Pumpkin Improvisation - Brussels Sprouts Braised In Pumpkin Beer

For me, fall cooking is all about Brussels Sprouts and cooking with Beer (just like HERE and HERE), and, of course, pumpkin everything. 

It's with these ingredient muses in mind that I'd like to tell you about a dish that happened quite by accident last Sunday, thanks in large part to the major craving for Pumpkin Brew that I experienced that night. With a 22 ounce bottle and some time on my hands, it wasn't long before my favorite "weeknight" Brussels Sprouts recipe was transformed into something extra special.  

Some of the best recipes are indeed happy kitchen improvisations. So crack a beer and lose your inhibitions as, together, we whip up this easy fall side that brings together the flavors of Pumpkin, bright, crispy Apples, and of course, Brussels Sprouts:

Brussels Sprouts Braised In Pumpkin Beer, Photo: NK 

Brussels Sprouts Braised In Pumpkin Beer With Apples & Onions

Ingredients:
A medium bunch of Brussels Sprouts, bases cut off, then cut in half lengthwise
1 Tablespoon Salted Butter + 1/2 Tablespoon, divided
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
1/2 Cup  + 1/8 Cup Pumpkin Beer such as Pumking, divided
1/4 Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1/2 Red Apple Such as Gala or Pink Lady, cored and cut to a large dice
1/2 Medium Yellow or Sweet (Vidalia) Onion, Sliced
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper

Method: 
Heat Oil and 1 Tablespoon Butter over medium low flame.
Saute until cut sides begin to brown, but not burn, about 4 minutes.

Add Chicken Broth and Pumpkin Beer and cook, covered, over medium heat until Brussels Sprouts are tender but not mushy, and liquid is reduced by half, about 8 minutes.

Pour off and reserve the pan liquids and discard. Remove Brussels Sprouts to another small plate.
Turn heat to medium and add a 1/2 Tablespoon of Butter to the skillet. Add the Sliced Yellow Onion.

Saute Onion over medium flame until they start to brown in parts. Immediately lower flame as far as it will go and add diced Apples.  Cook, stirring, another two minutes and then add another 1/8 Cup Pumpkin Beer.

Turn flame back to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beer has evaporated fully and caramelized, about 4 minutes. Return flame to lowest setting and add back in the cooked Brussels Sprouts. Heat through another several minutes, stirring, and add one generous pinch of Kosher Salt and a sprinkle of Pepper.

Serve warm!

Holiday Homemade - Dark Chocolate Stout Mini Bundt Cakes

Dark Chocolate Stout Mini Bundt Cakes, Photo: NK

My name is Samantha, and I am addicted to Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa.

It's true. I never considered how sinfully good this Cocoa could be, until I got this idea to make Dark Chocolate Brownies. They were such a success (and so simple that I've easily made them 5 more times since I first created the recipe), I thought I might apply the same logic to a majorly alluring dessert I'd come across. 

You see, my thoughts of late have been consumed by cake, Chocolate Stout Cake, to be exact, from a bakery called Ovenly in my hometown of Brooklyn. It's called Brooklyn Blackout and it's made with Brooklyn Brewery's Chocolate Stout. Wanna see it? Hold onto your seat and click HERE. I mean, you could probably just die happy now, am I right? Chocolate Stout is the secret sauce. Alongside rich Dark Chocolate Cocoa and a dollop of molasses, it's what makes this amazing cake so deeply chocolatey.  

Boxing up my homemade holiday treats, Photo: NK

Because it is the season for holiday gifts of food (check out last year's homemade sweet), I decided to create a mini, giftable version of Ovenly's insanely good confection. These Dark Chocolate Stout Mini Bundt Cakes would be the perfect treat for the special people in my life. 

Good thing several of those special people were all in one room just yesterday for our annual holiday potluck brunch. 

The event would be the perfect chance for me to lightly adapted Fine Cooking's recipe for Chocolate Stout Cake. I put my own stamp on it by adding Dark Cocoa and chunks of good quality Bittersweet Chocolate. I also amped up the Chocolate factor by using Chocolate, rather than regular, Stout. In a pinch, Guinness or something similar would work just fine in this but why not go for double the Chocolate beer-y goodness?? I opted not to glaze these already rich minis with ganache, although I am sure that would be heavenly. A simple dusting of Confectioner's Sugar would be a nice touch too. Whatever you decide, you won't be disappointed by the deeply decadent flavor of these cute little cakelets. 

