Full of Beery, Stewy Goodness

Why is it that whenever anyone talks about a pairing of a food and an alcoholic beverage, they only talk about wine? Sure, once in a great while you get a pairing of a flight of crazyass tropical cocktails with your pseudo Polynesian cuisine (“Suffering Bastard” anyone?). But what about beer? For my money, nothing pairs better with beef, Mexican food, and pizza than a good, cold beer (Heineken and Corona need not apply).

There are certainly enough varieties/flavors/styles/countries of origin to make it possible to find a pairing that creates a whole that’s greater than its parts. It’s the perfect pairing when the food and the beverage taste so perfect together that you can’t imagine having one without the other.

Beyond the eating-drinking pairings, there’s the opportunity to create cooking pairings. And that’s what piques my interest.  I want to find the right pairing of food ingredients and beer, and keep it true to the region. So, if I’m cooking Mexican, use a Mexican beer. Or, in this case, make something inspired by the ingredients and tastes of Ireland–but not with lamb, because I don’t like lamb.

And so, I give you….

Crock Pot Guinness Stout Beef Stew

(Serves 6-8)

2 lbs beef stew meat (chuck is fine), cut into chunks

1/2 cup flour (divided in half)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil (divided in half)

1 lg. yellow onion, rough chopped

1 bottle Guinness Stout

1.5 cups beef stock (broth works too)

2 tbsps Demi-glace Gold (optional)

2 bay leaves (fresh or dried)

1 tsp dried thyme (or 2 sprigs fresh)

1 tbsp worcesterhire sauce

2 tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips (don’t ewww at me)

1.5 lbs boiling potatoes , cut into chunks (red, white, Yukon Gold, fingerling…I used whatever I found in the bin)

3 small turnips, peeled and cubed

1/2 small sack baby carrots, left whole

Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions

1. Mix 1/4 cup of the flour with the salt & pepper in a big Ziploc bag. Add the beef chunks and shake to coat evenly.
2. Heat 1/2 the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. If you have the fancy kind of crock pot that can go on the stove, use that.
3. When the oil is shimmering, drop the heat to medium and add the beef chunks. Work in batches, with the beef in a single, uncrowded layer. You want it to brown evenly (about 1 minute per side), not steam. Remove the meat as it browns and set aside.
4. When all the beef is browned, add the rest of the oil and the flour to the skillet. Stir to combine, and cook for a couple of minutes to get rid of the raw flour flavor. Now, add 1/2 the Guinness, and stir to pull up any delicious stuck brown bits. You’re going to wind up with a caramel colored sludge. This is a good thing — it’s your roux.
5. Add all the veggies to the crock pot. Add the roux you made in step 4, and stir to coat the veggies thoroughly.
6. Throw the browned meat on top of the veggies. Do not stir.
7. Add the rest of the Guinness, the beef stock, the demi-glace (if you’re using it), the herbs, worcestershire, and the chocolate chips. Yes, you really do need the chocolate–you won’t taste them; they just balance out the bitterness of the Guinness.
8. Slap the lid on this thing, and cook all day on low (8-10 hours would be fine) or 4-5 hours on high.
9. If your sauce isn’t thick enough (mine was almost too thick), leave the lid off the last 20ish minutes.
10. Serve topped with the parsley, with some kind of good bread for mopping up the gravy.

Notes

I hate pre-browning meat for crock pot recipes, but you really do need to do it for this one, or you’ll have a thin, runny stew. You can brown the beef and make the roux ahead of time, and hold in the fridge over night.  See? Not so bad.

Your stew will be fine without the demi-glace. I use it in most stews and soups to really boost the beefy-ness. But, if you’ve never used it, you won’t miss it.

 

Secret Ingredient: Molasses

I have a confession to make….I sometimes get bored with food. Cooking it. Eating it. Thinking about it.

Sometimes I’m able to get out of my food rut by going out to a new restaurant and eating something new and different. A truly transcendent meal will snap me right out of a food funk. But meals like that are hard to come by. It seems that a whole lot of chefs put more creativity in the menu descriptions of their dishes than they do in actually cooking them.

