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Steakhouse Loaded Baked Potato with Beer Cheese

February 26, 2018 by rachelle 4 Comments

Steakhouse Loaded Baked Potato with Beer Cheese is just like a classic fancy baked potato you would find in an expensive steakhouse. This potato is made extra special and delicious with a heaping amount of beer cheese on top!

 

There’s nothing in the human experience that’s not within my scope.

Tony Randall

Steakhouse Loaded Baked Potatoes with Beer Cheese is just like a classic fancy baked potato you would find in an expensive steakhouse. This potato is made extra special and delicious with a heaping amount of beer cheese on top!

I absolutely love that quote.

Let me put things into context for you.  I have this ridiculous addiction.  An embarrassing guilty pleasure if you will.

Steakhouse Loaded Baked Potatoes with Beer Cheese is just like a classic fancy baked potato you would find in an expensive steakhouse. This potato is made extra special and delicious with a heaping amount of beer cheese on top!

Buzzer.

We cancelled our cable several months ago and now have one of those antennas that looks like an iPad.  (This event ended my access to DVR and therefore my love of General Hospital has been a hardship to overcome.)  I was flipping through what limited channels we had one night and there it was.  Buzzer.  There is a channel called Buzzer that’s all old game shows mostly from the 1970’s, but some from the 60’s and 80’s.  I can’t quite remember what exactly they were showing the first time I found it, but that was all she wrote.  I went down the rabbit hole.  Episode after episode of Password, Password Plus, The Match Game, Card Sharks, Press Your Luck – No Whammy! No Whammy!

Steakhouse Loaded Baked Potatoes with Beer Cheese is just like a classic fancy baked potato you would find in an expensive steakhouse. This potato is made extra special and delicious with a heaping amount of beer cheese on top!

So I was watching an episode of Password Plus, which was hosted by Allen Ludden.  As a side note, did you know he was married to Betty White?  She said her only regret was saying no to Allen’s marriage proposal for a year and that she missed out on spending that year with the love of her life.

Anyway, Tony Randall was one of the celebrities on Password Plus and Allen Ludden raised his eyebrows at Tony’s comments about American football.  Tony responded with, “There’s nothing in the human experience that’s not within my scope.”

I just stopped.  Shouldn’t that be the sentiment we all live by?  To pay attention.  Be happy and spend every minute possible with the people who matter most to you.  Yet, look beyond just your world.  Put the whole human experience in your scope.  Appreciate the ordinary and the extraordinary.

You could also take an ordinary baked potato and make it an extraordinary special Steakhouse Loaded Baked Potato with Beer Cheese.

Life is a participation sport.

Steakhouse Loaded Baked Potatoes with Beer Cheese is just like a classic fancy baked potato you would find in an expensive steakhouse. This potato is made extra special and delicious with a heaping amount of beer cheese on top!

Steakhouse Loaded Baked Potatoes with Beer Cheese is just like a classic fancy baked potato you would find in an expensive steakhouse. This potato is made extra special and delicious with a heaping amount of beer cheese on top!
5 from 4 votes
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Steakhouse Loaded Baked Potato with Beer Cheese

Ingredients

  • 2 large russet potatoes cleaned and dried
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2-3 tablespoons coarse salt like sea salt
  • 1 cup cooked broccoli florets
  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 4 ounces white sharp cheddar shredded
  • 2-3 garlic cloves peeled
  • a dash or two of Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 - 3/4 cup of beer
  • Optional Garnishes
  • Bacon bits
  • Chives
  • Sour Cream
  • Butter

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. Coat the potatoes in olive oil and salt
  3. Bake potatoes on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until done and soft in the middle when tested with a knive
  4. In the bowl of a food processor combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and puree until combined
  5. With the food processor running, slowly pour in beer until it reaches desired consistency
  6. To serve, slice open the potatoes and gently push in each end to break up the potatoes a bit.
  7. Add butter, if using, broccoli, beer cheese and top with optional garnishes

NOTES:

  1. As usual, I do not recommend an IPA or any beer with a big hop profile.  I like malty beers in this, such as an amber or red ale.
  2. The beer cheese is not cooked or hot, so I heated some up in the microwave for about a minute before topping the potatoes with it.
  3. You will end up with more beer cheese than you need for 2 potatoes, but if you use it all I will not judge.  You can easily double or triple the potatoes, broccoli, etc. to feed more people or save the remaining beer cheese for a snack with bread, pretzels, vegetables, etc. and it will be perfect for a party or game day.
  4. This beer cheese and a smoked gouda beer cheese (which would also be delicious on steakhoues loaded baked potatoes!) can be found here and here.