Important Note: our mini bundts were made in an extra small individual "bite sized" Bundt Pan. Cook times will vary a bit depending on the size of mini bundt pan you use. Of course, the original recipe is for one large Bundt, so that's always an option if you are making it for a single recipient (or better yet, you!).You can even line cupcake pans with paper liners and bake this batter cupcake style. If you do so, I world recommend glazing or icing them. Cream Cheese Icing feels like the right move.

Annual Holiday Brunch, Photo: NK

The only thing nicer than a table full of good food and desserts...

Clockwise from top left: Peppermint Oreo Truffles, Dark Chocolate Stout Mini Bundt Cakes, and Chocolate and Brown Butter Salted Rice Krispie Treats, Photo: NK 

is being able to share it all with your best friends. 

Dark Chocolate Stout Mini Bundt Cakes
Adapted from Fine Cooking
Makes approximately 18 bite sized mini bundts or 1 large cake

Ingredients:
1 1/4 Cups Chocolate Stout (like Brooklyn Brewery or Samuel Smith's) don't count foam
1/3 Molasses (not blackstrap)
1 2/3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
3/4 Cup Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa
1.5 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda 
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 1/4 Cups Unsalted Butter, softened to room temperature
1.5 Cups Packed Light Brown Sugar
3 large Eggs at room temperature
4 Ounces fine quality Bittersweet Chocolate very finely chopped (at least 70% cocoa)

Optional Glaze: 3/4 Cup Heavy Cream & 6 Ounces Semisweet Chocolate. Click HERE for the how-to. 

Method:
1.Remove Eggs from the fridge and allow Butter to soften to room temp. 
2. Set a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350. 
3. Butter your mini or large Bundt Pan and lightly dust with Cocoa. 
4. In a small pan over high heat, bring Stout and Molasses to a simmer. Turn off heat and let stand. 
5. Into a large bowl, sift Flour, Cocoa Powder, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, and Salt. 
6. Using a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer, cream the Butter until very smooth, approximately one minute. With the mixer on medium, beat in in Brown Sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes (scrape down the bowl once or twice during). 
7. Now beat the Eggs into the Butter mixture, one at a time, stopping to scrape down the bowl after each addition. 
8. Turn the mixer to low speed and alternate adding the Flour mixture and Beer Mixture to the bowl, beginning and ending with Flour. Scrape down the bowl periodically, and put the mixer on medium for thirty seconds at the end to ensure the batter smooth. Stir in the chopped Chocolate. 
9. Pour into pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. If using Mini Bundt Pans fill only 3/4 of the way at most. The batter will rise as it bakes. If there is any overflow, the bottoms of the cakes can be easily trimmed off after cooling. 
Cook Times:
For a Mini Bundt Pan, bake 25 minutes or more,
For a Cupcake Pan, use liners and bake about 23 minutes,
or for a large Bundt, cook time will be more along the lines of 40 minutes but check it at 35 minutes. 
~You will know it is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean except for a few moist crumbs.
10. When cake is finished, invert onto rack and transfer to a platter. Best served slightly warm. 

A Taste Of Spring - Clams + Grilled Scallions & Sungold Tomatoes

Spring's been here awhile now but only just recently has the weather gotten the memo. This week marked the first time in the longest that I could venture out without a jacket, and I can't tell you how happy that makes me. Besides that, the bounty of beautiful produce is yet another thing that makes me beam about the season. 

Spring Produce, Photo: NK 

So what should we make to celebrate these warmer days? How about a delightfully easy appetizer using two of my favorite things - Clams (check my other favorite clam recipes here and here) and super sweet and delicious Sungold Tomatoes. We've paid homage to these these orangey beauties before. 

Because Sungolds aren't quite at peak ripeness yet (they're best in mid summer) we'll tease out their natural sugar by blistering them in a very hot pan. To add some interest to this dish, we'll toss in  scallions that have been lightly charred to bring in a smokey element. Adding a splash of light beer to encourage an even tastier clam broth pulls this easy appetizer together - and as you'd expect from us, it's all done in under 20 minutes. As an entree, we opted to round things out with a simple entree of grilled Arctic Char, which was the perfect accompaniment. 

Gorgeous Arctic Char, Photo: NK 

Beer Steamed Clams With Grilled Scallions & Sungold Tomatoes

Serves 2 as a hearty appetizer

Grilled Scallions, Photo: NK

Ingredients:

About 16 Small Littleneck Clams, well scrubbed

About 6 whole Scallions

About 12 Sungold Tomatoes or other ripe Cherry Tomatoes

2 large cloves Garlic, crushed

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil plus more for brushing the Scallions

1/2 Cup Wheat Beer or other light Beer 

Salt

Pepper
Chopped Chives for serving, optional

Crusty Bread for serving, optional 

Method:

1. Brush Scallions with Olive Oil and lay on a preheated grill or grill pan for a few minutes on each side until Scallions soften and char marks form. Remove Scallions to a cutting board and sprinkle with a bit of Salt and Pepper. Once they cool, slice them into 1-inch pieces. 

