Cooking with Beer

We hosted dinner for my brother's birthday back in December, and I graciously offered to cook.  My brother wanted pork chops, and I knew these Savory Beer Pork Chops would be perfect since he is a big fan of beer.  

To my surprise, I loved them!  I didn't think I was a beer drinker, but these pork chops may have changed my mind on beer.  I have been wanting to make them again ever since the first time I made them a few months ago, and I finally got my chance this week.

Savory Beer Pork Chops

Ingredients:

4 boneless pork loin chops (3/4-inch thick and 4 ounces each)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon canola oil

3/4 cup beer or nonalcoholic beer

3 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions:

1.  Sprinkle both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper.  In a large skillet, brown pork in oil on both sides over medium heat.

2.  Combine the beer, ketchup and brown sugar; pour over pork.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 18-20 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees. (My pork chops took A LOT longer than that to cook, but they were also larger than 4 ounces each)

Source:  Taste of Home, www.tasteofhome.com

Vegetables?! In a cake?!

My thought process a couple of weeks ago went a little like this:

Easter...Easter Bunny...bunnies...carrots...CARROT CAKE!

I had always wanted to make a layer cake, and it was finally the perfect opportunity.  I went looking for a carrot cake recipe, and I couldn't find one that looked quite right.  I wanted something that wasn't made with a cake mix yet wasn't too difficult to make.  My mother reminded me of her best friend Jackie's carrot cake.  I remembered it being so delicious when I was little.  I thought I would give it a try, hoping it would live up to my memories.  It totally did!

    

Coconut Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

2-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup oil

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple with juice

2 cups grated carrots

1-1/3 cup coconut

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

1.  Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  Set aside.

2.  Beat oil, sugar and eggs thoroughly.  Add flour mixture and beat until smooth.

3.  Add pineapple, carrots, coconut and nuts.  

4.  Pour into greased round pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.  Cool 10 minutes.  Remove from pans to cool completely.

Coconut Cream Frosting

Toast 1 cup of coconut in a 350 degree oven for 7-10 minutes.  Watch coconut carefully to avoid burning it, and stir occasionally.

Beat 6 ounces softened cream cheese with 1/2 cup butter.  Alternate between adding 2 tablespoons milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 cup of confectioners sugar. (I wasn't really sure what I was doing here...I ended up adding 5 tablespoons of milk, 2-1/2 teaspoons of vanilla and 4 cups powdered sugar.  Just keep adding the wet ingredients alternately with the powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency and flavor.) 

Beat frosting until smooth.  Spread on cooled cakes and sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Source:  Jackie Jacobs

I'm starting to see a pattern...

Almost every dessert recipe I have posted thus far has included chocolate and peanut butter.  Might I have a problem?  It's entirely possible.

I've never been a huge cookie fan.  They're good, but I would choose almost any other dessert over a cookie given the chance.  

Cheesecake or cookie?  Cheesecake.

Brownie or cookie?  Brownie.

Cupcake or cookie?  Cupcake.

Flan or cookie?  Ok, cookie on that one.

Anyway, my dad asked for chocolate chip cookies the other day, and my first thought was, "BORING."  I went on the hunt for a more exciting cookie and found these delicious Peanut Butter Snickers Cookies on Brown Eyed Baker's blog.  If you choose to make them, invest in some parchment paper.  When the snickers melt, they tend to stick!

Peanut Butter Snickers Cookies

Ingredients:

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup creamy peanut butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups chopped Snickers candy bars (about 4 regular size bars)

3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.  Set aside.

2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

3.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy.  Add the sugars and beat until smooth.  Add the egg and mix until combined.  Add the milk and vanilla extract and mix again.

4.  Add the flour mixture and beat until flour disappears.  Stir in the chopped snickers and chocolate chips.

5.  Drop by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets.  Gently flatten each cookie ball with the palm of your hand.  Bake for 10-11 minutes or until cookies are slightly brown on edges.

6.  Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for about 5 to 10 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Source:  Brown Eyed Baker, www.browneyedbaker.com

Chili and Cheesy Beer Bread

Since it still feels vaguely like winter around here, I thought it would be fitting to make a comforting and warm winter dinner for my family.  This, however, is no ordinary winter dinner...this is the BEST winter dinner ever.  It is quickly becoming my new favorite.  Chili and beer bread...need I say more?  

