Coconut Cointreau Whipped Cream (Vegan)

    Julia Child would have turned 100 today. She’s an inspiration, not just for those of us who cook, but for anyone who is sitting in an unfulfilling life wondering how then ended up where they did. Anyone who thinks they are "too old" to start a new path.

    Julia didn’t start cooking until she was 32 and she didn’t enter culinary school until she was 37. And just look at how that turned out for her, I’d say pretty well. What if she had felt "too old" to start learning how to cook? Would we still be putting canned pineapple slices on ham and eating Sarah Lee on special occasions?

    Laura Ingalls Wilder didn’t start writing until she was in her 40’s and her Little House books weren’t written untill she was in her 60’s.

    Martha Stewart was a stock broker until she started working on renovating a farm house at the age of 32.

    Andrea Bocelli didn’t start singing opera until he was 34.

    Grandma Moses didn’t start painting until she was 70.

    Makes me feel like I have an early start on this career change I want to make. Instead of thinking "Who am I to do that?" Start thinking, "Why not me?" If they can do it, why not you?

     

    Reminder: If you are in San Diego and want tickets to the Foster Farms Cook Off on September 7th, check this out.

    Cherry Peach Tart With Coconut Cointreau Whipped Cream (Vegan)

    Ingredients

    Crust:

    • 2 cups flour
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 3/4 cup of vegetable shortening (can sub butter for non vegan)
    • 2 to 4 tbs ice cold water

    For the filling:

    • 3 cups cherries, halved and pitted
    • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
    • 1 tbs flour
    • 2 yellow peaches, sliced

    For the whipped cream:

    • 1 can full fat coconut milk, chilled in the fridge overnight (important) (can sub 1 cup whipping cream for non vegan)
    • Chilled bowl (like the bowl of a stand mixer, just place it in the fridge for a few hours)
    • 3 tbs powdered sugar
    • 1 tbs Cointreau

    Instructions

    1. In a food processor, combine 1 1/3 cup flour, salt, sugar and shortening, process until well combined. Add the remaining flour and process again until combined. Transfer to a bowl and add the water with a wooden spoon (don’t add the water while the dough is in the food processor or your dough will be brittle and cracker-like). If the dough isn’t moist enough, you can add more water, a tsp at a time until the consistency is right. Dump the dough into the bottom of a 9 inch tart pan with 1 1/2 inch high sides, sprayed with cooking spray. Starting with the sides first then the bottom, form the crust into the pan. Chill the crust for 2 hours in the fridge. (If you haven’t yet, put a bowl in the fridge to chill to make the whipped cream)
      (*Note: if you have a smaller tart pan, mine seems to be quite large, you will need less tart dough, pull out any excess and make a mini tart in a muffin tin. You can also double the recipe, form the excess into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, place in a Ziplock freezer bag and freeze. should keep up to two months)
    2. Preheat oven to 350.
    3. Add the cherries, sugar, and flour to a bowl and toss to coat. Add the cherries to the tart crust. Top with sliced peaches. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until tart crust is a light golden brown. Allow to cool before removing from tart pan.
    4. Make the whipped cream.
    5. Open the can without shaking. Scrap only the fat layer at the top and into the chilled bowl, do not include any of the water in the bottom of the can, just the fat layer. Using a hand mixer, on high, whip until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and whip until combined. While the mixer is running, slowly add the Cointreau until combined.
    6. Serve the tart topped with whipped cream.

    Homemade Beer Pasta

     

     This is something everyone should do in their lives.

    Like cliff jumping in Greece, restaurant week in New York City, and watching the sun rise over the Mediterranean. Although making pasta from scratch doesn’t require a passport.

    Pasta isn’t as hard to make as you think and I have complete faith in your ability to pull this off. And impress your friends.

    Plus this leaves you open to a wide variety of sauces. Not just my Beer Marianna, but can someone please make me a beer Alfredo sauce?

    I’ll have a Beer Chicken Piccata for you later.  But in the meantime, someone needs to make me this stout bolognese. I’ll bring the noodles.

