Beer Cheese Fondue

Ingredients:

• 4 cups shredded cheese* (Gruyere, Emmenthaler, raclette, cheddar or other good melting cheese) 
• 1/4 cup flour (substitute with corn starch) 
• 1 cup flavorful, low bitterness beer** 
• 1/3 cup heavy cream (fresh, at room temperature) 
• grated garlic or onion (to taste, optional) 
• fresh or dry herbs (to taste)

BEST BEER STYLES TO USE FOR CHEESE FONDUE

Styles with low bitterness, bready/biscuity notes and herbal, earthy aromas (Noble hops or traditional English varieties) make the best candidates to use. To that end we recommend:

• Pilsner lagers (like Bohemian (Czech) and Munich Helles)
• Dunkel and bock lagers
• Doppelbock lagers (especially well suited with more aged cheeses)
• Saisons and strong Belgian ales (nothing sour)
• Wheat ales, especially if fermented with clean American yeast (not fruit flavored of course and nothing sour)
• English pale ales, English mild
• Amber and brown ales (low bitterness, mostly aroma hops)

Avoid sour beers (including kettle sours) as their higher acidity may cause the heavy cream to curdle, especially if it is not fresh heavy cream and has already began to sour in the carton.

Directions:

Step 1. To start – shred enough cheese to have about four cups worth. Coat it well with flour (this will facilitate the melting process). Set aside.

Step 2. Next, pour the beer into a cold pot, turn the heat to medium and bring to simmer to cook off the alcohol. After the beer has simmered for a couple of minutes, add the cream and simmer for a few more minutes.

TIPS: 1. If you add beer to a hot pan/pot it will foam excessively. 2. If you’d like to add a bit of grated garlic or grated onion and/or any dry or fresh herbs such as picked fresh thyme leaves, add them to the beer to infuse with their flavor.

Step 3. Remove the pan from the heat and fold in the cheese in batches while gently stirring. Once all the cheese has melted, transfer to a pre-heated fondue pot, taste and if needed season with salt & pepper, then serve.


WHAT TO DO IF YOUR BEER CHEESE FONDUE BREAKS

If your beer cheese sauce breaks (most likely due to adding cold cheese to too hot of a liquid base) you might end up with clumps. This is easy to fix!

Simply use an immersion blender or transfer the entire broken mess into a blender and process it until no more clumps are visible. Strain and add a few tablespoons of cream to the cheese sauce and warm it up over very gentle heat while stirring.

Hungarian Goulosh

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil 
• 3 onions, sliced 
• 2 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika 
• 2 teaspoons salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 
• 3 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes 
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste 
• 1-1/2 cups water 
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

• Step 1: Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook onions in oil until soft, stirring frequently. Remove onions and set aside.
• Step 2: In a medium bowl, combine paprika, 2 teaspoons salt and pepper. Coat beef cubes in spice mixture, and cook in onion pot until brown on all sides. Return the onions to the pot, and pour in tomato paste, water, garlic and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until meat is tender.

Spinach Pesto Chicken Pasta

Ingredients 

1 Box of Spaghetti 

12 oz Spinach 

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced 

1/2 Cup EVOO

1/4 Cup water

Salt and Pepper

Feta cheese

1-1.5 lb Boneless Chicken Breasts 

Directions

1. Combine spinach, onion, garlic, EVOO, salt and pepper and water in food processor. 

2. Brown chicken in skillet and set aside once cooked. 

3. Boil pasta for no more than 5 minutes. Drain all but 1.5 cups of pasta water. Combine pasta, reserved pasta water and spinach pesto in deep sauce pan. Reduce down by a 1/3. 

4. Serve hot with chicken atop pasta and garnish with feta cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Indian Butter Chicken

1 ½ cups full-fat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 ½ tablespoons ground turmeric
2 tablespoons garam masala
2 tablespoons ground cumin
3 pounds chicken thighs, on the bone
¼ pound unsalted butter
4 teaspoons neutral oil, like vegetable or canola oil
2 medium-size yellow onions, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated or finely diced
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 cinnamon stick
2 medium-size tomatoes, diced
2 red chiles, like Anaheim, or 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
 Kosher salt to taste
⅔ cup chicken stock, low-sodium or homemade
1 ½ cups cream
1 ½ teaspoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons ground almonds, or finely chopped almonds
½ bunch cilantro leaves, stems removed.

