Hangover Soup

pictures of soup: no easy task

I recently fell ill and had no canned soup in the house. I decided to see what I could make with ingredients I had on hand. I found a great recipe over at allrecipes.com called "Mullingtawny Soup" and modified it to my needs. This will help with any illness, whether self-induced or not.

Hangover Soup

• 1 yellow onion, chopped
  
• 2 carrots, diced
• handful of spinach
• handful of mushrooms
  
• 1/4 cup butter (unsalted)
  
• 2 tablespoons all-grain wheat flour (I used organic)
  
• 3 teaspoons curry paste (you can also use curry powder)
  
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup amber beer (for your ale-ment: preferably a bitter, mild, or ESB)
  
• 1 apple, cored and chopped into small pieces
  
• 1/4 cup jasmine rice (any rice will do)
  
• 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast - cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pinch dried thyme
• couple shakes of red pepper flakes (optional)
  

Directions:

1. Saute onions, carrot, mushrooms and butter in a large soup pot. Add flour and curry, and cook 5 more minutes stirring frequently. Add stock and ale, mix well, and bring to a boil. Simmer about 1/2 hour.
2. Add spinach, apple, rice, chicken, salt, pepper, thyme, pepper flakes. Simmer 15-20 minutes, or until rice is done.
3. Consume soup for warm feel in the stomach. Drink remaining beer and go back to sleep.

Notes:
Feeds one person with leftovers or two without, adjust accordingly. This is honestly one of the best soups I've ever had. Even if you do not like the taste of curry or are perplexed at the idea of apples in soup you, fear not, you will love it. I added the pepper flakes in for some mild spice. I plan on making this a lot in the future, in good health and bad.

Jerk Chicken

"Jerk" can be thought as "Jamaican BBQ". It's a very hot(traditionally from Scotch Bonnet peppers) and well-spiced (often thyme, nutmeg, allspice, cloves). I found the base for this recipe on Tabasco's website. I was so impressed with how well it came out that this has become a regular dish of mine.

Ingredients:

• 1.5lbs boneless skinless chicken breast.
• 1/2 bottle Tabasco Habanero sauce (use A LOT less if you don't enjoy hot foods, probably a couple of teaspoons)
• 2 tsp whole allspice (freshly ground, if using powdered, use half as much)
• 2 tsp brown sugar
  
• 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp onion powder

Directions:

1. Pierce chicken breasts repeatedly on both sides with a fork
2. Add chicken breast to a large ziploc bag. Add all other ingredients to bag, seal, and mix well with hands being sure to rub the chicken until all breasts are completely covered.
3. Marinate 8 hours to overnight. (I have marinaded for as little as an hour or as long as 3 days, I have found this to be the best period of time)
4. Remove chicken from bag, discard marinade. Oil grill and grill till cooked all the way through. Serve with rice or other sides.

I chose to whip up this for a side:

Simple Mushrooms and Spinach
Ingredients:

• large handful of spinach
• ~25 mushroom slices
• 2 tsp unsalted butter
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• pinch salt
• pinch black pepper
• splash of lemon juice (or a whole lemon squeezed)

Directions:

1. Melt butter on medium in a skillet. Once melted add garlic and let cook for one minute.
2. Add mushrooms. Cook until golden brown or to desired doneness.
3. Add spinach. Mix in well with mushrooms, coating the spinach with butter.
4. Once spinach is wilted, add salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Allow to cook for one more minute.
5. Remove from heat and serve!

Notes: As with most foods this hot, I recommend a very hoppy beer such as an APA or and IPA. I choose to pair this with New Glarus' IPA.

The clean bitterness and citrus/pine notes can hold up to the onslaught of heat provided by foods such as this one. The lemon notes in the spinach also complement the citrus notes of hte IPA nicely.

This recipe can be modified in numerous ways. Finely chopped onion can be substituted for the onion powder. Any number of sugars can be used. Table sugar, corn sugar, even molasses or honey. Nutmeg can be substituted for allspice, although I find allspice to have more pleasing flavors in this dish.

Bock and Brown Sugar marinated Steak

Here's yet another recipe I found over at Allrecipes:

Ingredients:

• 2 (16 ounce) beef sirloin steaks (I used top sirloin)
  
• 1/4 cup dark beer (New Glarus Unplugged Bourbon Barrel Bock)
  
• 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce ("HOUSE OF TSANG® SZECHUAN SPICY™ Stir Fry Sauce")
  
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar (organic)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (sea)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (1 tsp)
  

Directions:

1. Use a fork to poke holes all over the surface of the steaks, and place steaks in a large baking dish. In a bowl, mix together beer, teriyaki sauce, and brown sugar. Drizzel sauce over steaks, and let sit about 5 minutes. Return bottle of beer to refrigerator.
   