So, more frequently, I’m forced to break the funk by challenging myself to try a new ingredient or a new way of using a familiar ingredient. This time, molasses won out. I’d always been a little leery of  molasses–it’s so thick and black and sticky. What the heck do you do with it?  Turns out, you use it to make some pretty kickass “baked” beans. I put the word “baked” in quotes because these beans don’t ever see the inside of an oven. They’re simmered in the crock pot all day, and if the smell doesn’t make you start drooling, your sniffer must be broken.

A couple of notes on this recipe: First, you’re not getting a picture. The camera battery was dead and these beans just aren’t that photogenic. They’re baked beans, not a supermodel. Second, don’t add salt. The smoked turkey legs tend to be salty enough to compensate for all the sweetnesss in the dish. Third, this makes a TON of food. We ate it the first night as a main course, grabbing up most of the turkey, with a salad and some corn bread on the side. We got about 3 more nights of side dishes out of this batch. Your mileage may vary.

Sweet and Smoky Crock Pot Baked Beans

1 package dry navy beans

2 onions, chopped

1/4 cup brown sugar (doesn’t matter what kind)

1/4 cup molasses

6 whole allspice berries (or about 2 tsp ground allspice)

5 whole cloves

2 fresh bay leaves (dry would work, if you must)

2 tsp worcestershire sauce

1 tsp dry mustard powder

Black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup good bourbon (optional)

2 smoked turkey legs

Directions

1. Rinse and pick over the beans to remove anything obviously not a bean or that’s not a bean you really want to eat.  Dump into a big pot and cover with water. Soak overnight.
2. First thing in the morning, drain the soaked beans. Cover with water again, and boil for about 10 minutes. Skim the nasty stuff that rises to the top. Drain the beans at the end of the 10ish minutes.
3. Add the onion to the crock pot, then pour the beans over that.
4. Dissolve the molasses in about 1 cup of hot tap water. Add this to the crock pot.
5. Now add everything else–the brown sugar, the spices, the worcestershire, dry mustard, and the black pepper.
6. Add enough hot water to just cover the beans. Now drop in the smoked turkey legs.
7. Cook on low about 10 hours, or on high for about 6 hours.
8. When the beans are soft, remove the whole spices (if you can find them), and the turkey legs. Shred the turkey meat (it’ll take just your fingers) and add that back into the pot.
9. Try not to eat so much you make yourself sick.

 

When Elsie Met Porky

Maple-bacon ice cream

Originally uploaded by alfagee

I’ve always had a thing for flavor combos: Hot-sweet; sweet-sour; salty-sweet. I knew I wasn’t alone in this fixation when I saw a piece on Voodoo Donuts on some foodie show or other.

Voodoo Donuts has maple-bacon donuts, among other deep-fried treasures. And I wanted them. Now, Mr. Alfa and I have driven to Philly just for a cheesesteak, but a cross-country trip just for a donut is a bit out of the question.

So, I had to come up with my own take on fatty, sweet, salty goodness. I introduced the pig to the cow, and the angels sang.

Maple-Bacon Ice Cream

3/4 cup dark, real maple syrup (not some corn syrup dyed brown)

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups half-and-half (don’t even think about using that fat free crap)

6 large egg yolks

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

6 slices center cut bacon, cooked and pulverized in a food processor

Directions

1. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to a simmer.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, cornstarch, egg yolks, sugar, and salt.
3. Pour about one-third of the hot cream into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Then stir the egg yolk mixture into the remaining cream in the saucepan. Stir to blend well.
4. Lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer stirring constantly, until the mixture is hot and slightly thickened. DO NOT BOIL–or I will slap the whisk right out of your hand!!!!!
5. Pour this through a fine mesh strainer (trust me, you don’t want to skip this step) into a clean bowl.
6. Stir in the milk and vanilla extract.  Cover the bowl and pop this into the fridge to chill completely
7. Freeze in whatever ice cream maker you have, following the directions that came with the machine. I’m not a mind reader. I can’t tell you how to turn it into ice cream.
8. Add the pulverized bacon when your ice cream maker directions tell you to. With my machine, you add the bacon about 10 minutes before the ice cream is fully churned.
9. Think of me when you eat this little bowl of salty sweet deliciousness.

