Tempura Shrimp Baja Tacos & IPA

Tempura Shrimp Baja Tacos

Servings – 2

·         6-8 ounces shrimp, deveined, deshelled and tails removed

·         3 T flour

·         ½ c beer

·         ½ c flour

·         1 egg

·         Salt & Pepper

·         3 T vegetable oil

·         ½ c mayo

·         1 t (1 clove garlic)

·         ¼ t garlic powder

·         1 T milk

·         2 T fresh cilantro

·         2 T feta, crumbled

·         2 T Mexican or cheddar cheese, shredded

·         ¼ c lettuce

·         4 flour tortillas

·         Hot Sauce

1.       Mix together ½ c beer, ½ c flour, 1 egg and dash of salt and pepper.

2.       Cover cleaned shrimp with 3 T of flour

3.       Dip shrimp into beer, flour and egg batter

4.       Heat vegetable oil on stove

5.       Fry shrimp, about 1-2 minutes on each side, add more oil if necessary

6.       Heat tortilla on stove, grill or in microwave

7.       Mix together garlic, garlic powder, mayo, and milk

8.       Divide fried shrimp among 4 tortilla

9.       Drizzle garlic sauce over shrimp

10.   Top each taco with cilantro, feta, cheese, and lettuce (we don’t eat tomatoes, but add them if you like)

11.   Serve with hot sauce

This recipe was inspired by one my husband’s favorite foods ever, Fuzzy’s tempura shrimp tacos. This was fairly easy to make, but it is not healthy with the fried shrimp so this will be a treat.  I paired this with a favorite of mine, a Stone IPA.

  

Korean Steak Rice Bowls & IPA

Korean Steak Rice Bowls

Servings – 2

·         8 ounces steak (I used rib eye, but lots of cuts would work here) - cubed

·         ¼ c soy sauce

·         3 T sesame oil (use peanut oil or another vegetable oil if you don’t have on hand)

·         2 T sugar

·         1 T sake or white wine

·         1 t onion powder

·         1 clove (1 t) of garlic minced

·         ½ carrot julienned

·         3 T white vinegar

·         ¼ t salt

·         ¼ t sugar

·         2 servings of rice (I used 5 minute brown, but white and jasmine are delicious here too)

·         4 ounces spinach (frozen or fresh will work)

·         ½ zucchini chopped into half moons

·         2 eggs

·         Korean red pepper sauce – Gochujang (you should be able to find this in Asian grocery stores, but I found it at Sprouts, it was the Annie Chun brand)

1.       Combine soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, sake, onion powder and garlic.  Place into plastic bag with steak.  Marinade in fridge for at least 30 minutes, but all day is better.

2.       Combine white vinegar, salt, and sugar.  Add to plastic bag with carrots.  Let pickle for at least 30 minutes, but overnight is better.  You can also buy pickled carrots is you can find them.

3.       Cook rice according to directions, need 2 servings which is usually 1 cup dried and 2 cups cooked)

4.       Sautee beef on the stove about 5 minutes until cooked through.

5.       Sautee zucchini in a little cooking spray for about 5 minutes until tender.  Add spinach and a dash of salt and pepper until spinach is wilted and heated through.

6.       Fry the 2 eggs, want the yolk to remain runny.  (I used only an egg white for myself as I don’t like the yolks).

7.       To assemble: Split rice between two bowls.  Top with sautéed veggies and carrots (first drain pickling juice from carrots).  Top veggies with beef.  Top with a little bit of the Korean sauce.  Top with fried egg.  Serve with additional sauce.

My husband introduced me to Korean rice bowls at a restaurant near his work called B.B.Bop.  While I loved it and it’s quite far for me to go there and there are no similar restaurants nearby.  I had to learn to make it myself.  You can do tons of different veggies, fresh and pickled and different meats as well.  This is the combination we both like.

With the red pepper sauce and the pickled veggies, this is a flavorful and spicy dish, so you will need something to stand up to that bold flavor.  For those you who don’t like IPAs, I am sorry because they are my staple and well they go well with spicy dishes.  I also have been sick and unable to drink for awhile, so I am going off of memory as I haven’t tried many new beers lately.  This is a beer I had several years ago when my husband and I went on our first vacation together in Denver.  Our first stop when we got in was to go on a walking brewery tour.  It was awesome, I recommend it.  The rest of our trip was planned on the recommendations of other tourists and locals alike we met on that tour.  The first stop on the tour was the Great divide brewing company.  We got a tour of the facility as well as having tastings.  It has a small tasting room, but everyone there was so nice and knowledgeable.  This is the day I also realized IPAs were my favorite.  Their IPA is called Titan.  This is a smooth IPA with nice citrus finish.

