Rosemary Ranch Chicken & Dark Lager

Rosemary Ranch Chicken
Servings – 2

• ¼ c olive oil
• ¼ c sour cream
• 1 T ranch seasoning (can use bottle ranch in place of seasoning and sour cream)
• ½ T chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 t dried)
• ½ T fresh thyme (or 1 t dried)
• Couple splashes of Worcestershire
• Couple splashes apple cider vinegar
• Dash Salt
• Dash Pepper
• 1 Chicken Breast – cubed into 1 inch pieces

1. Mix together first 10 ingredients in plastic bag
2. Add chicken breast, marinade at least 30 minutes, longer the better
3. Put chicken onto skewers
4. Grill about 4 minutes each side until cooked through

I served this with brown rice cooked in chicken stock and green beans flavored with thyme, rosemary, salt and red pepper flakes. This has a strong earthy flavor. I wouldn’t normally pair the following beer with a chicken, but the strong flavors stand up well here.

One of the best holiday ales I have ever had is a local beer, Rahr & Sons Winter Warmer, an English Style Dark Lager. Rahr & Sons is out of Fort Worth Texas. One of these I will actually get over there for a tour. This is a great beer to sip while enjoying a holiday meal. It is definitely rich, but well rounded. There is mild bitterness, but mostly it is smooth and malty.

Potato Pancakes (Latkes), Apple Sauce & Pale Ale

Potato Pancakes
Servings – 2

• 1 large or 2 small potatoes peeled and shredded
• 1 T onion powder (or half an onion shredded)
• 1 T flour
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 T vegetable oil

1. Mix together shredded potato, onion, flour, and yolk in bowl
2. Put mixture into wire strainer and push out extra moisture
3. Heat oil over medium heat, wait a few minutes to warm
4. Create small patties with potato mixture and place into hot oil
5. Let latkes cook for about 3-4 minutes, flip
6. Cook about 3-4 minutes until brown on both sides
7. Remove latkes to paper towel lined plate to drain access oil
8. Dust with salt while still warm

Apple Sauce
Servings – 2

• 1 apple, peeled and diced
• 1 t apple pie spice (or any combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and all spice)
• 1 t brown sugar (if desired – I leave this out its sweet enough as is for me)

1. Add apple and a few tablespoons of water to a sauce pan
2. Add to stove top and bring water to a boil
3. Reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes
4. Add spice and sugar to pot
5. Using potato masher, smash apples, cook longer if not tender enough or if mixture is too watery
6. Refrigerate apple sauce once mashed, best if served cold

During Hanukkah this year as I often do, I celebrate in the one way I know how, with food. I grew up eating potato pancakes and absolutely love them and they are always best made at home. I don’t use the shredded onions because my husband and I don’t like them, but it is the right way to include them. It is also proper to add some schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) to the oil when frying the potato pancakes, but I never have it on hand. You can also serve with sour cream but I love the sweet and savory combination with the apple sauce. I started making my own apple sauce because this is the only time of year I eat it and I never have apple sauce on hand but I always have apples. When you make it once, you will never go back to store bought, homemade apple sauce is easy and very delicious. The key here is to squeeze out the extra moisture before frying. Also, eat the potato pancakes immediately after making, they are the best warm with a little dollop of apple sauce on top.

The Jewish side of my family are not big drinkers, so I usually don’t have these with beer. However, a lot of fried foods go great with pale ales. The oil, salt and sweetness from the apple sauce goes great with a simple slightly hoppy pale ale. I chose the Diamond Bear Pale Ale. Diamond Bear Brewing Company is based out of Little Rock, Arkansas. This beer is great with its hoppiness balanced with buttery caramel and toasted malt. This pairs even better as it has a speck of nutmeg echoed in the applesauce.

Haddock with Mango Rum Sauce & Summer Ale

Haddock with Mango Rum Sauce
Servings – 2

• 2 – 4 oz pieces of Haddock (I chose Haddock because it was on sail but any mild white fish will do)
• 1 Mango – peeled and chopped
• ¼ c good white Rum (after my time in the US Virgin Islands, I recommend Cruzan)
• ½ lime – juiced and zested
• ½ lemon – juiced and zested
• 3 T brown sugar
• 1 t apple pie spice (or any combination of nutmeg, cinnamon, and all spice)
• 1 t cornstarch
• 1 t grated ginger (or ground ginger if you don’t have fresh on hand, but use about half as much)
• Dash of salt

1. Add all ingredients except fish to food processor
2. Pulse until smooth
3. Add to sauce pan and simmer about 5 minutes
4. In the mean time, salt and pepper the haddock on both sides
5. Grill haddock, about 3 minutes each side (can also plan fry)
6. Top each fish with half of the sauce

This recipe was inspired by our honeymoon in St John. We ate at a delicious restaurant called Morgans Mangoes and I knew I had to try to duplicate the sauce. This sauce would be great on a lot of different fish as well as chicken and pork. I served this with a cilantro lime rice and a citrus salad. A delicious combination that took us back to the virgin islands in the middle of winter.

