BEER BREAD!

Have you ever heard of Beer Bread?  Do you know about this?  Have you ever had it?  Have you ever MADE it?!

If you answered yes, yes, yes and yes, and are thinking something along the lines of, "Um, duh, of COURSE..." then apparently it's ME that's been living UNDER A ROCK?

Well, if that's the case, then let's just say I am so glad to finally be seeing the LIGHT OF DAY!

Because... Beer Bread = my newest addiction!  I simply cannot get enough of it!

It all started innocuously enough.  Thumbing through the latest Penzey's catalog (which is a different post for a different time, but suffice to say that I LOVE PENZEY'S!)  and one of the recipes caught my eye. "Beer Bread?  Hmmmm... interesting. Never heard of it.  Looks good.  Well, I have flour... salt... sugar... baking powder... and a 12 oz. bottle of Dos Equis... I'll try it."

An hour later I was one happy, happy girl!

It is DELICIOUS!  Tastes like a yeast-bread, but fast and easy like a quick-bread.  (No time-consuming rolling, kneading, punching down, kneading again, punching down... oh no!  Just MIX, pour, bake!)  The batter looks like a biscuit batter, which is truthfully the taste/texture I was expecting.  I was wrong!  I pleasantly surprised with the moist, rich finished bread.  This is NO biscuit, babeeee!

(By the way, if you don't like beer, let me assure you that there is little to no "beer taste"!)

The picture at the top of this post was my first loaf of Beer Bread, and I have made it several times since.  It is consistently and deliriously delicious hot out of the ovan, warm, room temperature, or toasted. It is delicious by itself, or as a sandwich. It is delicious in a box, with a fox... in a house with a mouse... oh, never mind, I'm sure you probably get the idea!

So this was the page that changed my life:

I started looking around and soon realized that there are a LOT of beer bread recipes floating around the internet (and Pinterest)... but I'm feeling fiercely loyal to the Penzey's recipe!

Althoooooough, I will say that when I saw The Brown-Eyed Baker's "Bacon and Cheddar Beer Bread  Recipe" recently, I thought, "Now that's an idea I can get behind!"  (That was after my first thought of, "Aha! She loves Beer Bread, too!")

It is pretty much the same *basic* recipe as the Penzey's one, just a few small tweaks.  It, too, is DELICIOUS!  Here is my loaf, made just last night:

If anything could improve that basic recipe, it was bacon and cheddar. Ohmyguuuudnessohmyguuuudness!

This will be phenomenal tomorrow morning, 2 slices toasted with an egg in between.  All the elements of a breakfast sandwich in only two steps!  Very excited!

For your own beer bread baking pleasure:
The basic Penzey's recipe can be found HERE.
The bacon/cheddar variation can be found in the Brown Eyed Baker's post HERE.

Enjoy!  And please let me know when YOU become a Beer Bread fan too!

WEEK NIGHT WONDER - TEX-MEX SKILLET BAKE

This simple skillet supper uses shredded potatoes as a base. The potato mixture cooks on the stove top first to get it browned and crisp on the bottom.

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
• 4 ounces Mexican chorizo (I used TJs soy chorizo, no need to pre-cook)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup enchilada sauce
• 1/3 cup grated white onion
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 pounds Yukon gold or baking potatoes, peeled and shredded (YES, I used a bag of Ore Ida shredded hash browns with bell peppers and onions - VERY EASY and delicious!)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped avocado
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped white onion
• 6 radishes, thinly sliced

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon canola oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Remove the casings from chorizo. Add chorizo to pan; sauté for 3 minutes, stirring to crumble. Add garlic, and sauté for 30 seconds. Remove sausage mixture from pan. Combine the sausage mixture and enchilada sauce.   (NOTE:  If you use soy chorizo, like I did, just mix all these ingredients toether, no need to pre-cook!)
3. Add remaining 3 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Combine grated onion, salt, pepper, potato, and egg; toss. Add potato mixture to pan, pressing gently; cook for 10 minutes (do not stir). Spread enchilada sauce mixture evenly over potato mixture; sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand for 10 minutes. Cut into 6 wedges.
4. Combine avocado and juice; toss gently. Stir in cilantro and remaining ingredients. Serve cilantro mixture with casserole.