Hashbrown Green Chile Casserole & IPA

Hashbrown Green Chile Casserole

Servings – 4

(I make twice as much because leftovers are great)

•  2 potatoes peeled and shredded (or you could use 2 cups of fresh or frozen hashbrowns), Squeeze to remove access moisture
• 1 T butter, melted
• 1 – 7 oz can green chilies
• 7 oz ham steak, cubed (leftover meat from the dinner last night is great here too, carnitas, shredded beef, turkey, etc)
• 4 oz shredded cheddar cheese (Mexican or Colby Jack is good here too)
• 2 eggs
• ¼ c milk
•  Salt
• Pepper

1.   Preheat oven to 450
2. Grease pie pan or small casserole dish
3. Place shredded potatoes into dish pressing along bottom
4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper
5. Pour melted butter over potatoes
6. Bake for 20 minutes
7. Crack two eggs into bowl and add milk and a dash of salt and pepper, mix
8. Pour eggs over hashbrown crust
9. Top with green chilies, diced ham and cheddar cheese
10. Cover with foil and cook 25 minutes
11.  Remove foil and cook 5 more minutes

I traditionally make this breakfast.  My mom originally made this, but I have tweaked it over time a little.  It’s a good make ahead meal and made in large batches is great as leftovers.  This could be served at dinner as a main meal or even as a side dish. 

As I usually make this for breakfast, I can’t say I have ever had beer with it, but if I was going to I would probably choose an IPA.  The slight spiciness of the green chilies pairs really well with an IPA.  This is an IPA I had for the first time in Sonoma County in a little dive bar/restaurant with great food with my husband, brother, sister in law and niece.  Also there was a live band which my niece could not get enough of.  There is nothing like watching a two year old dancing entranced to live music.

It is made by the Russian River Brewing company out of Santa Rosa, California.  Blind Pig IPA is considered one of the best American IPAs but critics and general beer lovers.  It has a very cute blind pig on the front of the bottle.  It’s definitely hoppy, but this has a background note of grapefruit with a good amount of sweetness to balance it out.  This is a great general drinking IPA.

Lobster Tails & IPA

Lobster Tails
Servings - 2
My favorite way to cook lobster tails

• 2 – 5 oz lobster tails
• Salt

1. If lobster tails are frozen, put into the refridgerator 24 hours in advance.
2. Fill a pot with about 2 inches of water and add some salt, bring to a boil.
3. Add steamer insert
4. Put wooden rods through lobster tails to prevent curling
5. Add lobster tails and place lid on top.
6. Steam 7-10 minutes until tails are deep red on outside and the flesh is opaque

It being New Years Eve, it calls for a celebration and special food and special beer. My parents started a tradition a few years back to have lobster tails for New Years Eve and I have adopted it as well. I think it’s a good time to splurge and Sprouts usually has 5 oz lobster tails on sale this time of year for $5.99 so I am still not breaking the bank.

I served these lobster tails simply with clarified butter. To clarify butter simply simmer the butter and skim the white solids off the top. Save this though, you can use it for other purposes, like on popcorn. I served it with bake potatoes and steamed broccoli with a little bit of cheddar cheese.

I didn’t drink this year because I have been sick and sinus pressure and beer do not mix. However, this was a beer I recently had and would have loved to have had with my lobster. That beer would be Avery Brewing Company’s Dugana which is a Double IPA. At first it seems like an odd pairing because this is a dark and caramel IPA. However, that piney, floral hoppiness pairs great with the richness of lobster and butter. This beer comes in the large bombers and is a little bit higher alcohol content. It’s a sipper not a guzzler.

Happy New Year!

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.

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.

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.

Spinach & Canadian Bacon Grilled Cheese - IPA

I have been so behind on my postings.  To get back on track....

Spinach & Canadian Bacon Grilled Cheese

Weight watchers – 8 points

Serving – 1

1 Whole wheat Bread bread thins

2 T (3/4 slice) Hot pepper muenster cheese

2 T (3/4 slice) 2% sharp cheddar cheese

 1.5 slices of Canadian bacon, cooked

1 t light butter

Handful of baby spinach

1.      Put .5 t of butter on each outside of bun

2.      Flip over buns

3.      On each side place half of each type of cheese

4.      On top side, put handful of fresh spinach

5.      On bottom side, put Canadian bacon slices

6.      Put sides together

7.      Heat in non-stick skillet, under medium heat, a few minutes on each side until cheese is melted and bread is toasted

I was craving a grilled cheese.  A grilled cheese is normally at least 14 weight watchers points and possibly more.  Plus it’s not very well rounded.  I decided to see what I could make with what was in my fridge, add some more protein and a vegetable.  It was amazingly delicious and satisfying.