2. In a medium skillet, warm a Tablespoon of Olive Oil over medium heat, add the Garlic, and sauté for a minute or two until Garlic takes on some color. Lower the flame to medium low and add the Sungold Tomatoes. Cook until they soften and the skins blister, about 5 minutes, tossing occasionally. Sprinkle lightly with Salt. Turn off the flame and add Scallions to the skillet. Toss. 

3. Meanwhile, place beer in a deep pot and bring it to a bubble over medium heat. Add Clams and cover the pot. Allow them to steam for 4 minutes before checking on them. Watch as Clams open one by one and remove them right away with tongs to the serving dish. Give them a stir now and then. They should all open by about 8 minutes or so. Discard any that do not open. 

4. To serve, plate Clams and pour broth over them. Add the Scallion and Sungold mixture on top, and sprinkle with additional Black Pepper. Garnish with a few chopped raw Chives if you like. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the broth. 

Let's eat! 

Clams Steamed in Beer with Grilled Scallions & Sungold Tomatoes, Photo: NK 

A Super Bowl…of Chili! - Beef Chili to Die For

Hey America: Ready for some football? I'm guessing you are. Maybe you're even toying with the idea of having a Super Bowl party? Whatever you decide, you're gonna need to eat during the big game. As football food goes, few things are more classic than Chili. That's why we set out to perfect a pot of delicious, slow-cooking goodness that will make your crowd go wild. Coffee, dark beer and get this - cocoa powder, all conspire to create a rich and hearty chili with exceptional depth and flavor. Try it and you'll understand!

Beef Chili to Die For, Photo: NK

Beef Chili to Die For

Adapted from Food.com/Amanda A. Oates

Serves 6

Ingredients:  

2 teaspoons of Olive Oil

2 Vidalia Onions (or other yellow onions) chopped

3 Large Cloves Garlic, minced

1 3/4 Lbs Ground Beef, half of it lean, the rest, your choice (we used short-rib blend)

1 (14.5 ounce) Can Diced Tomatoes (we like Muir Glen Organic)

12 Ounces Dark Beer or Stout (we used Founder's Breakfast Stout & highly recommend!)

3/4 Cup Strong Brewed Coffee

1.5 Cans (9 ounces) Tomato Paste

1 Cup Water mixed with 1 teaspoon Salt

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spice Blend

1/3 Cup Dark Brown Sugar 

2 teaspoons Cumin

2 teaspoons unsweetened Cocoa Powder

1/2 teaspoon Oregano

1 teaspoon Cayenne

1/4 teaspoon Ancho Chili Powder (optional)

3/4 teaspoon Coriander

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2 (15 Ounce) Cans Low-Sodium Kidney Beans, well rinsed (use 3 cans for extra-thick Chili)

3 Jalapeño Peppers Chopped* (*leave seeds in all three jalapeños for spicy chili, in two for medium chili, and in one for mild chili)

1/2 teaspoon Salt

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Optional Toppings

Extra Thinly Sliced Jalapeños

Extra Chopped Onions

Grated Cheddar or Monterey Jack Cheese

Sour Cream

Method:

1. Heat Olive Oil over in a very large pot over medium flame. 

2. Add the Onions, Garlic, and Ground Meat. Allow the meat to fully brown, stirring, about 8 to 10 minutes. Break up any chunks. 

3. Add the canned tomatoes, coffee, beer, and tomato paste. Stir, and then add the cup of water with 1 teaspoon of salt mixed into it. 

4. Now add all the spices (listed under spice blend). Stir. 

5. Stir in 2 cans of the rinsed Kidney Beans and Jalapeño Peppers. 

6. Reduce the flame to a simmer and cook for 1 1/2 hours, covered. You can certainly cook for longer if you like, but be sure to leave cover on so Chili does not reduce too much. 

7. When ready to serve, stir in a 1/2 teaspoon of Salt. Taste for seasoning and adjust Salt if needed. Keeping the cover of the pot off, simmer a few more minutes to allow chili to thicken and any condensation to evaporate. Serve with any optional toppings. Enjoy!! 

Blue Point Brewery Tour + Uncle George's Local Mussels in Beer

Oatmeal Stout fresh from the brewery, Photo: NK

Don't you just love it when a plan falls into place? Actually ... never mind.

Let's try this again:

Don't you just love it when you can work BEER into your plans?

