Beer Bread

This is a staple in my household, and I love the ways that different beers can create unique flavors for the bread. It makes it unique every time you choose a new beer for the same recipe. As such I tend to use a black lager for it's strong flavor, and it's pairing with cheese and mustard. (We're also cheese-plate people around here…)

My last post was something I made in honor of Arya Svit-Kona from Eldest. This is something that represents the culture of a band of guards (specifically dwarves) on the move.
Mainly why I chose this beer bread to represent the dwarves first and foremost, is because of the heavy revelry that Eragon and Saphira had amongst them - with numerous kegs to boot as well. Plus this type of beer is just an excellent way to make a beer bread. It adds a lot of rich depth, and robust flavor.

Beer Bread

• Flour (3 Cups)
• Sugar (1/3 Cup)
• Baking Powder (3 Teaspoons)
• Salt (1 1/2 Teaspoons)
• Beer (12 Ounces, Any Kind)
• Shortening (1 Tablespoon)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 Degrees Fahrenheit.
• Grease a bread pan with the Shortening, and set aside.
• In a large bowl mix together the Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder and Salt. 
• Slowly pour in the Beer of your choice, and mix well. (The batter should be sticky.)
• After the batter has been well mixed, carefully pour into the greased bread pan, and let sit for 30 minutes.

• Bake between 45-50 minutes, or until the top is nice and crisp. 
• Plate and Enjoy!

I love beer bread… Honestly it's the simplest thing to make, and it's so quick and easy. It makes a great party snack with dip that complements the choice of beer you had.

Not to mention it makes a bland sandwich become amazing. 

So to wrap up this post I just want to prep people for some fusion food soon. I'll be cooking for Eldest but incorporating trademark Irish-American Saint Patricks Day food for Tuesday! Yippee for that one!

See you all tomorrow with a quick little post as well!

Challah (Jewish Egg Bread)

Challah (Jewish Egg Bread)

• Flour (4 Cups)
• Active Dry Yeast (3 Teaspoons)
• Sugar (1/4 Cup)
• Salt (1 Teaspoon)
• Egg Yolks (4)
• Egg (1)
• Butter (1/4 Cup, Melted)
• Hot Water (3/4 Cups)

Instructions

• Put the Flour in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
• In a small bowl mix together the Yeast, Sugar, and Water together. Let this stand until it becomes bubbly. (5-7 minutes.)

• In another bowl beat together 3 of the Egg Yolks, Egg, Butter, and Salt.
• Pour the Yeast mixture, and Egg mixture into the bowl with the Flour. Mix together until a shaggy dough forms. (Adding a teaspoon of water at a time if needed.)

• Lightly flour a surface, and start kneading the dough until it is smooth and pliant. Bunch into a ball, and place into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a warm, damp towel for 40 minutes, or until doubled in size.
• Divide the dough into six pieces, rolling each piece into a 12 inch long rope. Braid three of the ropes together to form the Challah, and pinch together the ends.

• Place onto a lightly oiled baking sheet, and cover with a damp towel for 60 minutes. 
• Preheat oven to 400 Degrees Fahrenheit. 
• Take the remaining Egg Yolk, beat well, and generously spread over each loaf of Challah. 
• Place the loaves in the oven and reduce heat to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit. 
• Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the Challah sounds hollow when tapped. 
• Plate and Enjoy!

I love how this Challah came out! It's the first true bread I've ever made, and I'm really happy how it turned out. (Look at that glaze!) 

In Eragon I really felt that a nice bread was in order, and this is a bread I've wanted to try making for a little while. I just love the braided form, and I want to use some of this for sandwiches as well this weekend. To me nothing beats a double-use recipe, and this bread it going to be perfect for morning toast, and sandwich bread.

Bread is something that is a staple with individuals like Eragon and Murtagh right now, and it's something that can be easily carried via saddlebag. 

I would write more but my fiancé's home! Yipee!

Homemade Croutons

Remember that moment in Wizard of Oz where Glinda tells Dorothy that the only way out of Oz is to think, "There's no place like home."

I do, and I'll tell you as of right now I'm thinking - there's no place like Maui, there's no place like Maui, there's no place like Maui… Yet here I am, again with another 10 inches of fresh snow outside, and not one but two 10 foot snowbanks outside of my house.

I'm getting enough cabin fever to make me as hot headed (and sometimes too quick to trot) as Eragon!

Next thing you know I'll be taking a sled off my second story roof thinking it's a good idea. Only I really wouldn't because let's face it - it's too damn cold for that crap! (-10 Degrees Fahrenheit with windchill.)

Instead I hereby take you to my recipe of the evening - croutons. (Sexy I know!)

