Smoking Stove IPA

Time for another beer post! Our last few batches of beer have been Belgian-style ales, so we decided it was time for a good ol' hoppy (make that VERY hoppy) IPA. A fellow brewer was kind enough to share some home-grown hops, and we were excited to brew with them.  Thanks Jay Thayer!

The Smoking Stove IPA was loosely based on a recipe for a clone of the Dogfish Head 90 minute IPA, but rather than using the hops called for in the recipe we replaced most with the home-grown Chinook hops. We used a LOT of hops, adding in just under 1/2 ounce every 7  1/2 minutes for 90 minutes. The aroma was amazing, but  we had to watch the wort constantly to make sure it didn't boil over (which it did) and make a huge mess (which it also did, hence the name).  This one was truly a labor of love, and we can't wait until it is ready to drink!

Ingredients:

2 lbs Pilsner malt grain
8 lbs dried malt extract
3.2 oz Chinook hops
2 oz Amarillo hops

Cinnamon Streusel Cake

A few weeks ago we were having one of those Sundays. You know the kind, where you just want to curl up inside and hang out with friends and family. Cooking (and eating!) comfort food. The foggy summers here in San Francisco will do that to you...

We were hanging out with Kevin's sister (yes, the lucky recipient of this birthday cake) and she and I decided to bake. While searching for a recipe, she and Kevin started reminiscing about a cake their mom used make. Cinnamon Streusel Cake. Layers of cinnamon and brown sugar on top of fluffy yellow cake. It was perfect for this lazy day, and we had to make it.

The cake from their childhood was from a specialty box mix, which we were unable to track down at the local corner market. So, we found this recipe, and got to work. We omitted the glaze and served with homemade ice cream. Mmmm. Just like old times!

Ingredients: Adapted from Cooks.com

1 box yellow cake mix without pudding
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup oil
4 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
Optional: ice cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl (or your stand mixer) combine cake mix, sugar, oil, eggs, and buttermilk and beat 2 minutes on medium speed. While the batter is mixing, combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Sprinkle 1/2 of the sugar mixture in the bottom of a greased bundt pan. Top with 1/2 of the batter. Repeat with the last 1/2 of each. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Slice and serve with ice cream, or you could make the glaze from the original recipe... but I recommend ice cream!

Chilaquiles

One of our favorite brunches in all of San Francisco is a big plate of Chilaquiles from the Primavera stand at the Ferry Building Farmer's Market on a Saturday morning.

Before Kevin and I moved in together, he lived close to the Ferry Building and we would get there a lot more often than we do now. So, we had to learn to recreate them. If we make them for breakfast, we'll add an egg- cooked over medium so the yolk runs over top. For this recipe, we've omitted the egg and used chicken, as we were making them for dinner. Either way, the dish is divine!

We make our own chips by baking corn tortillas. We have substituted store bought chips in a pinch and it works great, too! If you do this, you can skip the first two steps in the directions.

Ingredients: 

Makes 2 servings
6 corn tortillas, quartered
2 cups fresh salsa
1 large chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 - 1 bell pepper (any color), cut in strips
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
diced tomato, cotija, avocado and fresh cilantro for garnish
Optional: 2 eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Place quartered tortillas on a greased baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 15 minutes or until the are golden brown and crispy. 

While the chips are baking, cook your chicken, pepper and onion in a skillet until chicken is cooked through. 

Turn the heat to low and add your chips and salsa to the pan, making sure to cover the chips completely. Let cook together for 3-4 minutes until the chips start to absorb the salsa.

Spoon chip and chicken mixture onto plates. Top with diced tomato, cotija cheese, avocado, fresh cilantro and egg (if you want). Forks optional :)

Funfetti Cookies

Oh, Funfetti, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways! Cake, cupcakes, ice cream, and now cookies?! I am SO in love!

Happy Friday the 13th! Whether you are superstitious or not, I have something for you that is guaranteed to make your day a good one...Funfetti Cookies. Yup, no joke.

Ever since I stumbled upon this recipe a few weeks ago I have become completely obsessed with making these cookies. Thank goodness for birthday parties, wedding showers and summertime holidays for giving me a reason to bake them. Otherwise, from the looks of the stacks of cookies in my kitchen, it might look like I have a slight problem. Seriously. They are that good.

Adapted from Fat Girl in a Skinny Body (don't you just love the name of her blog?!)

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 tsp vanilla extract
1 whole egg
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles
2 Tbsp nonpareil sprinkles (the small round sprinkles)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Cream the butter and sugar, then add vanilla and egg and beat until well combined.

In a separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients (except the sprinkles). Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Stir in the sprinkles (I used a wooden spoon) until just mixed so the sprinkles don't bleed.

Drop by tablespoons onto cookie sheet, about 1-2 inches apart. Bake 12-15 minutes, until they are just starting to brown on the bottom and sides. These are sugar cookies, so you want them to be soft and fluffy. Cool on a wire rack.

Who are we kidding?! Dig in! They are sooo good warm!

Meatball Potpies, a Lindsay Original

When the moon hits your eye, like a big... Meatball potpie? Yes, yes, THAT'S amore!