    Homemade Beer Pasta

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 cups all purpose flour
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1/4 cup wheat beer
    • 1 tbs olive oil

    Instructions
     

    • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment, add the flour and the salt and mix well. Form a well in the center, add the eggs and the beer. Mix on a low speed until the dough, eggs and beer are incorporated, about 6 minutes. Remove from the mixer and kneed on a well floured surface until smooth and elastic, at least 10 minutes to remove all air pockets. Form a ball and brush with olive oil. Cover and allow to rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
    • Cut the dough into two equal halves. Cut each half into equal thirds to give you 6 equal sized pieces. Keep all dough covered that you are not working with.
    • Flatten each dough section into a long oval. Pass through the pasta roller at the widest setting. Close the pasta roller one notch and pass through again. Close the pasta roller again pass the pasta through again. Add flour to the pasta with each each pass through the pasta roller. Continue to do this until the pasta is thin. I used the Kitchen Aid Pasta Roller Attachment with the narrowest setting at 4.
    • Switch to the fettuccinie cutter pasta roller and cut each flattened pasta section into fettuccinie ribbons.
    • Allow to dry on a pasta drying rack or laid flat on a baking sheet for about 15 minutes.
    • Add pasta to a pot of lightly salted boiling water until cooked through, about 5-8 minutes.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Mojito Chicken Wings With Wasabi Mint Cream Sauce & Free Tickets to the Cook-Off

     

     

    If you are a regular reader of my blog, you might have taken one look at this title and wondered if I had flashbacks to the Moroccan Mint Experience. The answer, of course, is yes.

    And I’m going to bet that my sister who accompanied me on the guided tour of Middle Atlas headed by a man who was surely a Moroccan drug dealer, had a similar flashback, and possibly a shudder,  just reading the title of this post.

    But I still really want to like mint. It’s an amazingly fresh and bright flavor that I want to enjoy. I want to be able to drink a Mojito if I ever make it to Cuba, and when I someday go to The Kentucky Derby, I am most certainly going to order a mint Julip and enjoy it under my huge hat. And if I ever find myself in the "living room" of another hospitable cave dweller on the other side of the world, I want to be able to drink his tea with a smile.

    So I’m subjecting myself to some Exposure Therapy. And I am enjoying it immensely. Other than the involuntary gagging when I chopped the mint (I know, that totally makes you want to run right out and make this chicken), I am completely in love with the end result of this dish. Even the Wasabi Mint Cream Sauce. It was a fantastic balance of flavors that I enjoyed much more that I had imagined. And I can now say that I am well on my way to recovery. I see more mint in my future.

    Speaking of chicken, I have some great news. As I’m getting all the details for my participation in the 3rd Annual Foster Farms Fresh Cooking Contest all in order, the wonderful people over at Foster Farms have given me 5 pairs of tickets to the event to give away to my readers. I’m so excited about that. This is an invite only event, and tickets are very limited. I would love for some of you to go with me.

    Mojito Chicken Wings With Wasabi Mint Cream Sauce

    Ingredients

    • 12 Foster Farms Party Wings
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp pepper
    • ¼ cup cornstarch
    • 2/3 cup ponzu sauce
    • 2 tbs honey
    • ¼ cup white rum
    • 1 tsp red chili sauce (such as sriracha)
    • 2 tsp garlic powder
    • 2 tbs sesame seeds
    • 6 oz Greek yogurt
    • 1/4 tsp wasabi powder
    • 1 tbs cilantro, minced
    • 2 fresh mint leaves, minced
    • 1 tbs lime juice

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 425.
    2. Rinse the chicken wings in cold water and dry well.
    3. Sprinkle chicken on all sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with cornstarch and rub to coat.
    4. In a separate bowl, add the ponzu, honey, rum, chili sauce, garlic powder and sesame seeds, stirring well to combine. Add the chicken, toss to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for ten minutes.
    5. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
    6. Arrange the chicken wings on the baking sheet and bake at 425 for ten minutes.
    7. While the chicken is baking, add the remaining marinade to a pot over medium high heat,stiring frequently, reduce until thickened and syrupy, about 8-10 minutes.
    8. Once the marinade has reduced, remove the chicken from the oven and brush with the thickened marinade, turn them over, brush with marinade on the other side.
    9. Return to the oven and allow to cook for an additional ten minutes, basting again.
    10. Allow chicken to bake until cooked through, an additional 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
    11. To make the sauce, add the Greek yogurt, wasabi, cilantro, mint, and lime juice to a bowl and mix to combine. Serve the sauce along side the wings as a dipping sauce.