Yeah, that feels right. 

This very thing happened to us a few weeks ago when a random errand brought us to Patchogue, New York. What joy was ours when my intrepid husband remembered that Patchogue is also the site of Blue Point Brewing Company - a place we'd been talking about visiting forever. That guy continues to surprise me ... and he sure knows how to entice me into chores as well! 

Beer Tasting at Blue Point Brewing Co! Photo: NK

Our little tasting session and brewery tour was a blast. Blue Point tasting room is kinda like visiting your best friend's basement - if said basement was filled with tasty beers, cool t-shirts and other merch, a fridge full of freshly filled growlers, and a super friendly staff of knowledgable beer mavens. 

Now, wait for it ... you can taste three kinds of beer FOR FREE. Seriously, how friendly can you get? 




Sufficiently buzzed from a tasting of Blue Point Oyster Stout, Oatmeal Stout, and the limited release "Wet Hop Experiment," it was the perfect time to take a little tour of the facilities. While most of the production of Blue Point beer takes place in Upstate New York, there's still some action at their original Patchogue hub, and we got to see it all. Michelle, our tour guide, was both funny and adorable. She shared a wealth of information on Blue Point's origins, as well as on brewing in general. Among the many facts we picked up (like that home-brewing was illegal until Jimmy Carter legitimized it - thanks, Prez!), I learned that hops are related to the marijuana plant (no comment:)) and that for much of the past century, the crop of hops that had been readily available in the Northeast were blighted by disease, which is why most of today's brewers ship their hops from the West Coast. 

The good news is that our Northeastern soil is starting to bounce back, and as a result, the future looks brighter for locally sourced hops. Want proof? Look at the autumn crop that my BFF, Natalie (one of the original urban farmers for the better part of the last decade), grew at her parent's gorgeous farm in Pennsylvania: 

Black Krim Tomatoes, a Red Pumpkin, Chilies, and Dank Hops (foreground)
Grown By & Photo By: Natalie Brickajlik

She's talented, what can I say? 

Upon leaving the brewery, my head was spinning. For the usual reason, to be sure, but also, for others; all I could think about was cooking with beer, preferably Blue Point Beer. And then, just like that, an opportunity presented itself:

Toasted Lager, Photo: NK

I returned to our weekend home to find that our neighbor had stopped by to drop off some freshly harvested Mussels that he plucked from the local bay. Using what I had on hand, and of course, some widely available and uber drinkable Blue Point Toasted Lager, I came up with the following recipe that I hope you'll enjoy. 



Very special thanks to my Uncle George and his wife, my Aunt Freddie for being super sweet and thoughtful - the mussels were delicious and the freshest I've ever had. I hope I did them justice. Enjoy the recipe!

Spicy Mussels Cooked in Blue Point Toasted Lager and Thai Chilies + Lime and Cilantro, Photo: NK 

Uncle George's Local Mussels Cooked in Toasted Lager
Serves 4 as a main dish, 6 as a light appetizer

Ingredients:
2 Pounds fresh scrubbed and debearded Mussels
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1/2 a large White Onion, chopped
2 large Garlic Cloves, sliced
1/2 cup Cilantro, roughly chopped, plus sprigs for garnish
8 Ounces (2/3 bottle) Blue Point Toasted Lager (or other dark beer)
3 dried Red Thai Chilies,(or other) finely chopped (discard seeds if you don't like extra spicy)
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice 

Method:
1. Heat butter in a very large pot over medium-low flame. Next, add the garlic and sauté until slightly golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes, taking care not to burn.

2. Add the chopped onion and sauté another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Add the beer and chilies and turn up the flame to medium to bring the liquids to a boil. 

4. Put the mussels in the pot, cover, and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes. 

5. At this point, mussels should begin opening. Remove them from the pot one by one as they open and place in a large, communal serving bowl. Take care to remove them as they open so they do not become tough. Discard any mussels with broken shells or those that have not opened in a reasonable amount of time. 

6. Add the tablespoon of lime juice to the broth remaining in the pot. Taste for seasoning and add a tiny bit of salt and pepper if needed (mussels should have plenty of natural saltiness already so taste before you add!). Pour the broth over the mussels and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve immediately and enjoy! 

St. Patrick's Shortcut - Beef and Guinness Pot Pie

Though we aren't even a little Irish, we can't resist using the upcoming St.Patrick's Day holiday as an excuse to share our shortcut version of Beef and Guinness Pot Pie. Guinness, or really any dark Irish stout, makes a welcome addition to many recipes. Here, its rich flavor lends incredible depth to the filling of our pot pie. 