2. Sprinkle with 1/2 the seasoned salt, pepper, and garlic powder; set aside for 10 minutes. Turn steaks over, sprinkle with remaining seasoned salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and continue marinating for 10 more minutes.
3. Begin preheating grill for high heat. Remove steaks from marinade. Pour marinade into a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and cook for several minutes. Bring beer out of fridge.
   
4. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill steaks for 7 minutes per side, or to desired doneness (3 minutes for me). During the last few minutes of grilling, baste steaks with boiled marinade to enhance the flavor and ensure juiciness.

Notes:
I recommend using a doppelbock/bock or stout/porter for this recipe. The bock will lend some extra sweetness while the stout/porter will add some roasted notes. The marinade lended a pleasing sweetness that wasn't over-powering. The juiciness of the steak still shines through the the salty/spicy/sweet balance of the marinade.

I paired this with the remaining beer. The alcohol in the bock was great at cleansing the greasy fat of the steak. The oak and vanilla complemented the sweet notes in the glaze nicely.

I have to say this is possibly the best marinade I have ever had, and it's extremely quick and dirty. Highly recommended!

Pan-Seared Pilsener Sirloin Tips with Herbed Pecan Orzo and Shiitake-Blue Cheese Sauce

Here is my latest preperation from "The Best of American Beer & Food":

Sirloin Tips:

• 1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin tips
• 1 cup Pilsener (I used my Belgian-style pale ale)
• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp hot red pepper sauce (I used 4 tsp of Tabasco Habanero)
• 1 tsp kosher salt (I used sea salt)
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Herbed Pecan Orzo:

• 1 cup orzo (I could not find orzo, so I used 1.5 cup of mini penne)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tsp salt (used sea salt)
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted (I preheated the oven to 300F, spread on cookie sheet and let bake for 10 minutes, removed and chopped in food processor)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped (I have discovered these are about 5 times cheaper at an Asian grocery)
• 2 cups shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and finely sliced (I used some nameless brown mushrooms I found at the Asian market. The workers there were Vietnamese and could not direct me to the shittake mushrooms)
• 3 ounces of Pilsener (I used the fabulously cheap Lion's Head Pilsner)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt (sea salt)
• 2 tablespoons flour (used whole wheat flour)
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (used Gorgonzola, as I prefer its taste)
  Rosemary sprigs for garnish

1. Marinate sirloin tips in a large ziploc bag with Pilsener, Worcestershire, pepper sauce, salt, and pepper. At least 20 minutes (I marinated for 48 hours)
2. Cook pasta in according to packaging instructions. Strain and add butter and herbs, mix well, set aside, and cover to maintain heat.
3. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Brown sirloin tips for 1-2 minutes on each side or until brown. Remove, set aside, and cover with aluminum foil. Do not throw out marinade!
   
4. Melt butter in skillet used to cook steak. Add shallot and mushrooms. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in beer and allow to completely absorb and evaporate. Add salt and flower and stir to coat. Add reserve marinade and boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently or until the liquid is reduced by half.
5. Cut sirloin tips into strips and return to the skillet. Cook until desired doneness (1-4 minutes).
6. Arrange pasta on serving plate. Pour steak and sauce over the top. Sprinkle with cheese crumbles and garnish with fresh rosemary.

The recipe turned out excellent. This is an extremely hearty meal. I was surprised by how quickly I was full and how much I had left over. The book notes that this makes 4 to 6 servings, which is about right. The flavors all meld beautifully. My only complaint is that it came out a bit too salty. I will probably omit the salt editions next time as the beef broth and Worcestershire provide enough salt on their own.

The book recommends pairing this dish with an American dark lager or nut brown ale. I paired it with my own doppelbock "Liberator", and I have too say that the maltiness was a bit too much when coupled with the hearty mushroom sauce. I agree with the book that a nut brown ale would be a perfect complement to the toasty, nuttiness provided by the pasta while still being light enough to cut through the thick sauce.

Shallot and Stout-Glazed Steak with Cumin-Pepper Onions

This is the latest recipe I have constructed from "The Best of American Food and Beer". It turned out excellent, save for the fact that I over-cooked my steak. I share a grill with three other apartment units and something was amiss with the propane. I began cooking the steaks on high, and it was barely warming the meat. I came back 5 minutes later, still nothing. I could literally touch the grates with my hands. Fast-forward 5 additional minutes, huge flames, steaks searing to death, nice.

