Beer Girl Cooks

Cooking & Craft Beer

gorgonzola

Bacon and Gorgonzola Brussels Sprouts

by 32 Comments

DSC_0024

 

I know that we’ve been talking about some unsexy veggies, but dudes, we are into the second week of November and we need to be riding the side dish train.  Thanksgiving’s a coming!  I don’t know about y’all, but Thanksgiving for me is not so much about the turkey – although it’s good on the smoker!  I’m all about the sides.  OMG! #Stuffing!

 

DSC_0029

 

I have to confess.  I could make the whole meal out of stuffing and Brussels sprouts.  Oh.  And I can’t forget my one true love – potatoes.  Mashed.  With butter, roasted garlic, and gravy.  I would’t turn down some goat cheese either.  I digress.  And confess.  I have not been a lover of the Brussels for very long. I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating.  Don’t be a Brussels hater.  If they’re done right you’ll love them.

 

DSC_0036

 

Now that I love the sprout, we have this little veggie a lot.  We don’t hide it in the closet until the holidays.  It’s always a hit at dinner parties, so we usually bust out the bacon, gorgonzola, and Brussels for both regular dinners and special occasions.  It’s that good and that flexible.  It fits in anywhere with those events that are appropriate for either old blue jeans or the LBD.

 

DSC_0039

 

I first fell in love with the Brussels at a restaurant in Hickory, NC about a year ago.  We went to Hickory for a beer judging event and had dinner at The Station.  These Bacon Gorgonzola Brussels were on the sides menu.  I did my best to recreate them.  We love them.  So when I was thinking about what I want on my TG table and what sides I can share with you, these BS were at the top of the list.

 

DSC_0043

 

I shared them about a year ago right after I discovered that I actually like the Brussels when made right, but the pics were lost when I relaunched my website.  So we are doing this thing again.  I also saw the error of my ways and changed the recipe to one skillet and cooking them up in some of the bacon grease.

Give BS a chance with bacon and gorgonzola or try some others:

Brussels Sprouts with Roasted Chestnuts and Cider Vinaigrette by Beer Girl Cooks

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Browned Butter Drizzle by Ciao Chow Bambina

Brussels Sprouts and Pearl Onion Gratin by No Spoon Necessary

Roasted Brussels Sprout, Apple, and Quinoa Salad by Veganosity

Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries, Pecans, and Balsamic Drizzle by The Local Vegan

Creamy Roasted Brussels Sprout and Quinoa Gratin by Cookie and Kate

Miso Glazed Brussels Sprouts and Cranberries by Life Made Sweeter

Here’s a roundup by Cooking LSL

Shaved Broccoli Brussels Sprouts and Kale Salad with Truffle Parmesan Dressing by Blogging Over Thyme

Roasted Brussels Sprouts  with Horseradish Honey-Mustard Glaze by The Beach House Kitchen

 

Print

Bacon and Gorgonzola Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

  • 3 pieces of thick cut applewood smoked bacon cut into 1/4 inch pieces
  • 16 ounces Brussels sprouts cleaned, trimmed, tough outer leaves removed, and cut in half lengthwise
  • 1 - 2 tablespoons gorgonzola crumbles

Instructions

  1. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat, add bacon, and cook until crispy, 3-5 minutes
  2. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain
  3. Discard all the bacon grease except 2 tablespoons - leave in pan
  4. Heat the bacon grease up to medium high and add Brussels sprouts, cook for 5 minutes, stirring often
  5. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until softened, but still with texture, not soggy, stirring every few minutes
  6. Add gorgonzola and bacon pieces, cover and cook another couple of minutes until cheese is melted
  7. Stir and serve

Stuffed and Bacon Wrapped Figs

by 40 Comments

Jennifer is making me come clean.  Peer pressure.  Maybe I’ve been bullied?  Either way – I have a confession to make.

Jennifer is a pain in my ass.

That isn’t my confession, but it needed to be said.

DSC_0206_02

 

I can’t button my pants.  Seriously.  It’s a problem.  We talked about how I blew the button off my pants. Thank goodness I have found my safe place on the internet and can share this without being judged or anyone knowing that I said this.