Filed Under: Appetizers/Soups/Sides Tagged With: baked potato, beer cheese, loaded baked patato, potato, sides, steakhouse, steakhouse loaded baked potato, steakhouse loaded baked potato with beer cheese

Mandarin IPA Cranberry Sauce

November 22, 2016 by rachelle 16 Comments

Mandarin IPA Cranberry Sauce is a great twist to a classic recipe with the surprise of some mandarin orange craft beer for a fun and delicious flavor.

 

It just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving around here without cranberry sauce and beer.

Mandarin IPA Cranberry Sauce is a great twist to a classic recipe with the surprise of some mandarin orange craft beer for a fun and delicious flavor

I just wanted to share one last Thanksgiving recipe with you in case you have a desire to make something different or need a last minute side to take somewhere.  This Mandarin IPA Cranberry Sauce is totally easy and uses only a few ingredients, yet it’s homemade, pretty, and tasty!

Mandarin IPA Cranberry Sauce is a great twist to a classic recipe with the surprise of some mandarin orange craft beer for a fun and delicious flavor

I’m going to keep this short because we all have about a million things to do to get ready for the big day. I know I do.  Help me, Rhonda.  Thank goodness I had the foresight to brew up 10 gallons of beer a few weeks ago to get me through.

I’ll leave you with good wishes for a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving, and some links below in case you need any last minute help with your menu planning.  Cheers, Friends!

Beer Cheddar Broccoli Soup

Beer-Brined Stuffed Turkey Loin

Vanilla Stout Pecan Pie

And a couple of roundups from my friends on the interwebs:

No Spoon Necessary and Friends Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup – something for every course

Easy Classic Thanksgiving Side Dishes from Ciao Chow Bambina

25 of the Tastiest Thanksgiving Sides from Everyday Made Fresh

Mandarin IPA Cranberry Sauce
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Mandarin IPA Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 12 ounce bag fresh cranberries
  • 1 cup mandarin or tangerine beer
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • pinch or 2 of salt
  • zest of one mandarin or small orange

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a heavy bottom pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook until thick and syrupy, stirring regularly
  2. Cool and serve
  3. Garnish with orange or mandarin zest

NOTES:

  1. I used fresh cranberries for this recipe, but feel free to use frozen.  You’ll want to thaw them first.
  2. This Mandarin IPA is from Highland Brewing Company in Ashville, NC.  It has vibrant orange and citrus flavors that are the perfect complement to the cranberries.  It’s not a super hoppy beer and it doesn’t reduce for a significant amount of time, so there is very little bitterness in the final result, which is a nice balance to the tartness of the cranberries.
Mandarin IPA Cranberry Sauce

Mandarin IPA Cranberry Sauce is a great twist to a classic recipe with the surprise of some mandarin orange craft beer for an additional fun and delicious flavor | Beer Girl Cooks

Filed Under: Appetizers/Soups/Sides Tagged With: beer, cranberry, cranberry sauce, mandarin, mandarin beer, mandarin IPA, mandarin IPA cranberry sauce, orange, orange cranberry, sides, thanksgiving, thanksgiving sides

Easy Slow Cooker Homemade Apple Sauce Recipe

September 12, 2016 by rachelle 13 Comments

Easy Slow Cooker Homemade Applesauce Recipe

Easy Slow Cooker Homemade Apple Sauce Recipe

It’s apple season, yo!

Easy Slow Cooker Homemade Apple Sauce Recipe

I know that apple sauce isn’t the most sexy way to start out the week, but it’s a delicious and totally simple recipe that can be thrown together in a slow cooker.  When you come home from work, school, soccer practice, car pool, all those places you have to be or whatever is keeping you busy, there will be the most beautiful fall cinnamon, nutmeg, and apple aroma welcoming you home when you walk in the door.

Easy Slow Cooker Homemade Apple Sauce Recipe

It’s like a potpourri for the nose and the soul.