 

Caribbean Crocking and A Special Offer

Caribbean Chicken Curry

Originally uploaded by alfagee

A long, long time ago, on a sailing trip with a company that no longer exists, I found myself: ravenous, doped up on codeine, on the island of Tortola, and dining among chickens. There’s something very surreal about eating curry chicken while chickens peck at your toes. Thus began my love of Caribbean-style curries and my mistrust of living chickens.

Caribbean curries are similar to traditional Indian curries, but different. They tend to be a little brighter in flavor, use spices native to the islands, and are brothy, rather than thick and creamy. You can make them using standard Madras curry powder, but the flavor won’t be quite the same. So, I make my own Caribbean Curry Powder, based on a recipe told to me by the cook on that long-gone sailboat and my own experimentation. It’s not difficult, but it requires 10 different spices, time, and patience. Which brings me to the VERY SPECIAL OFFER….

The first 5 people who donate $10 to my team for Komen Austin using this link will receive enough of my special Caribbean Curry Powder to make this dish twice. Donate $20, and I’ll give you the recipe for the spice blend, too. Just donate and then post a comment here to let me know, and I’ll get you your blend.

If you’re too late to get my special blend, you can still make this dish. It’ll work out OK with Madras curry powder. It won’t taste the same, but since you’ve never tasted it, you won’t notice the difference.

Caribbean Chicken Curry in De Crock Pot, Mon

2 lbs boneless chicken (breasts, thighs, a mix…), cut into 2-in. pieces

2 lbs baby red potatoes, cut into 2-in. pieces

3 lg. yellow onions, quartered and cut into 2-in. pieces

3 red bell peppers, cut into…yep, 2-in. pieces

4 tbsp. Caribbean Curry Powder (or the curry powder of your choice)

2 whole cinnamon sticks

2 bay leaves (fresh, preferably)

2 tbsp grated fresh ginger

1 tbsp minced garlic

3 cups chicken broth

Salt & pepper, to taste

4 tbsp rum (I prefer the dark, Cruzan rum) mixed with 2 tbsp corn starch

Directions

1. Toss the chicken with half the curry powder.
2. Layer the potatoes, onions, peppers, then chicken in the crock pot.
3. Tuck in the cinnamon sticks and the bay leaves. Sprinkle the ginger and garlic over everything.
4. Pour the chicken broth in over the whole mess. Sprinkle in the other half of the curry powder.
5. Close the crock, and cook on high 4-5 hours.  Go fix yourself a banana daiquiri, and put on some steel drum music.
6. About 30 minutes before it’s done, add in the rum-cornstarch slurry. Cover and drink some more

Notes: This isn’t going to be thick. It’s meant to be a really brothy kind of curry. In the Caribbean, they’ll serve it over rice and peas (yay, more starch), or in a bread wrapper called roti. I like it with some Naan for dipping.

Also, the picture shows the curry topped with banana relish. Just don’t. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but it was just weird.

 

Summertime and the Grilling is Easy

Apricot Balsamic Grilled Chicken

Originally uploaded by alfagee

Now that I’ve given you an excellent Porgy and Bess earworm, let’s get back to the food. You can hum along while you read.

It’s the middle of the summer, and I’m just about chicken-ed out. It’s the perfect grilling food, but there are only so many skinless, boneless breasts a girl can eat (hey, don’t make this dirty!). Bone-in breasts are hardly exotic, but at least they’re a little bit different.

Coat them in some fabulous glaze, and use a little extra as a sauce when you serve them, and suddenly chicken isn’t so boring any more.

And yes, you can use boneless, if you insist. I won’t hunt you down and slap the grill tongs out of your hand. Promise.