    (Note: the total cooking time for the chicken will be approximately 25-35 minutes, requiring basting every ten minutes)

     

     

     

     

    A Chicken & A Chance

    I can’t wait until Monday to tell you all about the phone call I got on my way home. So I’m posting now.

    Do you remember last year when I beat out thousands of other people to get a chance to cook my Pulled Chicken Sliders at the Foster Farms Chicken Cook-off?

    (Photo: Foster Farms)

    As you can tell by that fact that I am not holding a giant check with my name on it, I didn’t win.

    I did have a great time, a fantastic trip to San Deigo, cooked in a fancy commercial kitchen, ate some incredible food, and met some great food industry people. But, I didn’t get one of those big checks that I really wanted.

    And since I know how smart you are, you probably already put 2 and 2 together to realize that 4 equals:

    I’m going again this year! My recipe (Spice Rubbed Chicken Thighs with Chipotle Béarnaise over Avocado Lime Quinoa Salad) was chosen to compete in this years contest! And the rumor on the cooking contest strip is that more people than ever entered this year. So that makes me even more grateful to be in the running for that Big Check.

    And the guy who called to congratulate me said this:

    "The fact that your recipes have been chosen two years in a row speaks volumes of your talent."

    In which I responded with a silence because the gigantic smile on my face was preventing me from speaking.

    Two years in a row, and this time I mean buisness. I want to move on to the next stage, which is the finals in Napa Valley. In which the Grand Prize is Ten Grand.

    In honor of my Chicken Chance at the cook-off on September 7th, I’m giving you a great round up of fabulous chicken dishes from my blogger friends:

    Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken: Damn Delicious

    Take-Out, Fake-Out: Sweet & Sour Chicken: Table For Two

    ;

    Grilled Chili Lime Chicken: Fearless Homemaker

    Buffalo Chicken Salad: Bake Your Day

    Szechuan Chicken: Wanna Be A Country Cleaver

    Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Sweet Potato Waffles: Foodness Gracious

     

     

    Vanilla Bean Smoked Porter French Toast

    It seems so wrong.

    This urge I have to continually make breakfast with beer.

    Probably reinforcement of the personality test I took in college in which I scored "surprisingly high" on the Inherent rebellion scale, as noted by the test administrator.

    Because we, as a society, have decided that we shouldn’t mix alcohol with pre-noon hours. Along with a Sunday brunch mimosa or, well… Vegas in general, this should be your exception.

    And while I’m ordering you around, I have to mention how much I adore this beer and demand that you seek it out:

     Stone smoked porter with vanilla bean. It’s a porter with the perfect infusion of the flavors of smoke and vanilla bean.  And even though it’s summer and I’ve been told by Beer Store Beer Guy that porters and stouts aren’t "in season," I’ve driven all over town to stock up on this very porter, twice. More evidence of my inherent rebellion.

     

    Vanilla Bean Smoked Porter French Toast

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup milk
    • 2/3 cup smoked porter recommended: Stone Smoked Porter w/ Vanilla Bean
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 3 eggs
    • 1 tsp vanilla
    • 2 tbs butter plus additional as needed
    • 1 large loaf of crusty italian bread cut into 1 inch thick slices

    Instructions
     

    • In a bowl, add milk, beer, sugar, eggs and vanilla, whisk until well combined. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, melt the butter.
    • One at a time, dip the bread into the milk mixture until well coated. Add to pan and cook until browned on one side, flip and brown on the opposite side (about 2 to 3 minutes per side). Repeat for all slices. Add butter to the pan as needed.

    Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream (Vegan)

     

    ( chocolate coconut ice cream vegan ) 

    I’m still in shock about this ice cream.

    First, I am still wrestling with this realization that I actually DO like coconut after years of testifying to my hatred for it. But it turns out that I love it, and my favorite of all the coconut products is coconut milk. And although I still loath "coconut" candy and all the oddly texture invasive disgust that it has assaulted my mouth with over the years, but I can’t hold that against the amazing substance that is coconut milk.

    I can’t stop putting it in things and my fervent adoration has only grown once I have discovered what it does once it hits my KitchenAid Ice Cream maker (affiliate link).