Easy Slow Cooker Homemade Apple Sauce Recipe

Peeling all these apples lately reminded me of Sleepless in Seattle and how the mom and the Meg Ryan characters both could peel an apple all the way and keep it in one piece.  I tried and tried.  I’m not sure what in tarnation their secrets were, but I am completely incapable of peeling an apple in one fell swoop.  If you have the secret to crack this code, I’d be most grateful if you could share the secret decoder ring with me because my life’s ambition lately is to master this skill.  I want to ninja this dang apple peeling situation.

Easy Slow Cooker Homemade Apple Sauce Recipe

I usually just use a paring knife to peel apples, but every time I do I remember this contraption my gram had that was just a crank thing that you put the apple on and it would spin while pulling the peel off all in one piece.  Whish I had that dang thang these days.  Ummm, no that wasn’t a typo  I meant to say thang.  I have no idea why, but we’re going with it.  k?   So, anyhoo, we’re all about the apples here these days, so any help with peeling would be totally appreciated.  Any takers?  Didn’t think so.  No judgments.

Easy Slow Cooker Homemade Apple Sauce Recipe
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Easy Slow Cooker Homemade Apple Sauce

Ingredients

  • 8 small to medium apples peeled cored, and cut into 1/4 inch slices - I used 4 each gala and granny smith
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • 1 cup water

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker
  2. Cook on low 7 - 8 hours, until very soft
  3. Mash with a potato masher until desired texture is reached
  4. Serve warm or at room temperature

Easy Slow Cooker Homemade Apple Sauce Recipe

Filed Under: Archives Tagged With: apple sauce, apples, autumn, autumn recipes, cinnamon, easy, fall, fall recipes, nutmeg, one pot, recipes, sides, slow cooker

30 Cookout, Grilling, and Party Recipes for Labor Day Weekend

September 2, 2016 by rachelle 10 Comments

30 Cookout, Grilling, and Party Recipes for Labor Day Weekend

We are headed to Hilton Head this weekend for one last beach trip before summer ends – not to worry – the house won’t be vacant.  We have a pet sitter coming so the dogs won’t be running amuck and doing water ballet in our living room like in those Farmers Insurance commercials.  Hilarious if not in your own house.  I thought I’d leave you with a recipe roundup to cover all your cookout, grilling, and party needs for the long weekend.  Party on!

APPETIZERS

Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed Mushrooms – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

Texas Caviar – The Beach House Kitchen

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Smoked Jalapeno Poppers with Bacon, Apple, and Brie – Tasty Ever After (pictured above & photo credit)

Baba Ganoush – Cook With Manali

Fig, Goat Cheese, Bacon + Honey Crostini – Feast and West

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Bacon-Wrapped Brats – Spiced Blog (pictured above & photo credit)

 

SIDES AND SALADS

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Bourbon & Brown Sugar Baked Beans with Candied Bacon – No Spoon Necessary (pictured above & photo credit)

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Spicy Lime Seasoned Salt -Ciao Chow Bambina

Peach & Chickpea Salad – Girl Heart Food

Quinoa Spinach Salad with Pesto – Family Food on the Table

Smoked Gouda Mac 'n Cheese

Smoked Gouda Mac ‘n Cheese – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

Parmesan-Pea-Pasta-Salad-Pic

Parmesan and Pea Pasta Salad – Tasty Ever After (pictured above & photo credit)

Grilled-Potato-Salad-short-pin

Grilled Potato Salad with Everything Bagel Seasoning and 7  Minute Eggs – No Spoon Necessary (pictured above & photo credit)

Grilled Watermelon and Feta Salad with Mint and Balsamic Reduction

Easy Grilled Watermelon and Feta Salad with Mint and Balsamic Reduction – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

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Easy 7 Layer Salad – Tasty Ever After (pictured above & photo credit)

 

MEAT DISHES

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Sundried Tomato and Gorgonzola Burgers – Spiced Blog (pictured above & photo credit)

Grilled Country Style Pork Shoulder Ribs with Blueberry Peach Salsa – Cooking LSL

Honey Mustard Grilled Salmon – Kevin is Cooking

Roasted Vegetable Grilled Pizza with Garlic Herb Oil – Ciao Chow Bambina

Honey-Balsamic-Chicken-Skewers-with-Strawberry-Kiwi-Jalapeno-Salsa-short-pin5

Honey Balsamic Chicken Skewers with Strawberry Kiwi Salsa – No Spoon Necessary (pictured above & photo credit)