Beef and Guinness Pot Pie, Photo: NK 

A natural match to Chocolate, Guinness even works well as a dessert ingredient.  

Plated and Ready to Eat! Photo:NK

Rest assured, today's Beef and Guinness Pot Pie is faster and less painless than many other versions I've seen because it cuts out the slow cooking of the beef and eliminates any pesky crust assembly by using frozen Puff Pastry Dough. 

Our trick is to simply use less of a more tender cut of meat, in this case Sirloin rather than Chuck, cut it into bite-sized cubes, and quickly pan fry it. We amp up the meaty factor with the addition of big chunks of juicy Portobello Mushroom Caps. 

The rest of the Pot Pie filling comes together in about 20 minutes, after which point you need only to cool it, top with Puff Pastry Dough, and bake a quick 20 minutes to golden perfection. Best of all, you won't need the luck of the Irish to perfect this easy recipe. 

To make this even more accessible, we chose to prepare our Pot Pie family style using a 5x9 rectangular ceramic baker. A  metal or pyrex loaf pan would work equally well. Because the Pot Pie filling is really fully cooked on the stove before you even assemble the Pastry, this recipe is easily adaptable to any size oven-proof vessel, whether individual or larger sized, that you have on hand.  Also, who doesn't love an excuse to crack a Guinness while you cook? Buy a tall boy - never hurts to have a bit leftover... (pro tip!).
Enjoy and happy St. Pat's to all. 

Shortcut Beef, Guinness, and Mushroom Pot Pie
Adapted from Gourmet
Serves 3 to 4

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 
A 1 Pound Sirloin Steak - about a half an inch thick, cut into 1 inch chunks
2 Portobello Mushroom Caps, sliced into half inch slices and again in thirds
3 Tablespoons Flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/3 Cup Carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 a large Sweet Onion, roughly chopped 
3 sprigs of Thyme plus more for garnish 
1 Cup Beef Broth
1 Cup Guinness Irish Stout 
1.5 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1.5 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
1 Egg, lightly beaten 
1 sheet Puff Pastry, fully defrosted (we use Pepperidge Farms)

Method: 
Lay out Puff Pastry to defrost. Cover with Saran wrap to prevent it from hardening.

Position a rack towards the lower middle of your oven and preheat oven to 350. 

Heat Oil over medium high heat in a very large, high sided saute pan. 
In a bowl, toss the Beef Cubes with 2 Tablespoons Flour, Salt and Pepper. 
Place in the pan and saute for 4-5 minutes turning frequently until cooked to just a bit over medium rare. Remove beef to a plate. 

Reduce flame to medium. 
Deglaze the saute pan with a 1/2 cup of the Beef Broth, scaping up any of the browned bits. 

Carrots, Mushroom, Onion, Photo: NK

Add Mushrooms and Carrots and cook until firm but slightly tender, about 5 minutes. 

Add Onions and sweat them until close to translucent, stirring occasionally, about another 5 minutes. 


Add Tomato Paste, and return Beef Chunks and any juices to the pan.

Stir in the remaining 1/2 Cup of Beef Broth, the Cup of Guinness, and the Worcestershire Sauce. 

Remove a small amount of liquid from the pan to a small bowl. Stir in the remaining Tablespoon of flour to bowl, blend, and return to the pan. Remove another small amount of liquid from the pan to a small bowl and stir in the Tablespoon of Cornstarch. Blend, and return liquid to the pan. 

Toss in the Thyme Sprigs and lower heat to a simmer. Let cook for 10 minutes or until the mixture thickens and seems stew-like in consistency. 

Remove Thyme Sprigs and discard.

Turn off the heat and allow the filling to cool for at least 20 minutes. A too-hot filling will melt the raw Puff Pastry Dough. 

Filling, Photo: NK

Beat One Egg if you haven't already. 

Lightly paint the edges of your baking pan with the Egg Wash to help the Puff Pastry adhere. Fill your baking vessel with the Pot Pie Filling and carefully lay to Puff Pastry on top, trimming the sides with a kitchen scissors and pinching around the edges to adhere. 

The middle may sag a bit, but don't worry about this. Paint the rest of the Egg Wash all over the Puff Pastry so that it browns nicely.

That's supposed to be a Shamrock, not a palm tree, Photo: NK

Place in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the interior is hot. You can continue to bake another 5 if you need to, but keep an eye on it to ensure crust does not burn.

To serve, slice some pieces of crust off with a knife and carefully set aside. Scoop out filling into bowls and top with Crust and a garnish of Thyme. Enjoy!



To reheat already baked pot pies, 30 minutes at 350 should be just right. 

Photo: NK