Oh, one last thing: See the grilled corn in that picture? Make extra. I’ve got a great side salad for you tomorrow that calls for leftover grilled corn. Who’s always thinking of you…but not in a creepy way?

Apricot Balsamic Grilled Chicken
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp minced shallot (or onion)
1/4 cup apricot jam (don’t cheap out here; use the good stuff)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Salt & pepper, to taste
4 skinless, bone-in chicken breasts

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan or saucier over medium heat. Add minced shallot and saute until shallot is translucent
2. Add apricot jam, balsamic vinegar, and S&P. Keep stirring and cooking until the jam melts and the concoction comes to a boil.
3. Lower the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. The mixture will thicken a little. Turn off the heat, and let it sit there.
4. (Optional: If you want to glaze and use some of the sauce when serving, divide up the mixture now. You don’t want to contaminate the serving sauce part with raw chicken cooties from the glazing brush).
5. Meanwhile, make sure you’ve got the grill good and hot. Rub the chicken with some salt & pepper, and any spice mix you like. I used a little chili powder and cumin, to give it some heat.
6. Grill the chicken however you usually do ( Mr. Alfa prefers indirect medium heat). It should take about 30 minutes total for the chicken to reach a safe 165 degrees F. About 10 minutes before you expect it to be done, brush the meaty side with some of the glaze. Be sure to cover the chicken well. Close the lid and leave it be.
7. Take the chicken off the grill and let it rest 5 minutes. Serve with a little extra sauce, if you remembered to set some aside. It’s fine without extra sauce, too.

 

When Life Gives You Spotty Bananas…

Banana Bread

Originally uploaded by alfagee

….Make banana bread!

Seems obvious, no? But, it hadn’t occurred to me once in the 11 years since my Mom died. Then one of my faithful readers (you know who you are, Bonzee) mentioned she was making one, and the pieces clicked into place.

I had spotty bananas I was going to have to chuck any minute. I had a fabulous old recipe from my Mom. I had 15 or 20 minutes until I had to get dinner started. So, l baked. And I changed up the recipe (adding chocolate and spices). And the results were good.

Gayle’s Mom’s Banana Bread

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 super ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup of dark chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and spray a loaf pan with the oily spray of your choice.
2. Mix the butter and sugar together, until the whole thing looks kind of creamy.
3. Add the eggs, vanilla, and mashed bananas and stir to combine.
4. Now, start adding the dry ingredients. You can mix all these together, and then add them a little at a time.
5. When this gloop looks fully mixed, stir in the chocolate chips. If you don’t want chocolate, you could use nuts. Or you could skip right ahead to the next step; it’s your bread, do what you want.
6. Pour the mix into the prepared loaf pan and shove this into the oven.
7. At about 45 minutes, check the loaf. If a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, it’s done. If it’s wet and sticky, keep going another 10-15 minutes.
8. Let the bread cool in the pan about 30 minutes, then let it cool on a rack….or cut into it right away. I’ll leave that part up to you.

 

SDOTW: Full of Lemony Goodness

It’s been a while since I posted a Side Dish of the Week (SDOTW), so I should probably rename this feature Side Dish When I Think of It. Nah, that’s too long and tedious.

I’m still lazy about side dishes, which is why this feature hasn’t lived up to its frequency billing. Plus, I pack so much flavor into my entrees, I like the balance of a simple side. But, I’m trying really hard to get more creative here.

If you’re thinking of making the Moroccan Grilled Chicken I posted last week, consider this as one of your sides. The flavors are very complementary, and this can easily be prepared while your chicken grills.

Lemon Mint Couscous

(serves 4)

1.5 cups plain couscous (Do not use one of those boxed flavored things)

1.5  cups of water

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

About 3 tbps fresh mint, cut into thin ribbons (chiffonaded, if you want to be all chefy)

1 tbsp olive oil

S&P to taste

Directions

1. Add water, lemon zest, and olive oil to a medium saucepan set over high heat. Bring to a boil.
2. When the water boils, stir in the couscous, lemon juice, half the mint, salt & pepper. Turn off the heat and cover.
3. Let stand about 5 minutes, then add the rest of the mint. Fluff the couscous with a fork to decompress it (yep, I said fluff). Serve. Eat. Enjoy.
   