We are always trying new recipes to keep from getting bored with our usual standbys. And sometimes, that new recipe finds its way into the rotation for keeps. This, my friends, is one of those recipes. One that I thought would be fun to try. A new twist on old favorite. One that is now requested frequently, and received with a cheer when my taste-tester walks through the door. What could be better? Oh yeah, the fact that it makes enough for dinner for TWO nights, and is incredibly simple? Weeknight cooking just got a whooole lot better!

Ingredients:

make 4 potpies
1 lb ground turkey
1/4 small onion, diced
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I used Italian seasoned)
Salt and pepper
Sprinkle of nutmeg
1 cup frozen spinach
1 jar of marinara sauce
1 pre-made pizza dough (I used whole wheat)
olive oil

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees and spray four ramekins with non-stick spray. Set on a baking sheet, a few inches apart and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine turkey, onion, egg, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and nutmeg and mix well. (Your hands work great for this!)

Add the marinara and frozen spinach to a large pot and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a pan on medium heat and begin dropping in the meatballs. Be careful because these little guys splatter! Brown on all sides and add to the sauce to finish cooking, about 10 minutes. You may need to do in batches if you do not have a large enough pan.

While the meatballs are simmering, roll out your pizza dough and cut into fourths. Make sure each piece is large enough to cover the top of your ramekin.

Once the meatballs are cooked through, divide them among the 4 ramekins, making sure to add the sauce, too. Then, cover each with pizza dough, drizzle with a little olive oil and a dash salt. Bake for 15 

minutes, or until the dough is golden brown.

Be careful! They will be steaming hot when you cut into them, so I suggest opening them up and letting them cool for a few minutes. Enjoy!

Lobster Tail Ale & Lobster Rolls

Throughout our beer brewing adventure, we've enjoyed getting creative and making beers you wouldn't normally be able to grab at your local market. Our inspiration came from a book of beer recipes that our friend Aaron gave us as a gift. The thought of a Lobster influenced beer inspired day dreams about hosting a clam bake later in the summer when its ready to drink. Lobster in beer? You're gonna have to trust us on this one.

All we needed for the brew was the shells, so we were "forced" to eat lobster rolls to consume all that lobster meat. Life is tough as a brewer :)

Lobster Tail Ale

Ingredients: 

Grains: 1lb Vienna, 1lb Pilsner, 1/2 lb Aromatic, 1/4 lb Flaked Barley

6 1/2 lbs Malt Extract

5 Bay Leaves

2Tbsp White Peppercorns

Shells from 3 lobsters (tail, claws and body)
2 oz E.K. Goldings Hops
Belgian Ale yeast

This beer is a Belgian Ale, with white peppercorns, bay leaves, and lobster shells added to the boil. We went to the store and purchased three 1.5lb live lobsters. Once boiled, all the meat was removed and placed in a bowl for the rolls. The shells of the claws, tail, and body were cleaned thoroughly and then baked in the oven to dry and sanitize them.

Midway through the boil the lobster shells were added along with peppercorns, bay leaves and hops for the the remaining 30 minutes of the boil. After cooling the wort, the shells and spices were strained during transfer to the fermenting container. We added Belgian yeast and will have to wait six weeks for the finished product. This may be our most anticipated beer!

p.s. Thanks to Lindsay's dad for suggesting the name, "Lobster Tail Ale"!

Lobster Rolls

Ingredients:

Serves 4

Meat from three 1.5lb lobsters

2 Tbsp butter

2 tsp fresh chives

Salt and pepper to taste

8 slices sourdough bread, toasted and buttered

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Optional- lettuce, tomato and avocado

We wanted to keep the flavors simple to allow the lobster to be the star in this recipe. I am not a fan of the mayo-heavy versions of lobster rolls so once all the meat was removed from the shell, it was tossed with a mixture of 2 Tbsp melted butter, fresh chives, and seasoned with a little salt and pepper. Everyone dressed up their "rolls" with all the fixin's. 

They were more of a sandwich than a roll, since Lindsay is a California girl and made sure there was avocado and sourdough bread, rather than the traditional hot dog bun. This was definitely better than the usual take-out we get when brewing. We are already fans of the Lobster Tail Ale and haven't even had our first sip!

Jalapeno Peach Chimichurri

Summer is in the air and the last thing I want to do is be stuck cooking inside! Luckily, we have had some great weekend getaways lately, one of which was to my old stomping grounds in Napa to visit my friend Deryn and her husband David. The weather was perfect for grilling and enjoying wine and appetizers on the patio. One evening Deryn made a quick chimichurri for dipping bread in and it was so delicious that we just had to recreate it it at home.

Chimichurri is a blend of olive oil, vinegar, garlic and fresh herbs (traditionally parsley) that is used as a sauce for grilled meats in Argentina and other parts of South America. Deryn mixed things up by using cilantro and balsamic vinegar.  Plus she has this cool bowl that has a rough bottom that you rub the garlic on, rather than mincing it. Must. Get. This. Bowl.

When Kevin and I made our version at home, we used jalapeno olive oil and peach balsamic vinegar to give it a sweet and spicy kick. Use this recipe as a starting point for your own flavor combinations. The possibilities are endless!

Ingredients:

1 cup torn cilantro leaves, stems removed
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup jalapeno olive oil (or any other flavor olive oil)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil  (or use 1/2 cup if not using a flavored one)
1/4 cup peach balsamic vinegar (or any flavor vinegar)
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

Serve with some sliced bread for a quick appetizer, or along side your main course.