All posts by Melinda

Melinda is a beer enthusiast seeking out which food and beer will join forces next... No beer is safe!! She is an active member of Barley's Angels-MN, an employee of a local brewing company, and a novice home brewer.
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EAT A BEER: The Goods, the Beer, and the Ugly

With spring fever consuming our every waking minute, I could only think of one thing….BLTs!!!

What a scrumptious way to satisfy the hunger for spring. It didn’t take long for me to figure out that beer bread would be the perfect recipe to carry this out for Eat A Beer.

I usually use a bread machine. It’s pretty fool proof. But after searching my trusty beer recipes I found one that was hand mixed & baked in the oven. It’s been a few years since I have baked bread this way. It seemed pretty simple. Simple ingredients, simple steps.

And just for fun, the BLT turned into a smoked trout club. You see, I am a big trout fishing junkie. I will sit in the rain, snow, you have it, just to catch those tasty little morsels. And lucky for me, my fella knows how to smoke some meat. So voilà! Smoked Trout Club Sandwich! Lets see how this bad boy goes down.

The Good

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Smoking brook trout ala Weber grill.

So that’s pretty self explanatory. Catch fish. Clean fish. Smoke fish. Eat fish.

The Beer

Eat A Beer - BLT
Simple Ingredients. I used one of my favorite local beers to cook with, the Great Northern Porter from Summit Brewing Company.

The Recipe:
4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
12 oz beer (not light!)
2 tbsps baking powder
2 tsps salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten

Mix all dry ingredients together. Add beer and eggs at the same time. You may need to add a bit  more flour when kneading. Mix into a consistent dough- not too sticky.
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Place in a 9×5 greased loaf pan. Bake at 375 for 1 hour 10 mins. Remove immediately from pan to cool.

Recipe Source :http://homecooking.about.com/od/breadrecipes/r/blbread1.htm

The Ugly

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It’s not pretty, but it turned out pretty tasty! Very dense, but sliced thin & toasted? Yum.

The GOODS

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Yes. This is the goods

3 layers of beer bread. Avocado, cucumber, herbed goat cheese, BACON!, fresh & oven roasted tomatoes. This is my tribute to spring. Fishing, baking and fresh foods? Bring it! And let’s eat it!

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EAT A BEER: Irie-ish Edition

Irish I was Irish. I’m about a pinch. But that doesn’t mean I can’t share in some of the grand traditions of this beloved holiday. I mean, I love the color green! I like gold! Shaleighleigh is fun to say! And of course- I love beer!

This started as just a recipe for corned beef. But then I had to go crazy and put my own spin on things.

It started with the corned beef. I just got a small tip roast and decided to go with an easy traditional recipe. And then I remembered…I had a couple pounds of Simpson barley in my brewing stash. What could I do? I had to make a quick version of malt vinegar for my brine. And I was just too lazy to go to the store for some!

Malt vinegar:
1 cup crushed barley malts
1cup white vinegar
1-2 cups beer

I crushed the barley in the food processor, releasing as much sugars as possible. I added the vinegar & beer and reduced to about half. I gradually added the other cup of beer to thin out.

I placed the beef tip into a sealable container, poured the vinegar over & added traditional pickling spices & one more beer to cover. It sat overnight. It could be done days in advance to tenderize further.

Corned Beef:
I followed the recipe below from the Internet.

I placed the 3lb. beef into a Dutch oven with the brine. I added enough water to just cover the beef. I added the packet of spices included with the beef & an extra bay leaf. Bring to a simmer.

It’s 50 mins per pound of meat. I added carrots & red potatoes on top of meat in the 2nd 50 minutes. They turned out perfect! (I opted for no cabbage.)

After the time was up, I removed the meat & let rest on a cutting board. I sliced after about 15 mins. Tender & juicy! Serve with a spicy mustard & cooked veggies.
Recipe Source

But that’s not all….
The best part of making corned beef is having leftovers for hash!!!

Eat a Beer - corned beef

Corned beef hash:
I cut up the beef, potatoes & carrots into small bite size chunks. Added onion & jalapeño for some kick. I seasoned with season salt, crushed caraway & dill seed, and Kansas City steak seasoning. Oh- don’t forget the chopped bacon! Yum!

Cook in a skillet med-high until a nice crust forms. Keep turning until all has been fried. About 15 mins.

We got kick ass homemade corn tortillas- fried them babies up into taco shells & viola!

Served with an Irish coffee stout? Oh yeah….it was a tasty morning!!

**I used Schell’s Firebrick for the brine. I would recommend using a stout, as directed on the recipe. It didn’t give deep enough notes. But a damn good beer to drink!!

**A beautiful pairing (and beer): fresh
Lift Bridge Irish Coffee Stout & corned beef hash with bacon on the side.
Need I say more?

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Eat a Beer: Chocolate Bacon Beer Cake

chocolate cake2The quest: to bake a cake with Midweek Beer Geek’s Featured beer: Odell’s Lugene Chocolate Milk Stout.