Directions:

Whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, turmeric, garam masala and cumin in a large bowl. Put the chicken in, and coat with the marinade. Cover, and refrigerate (for up to a day).

In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter in the oil until it starts to foam. Add the onions, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent. Add the garlic, ginger and cumin seeds, and cook until the onions start to brown.

Add the cinnamon stick, tomatoes, chiles and salt, and cook until the chiles are soft, about 10 minutes.

Add the chicken and marinade to the pan, and cook for 5 minutes, then add the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for approximately 30 minutes.

Stir in the cream and tomato paste, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the almonds, cook for an additional 5 minutes and remove from the heat. 

Garnish with the cilantro leaves.

(from Foodgawker & the New York Times)

Cajun Risotto with Smoked Garlic Sausage

Ingredients 

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Butter

1 Shallot (or Onion), chopped

1 Bell Pepper, Chopped

3/4 Cup Arborio Rice

3-4 Cups Swanson Louisiana Cajun Broth

Directions

1) Heat olive oil and butter in a large sauce pan

2) Sauté shallots until transparent. Add bell peppers and cook for 2 minutes.

3) Add rice and stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 cup broth and bring to a boil.

4) Add remaining broth 1/2—1 cup at a time, cooking and stirring until liquid is absorbed each time.

5) Add sausage about 10 minutes prior to finishing to cook thoroughly. 

Lemongrass Chicken Coconut Curry

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, chopped (seeded if you want less heat)
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 stalks of lemon grass, cut into large chunks and bruised
• 3 tsp Thai red curry paste
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and either sliced thin or grated
• 1 Tb sugar
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into large chunks
• 2 stalks green onion, sliced
• 1 can light coconut milk
• 2-3 cups of water or stock
• 1 cup sugar snap peas or broccoli
• 1 cup carrots
• 1 Tb sriracha
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1-2 Tb coconut oil
• Lime wedges, for garnish
• 1 green onion, sliced for garnish

Directions

1. Saute onion, jalapeno in coconut oil until onion begins to soften. Then add garlic and lemongrass. Toss around in the oil for another minute or so until garlic begins to caramelize.
2. Then add spices (curry powder, garam masala and turmeric), fresh ginger and sugar. Toss to coat.
3. Add cubed chicken and season with salt and pepper. Toss chicken in the other flavors and allow to lightly brown on the outside.
4. Add your veggies. Mushrooms, peppers, peas and green onion. (Note* I added my broccoli until the very end to avoid over cooking). Toss to coat with everything.
5. Add your liquid, coconut milk and 2 cups of stock or water. There should be enough liquid to lightly cover everything, so you may need to adjust accordingly. Also add a few dashes of sriracha.
6. Cover and cook on medium-low until chicken is cooked through. About 20 minutes. When done, add lime juice. 
7. Garnish with green onion and lime wedges.

Pineapple Cucumber Salsa

My kids and I eat at Moe's Southwest restaurant often and I was hesitant to try this salsa. I do not like cucumbers at all. Something told me to try it and I fell in love with it. I ran home and picked the cucumbers from my garden and made my first batch. 

I recommend using fresh pineapple but it's super important to be sure that it's ripe. It has the most flavor but the can will do just fine if you don't have the time to cut and core a pineapple. 


Ingredients
1-1/2 Cups finely chopped fresh pineapple
1 Cup finely chopped seedless cucumber
1/4 Cup lime juice

1/4 Cup finely chopped red onion

2 Tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

4-1/2 Teaspoons chopped seeded jalapeno pepper

1 Garlic clove, minced

1 Teaspoon grated lime peel

1/4 Teaspoon salt

Directions
Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate for at least 2 hours

Adapted from: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/pineapple-cucumber-salsa#ixzz38tEqyU51

Santa Fe Chicken and Lentil Casserole (Gluten Free)

First off, I found this recipe here. On a scale of 1 to 10, we gave it a 7. It made A LOT of food ... way more than I was prepared for. It filled my 10 x 14 casserole dish to the top. It will feed a large family or you'll have a lot of leftovers. Good thing, it freezes well! Next time, I'll be sure to cut the recipe in half.