The steak:

• 5 large shallots, thinly sliced (I used 3, these are quite expensive)
• 5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons salted butter (I used unsalted)
• 2 bay leaves
• 12 ounces American dry or sweet stout (I used my 1.5 year old vanilla bourbon imperial porter)
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, sea salt, freshly ground pepper
• 2 lbs skirt steak, trimmed (I used top sirloin)
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons orange juice

1. Melt butter in saucepan. When all butter is melted simmer in shallots and garlic until garlic turns golden
2. Add bay leaves, beer, tomato paste, Worcestershire, sea salt, pepper and whisk together. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
3. Remove bay leaves. Add 1 cup of sauce to plastic bag with steak and marinate 6-8 hours (I left it overnight). Keep remaining sauce in a separate container and refrigerate.
4. Allow sauce to come to room temperature and whisk in vinegar and orange juice. Grill steak to desired level (well done for me unfortunately), brushing steak with sauce for the last 2 minutes of cook time. Serve with cumin-pepper onions.

Cumin-pepper onions:

• 3 large yellow onions sliced into 1/2 inch thick medallions
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon paprika
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (I used 1/2)
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
  
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder (I used 1/2)
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Drizzle onion medallions with olive oil. Mix together all powdered spices.
2. Place on grill under medium-high heat. Grill until tender, turning once. Be careful when flipping, as the onions do not want to stay together!
3. Remove onions from grill and lightly dust with spice mix, add more as desired.

This recipe was very tasty. The glaze on the steak was delicious. I will definitely be making this again, it's a shame I had to have it with well-done steak (I'm more of a medium-rare kind of guy). The spices blend nicely into a pungent/spicy/sweet/salty/meaty concoction that adds nice flavors to the onions. The book recommends pairing this with an American Pilsner or Dark Lager beer. I had neither of these styles on hand so I paired it with homebrewed Belgian-style pale ale, a very clean-tasting brew with a slight biscuit note in the finish. Any light, crisp, refreshing style of beer should pair nicely with this dish. These types of beer are highly carbonated and cleanse the pallet, which allows for better enjoyment of the roasty steak and spicy onions.

Beer, Food, and Cooking

I began cooking a bit less than a year ago. My interest was sparked when a friend of mine told me about a book he had about pairing food and beer. I had always heard about using beer in marinades and eaten my fair share of beer can chicken in college.

I missed a seminar at the GABF regarding beer and food by author Lucy Saunders. She was at the festival promoting her book "The Best of American Beer & Food: Pairing and Cooking with Craft Beer" I arrived home from Denver late Sunday night to find a package waiting for me back in Oklahoma. I opened it up and it was Saunders' book! I had pre-ordered it months earlier and forgotten my purchase.

This afternoon I made my first recipe from the book. An omelet entitled: "Smoky Haystack Omelet". I made some modifications to the recipe. Here is the procedure I followed if you want to re-create it at home:

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces of a bottle-conditioned(has a yeast cake in the bottom of the bottle) wheat ale, a bottle conditioned Belgian ale will work nicely as well (I used a bottle of my Belgian Pale Ale)
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 6 drops of hot pepper sauce (I used Tabasco Habanero Sauce)
• 1 tbsp butter
• 4 strips Turkey bacon
• 1/2 cup smoked Gouda cheese, freshly shredded

1. Let bottle set at room temperature.
2. Decant beer slowly off yeast in the bottom of the bottle. Leave about one ounce, or half an inch of beer in the bottle. If desired, you can cool down the remaining beer in the freezer or refrigerator and drink it later.
3. Add the 3 eggs, hot sauce, and pepper to a mixing bowl. Vigorously shake up the bottle of beer to mix the yeast into the remaining beer and add this to the bowl. Whisk ingredients vigorously together.
4. Cook strips of turkey bacon on a skillet under medium heat (about 4 minutes on a side or to desired crispiness). Remove bacon, and set aside. Begin melting butter on skillet.
5. Once butter has melted, pour egg mixture onto skillet. As eggs begin to set, rip bacon into small pieces and sprinkle onto the egg. Shred smoked Gouda onto the setting eggs.
6. When cheese is starting to melt, flip the egg over on itself using a spatula. Cook until golden brown on those sides and enjoy! Serve with a citrus juice of your choosing or, in the tradition of second breakfast, you can serve the omelet with a wheat beer of your choosing.
   

The omelet turned out great. I had to omit some ingredients (chives, milk) from the recipe and I substituted turkey bacon for the Black Forest smoked ham the book calls for. It was very flavorful and creamy with a nice little bread-like spice in the finish, complements of the yeast. Next time I will probably add some sauteed green peppers and onions into the mix.

I've skimmed through the book a couple of times and I highly recommend it. It makes me excited about cooking and even (gasp) going to the dreaded grocery store!