 

Out of Africa and Onto Your Grill

Moroccan Grilled Chicken

Originally uploaded by alfagee

At this point in the summer, I start feeling like I’ll lose my mind if I have to eat one more piece of grilled chicken. I mean, I love chicken, but it’s just so feh, unless you dress it up.

This recipe, which sounds way more complex and exotic than it really is, was created several years ago, when I had a whole lot of chicken, a whole lot of spices, and one of those “I wonder what would happen if…” ideas.

It turns out that what happens when you mix the flavors of Morocco with a good, old American grill is something that will save you from chicken boredom.

Moroccan Grilled Chicken

(serves 4)

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 8-oz container FF plain yogurt
Juice of 1 lemon, plus 1 tsp grated lemon zest
2 tsp Ground Cumin
2 tsp Ground Cardamom
2 tsp Ground Coriander
2 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Ground Ginger
½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Trim off any gross bits from the chicken, then butterfly it or pound out any thick parts so it’s a uniform thickness (this ensures more even cooking). Preheat grill. High, medium, low…do whatever you normally do when you grill chicken.
2. Mix together all remaining ingredients, and divide marinade in half.
3. Place chicken and half of marinade in a Ziploc bag, press out all the air, and marinate for at least one hour or as long as overnight (longer is definitely better). The chicken is going to turn a little yellow the longer it sits—don’t be alarmed; that’s just the turmeric doing its thing.
4. Grill chicken for 6-8 minutes per side, or until it’s cooked through. Top with a dollop of the spiced yogurt you didn’t put in the bag (not the stuff from the bag, unless you have a death wish).

In the picture, it’s served with a chickpea salad and a Moroccan Carrot Salad. It’s even better with Lemon Mint Couscous. And, if you’re patient and keep stopping by, you’ll get all those recipes.

Want more grilled chicken recipes? Check out:

 

So Where Were We?

Note: I’ve heard from a few of you that this one didn’t work out as expected. For some reason, the sauce isn’t thickening uniformly, and the sauce is turning out blander than it should be. I’m going to revisit this one and try to figure out where it went wrong. I’ll post an update once I get it sorted out.

Wow, it’s been a month since I last posted a recipe. Apologies all around. Sometimes, life just gets in the way of blogging–and cooking, even. It’s sad, but true. I have been so busy with work that I haven’t had time to be all that creative with my meals. Lots of quick grilled things, lots more ordered in pizza, Chinese, Mexican, etc. My wallet, waistline, and blog have all suffered for it.

I hope you’ll forgive the lapse, and let me tempt you with a new crock pot recipe…as well as a few more recipes this week.  There’s definitely more coming in the days ahead, including: Grilled apricot balsamic chicken; Moroccan grilled chicken; Crock pot Porcupine Balls; and lemon mint couscous.

But first, let’s talk about today’s recipe: Crockpot Marsala Beef, which was born from a series of mistakes.

This one came into being because I bought some pepper-crusted “steaks” (a term that is far too kind when referring to these hunks of sinew) at a local market. We grilled them (mistake #1) which only served to make them tougher than an old catcher’s mitt.  That pepper crust that looked so flavorful? Pure eyewatering hell (mistake #2). Even Mr. Alfa, who would pepper his cornflakes if I didn’t give him the mal occhio, found it overwhelming. I had 2 more of these little pricy pieces of crap in the freezer, and was determined not to let them go to waste. So, I came up with the idea of crockpotting them (which would break down the toughness) in a Sweet Marsala sauce (which would cut the pepper).

Great idea, in theory. Turns out, there are some things that even a whole lot of Sweet Marsala can’t fix. The meat was tender; the sauce was exquisite; the pepper still brought the pain.  But from this debacle, a perfectly good recipe was born. I tried again, with a friendlier cut of beef, and came up with something that delivers a lot of the flavors of Veal Marsala, without all the fat and stove splattering last minute cooking.