Bacon and Feta Stuffed Lamb Burger with Tzatziki

Bacon and Feta Stuffed Lamb Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

 

DESSERTS

Banana Pudding in a Jar Recipe

Banana Pudding in Jars – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

S'mores in Mason Jars

S’mores in Jars – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

Butterscotch Blondies – Just About Baked

Grilled Pound Cake with Mascarpone Cream and Blueberries – Pumpkin ‘n Spice

Marshmallow Fruity Pebble Bars – Baked by an Introvert

Gluten Free Vegan Peanut Butter Cup Brownies – Beaming Baker

Blueberry Coconut Popsicles

Blueberry Coconut Milk Popsicles – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

Honeydew Kiwi Coconut Popsicles

Honeydew Kiwi Coconut Popsicles – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

Strawberry Kiwi Coconut Popsicles

Strawberry Kiwi Coconut Popsicles – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

Boozy Root Beer Float Popsicles

Boozy Root Beer Float Popsicles – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

 

Ok.  Yes, I know that lawyers can’t do math, but I’m well aware that there are actually 31 recipes in this post of 30 recipes for Labor Day.  I just felt like the booze wasn’t well represented, so I had to add that last popsicle.

Y’all have a safe and fantastic Labor Day Weekend!  Fingers crossed that we all stay dry on the east coast and this hurricane spins back out to sea!

 

Filed Under: Archives Tagged With: appetizers, Bacon, bars, burger, cake, cookout, dessert, grilling, hamburger, holiday, labor day, meat, party, picnic, popsicles, recipe, recipe roundup, roundup, salad, sides, watermelon, weekend

Bourbon, Maple, and Brown Sugar Roasted Baby Rainbow Carrots

November 23, 2015 by rachelle 31 Comments

Bourbon, Maple, and Brown Sugar Roasted Baby Rainbow Carrots

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Happy Thanksgiving week, y’all!  I can’t believe we’re already here and just days away from the biggest food holiday of the year!  Woot!

 

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I’m not completely organized yet.  We we have most (but not all) of our supplies.

 

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I happened across some baby rainbow carrots at the grocery and nearly had a heart attack!  I can never find sexy versions of vegetables.  I’m not hating on the orange carrot or the purple beet, but it’s so much fun when you can find a variety of colors to jazz things up a bit!  I mean, purple carrots and yellow beets? That’s switching things up!

 

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I bought every last little colorful carrot I could find.

 

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And covered them in bourbon, brown sugar, and maple syrup then roasted them.

 

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I’m glad I saved some to bourbon-ize and roast for our Thanksgiving holiday!  I highly recommend that you do it too!

 

P. S. There’s still time to enter the giveaway! (CLOSED)

 

Amazon Giveaway Square (1)

 

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Bourbon, Maple, and Brown Sugar Roasted Baby Rainbow Carrots

Ingredients

  • 32 ounces baby rainbow carrots
  • 1/4 cup bourbon
  • 2 heaping tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3 - 4 tablespoons maple syrup
  • Salt and Pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400
  2. Combine bourbon, brown sugar, and maple syrup.
  3. Toss with carrots in a large bowl until well coated
  4. Transfer carrots to a parchment paper lined baking sheet
  5. Season with a few sprinkles of salt and pepper
  6. Roast in oven for 10 minutes, remove and stir, making sure all carrots are still coated, if not, add another tablespoon of maple syrup if they look dry.
  7. Return to oven and roast another 5 minutes
  8. Transfer to serving platter and garnish with parsley if desired

bourbon-maple-brown-sugar-roasted-baby-rainbow-carrots

Filed Under: Archives Tagged With: bourbon, brown sugar, carrots, holiday, holiday sides, maple, sides, thanksgiving

Bacon and Gorgonzola Brussels Sprouts

November 9, 2015 by rachelle 32 Comments

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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!

 

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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.

 

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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.

 

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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.

 

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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

 

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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

Filed Under: Archives Tagged With: Bacon, brussels, brussels sprouts, cheese, gorgonzola, holiday, sides, thanksgiving, vegetables

Green Bean Mushroom Almondine

November 5, 2015 by rachelle 38 Comments

16PM

 

How’s everyone’s week going?  It’s been busy over here.  And the weather is the absolute pits!  I haven’t seen the sun since Saturday!  These are some of the reasons why we needed something fast and easy today.  I’m tired!