This recipe would be great paired with a tropical cocktail, but of course I am going to go with a beer. I am recommending a pairing, that would be perfect but is very hard to find in the states. However, I am still recommending it so you are aware of it if you ever make it to the Caribbean.

St. John’s has their very own brewery. Now, this place not only makes great beer but they have a tasting room with a restaurant on the island. The bar food is awesome and its one of the only places on the island that’s air conditioned. So in my book its 100% worth a visit. My favorite beer by the St John Brewers is also a great light, sweet pairing here. It’s the Tropical Mango. They call it an Island Summer Ale and it’s everything you could want in a beer on a tropical island. Refreshing with a sweet mango finish.

Thai Steak Salad & IPA

Thai Steak Salad
Servings - 2

Marinade
• ½ T garlic
• 2 t onion powder
• 1 dried lemon grass chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/3 cup of fresh mint
• 1/3 cup of lime juice (about 4 limes for me)
• 2 T fish sauce
• 1 t sweet chili sauce
• 3 T sugar/splenda
• 6-8 oz steak (I used sirloin)

Dressing
• 1 T rice vinegar
• 1 T sweet chili sauce
• Dash sugar/Splenda
• Dash garlic powder
• Dash onion powder
• Dash salt
• Dash pepper

Salad
• 4 large handfuls of lettuce
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 1 T mint
• 1 T cilantro

1. In bowl, mix together garlic, onion powder, lemon grass, cilantro, mint, lime juice, fish sauce, sweet chili sauce and sugar. Add to ziplock bag with steak. Marinade at least 3 hours.
2. In small sauce pan combine dressing ingredients, and heat until combined
3. Grill steak, about 3-4 minutes per side for medium rare, let steak rest several minutes
4. Split lettuce between two plates
5. Top with cucumber, mint, cilantro, and dressing
6. Finally, slice and top with steak

This is a very flavorful salad and hearty enough for a main dish. Since this is so flavorful, you want a flavorful beer to stand up to it. I chose an IPA, Frye’s Leap IPA, made by Sebago Brewing Company out of Maine, where they have four locations. This has a big aroma and a big flavor. As with IPAs, there are a lot of hops, but balanced with caramel malts and grapefruit. The citrus here plays off well with the citrus of the steak marinade.

Chicken Pad See Ew & Lager

Chicken Pad See Ew
Servings - 2

• 8 ounces of flat noodles box
• 1 T peanut oil
• 1 T garlic
• 1 chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1 t brown sugar
• 1 t sweet chili sauce
• 1 T fish sauce
• 1 t cornstarch
• 2 handfuls, fresh baby spinach (could use broccolini, broccoli or Chinese broccoli as well)
• 1 egg, beaten
• Dash of red pepper flakes

1. Bring large sauce pan to boil, add noodles. Cook about 5 minutes until a little tougher then al dente.
2. Heat oil in skillet. Add garlic and chicken and cook until chicken is cooked through about 5-10 minutes.
3. While chicken is cooking add soy sauce, sugar, chili sauce, fish sauce and cornstarch to sauce pan. Cook about 5 minutes until warm and combined.
4. Add Spinach and cook until chicken is wilted
5. Add noodles to pan and mix
6. Add sauce to pan and mix until combined
7. In separate skillet or move mixture to own side and in hole, scramble the egg until thoroughly cooked.
8. Mix egg and rest of mixture together
9. Garnish with red pepper flakes.

This is one of our favorite meals when we eat it out at a Thai restaurant so it was only right to make a version at home. You definitely also make this with other proteins; shrimp is another of our favorites. Unlike a lot of Thai food, this is not spicy and well flavorful its generally fairly mild. This would pair well with the Thai beer, Singha which is readily available in the US, I actually drank this quite a bit while in the Philippines too as most their domestic beer is not very good and US imports were expensive.

However, I like to stick with American microbrews for my pairings. I like to think I can save the US economy by supporting local, American, small business breweries. Like Signha, I would pick a lager for this meal, something light a refreshing not to overpower the food. American lagers are quite common and most people have their favorites. I don’t like many of the large produced ones, but there are some gems.

Landshark lager, which is most often found in the summer, can be found in most liquor stores. It’s brewed by Margaritaville Brewing Company in Florida. As many people known this is brewed in conjunction with Anheuser-Busch and was launched by Jimmy Buffet. It’s similar to a Corona or Dos Equis, but in my opinion better and it’s local. It has a slight malt and slight hops taste. It’s very light and sweet. Very easy to drink and I even recommend it for those that don’t typically love beer.