 

DSC_0182_02

 

So I have put myself on strict instructions to not eat any animal products during the week.  Yes. Basically, I just confessed to being a weekday vegan while showing you pictures of bacon and cheese. Welcome to my world of contrary contradiction crazy town.  I don’t know about y’all, but whenever I need to lose some lubs, the vegan way is the way for me.  I wish I had the will power to do it all the time because it’s totally healthy.  But seriously, I LOVE cheese.  It’s my jam.  And my downfall.  And the reason my pants don’t fit.  But Gaaahhhhh it’s so delicious!

 

DSC_0185_01

I digress.  And I sincerely hope that my vegan friends don’t judge me for hijacking the vegan way for a weight loss plan.  I do love animals.

I’m fairly certain that I’ve never told you that I spent several years as a vegan and then some outside of that as a vegetarian.  No worries.  This is not s public service announcement.  It’s just me blabbing.  I just have no will power to do it all the time.  We talked about my cheese downfall.  And then there was law school.  Yeah.  The macaroni and cheese was my undoing.  I have no shame.  I would mow down my own granny for some mac and cheese.  Throw in some law school stress?  I just couldn’t hold my head up.

Don’t judge me.

DSC_0135_02

 

So here we are.  In pants that don’t button.  With my friends wanting to go to lunch and me brown bagging some animal free lunches.

And please don’t think that I make light of the vegan way or animal rights.  I respect you.  I just can only hold myself back 5 days a week at the moment.  I am weak.  I love animals and have 4 rescue dogs and no will power.

 

DSC_0182_01

 

And this post is not intended to offend my vegan and vegetarian friends by including meat and cheese here.  Although I love them both, I am trying to cut them out as much as possible during the week.  On the weekend?  I look forward to bacon and cheese – in moderation.  At least until my pants fit again

 

DSC_0215

 

I really and sincerely hope that happens soon!

 

Print

Stuffed and Bacon Wrapped Figs

Ingredients

  • 8 or more figs
  • 1/2 piece of uncooked bacon per fig
  • 1/8 ish? teaspoon of gorgonzola, goat, or cheese of choice per fig

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425
  2. Slice off top step of figs and cut an x across the top - careful not to cut all the way through
  3. Stuff approximately 1/8 teaspoon (more or less according to taste) into opening of each fig
  4. Wrap bacon around outside of the fig and secure with a study toothpick
  5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil
  6. Transfer the bacon wrapped stuffed figs to baking sheet and bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes, until bacon is on the crispy side and cheese is melted

Note: I really like the gorgonzola in here, but Chris was on the fence.  He thought it was too earthy.  The second time I made it we used goat cheese.  That was good too and Lisa approved.  I also think smoked gouda would be delicious!

 

Brown Ale Bread Stuffed with Bacon, Gorgonzola, and Figs

by 41 Comments

I crashed my bike.  Twice.  On. The. Same. Day.  No joke.  I mean I totally crashed and fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs  and landed under my bike.  All I can say is – thank goodness I was wearing a helmet or we might not be having this little chat.

 

DSC_0085_01

 

Saturday was gorgeous here in Charlotte, so we decided to ride our bikes to the park up the street and check out the trails.  Now, I’m not the most coordinated person on the planet.  In fact, I’m quite clumsy and highly accident prone. But there’s probably a reason for the phrase “just like riding a bike.”  Am I right?

 

DSC_0071_01

 

I mean, seriously – little kids do it every single day!

 

DSC_0076_01

 

The first face plant was on the corner of a busy intersection.  You know that feeling when you know you’re going down, you can see it happening kind of in slow motion, and there isn’t a darn thing you can do about it?  Yeah.  That happened. I’m not sure which is worse – the fall, the landing, the multitude of witnesses, or the fact that I was almost at a complete stop and somehow managed to crash my bike.  People were probably wondering what in tarnation that crazy woman was doing. Fortunately, I think it happened fast enough that it isn’t likely anyone was able to take a video, so I don’t anticipate it going viral on YouTube or appearing on America’s Funniest Videos.

 

DSC_0106

 

One crash wasn’t enough, so the second time we were on a bike trail in the woods.  I crashed and landed in the bushes.  At least only the wildlife saw that ridiculousness.  Chris was ahead of me so he didn’t see it either.  He came back when he heard all the foul language coming from the bushes.