 

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Now, I am well aware that green beans are not exactly sexy.  In fact, green beans are probably as far opposite of sexy as you can get.  But when life gets in the way of spending hours in the kitchen on a weeknight after working all day and you don’t have much energy left for creating sexy food, green beans are like a beacon in the dark guiding you to safety.

That was some kind of run on sentence.  You are impressed, no?

 

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Now, just because green beans aren’t sexy doesn’t mean they can’t be classy.  This is a recipe I hijacked from my mom (hi mom!) and added some almonds to so I could give it a fancy pants name like Green Bean Mushroom Almondine.  You dig?

 

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Take it easy and have a fantastic weekend, y’all!

 

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Green Bean Mushroom Almondine

Ingredients

  • 1 pound green beans rinsed and ends trimmed
  • 8 ounces mushrooms
  • 3-4 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Melt butter and olive oil over medium heat
  2. Add mushrooms and cook until soft, stirring often
  3. When mushrooms are soft, add garlic, and cook another 2 minutes, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn
  4. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil
  5. Prepare a separate bowl of ice and water
  6. Add beans to boiling water for 3 minutes
  7. Remove with a spider or slotted spoon and transfer to the ice bath to stop the cooking and keep the pretty bright green color
  8. Toast almonds - I use a frying pan because if I do it in the oven I'll forget and burn them - I toast them on medium heat for about 3 minutes, them remove the pan from the heat and let them toast a minute or two longer in the hot pan
  9. Arrange beans on a serving dish, top with garlic and mushrooms then add toasted almonds, season and garnish with salt and cracked pepper

Filed Under: Archives Tagged With: almonds, bean, garlic, green, green bean, mushroom, sides

Panzanella

September 17, 2015 by rachelle 18 Comments

Have you noticed that everything seems different?  Does it feel like fall where you are?

 

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I woke up Sunday morning and it just felt different.  I mentioned to Chris that it feels like fall and he agreed.  I don’t know if it’s this cold front that started moving in or if we reached a turning point. It feels like there is a chill and a crispness in the air.  Even the sunlight is different and there are leaves falling in my yard.

 

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But I still have tomatoes!  And more are on the way!  I don’t think I’m going to give up on summer until October.  It’s official.  Queen Rachelle has declared summer is extended.  Who cares if school started and football kicked off last weekend?  I am putting my foot down and stopping this gateway to winter and all things dark and cold and snowy and gloomy.  Well, except for Christmas where everything is happy and sparkly and shiny.  And I’m not really stopping it – it’s more of a denial and delay, but I’ll take it.

 

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Because I’m lucky enough to live in the south where summer lasts almost until winter.

 

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Panzanella

Ingredients

  • 15 - 20 to matoes of combined variety chopped into bite size pieces
  • 1/2 of a day old baguette sliced and torn into bite size pieces
  • 4 garlic cloves pressed or minced
  • 1 sweet onion thinly sliced
  • 12 or so basil leaves
  • 1/4 cup chopped chives
  • 1/4 cup chopped tarragon leaves
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar plus 2-3 tablespoons more for finishing
  • 1/4 cup olive oil plus 2-3 tablespoons more for finishing
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Put the onion slices in a bowl, cover with water and soak for 10-15 minutes
  2. Add tomatoes, garlic, bread, onions, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper to a large bowl. Use hands to toss and combine.
  3. Set aside for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours at room temperature, tossing occasionally
  4. Add the herbs 15-20 minutes before serving
  5. Taste and adjust seasonings, finish with remaining red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper
  6. This salad is best on the same day it's made

 

Note: The bread should be hard and dry.  If it isn’t, you can dry it out in the oven on a baking sheet at 200 degrees for about 10 minutes.  You do not want it to be toasted or brown.

Note: This is more of a guideline for panzanella, rather than a recipe.  You can use some or all of the herbs or add different ones.  The longer the salad sits, the more liquid gets absorbed into the bread, so you will want to taste it and adjust the dressing and seasonings prior to serving.  Also, keep kind of a rule of thumb that the bread should be 1/3 ratio to the rest of the salad.  Feel free to use up any fruits and vegetables in your fridge, such as cucumbers and bell peppers.