    A creamy texture that is much better than any cow’s milk product I have ever made. You’ve seen a can of full fat coconut milk, and that creamy layer on the top, it’s beautiful. And it’s incredible in ice cream, with a smooth and rich flavor that reminds me of the gelato I had in Italy.

    You will love this and everyone will be shocked that it’s vegan. I can’t even believe it.

    Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream

    Ingredients

    • 2 (13.5 oz) cans of full fat coconut milk
    • 1 1/4 cup sugar
    • 1/2 cup good quality unsweetened cocoa powder

    Yield: About 2 1/2 cups

    Instructions

    1. In a pot over medium heat, add all the ingredients and stir. Allow to simmer until thickened slightly, about 8 minutes.
    2. Place in a container and refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours.
    3. Add to an ice cream maker and churn until set, about 15 to 20 minutes. Freeze until desired consistency is reached

    *Note: I use a Kitchen Aid Ice Cream maker: churn time was 15 minutes for a "soft serve" consistency and another 2 hours of freeze time for a harder scoop style ice cream.

     

     

    Beer Steamed Stuffed Artichokes & How to Stuff an Artichoke

     

    Here’s my artichoke. We’re going to gut him and stuff him with bacon.

    And then cook him in beer.

     

     

    The first step is to trim. Start with peeling off a few layers of the outside leaves They’re tough and not very good, don’t feel bad about getting rid of them.

    And if your artichoke has a long stem, trim it so that it can stand upright, with its leaves pointed at the sky. That will come in handy later.

    Then you are going to cut off the pointed tip of the artichoke.

     

    Then use a pair a kitchen sheers, (or, lets be honest regular scissors will be fine) to trim the pointed tips off of all of the leaves.

     

    Starting at the outside and working towards the inside, pull the leaves outward.

     

    Once you get to the inside leaves that are yellow and purple, you are going to want to remove these. There is a lot of waste with stuffed artichokes, just accept it and move on.

    This part isn’t easy. If you are having a hard time, that’s normal. The best way to do it is to dig at it with a melon baller. And swear at it a few times to put it in it’s place.

    Feel the inside to make sure it’s smooth and none of that hairy choke is left behind. If it still feels fuzzy, keep digging. And swearing, if it helps.

    Squeeze half a lemon into the cavity of the artichoke.

     Next you want to make the filling (recipe below).

    Stuff the filling inside the middle of the artichoke. Starting at the outside, spread the leaves out and press the filling inside the leaves, work your way in until all the leaves are full.

    Place in an oven safe pot, standing upright. Pour 1 1/2 cup citrusy wheat beer into the bottom of the pot.

    Cover with a lid or tin foil and bake at 375 for 40-60 minutes or until the outer leaves come away easily.

    Beer Steamed Stuffed Artichokes

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 large artichokes prepared as above
    • 1 large lemon
    • 4 strips of bacon
    • 1/3 cup chopped shallots
    • 4 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 cup mushrooms chopped
    • 1 cups bread crumbs
    • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
    • 1/2 cup mozzarella
    • 2 tbs olive oil
    • 1 1/2 cups citrusy wheat beer

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 375
    • Prepare artichokes as instructed above, squeeze 1/4 lemon into the cavity of each artichoke.
    • In a pan over medium high heat, cook the bacon until browned. Remove from pan, and chop. Drain off most of the bacon grease, leaving about 2 tbs in the pan. Add the shallots and cook until soft. Add the garlic and stir. Add the mushrooms and cook until dark brown. Remove from heat and add the remaining ingredients as well as the chopped bacon (other than the beer), stir until well combined.
    • Stuff the artichokes as instructed above.
    • Place artichokes upright in the pot, fill with 1 cup beer.
    • Cover and cook until outer leaves come away easily, about 40-60 minutes.


    Chicken Sliders With Zucchini Buns

     

    At the end of the month I have this little cooking on TV gig that I’m incredibly excited about. And as much as I strive to be unique and impervious to social pressure, none of that has been able to penetrate my own vanity. After the initial shock of being asked to cook on CBS, Los Angeles wore off my first very female thoughts went something like this:

    "What am I going to wear?"

    "The camera adds ten pounds. Awesome."

