Beer Bread and Asiago Cheese Dip

Beer Bread

Makes 1 loaf.

• 2½ cups flour
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 9½ ounces pale ale beer
• ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
• 2 green onions, finely sliced (green part only)
• 10 ounces jalapenos, finely chopped (optional)
• 1 tablespoon melted butter to coat bread

To prepare oven, loaf pan: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lightly coat 9- by 5-inch loaf pan with vegetae oil spray.

To mix dough: Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add beer. Mix well. Add cheese, onion and jalapenos. (Note: Batter will be stiff.)

To bake bread: Transfer batter to prepared pan, spreading evenly. Brush top of bread with melted butter. Bake for 45 minutes or until bread is light brown. Remove from oven. Cool.

To serve bread: Cut bread into ¼-inch-thick slices. Put bread slices in broiler. Broil for 1 minute or until browned.

Asiago Cheese Dip

Makes 3 cups.

• 4 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, reconstituted in hot water
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup sour cream
• ½ cup shredded Asiago cheese, plus more for garnish
• ¼ cup green onions, sliced into ¼-inch pieces
• ¼ cup mushrooms, sliced into ¼-inch pieces

To prepare tomatoes: Squeeze all water out of tomatoes. Cut into fine strips. Set aside. (Note: It is important all water be removed from tomatoes, and they must be added last or dip will discolor.)

To prepare dip: In food processor, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, cheese, onions and mushrooms. Blend well at low speed. Add tomatoes. Mix slowly by hand for 1 minute.

To heat and serve: When ready to serve, heat through in microwave oven. Remove from microwave. Sprinkle with Asiago cheese. Place in broiler. Heat until cheese browns.

Thanks to Lynda at the St. Paul Pioneer Press

Sausage in Beer-Mustard Sauce

• 2 pounds Polish sausage or smoked sausage (turkey smoked sausage is also good)
• 1 large onion, quartered and sliced 1/2-inch
• 2/3 cup beer
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1/4 cup prepared mustard
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons water to make a paste

Slice sausage into 1-inch rounds; place in slow cooker along with the onion.

Combine remaining ingredients and pour over sausage and onions.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours; stir in cornstarch-water paste to thicken before serving, if desired.

Serve with potato salad, rice, or noodles.

Serves 6.

Thanks to Da

Carribean Style Oxtails

The oxtail typically weighs 2 to 4 lbs. and is skinned and cut into short lengths for sale. You do not see them in the stores very often but if you can find some it is well worth it. Ask your local butcher if you are interested.

Oxtail is usually slow-cooked, often stewed or braised in a dutch oven or pressure cooker. The slow cooking will help the meat to tenderize and almost fall off the bone.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 pounds oxtails
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup small diced onion
• 1/2 cup small diced carrot
• 1/2 cup small diced celery
• 1/4 cup small diced leeks
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced green onion, white part only
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle dark beer
• 1 1/2 cups veal stock or low-sodium canned beef broth
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

Add the olive oil to the pot (or any pressure cooker, or a Dutch oven) and heat over medium heat until hot. Season the oxtails with the salt and pepper. Add half of the oxtails to the pot and cook until well browned on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Set the seared oxtails on a platter once browned and repeat with the remaining oxtails.

Once all the oxtails are browned, add the onions, carrots and celery to the pan. Saute the vegetables until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the leeks, garlic, green onions and ginger to the pan and saute for 1 minute, stirring often. Add the tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to combine. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the beer to the pot and increase the heat to medium-high. Bring the beer to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the stock and allspice, stir, and return the oxtails to the pan. Return the pan to a boil and place the lid over the pan. Once a steady stream of steam is emitted from the pan, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook the oxtails until tender, about 1 hour in a pressure cooker or 2 hours in a Dutch oven.

Remove the lid, and stir the chopped parsley into the pan. Serve immediately.