The mission: to find the best recipe I could (I’m not that crafty or scientific for my own recipe!). It had to be easy, delicious, and would pair smoothly with the Lugene.

The journey: I settled on a bundt cake. I had so many ideas. I researched a TON of great recipes, but this one seemed fitting & would feed a thirsty crowd.

Follow me to chocolate-bacon-stout bliss!!

Chocolate Stout Cake with Ganache & Candied Bacon

1 cup of stout, preferably chocolate
2 sticks (1cup) unsalted butter
1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups All purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

chocolate cake3

Candied Bacon:
4 -6 strips of trimmed bacon
2 tbsp whiskey
2 tbsp butterscotch schnapps
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp of stout beer

chocolate cake3Ganache:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
8 oz dark or semisweet chocolate chips
1 tbsp sugar

First I cooked the candied bacon in a medium skillet. Cook the bacon til it’s cooked through. Drain off excess grease. Add the liquors & sugars to the pan. Cook bacon until bubbly & liquid cooks down. Set aside on a nonstick surface to cool. Do not clean pan- use for next steps!

Candying bacon.

Spray/grease bundt pan. Turn oven on to 350.

Cake:
Add 1 cup stout & 1 cup unsalted butter ( 2 sticks!) to bacon pan. Cook over medium heat until melted. Add cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. **as mixture sits it will separate. Just stir before adding to egg mixture. Cool slightly.

chocolate cake 4Making butter & stout mixture.

Whisk flour,sugar,baking soda & salt in a large bowl & blend. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat eggs & sour cream in a large bowl. Add chocolate stout mixture to eggs & beat just to combine. Add flour mixture & beat briefly on slow speed. With a spatula fold batter until well combined.
Pour batter into bundt pan.
Bake at 350 for 40-45 mins. Check with toothpicks til picks come out clean.
Set aside til cool. Flip upside down onto serving plate.

Almost done!

Ganache:
In a small sauce pan, add heavy cream & sugar. Combine until sugar is dissolved & almost to a boil.
Pour over chips in a medium bowl. Stir until smooth. Pour over cooled cake.
Finely chop up candied bacon. Sprinkle onto moist ganache.
Let ganache cool & setup. Serve & enjoy!!

chocolate cakeBacon! And enjoying at Midweek Beer Geek! Plus Chocolate Cheese!

**Trimming bacon or using a lean bacon (cottage style) will make cook time a lot easier & tastier!
**Want more bacon?? Add bacon into the cake- pour half the batter into pan, sprinkle bacon & them pour rest of batter. Bake as directed.

Recipe source:
http://lepetitbrioche.blogspot.com/2012/02/dark-chocolate-stout-bundt.html?m=1
chocolate cake 5

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Eat a Beer: Resolutions

Resolutions….we all make them. Promises made to be broken. Whether the goals are realistic or not, we start out the year gung-ho to better ourselves.

Well I can help…it involves beer AND a crockpot!
It happens to be a vegan recipe I’ve been making for years from the food hard rocker, Betty Crocker! It’s easy, filling, flavorful, and good for you!
Fear not the vegan, beer brothers & sisters…I bring you enlightenment.
Spices, fresh ginger& garlic.

Curried Sweet Potato & Lentil Stew

3 cups 1″cubed peeled sweet potatoes
1.5 cups baby carrots, whole
1 small onion, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
3/4 cup dried lentils, sorted & rinsed
2 tsps olive oil
1tbsp curry powder
1tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1tsp finely chopped gingerroot
1 clove garlic finely chopped
1cup BEER
1cup vegetable stock
1(10oz) package frozen green         beans,thawed
Mix sweet potatoes,carrots,onions & lentils in 3.5-6 quart slow cooker.
Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add curry powder, cumin, salt, pepper, gingerroot & garlic. Cook 1 minute stirring constantly, forming a paste. Stir in beer & then veggie stock.
Adding BEER to curry paste.
Add liquid mixture into slow cooker.
Cover & cook on low setting for 5-6 hours or until veggies are tender.
Turn setting to high; add green beans. Cover & cook about 15 mins or until green beans are crisp-tender.
End results…yum & Cheers!

Serves 6. About 250 calories per serving.

• I  used Smuttynose Pumpkin ale. A lager will always work, but a little spice & malt is nice!

•• I added crushed cumin & dill seed, and chili pepper flakes for a little more kick. I also added broccoli & portabella mushrooms-these get added 1/2 way through for a tender but not mushy texture. 

•••Adding a spoonful of plain yogurt when served is a delicious way to balance the spices. It will then be Vegetarian, not vegan. But a  tasty touch! 
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Eat a Beer: Holidays Part 1

Old man winter…he’s pretty hard to avoid and comes to visit unexpectedly.

But that doesn’t mean he can get the best of us. I mean, c’mon…we’re Minnesotans. We live here and except the challenges he snows upon us. And how do we defeat??? Why, with beer, of course! And food made with beer!!