Homemade Croutons

• Bread (2 Cups, Cut into 1 Inch Cubes)
• Butter (1 Tablespoon, Melted - or substitute for Olive Oil is using in salads)
• Salt (1 Teaspoon)
• Basil (1 Teaspoon)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 Degrees Fahrenheit.
• Spread the Bread onto a cookie sheet, and pour the Butter over it. Mix together well.
• Bake for 5 minutes, and remove from the oven. Season with the Salt and Basil, and mix well.
• Bake for another 5 minutes.
• Use for salad, or soup!

I love these so much more than store bought croutons. I happened to use a pumpernickel bread which has so much more flavor than standard bagged croutons. These also paired well with my Butternut Squash and Chickpea Soup that I made Friday evening. 

Croutons, while certainly more of a luxury for Eragon, are something that are generally made out of stale bread. It's also something I can picture being eaten while riding in a saddle (or via dragon back) to give a small burst of energy. It's certainly something that will be needed for the grueling journey across the Hadarac Desert in Eragon. 

I hope to find you all back again come Tuesday, and I plan on cooking something a little different come then!

Paratha (Indian Flatbread)

Hey everyone! Sorry I neglected to post yesterday, and also sorry it's not a legitimate meal. I have so mach leftover food though from Super Bowl XLIX that I just can't justify cooking a meal yet. This paratha though is delicious by itself with a nice chutney, or split in half and stuffed with sandwich meats.
This bread is a nice quick recipe, and it's also nice and hearty. I wish I had the time to make a spiced chutney with this for the evening, but after a long day of work I'm just so tired I can barely read what I'm typing!

Paratha

• Flour (2 Cups)
• Salt (1 Teaspoon)
• Water (3/4 Cup)
• Butter (2 Tablespoons)

Instructions

• In a large bowl, mix together the Flour, Salt, and half of the Water.
• Slowly add more Water until just all of the Flour is used. 
• Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 15 minutes.
• Let rest until the dough has risen by double (30 minutes minimum). 
• Divide the dough out into 8, roll each into a thin circle.

• Rub with a little bit of Butter, fold in half, rub with Butter again and fold in half. 

• Take each folded paratha, and roll out into a slightly oval shape.
• Heat up a skillet on medium-high heat, and spread a small amount of Butter onto the pan. 
• Lay out the parathas onto the pan, and cook each side for around 2 minutes.

I loved how simple these were to make, and I also can't get over how great they tasted sliced in half and stuffed with pulled pork. Nothing beats a simple addition to a meal, especially when you have little time after a late work night.

I can't wait to snuggle up with my cat, my fiancé, and some more Eragon. 

Rosemary Roasted Spaghetti Squash Seeds

I cannot believe that Superbowl XLIX is finally here!!! I have so much stuff to cook this evening it's incredible - but I can't wait.

I'm devouring Eragon and it's so pleasant, most of the other books I've been reading haven't given me that joy. I really wanted to use up the leftover seeds from Friday's recipe, and I think it's fitting. Eragon's family are farmers, and almost everything would be utilized as opposed to being wasted. If anything making those seeds made me forget how I should be doing more with the produce I cook with.
One of the nice things about having a few raised garden beds is how my fiancé and I can actually grow our own produce. From now own I'm going to save any seeds from produce - and hey maybe this Summer my recipes can be made from my own produce!

Rosemary Roasted Spaghetti Squash Seeds

• Spaghetti Squash Seeds (Dried, and Cleaned)
• Olive Oil (1-2 Tablespoons)
• Dried Rosemary (1 Tablespoon)
• Salt (1/2 Tablespoon)
• Pepper (1/2 Tablespoon)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit.
• Spread the Seeds out on a baking sheet, and drizzle with the Olive Oil.
• Sprinkle the Rosemary, Salt, and Pepper on top and mix well.
• Bake for 10 minutes. You should hear the seeds pop - that's how you know they're done!
• Package and Enjoy!

I love these roasted seeds, not to mention it is such a simple and easy snack to make. I remember doing this with all the pumpkin seeds my family would get after carving a pumpkin. My sister and I used to love scrubbing out the guts of the pumpkin, and we'd all sift through for the seeds. 

The rosemary adds such a nice depth for these seeds, and great for a little snack!

Now I'm off to cook 40 chicken wings, 4 pounds of baby back ribs, bruschetta, cocktail meatballs, baked beans, and some other snacks!

GO HAWKS!

Sriracha-Orange Green Beans

In lieu of the impending storm, I'm giving ya'll Sriracha-Orange Green Beans. I hope you all make it through Blizzard Juno ok! This is going to be a quick blog post, and it's because it's a very basic side dish. 

Sriracha-Orange Green Beans

• Orange (1/4, Juiced)
• Soy Sauce (2 Tablespoons)
• Sriracha Sauce (1/2 Teaspoons)
• Green Beans (1/4 Pound)
• Sunflower Seeds (1 Tablespoon)

Instructions

• In a small bowl mix together the Orange Juice, Soy Sauce, Sunflower Seeds, and Sriracha Sauce. 
• Blanch the Green Beans in a small pot, and then mix together with the sauce mixture.
• Pan-sear the Green Beans for five minutes.
• Plate and Enjoy!