THE FINAL WORD:  Don't skip the avocado/cilantro/radish topping... it really MADE THE MEAL!  *YUM!*

PHOTO CREDIT:  HERE

WEEK NIGHT WONDER - REUBEN CASSEROLE

So one of my favorite ways to cook is to try familiar, delicious, tried-and-true flavor combos and use them in an unexpected new way.   Like the Taco Soup or Stuffed Pepper Burgers I made recently.  Um, *YUM*!

Well, we LOVE Reubens.  But sometimes I'm not especially in the mood for a sandwich for dinner, you know?  Well, enter Reuben Casserole.  All the flavors (and more) of a Reuben, in a hot, creamy, satisfying comfort-food-at-its-finest casserole.

There are a lot of variations of this (apparently it was not an original idea!)  But I combined several recipes that I found online to create my version of this casserole.  We were very happy with the way it turned out. It was delicious.  It was also fast, easy, and fun.  PERFECT for a busy weeknight supper.

REUBEN CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups (give or take!) mashed potatoes.  (Leftovers from your Sunday supper work great here!)
1 pound high-quality deli corned beef, sliced and then cut into1" slivers.
1 pound Swiss cheese (I like mild Alpine Lace, but use your favorite Swiss), sliced.
1 bag sauerkraut, drained
1 (8oz) jar Thousand Island dressing
1/2 c chopped fresh sweet onions
4 or 5 slices of lightly toasted, buttered Jewish rye bread, cubed.
1 cup sharp grated cheddar for topping

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Layer the sauerkraut in the bottom of the dish.  Pour the Thousand Island dressing evenly over the sauerkraut.
Layer the corned beef next.  Layer the cheese slices.  Layer the mashed potatoes.  Top with onions and rye bread cubes.  Cover with foil and bake for approx.30 minutes.

Remove foil, sprinkle cheddar cheese on top, and return to oven (uncovered) for about 10 more minutes.

Let stand outside the oven for 5-10 minutes, then serve.   ENJOY!

PS:  Honestly, I'm not exactly sure how mashed potatoes made it into a Reuben Casserole, but several of the recipes I found did indeed call for that.  And since we LOVE mashed potatoes, I added them.  Ditto with the chopped onions... not really a traditional Reuben *thang*, but does add a nice crunch and flavor to the topping. 

WEEK NIGHT WONDER - SWEET POTATO CHICKEN CURRY

OK, so I have been holding out on your guys.  No, not reeeeeally!!!  But I have been a cookin' fool and have made some really good stuff lately (if I do say so m'self, and I do!) and decided it's past time to share some of it with you.

Here's my typical cooking gig.  I love to cook on the weekends, and if I'm gonna do something fancy-schmancy, that's when that's gonna get done.

But funny thing, we like to eat during the week too, LOL!  But week nights follow work days, and frankly, I am tired.  So my Monday - Friday recipes always need to be easy-peasy.  Healthy and delicious is a given.  "One-pot" is a bonus. 

So, shooting for once a week or so, I thought it would be fun to share a "week night wonder" that WE have made and enjoyed.  And if, in the process, you add a few new favorites to your own personal cooking repertoire... then SCORE!

SWEET POTATO CHICKEN CURRY

Elevate your chicken curry with the addition of sweet potato and by serving the mixture over steamed jasmine rice.

• YIELD: 7 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)
• COURSE: Main Dishes

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups vertically sliced onion
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato
• 3/4 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation

1. Combine curry powder, coriander, turmeric, salt, black pepper, red pepper, and bay leaf in a small bowl.
2. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove chicken from pan. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to pan; cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium-high; return chicken to pan. Cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in ginger and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add curry powder mixture; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour. Stir in potato and chickpeas. Cook, uncovered, 30 minutes. Add peas; cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice. Discard bay leaf.