Of course I need to say more!  I love the cinnamon in this chili.  It gives it a really unique flavor.  The beer bread smells amazing when it is baking, and it is best consumed soon after baking when it is warm and soft.

Kemps Big Game Chili

Ingredients:

1 pound Italian sausage

1 medium onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, finely chopped

1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 29 ounce can tomato sauce

1 27 ounce can kidney beans

1 15 ounce can black beans

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1-1/2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup Kemps sour cream

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup sliced green onions

Directions:

1.  In a large pot or Dutch oven, brown meat with onions and bell peppers, stirring to break up meat.

2.  Stir in diced tomatoes and tomato sauce.

3.  Add beans, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder and cinnamon.  Stir well.

4.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5.  Top individual servings with a dollop of Kemps sour cream.  Garnish with shredded cheese and green onions if desired.

Source:  The Sunday ads!

Easy Cheesy Beer Bread


Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
4-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup shredded cheddar
12 ounces beer
2 tablespoons butter, melted


Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2.  In a large bowl, combine flours, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and garlic powder.  Whisk to combine well.  Add cheese and whisk to combine.  Slowly add beer to dry ingredients and stir lightly until just combined and all ingredients are completely moistened.
3.  Place into prepared loaf pan and pour melted butter over the top.  Place in the oven and bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.


Source:  Annie's Eats, http://annies-eats.net

BAM BAM BAM!

I'm not entirely sure how it happened, but there was a mix-up with our cable company last year, and my roommate and I ended up getting a bunch of the premium cable channels for free for a few months.  To my delight, this meant I had access to both the Food Network AND the Cooking Channel!  I was in heaven. It was on the Cooking Channel that I discovered Emeril Lagasse.  I had heard of him before but had never seen his show.  He tends to say "BAM BAM BAM!" a lot while he's cooking.

I was looking through some old magazines last summer when I stumbled upon a recipe for Emeril's Kicked-Up Tuna Melts.  An Emeril recipe?!  Sweet!  I knew I had to try it.  I've made these tuna melts at least three times since I found the recipe less than a year ago.  They are really easy and quite tasty.  Make sure you exclaim "BAM BAM BAM!" at least once while making them.

Emeril's Kicked-Up Tuna Melts

Ingredients:

4 cans (5 ounces each) solid white tuna, packed in water, drained

1/3 cup mayo, plus more for spreading

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

4 teaspoons capers, rinsed and drained *we omitted these per my mother's request

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1 teaspoon ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled between fingers

4 slices crusty bread

8 thin slices tomato

4 slices provolone

Directions:

1.  Heat broiler with rack in highest position.  In medium bowl, combine first 8 ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined.

2.  Arrange bread on a baking sheet and spread a little mayo on each slice.  Divide tuna salad evenly among slices, then top each with 2 slices of tomato and 1 slice of cheese.

3.  Broil until cheese is golden brown and bubbling (3 to 4 minutes).

¡Olé!

One of the things I miss the most about living in Colorado is the Mexican food.  I love Mexican food...and it's not just because I'm a Spanish teacher!  Sadly, most Mexican restaurants in Minnesota do not hold a candle to the ones I frequented in Colorado.  I've had to resort to cooking Mexican food myself...oh, bummer.

This is by no means a difficult recipe, but I've managed to have something go wrong almost every time I've made it.  There was the one time I wasn't paying attention and added too much chili powder (sorry Lauren and family!).  Then there was the time I let my father go grocery shopping without me and he bought the wrong kind of enchilada sauce; hence, the picture below shows red sauce when the recipe clearly calls for green enchilada sauce.

Here are a couple of hints based on my attempts with this recipe:

1.  If you're a native Minnesotan and can't handle the heat (shout out to Mom and Dad!), cut the chili powder and black pepper by half.  Trust me, there will still be plenty of spice.

2.  It doesn't really matter if you buy the wrong enchilada sauce!  It tastes really good with both red and green.

  

Cortez Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 cups canned green chili enchilada sauce, divided

1/2 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound cooked chicken breast, shredded, or 15 ounces canned chunk chicken in water, drained

12 corn tortillas

Cooking spray

1 cup shredded, part-skim mozzarella cheese  

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine onion, green pepper, green chiles, chicken broth, and 1/3 cup of enchilada sauce in a large non-stick skillet; cook for 5 minutes.