This was a nice little side dish for us this evening, and the sriracha is something I'm becoming quite fond of. It's ironic I discovered it this late in the get go. It really is something I never loved that much, and hey maybe I can use it in other dishes moving forward. 

In another note though, it's midnight! Official start of Blizzard Juno! Snow! Wooohoo!

Parmesan and Herb Focaccia

You know those moments where you almost wish you could've done something earlier, and almost had? I almost made this focaccia a lot earlier in the day - instead I waited for it to come hot out of the oven for when Ricky got home. I'm so glad I didn't make it earlier! Now Focaccia will always have a brand new meaning for me, and it's all cause he popped the question! (I said yes!) 

I'm not sure if every Parmesan and Herb Focaccia baked will get a marriage popping question for you, but you can always make this for when you want to be married to a savory and delicious bread!

Parmesan and Herb Focaccia

• Flour (2 3/4 Cups)
• Salt (1 Teaspoon)
• Sugar (1 Teaspoon)
• Active Dry Yeast (1 Tablespoon)
• Garlic Powder (1 Teaspoon)
• Oregano (1 Teaspoon)
• Thyme (1 Teaspoon)
• Basil (1 Teaspoon)
• Black Pepper (1/2 Teaspoon)
• Vegetable Oil (1 Tablespoon)
• Water (Hot, 1 Cup)
• Olive Oil (2 Tablespoons)
• Parmesan Cheese (1/2 Cup)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450 Degrees Fahrenheit. 
• In a large bowl mix together the Flour, Salt, Sugar, Yeast, Garlic, Oregano, Thyme, and Pepper. Add in the Vegetable Oil and Water, mixing well, and then kneading into a well-formed dough ball.
• In a separate bowl, spread half of the Olive Oil around the bottom, place the formed dough ball into the bowl and cover with a damp paper bowl for 20 minutes.
• In a greased 8inX8in pan spread the dough into it. It should be around 1/2 inch thick. Spread the remaining Olive Oil on top of the bread, and sprinkle with the Parmesan Cheese.
• Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown on top. 
• Enjoy warm with some cheese and wine!

There's a lot more I could say, but hey I think ya'll will understand why I don't. See you again on Tuesday! 

Three Cheese Filled Muffins

I made these breakfast muffins tonight as a late night snack, but also because they'll be great and easy to reheat in the morning. I'm all about that in the morning!
I can picture any of the characters from Daggerspell opening up a saddlebag and eating one of these on the road - easy, portable, and savory as hell.

I wish I had a picture of the center of these breakfast muffins, but I ate it all before I got the chance to… Oops!

Three Cheese Filled Muffins

I made these as a half batch, so these should yield around 3 texas muffins, or 6 regular muffins. 

Muffin Mix

• Flour (3/4 Cups)
• Baking Powder (1/2 Tablespoon)
• Egg (1 - Part of Whites Reserved)
• Butter (3 Tablespoons, Melted)
• Milk (1/2 Cup)

Three Cheese Filling

• Ricotta Cheese (2 Tablespoons)
• Cheddar Cheese (1/2 Tablespoon)
• Parmesan Cheese (1/2 Tablespoons)
• Reserved Egg Whites
• Salt (To Taste)
• Pepper (To Taste)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 Degrees Fahrenheit.
• In a medium sized bowl, mix together the muffin mix.
• In a smaller bowl mix together the three cheese filling. 
• In a muffin tin (I used a texas toast muffin tin) place as many cupcake liners as you think you can fill (I like the easy work!)
• Fill the liners half way with the muffin mix, and put a healthy dollop into the middle of the mixture. 
• Use the remaining mix to top off the muffins, and bake for 20-25 minutes.

These little muffins are simply delicious, and would be absolutely amazing with some strawberry jam in the morning. They are best eaten warmed up in a toaster oven or microwave as it helps melt the cheese inside again. (Delicious!)

So make these for a Sunday morning brunch, or even the night before a crappy Monday work day. I hope you all are getting prepped and excited for the holidays! I certainly am! I also have a big surprise for ya'll on Tuesday - something you could make for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day Dinner! Stay tuned!!

Savory Beef Jerky

In my last post I mentioned how Jill and Cullyn have been on the road as of late, and that's when I mentioned how in those times it consisted of bread and jerky. Well I've never made beef jerky, and I really wanted to give it a shot. I was never much a fan of beef jerky until this year, and it was all because of some local homemade jerky I tried from the Fryeburg Fair with Ricky.

One thing I hate sometimes about recipes is that the majority of people that write about them have state of the art equipment to use - like dehydrators. Rejoice though! I used just my basic oven, and honestly these beef jerky strips came out so wonderfully.