Ingredients (Cost me about $13 for fresh items as I already had the spices.)

Lentils:

            1-1/2 cup green lentils, rinsed & drained ($1)

            3 cups chicken broth, low sodium ($2)

            1/8 tsp salt

            

Chicken:

            2 lbs boneless & skinless chicken breasts, diced ($5 for 3 lbs)

            1 tsp cumin

            1/4 tsp salt

            1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

            1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

            Cooking spray

            

Vegetables:

            1 large onion, diced ($.66)

            5 large garlic cloves, crushed

            2 large bell peppers, diced ($3)

            1 tsp cumin

            1/4 tsp salt

            1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

            Cooking spray

           

Mix Ins:

            14 oz can diced tomatoes (I used Fire Roasted)

            2 cups corn, frozen & unthawed ($.89)

            2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded & divided

            2 tbsp peppers, seeded & minced (I used a Serrano) ($.20)

            1 tbsp garlic powder

            1 tsp cumin

            1 cup cilantro, chopped & divided ($1)

Directions

1) In a medium pot, combine lentils, chicken broth and salt. Bring to a boil on high, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 30-35 minutes. Do not drain excess liquid. Set aside.

2) Meanwhile, preheat large skillet on high and spray with cooking spray. Add chicken and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and draining any liquid if necessary. Add cumin, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper and cook for another 5 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a very large bowl and set aside. You'll mix all other ingredients into this bowl.

3) Preheat oven to 350°. Return skillet to medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray. Add onion, garlic, bell peppers, cumin, salt and cayenne pepper and cook for 7 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.

4) Transfer to the bowl with chicken along with cooked lentils, diced tomatoes, corn, 1 cup cheese, jalapeño peppers, garlic powder, cumin and 1/2 cup cilantro. Mix gently with spatula enough to combine.

5) Transfer the mixture to a 9 x 13 oven proof baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake uncovered for 50 mins. Remove casserole from the oven, cover with foil and let stand for half an hour before serving. Garnish with remaining cilantro and sour cream.

Storage Instructions: Refrigerate covered for up to 3 days or freeze in an air tight container for up to 3 months.

Nutritional Info

Calories: 381, Total Fat: 11 g
, Sodium: 531.4 mg
, Total Carbs: 33.4 g
, Dietary Fiber: 9.2 g, Protein: 41.5 g
, WW Points+: 10

Asian Fried Quinoa with Kale

http://crandlecakes.com/2014/01/09/asian-style-fried-quinoa-with-vegetables-gf/

Serves 1

2 Tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
¼ cup onion, diced
1 garlic clove, sliced
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon pepper flakes (optional)
2 cups thinly sliced kale
¼ cup chopped carrots (about 1-cm cubes works well)
¼ cup frozen green peas
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 egg
1 Tablespoon soy sauce (use the gluten-free kind if desired)
1 teaspoon sesame oil for garnish (optional)
Sriracha or sambal oelek

1. In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Sweat onion for 1-2 minutes, then add garlic, pepper flakes, and ginger. When translucent but not browned, add carrots and peas. When peas are bright green and no longer icy and carrots are beginning to soften (about 4-5 minutes), add kale and wilt slightly, about 3 minutes (for softer kale, cook up to 6 minutes). At this stage, I added about 2 Tablespoons of water because the vegetables were beginning to stick. If you need to add water at this stage, make sure it fully evaporates before moving on.

2. When vegetables are softened, add quinoa, stir, and let sit 1 minute to brown a bit. Stir and let sit again, 1 more minute.

3. When quinoa is warmed through and crisped on some spots, make a well in the middle of the pan and crack the egg into it. Scramble the egg in the well and then mix into the quinoa (about 30 seconds.)

4. Just as egg finishes cooking, stir in soy sauce and remove from heat.

5. Serve immediately with a drizzle of sesame oil and sriracha or sambal oelek.

Easy Thai Coconut Butternut Squash Soup

Makes about 10 cups

Squash roasting time: 45 minutes

Prep time: 10 minutes

Soup cook time: 15+ minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 large butternut squash ($1.75)
• 2 tablespoons of oil, divided (olive, vegetable, or canola)
• 1 onion, diced ($1.50)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 apple, peeled & chopped ($.79)
• 2 teaspoons of ground ginger (or 1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger)
• 2 heaping teaspoons of Thai red curry paste (more or less depending on your spice preference) ($3.69/jar)
• 32oz Organic chicken broth ($3.49)
• 1 can (14-ounce) Organic Light coconut milk ($3.39)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Toasted sweetened shredded coconut, for serving – optional (but highly recommended!)