2.  Add chili powder, pepper, garlic, and chicken.  Mix well; cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until heated through.

3.  Heat corn tortillas by wrapping them in paper towels and microwaving on high for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes.  Spread 1/3 cup of chicken mixture lengthwise on each tortilla.  Roll tortilla and place, seam side down, in a shallow baking dish coated with cooking spray; pour remaining enchilada sauce over and sprinkle with cheese.  

4.  Bake for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Source:  The Best of Simply Colorado Cookbook, Colorado Dietetic Association

Creamy Bacon Fettuccine

We just finished dinner, and I couldn't wait to post the recipe for Creamy Bacon Fettuccine!  This recipe was super exciting to me for a number of reasons.

1.  I found the recipe on the AllRecipes app of my brand new iPhone!

2.  This recipe uses PHILADELPHIA Cooking Creme, which I have been dying to try since I first heard about it.  I'm a big fan of PHILADELPHIA cream cheese, so I figured the Cooking Creme would be delicious as well.

3.  This recipe marks the first time that I have successfully cooked bacon in a skillet on the stove without burning it.  There was one other time I managed to cook bacon on the stove without burning it...but I melted a spoon in the process, so we won't count that one ;-)

I love all pasta, and this recipe was no exception.  My only advice is to save some of the pasta water to add at the end if the sauce is too sticky.  Mine was pretty sticky, and I didn't think to save any pasta water.  I'm thinking that might have helped a little.

Creamy Bacon Fettuccine

Ingredients:

6 slices OSCAR MAYER bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1 (10 ounce) tub PHILADELPHIA Italian Cheese and Herb Cooking Creme

1/2 cup milk

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 pound fettuccine, cooked

Directions:

1.  Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp.  Remove bacon from skillet with slotted spoon, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in skillet.  Drain bacon on paper towels.

2.  Stir onions into drippings; cook and stir 3 minutes or until crisp-tender.  Add cooking creme, milk and peas; cook and stir 3 minutes.

3.  Add bacon and pasta; stir to coat.

Source:  AllRecipes; www.allrecipes.com

Jill's "Signature" Brownies

Never have I ever eaten two brownies in one day...until yesterday.  I normally have excellent willpower when it comes to eating baked goods.  Trying to avoid eating these brownies, however, is impossible.  They are just so amazing!  

Whenever my sister makes brownies, this is the recipe she turns to.  We call them Jill's brownies...or, that's what I call them anyway. We were throwing a bridal shower for a dear friend and struggling with what to make, but we knew these would be a hit.  Everybody loved them, so I promised to post the recipe.  I cannot take credit for them though.  It was ALL Jill (she's a rockstar)!

Fudgy Brownies

Ingredients:

1 package fudge brownie mix (13-inch by 9-inch pan size)

1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 to 3 tablespoons peanut butter

2 tablespoons cold 2% milk

4-1/2 teaspoons instant vanilla pudding mix

1 can (16 ounces) chocolate fudge frosting

Directions:

1.  Prepare and bake brownies according to package directions.  Cool on a wire rack.

2.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat the confectioners' sugar, butter, peanut butter, milk and pudding mix until smooth.  Spread over cooled brownies.

3.  Cover and refrigerate brownies for 30 minutes or until firm.

4.  Frost with chocolate fudge frosting just before cutting.

Source:  Taste of Home Simple and Delicious, February 2010

Rosemary Red Potatoes

I do not think I have anything clever to say today.  I'm all out of cleverness.  So, let me just say that these Rosemary Red Potatoes are really yummy!  From personal experience, I can tell you that they are a great accompaniment to porkchops.  Make sure you bake them long enough that they get nice and brown and tender.

Rosemary Red Potatoes

Ingredients:

1-3/4 pounds small red potatoes, quartered

1 small onion, quartered

1/4 cup olive oil

1-1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions:

1.  In a bowl, combine the potatoes, onion, oil, rosemary, garlic and garlic salt; toss to coat.

2.  Transfer to a foil-lined 15-inch by 10-inch by 1-inch baking pan.

3.  Bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender and browned.  

Source:  Taste of Home, October/November 2005