    So here I am, trying to stay as healthy as possible until I can school the Los Angeles metro area on the mid-day news with an introduction to cooking with beer all while still trying to run two food blogs that dazzle you with fun and delicious food. Not as easy for me as I’d like.

    I did, however, discovered that if I give up dairy, which I already find skeevey in it’s unmanipulated state, the battle to lose those last few pounds becomes much easier. Butter and goat cheese have been the only real sacrifices, the rest has been easy to ignore or replace.

    Don’t forget to come back on Wednesday when I give the best chocolate ice cream I have ever had that happens to be dairy free. It’s insane how creamy it is. You’ll want that recipe.

    This recipe, which is dairy and gluten-free, gives you this delicious little mini burgers that are only about 90 calories each. And I am now one step closer to cooking on TV and not crying about it.

    Chicken Sliders With Zucchini Buns

    Ingredients

    For The Patties

    • 1 lb ground lean chicken
    • 1 egg
    • 1/4 cup panko (for GF, use crushed potato chips)
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp pepper
    • 1/2 tsp dry oregano
    • 1/2 tsp dry basil
    • 1 cup fat free chicken broth

    Condiments & Toppings

    • 1 to 2 large zucchinis, cut into 1/4 inch rings (buns)
    • Avocado Slices
    • BBQ Sauce
    • Pickled Jalapenos
    • Tomato Slices

    Instructions

    In a bowl, combine all the the patti ingredients (except the chicken broth) with your hands until well combined.
    Spray the inside of a skillet (with a lid) with cooking spray, allow to get hot but not smoking.
    Form the chicken mixture into patties about the width of your zucchini slices and about 1/2 inch thick. Cook on one side until browned on the bottom, flip and allow to cook for about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth until about half way up the sides of the chicken patties. Cover with a lid and allow to steam for about 3 to 5 minutes or until chicken patties are cooked through. Because fat is responsible for moist patties, very lean meat becomes dry very easily. This is the method I use to make sure the chicken is cooked through but is not dry.
    Remove from pan and allow to drain.
    Add the patties to the zucchini slices, top with condiments and serve.

    (Makes about 8)

    Beer Chili & Cheese Dogs for IPA Day

    The first Thursday in August is the unofficial holiday of that hoppy beer favorite, the IPA. There may come a day when this becomes a nationally recognized day of appreciation with parades and pageantry, paper decorations and paid holiday leave, but until then we’ll celebrate the Indian Pale Ale with a series of parties, blog posts and happy hour specials.

    Increasing hops for the celebration of flavor, seems to have taken root in the American Craft Beer movement. Inventive brewers found more and more ways to add those hop flavors and not just to balance  sweetness with bitterness, but to celebrate it. Triple hopped, palette wrecking, up-the-IBU beer loving brewers began an Arms Race for the ultimate IPA. A strong counter culture to the mild "smooth" liquid inside those macro cans, this was beer that let you know who was boss. You were drinking it on purpose, not by default, and those hops would kick you in the mouth to remind you that the King of Beers can kiss their ass. The IPA is the poster child for the craft beer movement and a reminder of why it started.

    A really great, well crafted IPA is a beautiful thing. It’s worth the search to find one that you love. And then you’ll get it.

    May August 2nd, 2013 have even more beer lovers celebrating the IPA.

     

    This is a recipe that will be intensified with an IPA. The hoppyness will be celebrated and fairly strong. If you want to tone it down, you can also use a stout instead, but you should probably wait until after the High Holiday of the High Hop Beer.

     

     

     

    Beer Chili & Cheese Dogs

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 tbs olive oil
    • 1 cup yellow onions chopped
    • 4 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 lb beef 80% lean/20% fat
    • 6 oz tomato paste
    • 1 cup beer
    • 1 tsp smoked paprika
    • 1 tbs worcestershire sauce
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp pepper
    • 1 tsp cummin
    • 1 tsp red chili sauce such as sriracha
    • 1 tsp chili powder
    • 8 hot dogs
    • 8 hot dog buns

    Instructions
     

    • In a large pot over medium high heat allow the olive oil to get hot but not smoking. Add the onions and cook until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and the beef and cook until the beef is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients (other than the hot dogs and buns) and allow to cook until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
    • Spoon over warm hot dogs. Top with cheese, if desired. Enjoy with a cold IPA.