Beer Girl Cooks

Cooking & Craft Beer

plum

Cherry Almond Sugar Plum Galette

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I had some cherries and sugar plums looking like they were about to go to slime in my fridge, so I needed to take some action.  And full disclosure – Chris was all wtf chick?  Can’t the friggn’ fridge fairy come along and organize this thing?  Jimminy!

 

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And we are still trying to get this place in order with all the reno we’ve had going on.  Tonight we spent the majority of our evening moving furniture and setting up our office.  It was totally no fun, but WOOT! I now have a home, computer, desk, and a ginormous TV to watch GH whilst chatting with you!  I’m so happy!

 

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So I’m keeping thins short and to the point because I’ve been busy.  And I have to see what Luke and Laura are up to.

 

 

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Cherry Almond Sugar Plum Almond Galette

Ingredients

  • 1 pint of fresh cherries pitted and stems removed - I used Ranier
  • 3-4 sugar plums pitted and sliced about 1/4 inch thick
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 prepared pie crust

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven 400
  2. Transfer cherries and plums to a bowl, add sugar, corn starch, honey, lemon zest, lemon juice, and honey, toss to coat, set aside for a few minutes
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add pie crust dough
  4. Transfer cherry plum mixture to center of pie crust dough, leaving 1.5 to 2 inches around the edge
  5. Toss most of the almonds over the cherry mixture and reserve a few for topping and edge
  6. Fold edge to the inside and over the outer edge of the cherry plum mixture, folding in every couple of inches
  7. Toss remaining almonds over top and around curst
  8. Bake for 45=55 minutes, until crust is golden brown

Note: When I baked mine I also had beets roasting so with only a galette in the oven it may take less time, depending on your oven.  Just be sure to check it periodically to make sure it doesn’t burn.

Disclosure:  Use the parchment paper – I didn’t have my crust tight enough and it leaked out to make a mess

Grilled Plum and Peach Stacks with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Fig Reduction

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After last weekend I’m ready for my staycation!  Woot!

 

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No alarm clocks, emails, or phone calls.

 

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No commute downtown.

 

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It’s nice to just stay home sometimes, don’t you think?

 

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And enjoy the simplicity.

 

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Traveling is certainly fun too, but sometimes I need a vacation to recover from my vacation.

 

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So we’re staycationing and keeping things simple.  Simple like some grilled plums and peaches with a balsamic fig reduction.

 

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It doesn’t get much simpler than that.

 

 

 

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Grilled Plum and Peach Stack with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Fig Reduction

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds peaches and plums combined halved and pitted
  • 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons fig preserves
  • 1/4 cup goat cheese
  • handful of basil leaves optional

Instructions

  1. Put plums and peaches in a large bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  2. Combine 1 cup balsamic vinegar and fig preserves in a saucepan over high heat, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce is reduced by about half and thick, stir frequently (15 - 20 minutes)
  3. Grill peaches and plums over high heat 2 minutes each side, cut side first, pour remaining balsamic over top after turning
  4. Stack e peach and 3 plum slices alternately, top with goat cheese and drizzle with balsamic fig reduction
  5. Garnish with basil leaves if desired
  6. For an easy alternative you can just toss it all in a big bowl and call it a salad.

 

 

Belgian Tripel Beer Marinated Stuffed Pork Loin with Plum Sauce

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Yep.  Beer everywhere.

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Since the home improvements continue, my bed is in the dining room, and my dresser is in the living room, it seemed appropriate to drown my problems in beer.

 

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Who is with me?

 

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Come on ride this train.

 

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I marinated a pork loin in beer.  I put beer in the stuffing.

 

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I even made a plum sauce with…

 

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You guessed it.  Beer.  A Belgian Tripel actually – one of our home brews.  Chris made this one the same day I brewed an Irish Red that we later infused with Jameson’s.  Because that’s the way we roll.

 

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I may have even poured some in a glass for personal consumption.  Because that’s the way I roll.

 

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Hey wait!  Who drank my beer?

 

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Phew…that’s better.

Home improvement without home brew is unacceptable.

 

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So I put it everywhere.

 

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And stuffed a pork loin.

 

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While my tile floors are being installed.

 

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And I’m doing my best to hang on to my sanity.

 

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Could you kindly pass me a beer?

 

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Belgian Tripel Beer Marinated Stuffed Pork Loin with Plum Sauce

Ingredients

For the Pork Loin

  • 1.5 pound pork loin
  • 1 1/2 cups Belgian Tripel Beer I used my own home brew, but any craft Belgian would be fine - see notes
  • salt and pepper

For the Sausage Stuffing

  • 1 stick of butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound mild sausage
  • 1 onion diced
  • 7-9 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 celery stalks diced
  • 4 mushrooms diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon sage
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 cup Belgian Tripel Beer
  • 4 cups bread crumbs I used Pepperidge Farm white bread seasoned
  • 1/2 cup parsley chopped

For the Belgian Tripel Plum Sauce

  • 4 plums quartered and pits removed
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3 clementines zest and juice
  • 1 cup Belgian Tripel Beer

Other

  • Plastic Wrap
  • Kitchen Twine
  • Meat Hammer

Instructions

  1. Combine the pork loin and 1 1/2 cups of Belgian Tripel beer in a zip top bag or other container to marinate at least 2 hours or overnight
  2. Preheat oven to 350
  3. In a nonstick or cast iron skillet melt the butter with olive oil
  4. Add sausage and break into pieces with a wooden spoon
  5. Add mushrooms, onions, celery, and garlic, cardamom, cinnamon, sage, salt and pepper. Cook until sausage is brown and vegetables are translucent - about 10 minutes
  6. Add 1 cup of Belgian Tripel Beer, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook about 5 minutes, let cool slightly
  7. Pour breadcrumbs into a large mixing bowl, pour cooled sausage mixture into breadcrumbs, add parsley, and stir until combined and all the breadcrumbs are wet
  8. Lay overlapping pieces of plastic wrap on counter, remove pork loin RESERVING BEER MARINADE and lay the pork on the plastic, butterfly by slicing longways without cutting all the way through, lay flat, cover with another 2 pieces of overlapping plastic wrap, and pound with a meat hammer until it's about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick
  9. Remove plastic, generously salt and pepper the pork loin, spoon on about 1 1/2 - 2 cups of stuffing and press it into the pork across the long side
  10. Roll up the pork jelly roll style with the stuffing inside and tie with a few pieces of kitchen twine
  11. Place on a meat rack in a roasting pan and roast for about 45 minutes or until the internal temperature is 155 - 160
  12. Let pork rest after removing from oven for at least 15 minutes
  13. While the pork is roasting make sauce.
  14. Combine reserved Belgian Tripel Beer marinade (1 1/2 cups), plums, and brown sugar in a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, add clementine juice and zest, and simmer until thick (about 30 minutes)
  15. Add to a food processor or blender and puree until fairly smooth
  16. To serve, spoon sauce onto a platter, slice pork loin, and arrange on top of the sauce. Serve additional sauce on the side