Thanks to the Alamance County Center

Lucky Crock Pot Black-Eye Pea Chili

• 2 Cups Onion, finely chopped
• 1 ½ Cups Carrots, finely chopped
• ½ Cup Celery, finely chopped
• 1 ½ Cups Red or Green Pepper, finely chopped
• 2-3 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 8 Tsp. Chili Powder
• 2 Tsp. Ground Cumin
• ¼ - ½ Tsp. Crushed Red Peppers or Ground Cayenne Pepper
• ¼ Cup Fresh Cilantro or Fresh Parsley, chopped
• 1 14.5 oz. Can of Diced Tomatoes, undrained
• 1 14.5 oz. Can of Mexican Diced Tomatoes with Peppers, Undrained (if you don't want the heat, use 2 cans regular)
• 4-15 oz. Cans of Black-Eyed Peas, drained
• 2 4 oz. Cans of Chopped Green Chiles
• 3 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth and Beer
• 13 oz. Pkg. Of Fully Cooked Smoked Andouille Sausage, chopped
• 2 Tab. Cornstarch
• 4 Tab. Water
• Garnish: Shredded Cheddar or Jack Cheese, Chopped Cilantro, Sliced Green Onions, Sliced Hot Peppers

Combine all ingredients except the cornstarch, water, and garnishes in your slow cooker. Cover. Cook on low 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

Dissolve cornstarch in water. Stir in chili 30 minutes before serving to thicken.

Serve chili in bowls. Top with your choice of garnishes.

Thanks to wcpo.com

Easy Beer Bread

"I combine all the dry ingredients and put them in quart canning jars or quart size ziploc bags and give as gifts. All the recipient needs to add is the can of beer and butter over the top of the loaf. You know you have a winner when people ask for the recipe!" -Kory

• 2 1/2 cups self-rising flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can beer
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch baking pan.

In a bowl, mix the self-rising flour, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Pour in the beer, and mix just until moistened. Transfer to the prepared baking pan. Top with the melted butter.

Bake 45 to 55 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Thanks to allrecipes.com

Caribbean Chicken with Bock Beer

• 5 to 6 chicken leg quarters, skin removed
• 2 tablespoons dry Jamaican jerk seasoning
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 jalapeño chiles, seeded and diced
• 1 tablespoon peeled and chopped fresh ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 cups parboiled rice
• 1 bottle bock beer (12 ounces)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 can red or pink beans (16 ounces), rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro, divided

Coat chicken all over with jerk seasoning.

In large Dutch oven or other large pan with lid, warm oil over medium heat. Cook chicken in two batches, turning frequently, until well browned, about 8-10 minutes per batch. Remove chicken to plate. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons pan oil.

To drippings in pan, add onion, chiles, ginger, garlic and salt. Cook, stirring 3-4 minutes, until onion is lightly browned. Stir in rice and cook for additional minute. Add beer, coconut milk, beans and half of cilantro. Return chicken to pot along with any accumulated juices.

Bring chicken mixture to a boil, cover pot and reduce heat to low. Simmer 30-35 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed, rice is tender and chicken is cooked through. Stir in remaining cilantro.

Serves 6.

Nutrition Information, Per Serving: 620 calories; 20 g fat; 8 g saturated fat; 55 g carbohydrate

– from the National Beer Wholesalers Association and the Kane County Chronicle

Open-Faced Cheddar and Turkey Bacon Sandwich With Beer-Glazed Onions

This hearty sandwich recipe comes from the Washington Post and features flavors with a long history of great partnership. Using cooked turkey bacon keeps the preparation time short. Adapted from "Seduced by Bacon," by Joanna Pruess (Lyons Press, 2006).

• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup beer
• 1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon honey mustard
• 1 slice firm country-style bread, about 4 inches square by 1/2 inch thick, lightly toasted
• 1 wide slice cooked turkey bacon, cut in half crosswise*
• 1/3 cup shredded or thinly sliced sharp aged cheddar cheese

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until browned, stirring after the first few minutes. Add the beer and caraway seeds, then increase the heat to high and boil for about 1 minute, until the beer has almost completely evaporated. Season with pepper to taste. Cover partially to keep warm.

Spread the mustard on the toasted bread. Add the bacon pieces side by side and cover with the cheese. Broil in an oven or toaster oven just until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Spoon the beer-glazed onions over the cheese and serve.

*NOTE: If using pork bacon, the slices should be cooked first.

Per serving: 420 calories, 17 g protein, 30 g carbohydrates, 24 g fat, 53 mg cholesterol, 10 g saturated fat, 767 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber