Beer for Dinner

• 1 bag Morningstar Farms Steak Strips, cubed
• 2T vegetable oil
  
• 1 medium onion, diced
  
• 2t caraway seeds
  
• 2T sweet Hungarian paprika (not hot!)
  
• 1/4t pepper
• 1 six oz. can tomato paste
  
• 1 bottle of beer
  
• 1/4t salt
  
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1/4t marjoram
  
• 2 carrots, chopped (optional)
  
• 2 red potatoes, diced (optional)
  
• 1 1/2 cups V8 or vegetable juice (use less if omitting carrots & potatoes)
  
• 2T flour

In a stew sized pot, heat oil and cook onions and caraway seeds until onions are soft. Add cubed faux steak and brown slightly. Stir in all of the remaining ingredients except flour. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes, until potatoes and carrots are soft. If necessary, add flour to thicken.

Thanks to Monica from the Rural Vegan

Labels: caraway seeds, carrots, flour, garlic, marjoram, oil, onion, paprika, potatoes, steak, tomato paste

Posted by Steve at 12:37 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/4 oz active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 12 oz bottle beer (we used Smithwicks)
• 1 bunch onions

optional add ins:

• 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes
• red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 400. Oil or spray a baking sheet. In a large bowl, stir together salt, pepper, paprika, cheese (if using), green onion, yeast and flour. Add the beer and stir until a dough forms. Shape into a round loaf and place on the greased baking sheet. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until the loaf is slightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Thanks to Rachel

Labels: basil, bread, cheddar, flour, onions, paprika, parmesan, redpepperflakes, tomatoes, yeast

Posted by Steve at 10:30 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 2 tablespoons anise seeds
• 4 garlic cloves, coarsley chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads (I omitted this as those are expensive, and it still tastes and smells good)
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons pure olive oil
• 8 skinless chicken thighs
• Salt
• 1 cup shelled fava beans
• 1/2 cup fresh peas
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 pound button mushrooms halved
• 8 scallions thinly sliced
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• One 12-ounce bottle belgian beer
• 1/2 cup heavy cream.
• 1/4 cup coarsley chopped flat parsley.

In a small skillet, toast the anise seeds over moderate heat, shaking the skillet until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Let the seeds cool slightly, and then crush with the side of a knife.

In a mini food processor, combine the seeds, garlic, saffron (if using), paprika, anc cayenne. Add the lemon juice and puree. Transfer to a large, shallow bowl and stir in 1/2 cup olive oil.. Ad dthe chicken thighs and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

While the chicken is marinating, bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add salt and the fava beans, and cook for one minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fava beans to a small bowl and cool slightly. Add the peas to the boiling water and cook until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain the peas. Peel the fava beans and add to the peas.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large enameled cast-iron casserole. Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade, scraping off the excess. Season the chicken with salt and black pepper and cook over moderatley high heat, turning occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes.

Wipe out the casserole, add the butter and heat until melted. Add the mushrooms, sliced scallions, and cook over moderate heat sirring occasionally, until any liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are browned, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms, and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Slowly stir in the beer, and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the casserole.

Return the chicken thighs to the casserole and season wth salt and black pepper. Cover and simmer over low heat until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 25 minutes. Add the cream, fava beans, and peas, increase the heat to moderate, and cook uncovered until the sauce has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs.

Labels: beans, butter, cayenne, chicken, cream, flour, garlic, lemon, mushrooms, oliveoil, paprika, parsley, peas, saffron, scallions, stew, thyme

Posted by Steve at 8:58 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 1 kg braising steak, cut into 4cm chunks
• 1 bottle of beer
• 4 ancho chillies, stemmed and deseeded
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large onions roughly chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 400g tins whole, peeled plum tomatoes
• 75 ml cider vinegar
• 60 g brown sugar
• 1 tbsp Spanish paprika (preferably pimenton)
• 1 tbsp mild chilli powder
• 3 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
• 400 g tin kidney, borlotti or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Put the beef in a medium bowl, pour the beer over and leave to marinate for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid and pat the beef dry with kitchen paper.

Toast the chillies for 30 seconds in a dry saute pan then pour boiling water over and soak for 15 minutes or until soft. Drain and put in a food processor with the beer. Puree until fine and set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat two tablespoons of the olive oil. Season the meat and sear in batches until evenly browned. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the remaining olive oil and saute the onions and garlic for five minutes. Put the meat back in the pan and pour the chilli mixture over.
advertisement

Puree the tomatoes in the food processor and add to the pan. Add the cider vinegar, brown sugar, paprika, chilli powder and cumin and season.

Cook partially covered with a lid, for one hour over low heat or until the meat is very tender. Add the beans in the last five minutes of cooking to warm through. Serve in small bowls with a choice of accompaniments: cooked rice, chopped red onion, coriander crackers.

Serves 4-6

Thanks to Gazette & Herald

Labels: beans, brownsugar, chili, chilipowder, cumin, garlic, hotpeppers, oliveoil, onions, paprika, tomatoes, vinegar

Posted by Steve at 9:57 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 4 smoked turkey legs
• 1 large green bell pepper, diced
• 1 large yellow or white onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced or crushed
• 1 large can of puréed tomatoes (28 ounces)
• 1 small can of tomato sauce (14 ounces)
• 2 cans of kidney beans (15 ounces)
• 1/2 of a beer or 3/4 ounces of chicken or vegetable broth
• 3 tablespoons of honey or brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon of Hungarian paprika
• 2 tablespoons of chili powder

The problem with just substituting ground turkey for ground beef in most chili recipes is that turkey doesn't have the same rich flavor that beef does. Which means that the chili just ends up a bit bland. By substituting meat from smoked turkey legs (which you can either smoke yourself or find at the grocery already smoked) you add back some hearty flavor while still cutting down on fat content. The addition of more spices and herbs will also help carry the flavor over to this healthier version of chili.

Remove the skin from the turkey and discard (while it is flavorful, it is high in fat). Chop the meat and discard any bits of bone or cartilage. Place a dutch oven or large skillet over medium high heat and add the bell pepper, onion and olive oil. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5-7 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and the bell pepper is soft. Add the garlic to the skillet and let it cook for about 2-3 minutes, or just until you can start to smell it. If you plan on cooking this in your slow cooker, you can now turn your cooker on and add the contents of your skillet. If you're cooking this in the dutch oven on your stovetop, lower the heat to medium low.

Add the tomato products and stir. Open the cans of kidney beans and drain and rinse them. Add them and all the other ingredients in the cooking vessel. Stir to combine, cover and let cook. If cooking in the slow-cooker, your chili will be done in about 2 hours if cooked on high, or 4 hours if cooked on low. If cooking on the stove, it will be done in 1 1/2 hours over medium low or 2 1/2 hours over low.

It's even better to make the chili the day before and store it in the friedge to be warmed up the next day. To cool it quickly, place ice from several trays in your sink. Fill your storage container or containers with chili, then nestle them into the ice and then add water until at least 1/2 but no more than 3/4 of the dishes are underwater. Let them rest until the ice melts and stir the chili occasionally to cool it evenly. Once it's cool to the touch you can cover them and place them in your refrigerator. The next day, pour the chili back into your slow-cooker or dutch oven and cook on low for 30 minutes to an hour or until it's steaming and warmed through. The flavor will be significantly better, and you'll be able to taste it to determine if you need to adjust the spices or add salt or sugar.
Serves 8-12.

Thanks to Gapers Block

Labels: beans, brownsugar, cayenne, chili, cilantro, cinnamon, cumin, garlic, honey, hot, onion, paprika, stock, tomatoes, turkey

Posted by Steve at 11:42 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post