Instructions:

• Roast the Butternut Squash (This can be done days in advance) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Halve squash lengthwise and scrape out all the seeds. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, brush the cut flesh with about 1 tablespoon of oil, and place flesh side down on foil. Roast squash until it is very soft – depending on the size about 45 minutes to an hour.  Allow Squash to cool for about 10 minutes and then scoop flesh out of the peel into a bowl.  Use immediately in soup, or place into a sealed container and refrigerate for about a week or freeze up to 2 months.

• Make the Soup. (While the squash is roasting-if doing this in one day) In a large pot, add the remaining tablespoon of oil, onion, garlic and peeled apple and sauté on medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until onions are soft.  Add Thai red curry paste and ginger and stir briskly for about 30 seconds. Next add the broth, coconut milk and the roasted squash and simmer for at least 10 minutes. I simmered mine for 1 hour.  

Purée soup with an immersion blender (or in batches in a blender or food processor) – and serve.

For serving: Optional— Top soup with toasted sweetened shredded coconut. I used cilantro instead. 

3-Meat Game Chili

The best part of this recipe is that it has bacon! It's not over-powering, but you can certainly hint that it is there. Brian purchased fresh, thick cut bacon from the deli rather than using pre-packaged. He also used one can of beer and beef broth instead of one or the other. And we cooked it in the crock pot for a couple hours. We topped with onions and cheese. 

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
  1 lb. ground sausage
  6 strips bacon, chopped
  1 yellow onion, chopped
  1 green pepper, chopped
  3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  2 cans diced fire roasted tomatoes
  2 cans chili beans
  1-2 cans beer (any kind will work)
  (OPTIONAL BEER SUBSTITUTE: 2 cans beef broth)
  1 tbsp. Old Bay Seasoning
  1 tsp. dry mustard
  1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  1 tbsp. Chili powder
  1 tbsp. Hot Sauce (such as Hot Spot or Franks)
  2 bay leaves
  salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

• 1
  Set a large pot over medium-high heat. Add chopped bacon and fry until crispy. Remove from grease to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
• 2
  Add ground beef, ground sausage, chopped onion & garlic to bacon drippings in large pot. Cook, stirring frequently and breaking up meat until the meat is brown and the onions are translucent. Drain grease from meat mixture and return to pot.
• 3
  In a food processor, combine beans and tomatoes. Do not drain. (Depending on how large your processor is, you may have to do 2 cans at a time) Pulse until beans and tomatoes are pureed. Add to meat mixture. Add bacon back into meat mixture.
• 4
  Very slowly, pour 1-1/2 beers into your chili. Stir and set temperature to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Add seasonings, stir to combine.
• 5
  Simmer chili for about 20 minutes on low until some of the beer has cooked off. 

{Slow Cooker} Coconut Curry Chicken Thighs

Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Chicken Thighs from Shared Appetite

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 7 hours

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

4 carrots, peeled and diced

2 bell peppers, diced

1 medium onion, peeled and quartered

2 large cloves garlic, peeled

1 tablespoon fresh ginger (about the same size as 2 cloves of garlic)

1 jalapeno, seeded and halved

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

2 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk

2 teaspoons salt

3/4 tablespoon curry powder

3/4 tablespoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

Cooked white or brown rice

Naan, for garnish

Plain Greek Yogurt, for garnish

Cilantro, for garnish

Directions

1) Spray the inside of your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Add chicken, carrots, and bell peppers.

2) Combine onion, garlic, ginger, jalapeno, tomato paste, coconut milk, salt, curry powder, garam masala, and turmeric in a food processor until mostly smooth. Pour sauce mixture over chicken. Cook on low for about 6 hours.

3) Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl until dissolved. Pour mixture into the slow cooker, stir to combine, and cook for one more hour, or until sauce thickens to desired consistency.

4) Serve coconut curry chicken over rice, garnished with plain greek yogurt, naan, and cilantro