Filed Under: Archives Tagged With: Basil, Bread, brunch, dressing, herbs, lunch, panzanella, panzanella salad, salad, sides, summer, tomato

Lobster Salad

May 11, 2015 by rachelle 47 Comments

Is there a food or meal that just transports you back in time or to a place in the distant or not so distant past?  For me it’s lobster.  If I see lobster I’m immediately time-traveling to summer circa 1982 (ish) and Cape Cod, Massachusetts.  My dad took us there for summer vacation when I was about 11 or 12, Molly 2 years younger, and Katie was just a chubby toddler running around in diapers.

 

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My dad and another family went in together on what seemed to me at the time an enormous Cape Cod style beach house, windows and all.  It had a ton of rooms, a huge living room, sandy yards, and a massive front porch.

 

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One afternoon the dads showed up with a cooler full of fresh lobsters and mussels.  I thought the lobsters looked a bit creepy and wasn’t sure who would ever want to eat “muscles,” but it turned out to be one of the most delicious and memorable meals of my life.  Maybe it was the fact that it was all as fresh as it could be and we were on a beach vacation.  Maybe it’s just nostalgia and the way I remember it and the other memories from that vacation.

 

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I remember being crammed into the back seat of a small car with my two sisters and riding for what seemed like days to get there.  I remember that during the long long time ago car ride I heard Don McClean’s classic American Pie for the first time and how we all sang along.  Well, all of us except Katie, since she hadn’t really learned to talk yet – she has since made up for that.  If you’re familiar with this song, you will understand how a couple of kids would be able to sing along to it while experiencing it for the first time.  If you’re not familiar with American Pie (the song not the movie that refers so much to band camp), please stop making me feel old, invest almost 10 minutes of your life, and go check it out.

 

That song remains my all time favorite to this day.

 

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I remember floating in Cape Cod Bay on a raft and getting bit by a crab or some other creature I didn’t want to know about.  This is probably the reason I turned into a weenie and am now afraid to swim in natural water.

 

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And then there was Katie who ripped off her diaper and planted her bare self in the beer cooler full of icy water. She swam around in there and giggled her little head off.  Katie now is the mother of 5 year old TRIPLETS.  Oh my.

 

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When the thought came to me for a lobster salad, it immediately became 1982 (ish).  I was on the big rental house porch in Cape Cod watching my youngest sister skinny dipping in the beer cooler as sounds of American Pie sang in my head.  I was transported back in time to when I was just a kid with no worries.  Life was simpler and summer vacations were full of new discoveries.

 

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I invite you to make your favorite time-travel dish, pour a glass of wine, and meet me on the front porch.  I want to hear all about what makes it so memorable and what special place it takes you to.

 

 

Print

Lobster Salad

Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 2 Entree or 4 Sides

Ingredients

For the Salad

  • One head of romaine cleaned and chopped or torn into bite size pieces
  • 4 sweet campari tomatoes quartered (halved cherry or grape would be fine too - use as many as you like)
  • 1/2 avocado cut into small to medium chunks (you will use half in the salad and half in the dressing)
  • 8 oz cooked peeled, frozen, and thawed lobster tails (1-2 fresh tails would be better; shrimp, crab claws, or scallops would be a good substitute)

For the Dressing

  • 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves pressed
  • 2.5 tablespoons honey
  • 1/2 medium avocado cut into medium to large chunks
  • 1 lemon zested and juice from half
  • salt to taste and pepper if you prefer
  • 2-4 tablespoons water to thin

Instructions

  1. Arrange romaine in a large bowl and top with tomatoes
  2. Add vinegar, olive oil, pressed garlic, honey, 1/2 avocado, lemon zest and juice to a blender and puree until smooth.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste and use water to thin if necessary or desired, blend until consistency you like
  4. Toss avocado to top of salad and add lobster or whatever shellfish you are using
  5. Drizzle with dressing
  6. Serve immediately

Note: This was enough to make an entree easily for 2 people or 4 sides, but I ate the whole thing myself.

Filed Under: Archives Tagged With: avocado, brunch, lobster, salad, sides, tomato

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About Beer Girl Cooks


I’m Rachelle, an attorney by day with a passion for home brewing and cooking with craft beer.

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