 

DSC_0007

 

I finally made it home in one piece and immediately drowned my humiliation and celebrated the fact that I was alive with an appropriate choice of beer – Ballast Point Victory at Sea.

 

DSC_0114

 

Speaking of beer (I didn’t have any before the bike ride) I’ve been putting it in everything lately.  This bread was made with Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron Brown Ale.  I really wanted a honey brown, but we didn’t have any and this was the best option at Publix.  I just added honey to the recipe.

 

DSC_0116_01

 

This recipe makes two loaves, so I left one a simple brown ale bread and stuffed the heck out of the other one with bacon, gorgonzola, and figs.  I drizzled the top of the plain one with honey to make him feel a little more special.

 

DSC_0114_01

 

While I was lying on the ground in a pool of humiliation, Chris said, “Damn chick, didn’t you ride a bike when you were a kid?”

 

“Yeah, that’s how I got that scar on my knee.”

 

Update: Chris said this is me: Top Gear

 

Print

Brown Ale Bread Stuffed with Bacon, Gorgonzola, and Figs

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons butter plus another 1-2 tablespoons for coating the bowl and pans
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 2 packets rapid rise active dry yeast
  • 1 cup brown ale or honey brown ale
  • 3 tablespoons honey 1-2 more if you want to drizzle it on top prior to baking
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 7-8 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup gorgonzola crumbles
  • 2-3 pieces of cooked and crumbled bacon
  • 3-4 dried figs diced

Instructions

  1. In a saucepan, heat milk and butter on low until butter is melted, remove from heat and let cool until warm to touch but not hot.
  2. Slowly stir yeast into warm water and set aside for about 5 minutes
  3. Combine brown ale and honey, heat in microwave until warm, 45 to 60 seconds - you don't want it hot, just warm
  4. Pour beer/honey mixture, butter/milk mixture, salt and yeast/water into a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook
  5. Set mixer on medium speed and add flour 1 cup at a time until dough is formed and it isn't super sticky - you can turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a bit to finish
  6. Grease a large bowl with butter, add the dough ball, flip it to get butter on both sides, clover with a clean linen kitchen towel and set it in a warm spot to rise for about 1 hour and doubled in size
  7. Punch down an turn onto a lightly floured counter
  8. Divide dough in half
  9. Knead one while continuously adding bacon, figs, and gorgonzola alternately - about 5-7 minutes until all the air bubbles pop
  10. Knead the plain loaf about 5-7 minutes, until you feel all the air bubbles pop
  11. Grease two round cake pans with butter, add one dough ball to each pan flip it to coat both sides, cover with the kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size - about 30 minutes
  12. Preheat oven to 375
  13. Drizzle plain loaf with honey if desired
  14. Garnish the stuffed loaf with gorgonzola, figs, and bacon pieces, if desired
  15. Bake 45 - 55 minutes, until golden brown and crusty
  16. Cool on a wire rack

 

Adapted from About.com

Inspired by The Beeroness

Roasted Beet and Avocado Bruschetta Salad with Candied Grape Tomatoes and Gorgonzola Vinaigrette

by 22 Comments

Home renovations.

DSC_0269_01

 

Need I say more?  We have been doing one thing or another around here since last summer. And that’s just on the inside.  Don’t get me started on the new fence coming.

 

DSC_0213_01

 

I’m about over it.  We have 4 big dogs, no grass, and tile floors are a necessity.  When we pulled out all the carpet many years ago we kept carpet in the bedrooms.

Big mistake.  Big. Huge.  I have to go shopping now.

 

DSC_0227

 

Name that movie.

 

DSC_0234_01

 

We are having the rest of the rooms tiled this week and they’re supposed to start Monday.  The rooms that should have been done a long long time ago.

 

DSC_0236_01

 

Name that song.

 

DSC_0255_01

 

That means that we had to spend the weekend moving furniture.  I totally had to throw a hissy fit put my foot down and say two rooms at a time.  Guest room and office first.  Then we can put the furniture back in the guestroom and relocate there while the master and dog rooms are done.

 

DSC_0252_01

 

Which means that the majority of our furniture is now in our living and dining rooms and I may have broken my hip, got a hernia, and dislocated my elbow.  Awesome.