-- Cooking Light,  Nov 2009
Photo credit: HERE

MY NOTES:  I served ours over steamed basmati rice with toasted cashews and for total easy-peasy-ness, TJ's frozen naan bread.  But I will make this recipe again, and next time, I plan to make my own naan bread.   Like from THIS recipe, or THIS one.  *YUM!*

Posole con Tequila

We love posole.  My husband loves it because it's delicious; I love it because it's so easy and fun to make!  Typically made with pork and hominy, posole (prounounced puh-so-lay, and alternatively spelled pozole) is a rich, deeply flavored Latin American soup.  Other ingredients vary by locale and personal preference, but one thing is always the same: a hot bowl of well-made posole is a delightful thing indeed!

I typically think of posole as a winter meal, but we've had some chilly, rainy weather here recently in PA and it just sounded oh-so-good!  Always on the lookout for new recipes, this one intrigued me with the surprise addition of tequila.   So here's the recipe (from the following cookbook), along with my own notes.  (And even if you're not a Sandra Lee fan, you gotta try this recipe!  I'm tellin' you, it's DELICIOUS!)

POSOLE CON TEQUILA
1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into bite size pieces
2 cans hominy (I used one can white and one can yellow hominy)
1 packet (1.25 oz.) McCormick White Chicken Chili Seasoning (I really don't use these kinds of seasoning packets; so instead, I eyeballed chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano and added a bay leaf)
1 can (7 oz) diced green chilis
1/2 cup sliced jalapenos (I used fresh)
1 cup chopped onions (I also added fresh minced garlic)
1/2 cup silver tequila, Jose Cuervo
3 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (I used LOTS more!)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a 4-quart slow cooker, combine all ingredients except cilantro and salt and pepper; mix thoroughly.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours.  Stir in cilantro and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.  Serve hot, garnished with additional fresh chopped cilantro and lime wedges.  (Really, could this BE any easier?!)

NOTE:  I also added a can of red beans to my posole, and a few generous splashes of fresh lime juice right before serving.  (The tequila just seemed to be begging for it!)  I served it with warm homemade cornbread and cold beer, and it was a simple and delicious meal.

PS  If you don't have a slow cooker, a heavy soup pot simmering on top of the stove for a few hours would work just fine!

CAJUN SHRIMP CASSEROLE (*Yum!*)

It's starting to get *COOOOLD* here in PA and for us, that means warm, hearty, comfort food.  For weeknight dinners, nothing fits that bill (in my opinion) better than a casserole.  Combine a few fresh, delicious ingredients; bake in the oven, and then relax while the warmth and the aromas fill the kitchen.  Mmmm, mmmm! 

I made the following recipe recently and we LOVED it.  Of course I tweaked it a little (I'm notorious for that!)  I added some kielbasa and crawfish along with the shrimp, I increased the "heat" level with additional ground and fresh hot peppers, and I used brown rice instead of white.  But other than that, I followed the recipe "as written", and the reminiscent-of-jambalaya casserole that we were rewarded with was simply wonderful.  Serve with a simple salad and hot crusty bread. 

CAJUN SHRIMP CASSEROLE
2 pounds large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined.
1/4 cup butter
1 red onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups fresh or frozen sliced okra
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of shrimp soup (or cream of mushroom)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cups cooked long-grain rice
1/2 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese.

Melt 1/4 cup butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and next 3 ingredients; sauté 7 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in okra, lemon juice, and salt; sauté 5 minutes. Add shrimp, and cook 3 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Stir in soup and next 4 ingredients until blended. Pour into a lightly greased 9 x 12 inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese.
Bake at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and cheese is lightly browned. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired.

Recipe (and photo) from  Myrecipes.com