Mixed Greens Salad with bacon dressing & Double Dark Lager

Mixed Greens Salad with bacon dressing
Servings - 2

• 3 big handfuls of mixed greens
• 1 hard-boiled egg
• 2 pieces of bacon, diced
• 2 Splashes of red wine vinegar
• 2 squirts Dijon mustard
• Pinch of sugar
• Dash of salt and pepper

1. Split mixed greens on two plates or bowls
2. Slice hard-boiled egg and split between two plates
3. In small sauce pan, sauté bacon, until crisp
4. Drain bacon and about half of drippings
5. Lower heat under sauce pan
6. To sauce pan, add red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, sugar, salt and pepper
7. Stir until incorporated and add bacon back
8. Pour bacon and dressing over greens and egg

I served this salad with schnitzel and spaetzle and it paired well with a German inspired dinner. Therefore, I would recommend a German inspired beer here. I recommend Moerlein’s Barbarossa Dark Lager. Christian Moerlein Brewing Company is out of Cincinnati, OH. This is between Munich-style dunkel and bock. It had a rich, medium bodied flavor and pairs well with the richness of the bacon.

Thai Peanut Chicken & IPA

Thai Peanut Chicken
Servings - 4

• 3 T soy sauce
• 3 T fish sauce
• 2 t hot pepper sauce
• 2 t red pepper flakes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T minced fresh ginger root
• 2 T onion powder or one large onion diced
• 2 T brown sugar
• 2 T peanut oil
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into chunks

• ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 cups broccoli
• 1/2 cup cashews

1. In a bag, mix together first 9 ingredients. Add chicken and marinade for at least one hour.
2. Pour chicken and sauce into pan and sauté until chicken is cooked through about 5-10 minutes.
3. Add peanut butter and broccoli
4. Cook until broccoli is cooked through and peanut butter is thoroughly blended
5. Top with cashews
6. Serve with rice.

The spiciness of this rich calls for a beer with a strong flavor for compliment and in order to not get lost in the strength of the dish. Choosing one my favorite beers here, another IPA. For this dish I chose Sierra Nevada’s Celebration Ale. Sierra Nevada is a well known brewery out of California. This is a seasonal ale, usually out around Christmas time. It has a lot of hops, but a strong caramel maltiness as well. This does indeed taste like Christmas with a pine, floral finish.

Layered Chicken and Black Bean Enchilada Casserole & Red Ale

Layered Chicken and Black Bean Enchilada Casserole
Servings – 4

• 2 chicken breasts diced (ground chicken or turkey as well as thighs would be good in this as well)
• 2 T taco seasoning
• 1 T water
• ½ cup green enchilada sauce
• Few dashes hot sauce
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup green enchilada sauce
• 8 (6 inch) corn tortillas
• 2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
• 1 cup sour cream

1. Preheat the oven to 400
2. Sauté chicken on stove with taco seasoning and water until chicken is cooked through. Drain excess liquid. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in water ½ cup of green enchilada sauce, hot sauce and black beans.
3. In another bowl, mix together sour cream and 1 cup of green enchilada sauce.
4. Pour ½ cup of sour cream mixture in bottom of baking dish
5. Put 4 tortillas over sauce spread out
6. Pour chicken mixture over tortillas
7. Pour ½ of remaining sour cream mixture over chicken
8. Place one cup of cheese on top
9. Top with 4 more tortillas
10. Pour remaining sour cream mixture on top
11. Top with remaining cheese
12. Cover dish with aluminum foil
13. Bake for 20 minutes
14. Remove cover and bake for 5 more minutes

I paired this with Jamaica Red Ale, made by Mad River Brewing Company from Blue Lake, CA. This beer has a good balance between hops and maltiness, not overwhelming the dish. The citric notes but through the sour cream and compliment the Mexican flavors.

Chicken Tortilla Soup & IPA

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Servings – 4

• 1 T onion powder or 1 small onion finely chopped
• 1 T garlic, finely chopped
• 2 T butter
• 4 oz can of green chilies
• 8 oz can tomato sauce/chopped tomatoes
• 2 jalapenos finely chopped
• 1 box of chicken stock
• 8 oz can black beans
• 8 oz can of corn or frozen corn
• Half a cooked chicken, meat shredded
• 2 limes
• 1 t salt
• 1 t pepper
• 1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican cheese
• 4 corn tortillas cut into strips

1. Melt butter in soup pot on low
2. Sauté onion, garlic, butter, green chilies, tomatoes, and jalapenos for 5 minutes
3. Add chicken stock and bring to a bowl
4. Drain and add black beans and corn to pot
5. Juice the limes and add to pot
6. Add salt and pepper
7. Add chicken, cheese and tortillas
8. Cook for 5 more minutes
9. Serve and top with additional cheese and sour cream or guacamole

This is very filling and delicious. It’s very easy to make and you can freeze and eat later. If you do so, freeze before adding tortillas. This is great with an IPA. Steelhead extra pale ale is made by mad river brewing company and a great pair here. With being an extra pale ale it’s definitely hoppy but has some malt and floral aromas. It has a good citric quality that complements well here.