 

DSC_0255_01

 

So as usual.  Does this crazy rant information have anything remotely to do with Roasted Beet Bruschetta, Avocado and Candied Tomatoes Salad with Gorgonzola Vinaigrette?

 

DSC_0269_01

 

Of course not.

 

DSC_0255_01

 

But I think you know me enough by now to have figured that out.

 

Print

Roasted Beet and Avocado Bruschetta Salad with Candied Grape Tomatoes and Gorgonzola Vinaigrette

Ingredients

For the Vinaigrette

  • 1/2 cup tarragon infused white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup basil infused olive oil
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • salt and pepper to taste

For the Salad

  • 3 large beets
  • 12-15 grape tomatoes halved
  • 2-3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 or 2 avocados diced
  • 4-6 slices bread French, Italian, baguette, etc.
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2-3 cups Arugula

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400
  2. Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a Mason Jar, cover tightly with lid, and shake
  3. Add beets to a foil lined baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes or until fork tender, cool slightly to handle
  4. Add tomatoes to a separate baking sheet covered with parchment paper, generously sprinkle sugar over each one, stick in the oven with the beets and bake 10-12 minutes, set aside
  5. When the beets are cool enough to handle, rub the skin off with a towel or peel with a paring knife, cut into a large dice
  6. Turn on oven broiler
  7. Drizzle toast with olive oil, add to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and broil until toasted, 5-7 minutes
  8. Toss a few handfuls of Arugula on a platter, sprinkle the candied tomatoes around the outside, and arrange the toast pieces in the center.
  9. Top the toast pieces with beets and avocado, drizzle with the dressing
  10. To serve just transfer the toast pieces to plates and top with the salad.
  11. Note: This recipe is super easy and can be adapted for size and taste. I only used 1 avocado when I made this but wished I had another.
  12. Note: If you don't have infused vinegar and/or olive oil just use the plain stuff and add some dried seasonings.

Stuffed Leg of Lamb – Pinot Noir Soaked Fig and Dates with Gorgonzola and Pistachios

by 4 Comments

I highly recommend that you ask the butcher to butterfly your lamb for you.  I speak from experience here.

DSC_0092

 

I tried to figure it out, consulted Google, and watched a video.  No luck.  Chris had to do it.

 

DSC_0105_01

 

He doesn’t mind though.  It makes him feel all cave-manly to cut meat and wield a knife.

Speaking of meat – it never looks as good in pictures as it does in real life.  At least not in my pictures.  I’m not going to burden you with ugly meat pictures with unappetizing juices leaking out. I’m just going to tell you to make this dang roast.  It’s totally awesome.

You don’t care for lamb, you say?  Well, big whoop?  It’s all about this booze-soaked fig and date stuffing with Gorgonzola and Pistachios anyway.  Don’t get me wrong – it’s fantastic with the lamb, but it would be good in just about any other kind of meat you like.  I think it would be awesome in pork chops or a pork loin too.

If I were going to stuff this into a pork chop, I would probably just cut a pocket and jam it in there. For a pork loin, I’m thinking maybe the way to go would be to butterfly it have Chris butterfly it, pound it out flat, stuff it and roll it. No matter what kind of meat blows your dress up, this stuffing is totally awesome.  You need to do this!

 

DSC_0118

 

And that’s all I’ve got to say about that.

 

Print

Stuffed Leg of Lamb – Pinot Noir Soaked Fig and Dates with Gorgonzola and Pistachios

Ingredients

  • 4.5 pound leg of lamb butterflied (do yourself a favor and have the butcher do it)
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 cup salted pistachios
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more to rub on lamb
  • 3-4 ounces Gorgonzola crumbled
  • 6-8 dried figs soaked in Pinot Noir for at least 4 hours, chopped
  • 6-8 dried dates soaked in Pinot Noir for at least 4 hourschopped
  • 4-5 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. In the bowl of a food processor combine dates, figs, Gorgonzola, pistachios, garlic and bread crumbs. Pulse until combined and nuts and garlic are roughly chopped.
  3. Drizzle in olive oil and pulse until combined and the mixture is sort of damp and pasty
  4. Spread stuffing mixture on inside of lamb fold top of lamb over, tie with kitchen twine to keep together, rub outside of lamb with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
  5. Roast at 350 15-20 minutes per pound, until rare or preferred temperature