This does have a little kick to it with the hot pepper muenster.  An IPA always stands up great to spicy rich food.  My husband asked around and researched and found an IPA everyone was recommending.  Yes, we are now married now.  We had a surprise wedding at our Bar Food Pairing wedding a few weeks ago.

The IPA is Abita Brewing Company’s Jockamo IPA.  The brewery is located in Abita Springs, Louisiana.  The Jockamo IPA is a year round beer.  It has a strong piney hoppiness to start with and finishes with a more mild caramel maltiness.  There is also some background orange citrus.  

Basic Spicy Shrimp – IPA

Basic Spicy Grilled Shrimp

Weight watchers – 2 points to 1/4 LB

Servings – 4

1 lb raw peeled, deveined shrimp

2 t garlic

2 t lemon juice

1 t cayenne pepper

Spray olive oil

Salt/pepper

1.       Spray skillet with olive oil

2.       Add garlic, sautee for 30 seconds

3.       Add shrimp

4.       Sprinkle with cayenne, salt, pepper

5.       Cook until no longer pink

6.       Add lemon juice

I made this for dinner one night with rice from a packet and frozen mixed vegetables.  It was a 5 minutes, healthy dinner.  These are delicious as an appetizer as well.  They do have some kick to them, so they would be great with a cooling sauce.

Spicy food always goes greater with IPAs.  The spice and hops balancing well.  One of my all time favorite IPAs, is Dogfish Head’s 90 minute IPA.  Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales is located in Maryland.  This is usually ranked as one of the top American IPAs.  The strongest flavor is definitely the hops, as is with most IPAs.  It’s a very complex flavor with notes of fruit and citrus.  I love this with seafood and of course for the summer.

Hot Chicken Wings - IPA

Grilled Hot chicken wings with blue cheese sauce

Weight watchers points – 1/wing - 2/wing w. sauce

Yield – 10 wings

1 lb chicken wings

1/2 c season salt

¼ c  Louisiana hot sauce

¼ c  chicken stock

¼ c  apple cider vinegar

1.       You make them even healthier by remoivng the skin or getting skinless but I keep it on, separate at joint and discard tip

2.       Cover wings with half of the season salt

3.       Mix season salt, hot sauce, chicken stock, and vinegar together

4.       Put wings and sauce together in zip lock bag, marinade at least 30 minutes

5.       Heat outdoor grill

6.       Grill for 5 minutes, dip back in marinade, place back on grill turned

7.       Repeat 4-5 times until crisps on the outside

Sauce

1/3c low fat buttermilk

¼ c (1 ounce) crumbled blue cheese or gorgonzola

1T light mayonnaise

1T red wine vinegar

1t Worcestershire sauce

½ t salt

¼ t pepper

1.       Mix all ingredients together

This is a slightly modified version of my Dad's chicken wing recipe.
                                                                                                                    -Kate

NOW we’re talking. When it comes to bar food, nothing captures my imagination more than some delicious buffalo wings. Now, I’m no coward when it comes to the spicy stuff (and I’ve gotten the chemical burns to prove it), however, when it comes to wings, my favorite spiciness is notch down from blister-inducing. I love a wing with good heat, that doesn’t overpower the flavor. After continually being disappointed in restaurants after ordering “Medium”, I’ve learned that this is what most people call “Hot”.

Katie’s wings were perfect. We both agree that good wings don’t need breading – a perfectly crisped skin can add all the crunch you need, while keeping the juiciness of the chicken inside. Additionally, as opposed to being lathered in hot sauce, I thought the wings tasted more like they were in a spicy rub. I knew there was hot sauce on there, but the texture and flavor from the spices really popped more in my mind. Together, the hot sauce that was on there combined with the other spices worked really well.

To go with the wings, I chose an IPA. IPA’s are known for being a cooler, crisper beer, and their hoppiness can complement the heat and spice of the wings, while staying out of the way of the flavor. The wings should be center stage here, and with the IPA, they stay that way.

 If you’ve read this blog, or know me in real life, than you know I have one strong opinion on beer: I don’t like IPAs. The irony, of course, being: Katie loves them. She had a plethora of favorites to choose from, but I knew there aren’t many that I can say I honestly like; let alone enjoy. The Samuel Adams “Latitude 48 IPA”. Katie’s not as big a fan of Sam Adams as I am, but even this is one she likes. Like all their beers, it’s jam-packed with flavor. The biggest plus for me, is, the hoppiness doesn’t overwhelm the beer, as can happen in other IPAs, and the other flavors can come out and play a bigger supporting role. To me, this beer went really well with the wings, and I didn’t mind having  another after I was done eating, either.

Sláinte! - Mike