This cheesy chunky soup has been a family favorite since 1994. I used to make it for my college buddies in Arizona & they would flip out…only because we didn’t need help getting warm….it’s just that good!!!

So after your snowshoe, cross country ski, sledding, what have you, this quick & tasty soup will warm them bones & stick to your ribs!
Don’t worry. There’s beer in there.
And bacon…Mmmmm…bacon….

 

Cheesy Corn Chowder
10 slices bacon
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrot
1 can beer, lager is best
2.5 cups peeled diced potatoes
2 chicken bouillon cubes
3 cups of milk
1 cup frozen corn kernels-thawed
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3 tbsp. flour

Stack bacon and cut into 1″ strips. Cook bacon in soup pot. Remove bacon.
In drippings, sauté onion until tender. (drain off bacon grease if there’s a lot!)
Add bacon, carrot, BEER, potatoes, bouillon and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover & simmer 20-25 minutes til veggies are tender.
Stir in milk & corn- careful not to boil!
Put flour into package or baggie of shredded cheese & shake to coat.
Add to soup mixture & stir in until melted.
Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Serves 6-8. You may want to make a double batch…it’s addicting! I hope you enjoy this soup as much as my family has through the years!
Cheers!!! With a spoon!

•••This is a great soup to throw in that wonky lager left behind to sit in your fridge…begging to be loved. Or ate.
I used Pour Decisions Pubstitute, as my growler had expired its perkiness! It gave the soup a little bite, which was great with the bacon notes raging through & through!

 

 

 

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Eat a Beer: Winter Cranberry Sauce with Candied Citrus

Winter Cranberry SauceSauce:
3 cups whole fresh cranberries
1cup winter warmer ale
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/8 tsp of cinnamon
Pinch of allspice, ground coriander, ground ginger.

Candied citrus:
1″ Strips rind of 1/2-whole grapefruit
1″ Strips rind of 1 small lemon
1/4 cup whiskey or bourbon
3 tbsps bourbon or winter ale
3 tbsps brown sugar + more

In small nonstick frypan, combine all citrus ingredients & mix well. Cook down on low heat until caramelized & liquid has dissolved. Add more liquid sparingly of needed. Scrape contents into medium saucepan.

Combine cranberries & sauce ingredients to saucepan with candied citrus.
Cook on medium heat & bring to a boil. Cranberries will pop open & turn translucent. Simmer for about 15 minutes or more.

You can use a food mill or sieve to create a smooth sauce; crush with a spoon for chunky sauce; or leave whole.

Pour sauce into serving dish and set aside to cool. Sauce will set up while cooling. Chill and serve.

I used Southern Tier Old Man Winter Warmer Ale.
Summit Winter Ale or Indeed Stir Crazy would work nice also.
I used Kentucky Bourbon Ale & Jack Daniels Honey for the candied citrus.

A spicy take on a holiday staple! Cheers!

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Eat a Beer: Thanksgiving

I see it only fitting that the first recipe I post is for America’s favorite day of food consumption – Thanksgiving!
We all have a coveted favorite dish.
Mine? Well, it’s stuffing. Complete with beer infusion, of course!

Crack a beer & let’s get this started!

Chicken Beer Stock:
Place stripped chicken carcass(es) in large stock pot (8qt or bigger).
Pour in 12-24 oz or more of your favorite beer. I used a Rye Stout homebrew. Add water or beer as needed. I cooked for 2 hours on high heat.
Boil down & reduce to half.
Remove carcasses & strain to be sure there is no bones or inedibles hanging around.
Set aside for later. You can make this days in advance.
You will need 2 cups and more.

Thanksgiving

 

The Bread:
I baked a loaf of rye beer bread used with the same Rye Stout homebrew. Malty beers would be choice for bread. I baked the loaf 2 days in advance. You will need enough bread for 8 cups of cubed bread.
Air dry sliced bread overnight.
Cube bread, toss with olive oil, sage, thyme, cracked pepper & a pinch of clove.
I toasted for 30 mins in oven @ 300 & turned every 10 mins for even toasting.

While toasting the bread, I prepped the fruit & veggies.
1cup chopped celery
1cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped water chestnuts
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled & chopped.
I soaked the chopped mix in 1/4cup beer, 2 tbsps of maple syrup while waiting for bread to finish.

The Meats:
I love sausage in my stuffing!
I cooked : (in electric skillet)
1/2lb Italian sausage
4 cinnamon apple breakfast links
4 strips of bacon
Cook, chop into smaller pieces.
Set aside.

While skillet is still hot, add veggie & fruit mix, including liquid. Cook down until onion is translucent, but not browned.
Add 1 stick of butter to pan & melt. Add 1.5 cups of chicken beer stock.
Add toasted bread a bit at a time & fold into mixture. When well coated, add meat.
You may need to add more stock if you like a moister stuffing. Denser bread will need more liquid.

Cook in electric skillet @ 300 for 40 mins.
Oven: cook covered @ 350 for 30-40 mins.
Serve and enjoy with your favorite beer!

Happy Thanksgiving!