Savory Beef Jerky

• Flank Steak (1 to 2 Pounds, the Leaner the Better)
• Worcestershire Sauce (1 Cup)
• Apple Cider Vinegar (1/2 Cup)
• Water (1/2 Cup - Add More if Needed)
• Garlic Salt (2 Tablespoons)
• Onion Powder (2 Teaspoons)
• Red Pepper Flakes (2 Teaspoons)
• Honey (2 Teaspoons)
• Salt (A Pinch)
• Pepper (A Pinch)

Instructions

• Place the Flank Steak in the freezer until it's easier to cut, but not frozen all the way through. Remove and slice with the grain around 1/8 inch thick. Place in a large ziplock bag and set aside.
• Mix together the remaining ingredients to make the Marinade. 

Marinade

• Carefully pour this Marinade into the large ziplock bag with the cut Flank Steak. Seal, bag again, seal, and shake generously. Marinate this for at least 12 hours in your fridge. 24 hours is preferable.
• Prior to cooking, remove the bottom rack from your oven, and line completely with tin foil. Place this in the middle of your oven. Trust me, you don't want to scrape dried and burnt marinade off your oven bottom…

Completely Lined in Tin Foil

• Take the top rack, and lay over your sink. (Trust me…)
• Preheat the oven to 150 - 170 Degrees Fahrenheit.
• Carefully lay your marinated Flank Steak cuts over the rack. If there are a few smaller pieces that won't fit on the rack you'll have to fix a small amount of tin foil in a corner to fit the 'reject' pieces on top of.

• Place the rack on to the top most level in the oven, and leave a can in the door to let air flow help dry out the Beef Flank.

Like So!

• Bake the Beef Flank for 3 hours, and then carefully rotate every piece. Bake for another 3 hours.
• Enjoy!

Savory Beef Jerky

These are a labor of love, but no bagged jerky beats this stuff right here. It has just the right amount of flavor, and the perfect texture to it. These will hold up in a nice airtight bag for around a week or so - but I guarantee they'll go quicker than that.

All I can say is this - being on the road back then with this beef jerky wouldn't have been that bad!

Let me know how you guys like it! I'll see ya'll back on Friday!

Creole Seasoning

Hey all! By now ya'll probably know how I am - if I have too many leftovers I don't like to cook. If I do cook I create a recipe to go around my leftovers, no one said a frugal kitchen was a bad kitchen! This seasoning mix is easy to make, and goes great mixed in with some rice. I can also imagine how amazing it would be if I did a dry rub over some pork ribs! (Hint hint - it may be in the future…) I decided on this as well because Creole Seasoning is something that many people can buy for modern times pre-made, and in Midnight Bayou Nora Roberts has moved from speaking about the past to being in the present. So this is a simple spice mix that can go with modern meals, and hell I'm cheap! Go out there and make some!

Creole Seasoning

• Garlic Powder (2 Tablespoons)
• Onion Powder (2 Tablespoons)
• Chili Powder (1 1/2 Tablespoons)
• Cayenne Pepper (1 1/2 Tablespoons)
• Oregano (2 Tablespoons)
• Basil (2 Tablespoons)
• Thyme (2 Tablespoons)
• Black Pepper (1 Tablespoon)
• Salt (1 Tablespoon)

Instructions

• One simple step for this one, mix together all the ingredients!

There's just something so vibrant about this spice mix, and it yields around 1 cup of Creole Seasoning. I made rice for myself and Ricky, and we topped the rice with some of my Louisiana Swamp Chili.

A little goes a long way with this spice, and I really can't believe I've actually bought this priced out before in a supermarket. (Granted I swapped out Paprika with Chili powder…)

I hope everyone tells me something that they mix up with a little creole seasoning!

Caramelized Onions in White Balsamic Glaz

There are some things that you can make on such a short notice, and sometimes those things are almost needed to make a simple thing have that needed flavor. These little onions are one of those things. I love to drape them onto my cheese and crackers, and Ricky decided they would go well on top of a steak.

I don't have much else to say about these, but I will say if you're a cheese plate fan like my family is - then you must try these.

Caramelized Onions in White Balsamic Glaze

      

• Red Onion (1, Halved and Thinly Sliced)
• White Balsamic Vinegar (1 1/2 Cups)
• Butter (1 Tablespoon)

Instructions

• In a medium-sized frying pan, take the Butter and Onion - sautéing for 5 minutes.
• Add in the White Balsamic Vinegar and reduce for 20 minutes. (Or just until the Onion is tender.)

• Put in a bowl, and pair with a cheese plate or meat. Enjoy!

Yum!

These little onions paired very well with just an oven roasted steak, and even just paired with a cheese plate they're delicious. You may have to get used to the tang, however once you do these are a fun easy little thing to add to any meal.