Crock Pot Marsala Beef

(serves 6-8)

2 lbs baby red bliss potatoes (or some other small, tender skinned potatoes) quartered

Top round roast (about 2 lbs), left in one piece

1 lb sliced mushrooms (I used baby bellas, but white mushrooms would work)

2 lg. yellow onions, quartered and sliced

1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed

3 cups sweet Marsala wine (divided 2 cups + 1 cup)

2 cups beef stock or broth (NOT beef-flavored broth; read the containers carefully)

2 tbp. butter

2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

Directions

1. In this order, add to the crock pot: onions, potatoes, mushrooms, beef, rosemary, beef broth, 2 cups Marsala. Liberally salt & pepper the whole thing, then slam the lid down, set it to high, and walk away.
2. About 4.5 hours later, its time to put on the finishing touches. Remove the hunk o’ meat carefully–it’s going to try to fall apart before you get it out of the pot; don’t let it. Either break it apart with your tongs, or cut it into stew-sized pieces. Set it aside.
3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the 2 tbsp. butter. Stir in the 2 tbsp of flour, and keep stirring for 1-2 minutes to cook off the raw flour taste. Now, you’re going to want to flavor this roux, so add a little salt & pepper, then stir in the final cup of sweet Marsala. Keep this thick brownish sauce base moving (it’s going to look a little like Play-Doh; don’t be frightened)  for about 1 minute — you can’t stop stirring or it will burn.
4. We’re in the home stretch now. Stir the sauce base in to the veggie-liquid mix in the crock pot. Mix thoroughly, so you don’t get little clumps. Add the meat back in, slap the lid back on, and wander off for 20-30 minutes, so the sauce can thicken and the meat rewarm.
5. Serve. Eat. Go mmmmmm.
   

 

Granita, I Just Met A Dessert Named Granita

Watermelon-Granita

Originally uploaded by alfagee

Sorry for the cheezy West Side Story earworm. But, I really am excited about this recipe.

For those of you who don’t know, granita is a frozen dessert made from water, sugar, and a flavoring of some sort. It’s light and fluffy, a lot like Hawaiian shave ice. Historically, it’s related to sherbet, which is from the Middle East. Granita, though, originates from Italy–Sicily, to be specific.

Ok, whatever. It’s good. And it’s hella easy to make. For this one, I started with watermelon (it’s this week’s BSI challenge), and then amped up the flavor with ginger. I had so much fun with that one, I’ve already started another batch of watermelon and thyme; I’m planning strawberry with either mint or basil for later in the week.

Go clear a spot in your freezer and get started.

Ginger Watermelon Granita

6 cups of watermelon, in big chunks (remove the seeds or buy a seedless melon and avoid the hassle)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
About 1-2 inches of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
3-4 tbps plain old vodka

Directions

1. Add water and ginger slices to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and drop down to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
2. Add sugar to ginger water, and stir frequently to dissolve sugar. Once sugar is dissolved, turn off heat and let ginger steep.
3. Add watermelon to blender, working in batches if you need to. Puree until watermelon is completely liquid.
4. Add watermelon to a large freezer-safe baking pan (I used one about 9×13).
5. Strain ginger syrup, and stir into watermelon mixture. Then add vodka, and stir again to combine. **Don’t leave out the vodka, or you’ll get a block of watermelon ice.
6. Put the baking dish in the freezer — keep it level! Let set up about 30 minutes, then scrape the mixture with a fork to break up the frozen pieces into light, fluffy shavings. Mix these in with any liquid that hasn’t set up yet.
7. Repeat this process every 45ish minutes, until you get totally bored with it.  It’ll take 4 hours-overnight for the granita to freeze completely.
8. When you’re ready to serve, scrape up the granita with a fork again, and put the fluffy ice in a wine glass. If you’re smart, you’ll let the pan of granita sit out about 5 minutes before scraping and serving. It’s less work and the flavor is better.

To store, fluff the remaining granita and put it into a plastic container. You can refluff the granita as you’re ready to eat it.