Basic Beer-Cheese Bread

The hardest part of this recipe was sauteeing the onions. So it was pretty easy. I made it and it came together in about 15 minutes to be ready for baking.

The onions were the key to this. It was so flavorful. Both D and I thought it was great. We had with Black Bean-Tomato Soup. Will make again.

Basic Beer-Cheese Bread

Photo by ALB

This savory quick bread pairs well with soup or chili and is ideal for an open house or casual get-together.

YIELD: 16 servings (serving size: 1 slice)
COURSE: Breads

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 garlic clove, minced
13 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3 cups) --used 3 cups
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 (12-ounce) bottle lager-style beer (such as Budweiser) -- used Bud Light
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons melted butter, divided -- didn't melt...just put the pieces on the dough and let the oven melt it.

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion to pan; cook 10 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in pepper and garlic; cook 1 minute.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk; make a well in center of mixture. Add onion mixture, cheese, and beer to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

4. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle 1 tablespoon butter over batter. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon butter over batter. Bake an additional 25 minutes or until deep golden brown and a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 144; Calories from fat: 28%; Fat: 4.4g; Saturated fat: 2.4g; Monounsaturated fat: 1.6g; Polyunsaturated fat: 0.2g; Protein: 4.3g; Carbohydrate: 20.6g; Fiber: 0.7g; Cholesterol: 10mg; Iron: 1.3mg; Sodium: 257mg; Calcium: 89mg

Cooking Light NOVEMBER 2008

Black Bean-Tomato Soup with Cilantro-Lime Cream

I showed D this dish last week, and he said ok. We were going to make it for lunch, because who eats soup for dinner. Well, we forgot to write down a recipe for a day of the week, so this became Friday night's dinner.

D made it. He said it was easy. He doubled the recipe. Also because of doubling he didn't want to use the blender so he used the immersion blender.

It was very aromatic. The taste was outstanding. Smoky, warming, and just plain good. It got spicier as the weekend went on. We had with Beer Cheese Bread.

We will definitely have again.

Black Bean-Tomato Soup with Cilantro-Lime Cream

Photo by ALB

"This soup is easy to prepare and has plenty of flavor from the aromatics, bacon, and sour cream garnish." —Gloria Bradley, Naperville, IL

YIELD: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup soup and 1 1/2 tablespoons cream)
COURSE: Soups/Stews

Ingredients
2 center-cut bacon slices, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion (about 1 small)
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon ground cumin, divided

1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added organic diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Preparation
1. Cook bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, reserving 1 teaspoon drippings in pan; set bacon aside. Add onion and celery to pan; cook 5 minutes or until celery is tender. Stir in 3/4 teaspoon cumin, chile powder, and garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in bacon, pepper, beans, tomatoes, and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Place half of bean mixture in a blender (this is where D used an immersion blender). Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining bean mixture; process until smooth. Keep warm.

2. Combine sour cream, remaining 1/4 teaspoon cumin, cilantro, rind, and juice in a small bowl. Drizzle cream over soup.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 123; Calories from fat: 31%; Fat: 4.3g; Saturated fat: 2g; Monounsaturated fat: 1.6g; Polyunsaturated fat: 0.4g; Protein: 6.4g; Carbohydrate: 16.3g; Fiber: 5.1g; Cholesterol: 10mg; Iron: 2.1mg; Sodium: 488mg; Calcium: 58mg

Cooking Light SEPTEMBER 2008

Oven Roasted Parmesan Asparagus

Well, we wanted green beans so we made it with green beans, seeing as we have substituted one for the other in various recipes. Very good. Would definitley have again.

Oven Roasted Parmesan Asparagus

Serves - 4

Ingredients:
1 lb. Fresh Asparagus
olive oil flavored cooking spray
salt and pepper
grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Clean and trim asparagus. Lay on a cookie sheet in a single layer, coated with olive oil flavored cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for about 15 minutes until tender and sightly browned.

Sprinkle with 3-4 tablespoons of fresh grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy,

German Meatballs

So I think I liked this a little more the second day. The sauce was thicker. But it was really good. I don't know if it is authentic or not, since I have never had German Meatballs.

D said it was easy. We had with Egg Noodles and Broccoli. Would have again.

German Meatballs

The Worcestershire sauce and mustard boost the flavor of this dish considerably, so choose a delicate, well-balanced Riesling from either Alsace or the Pacific Northwest.

YIELD: 4 servings (serving size: 6 meatballs and 1/4 cup sauce)
COURSE: Main Dishes

Ingredients
1/2 pound ground round
1/2 pound lean ground pork
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs (used stuffing because I forgot to buy breadcrumbs)
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Vegetable cooking spray
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup Riesling or other slightly sweet white wine (used cooking wine since we don't drink wine)
1/2 cup nonfat sour cream
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preparation
Combine the first 8 ingredients in a bowl; stir well. Shape mixture into 24 (1-inch) meatballs.

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium heat until hot. Add meatballs; cook 10 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Remove from skillet; set aside.

Add garlic to skillet; sauté 30 seconds. Add wine; bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook 1 minute. Return the meatballs to skillet; cover and cook 5 minutes or until done. Remove from heat.

Remove meatballs from the skillet with a slotted spoon; set aside, and keep warm. Add sour cream (at room temperature) and pepper to wine mixture in skillet; stir well. Spoon sauce over meatballs.


Nutritional Information
Calories: 224; Calories from fat: 27%; Fat: 6.8g; Saturated fat: 2.3g; Monounsaturated fat: 2.9g; Polyunsaturated fat: 0.7g; Protein: 29.4g; Carbohydrate: 8.4g; Fiber: 0.4g; Cholesterol: 68mg; Iron: 2.3mg; Sodium: 321mg; Calcium: 25mg

Cooking Light JANUARY 1995

Tri-Tip with Avocado Sauce

Weber does it again! This one is from Weber's Charcoal Grilling: The Art of Playing with Live Fire.

So it seemed a bit odd with the cucumber. You could taste it, but it wasn't gross, just unique. I liked it. D liked it. I'm going to assume it was easy. I had a few too many beers to pay attention to what D was doing.

We had with Smoked Baked Beans.

Tri-Tip with Avocado Sauce

Prep time: 20 minutes
Grilling time: 30 to 45 minutes
Paste
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tri-tip roast, 2 to 2½ pounds and about 1½ inches thick, trimmed of surface fat

Sauce
1 ripe Haas avocado
1 four-inch section English cucumber (seedless)
¼ cup sour cream
Juice of 1 lime
1 small garlic clove
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon Tabasco® sauce
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. In a medium bowl mix the paste ingredients until smooth. Coat the tri-tip evenly with the paste. Let the
tri-tip sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling.

2. Scoop out the flesh of the avocado and combine it with the remaining sauce ingredients in a food processor.  Process until smooth. The sauce should be fairly thick.

3. Prepare a two-zone fire for medium heat (see pages 14-15).

4. Brush the cooking grate clean. Grill the tri-tip over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as
possible, until lightly charred on both sides, 10 to 15 minutes, turning and rotating as needed for even cooking.
Move the tri-tip over indirect medium heat and cook to your desired doneness, 20 to 30 minutes for medium rare, turning and rotating as needed for even cooking. Remove from the grill and let rest for 10 minutes. Cut the tri-tip across the grain into very thin slices. Serve warm with the sauce on the side.

Makes 6 to 8 servings