Stout Mac and Cheese

What is your favorite Christmas song?

That is it. I just want your feedback. :) While you think about it, make this cheesy, beery, spicy mac and cheese. Packed full of flavor with chorizo and multiple cheeses, it is guaranteed to make you sing.

Now what song are you singing?

Stout Mac and Cheese (adapted from Cooking Light)
Ingredients:
4 oz small pasta (I used shells)
1 tsp canola oil
2 oz chorizo
1/3 cup diced onion
1 1/4 tbsp flour
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup stout beer (I used Guinness)
3 tbsp milk
1 1/2 oz freshly shredded cheddar cheese
1 oz velveeta cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 F.

Cook pasta according to package. Drain.

Heat the oil in pan over medium heat. Add the chorizo and onion and cook about 6 minutes, crumbling the meat. Add the flour and a grind or two of freshly ground pepper. Stir about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Whisk in the beer and then bring to a boil. Stir constantly for about 3 minutes until it thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the milk and cheeses until melted. Stir in the pasta and toss to coat completely. Divide into two individual casserole dishes coated with cooking spray.

Bake for 10 minutes until browned.

Serves 2.

Wine Slushies!!!

We know that I like to recreate recipes at home that I find at restaurants. Remember the potato pizza? And the immaculate reception inspired pot pie? And crab meat rangoons? What about the restaurant style dark dinner rolls? So from the moment I tasted the wine slushie at Sleepy Creek Vineyards, I knew I needed a homemade version. I loved the taste but could not justify buying both the wine and the slushie mix... especially since I was certain the mix consisted of sugar and only a few other ingredients. As is my norm, I immediately google-ed "homemade wine slushie mix" when I got home and found myself a recipe. And y'all, it is so simple. I've already made it twice! I plead the 5th in answering your question of how long it took me to finish the first batch (it was >1 day, however). Then my parents were in town for Sunday and I made it again because I like to be a bad influence on my mom and introduce her to alcoholic beverages that I think she will enjoy (she doesn't like beer or wine and will only occasionally drink a margarita or daiquiri). I was correct. The tartness and ice-y-ness of the drink was perfect for her. My dad enjoyed it too.

Here it is important to appropriately pick your wine. If you use a sweet wine, then your slushie will be sweet; if you use a drier wine, then your slushie will be even more tart. I like the latter best. This recipe only requires 4 ingredients: sugar, citric acid, a lemon and wine (I guess 5, if you include the water). FYI: Citric acid can be found in the canning section of your grocery store or Lowe's/Home Depot/etc.

I cannot express my enthusiasm for this drink enough. It is perfect for the summer. Do the darn thing!

Homemade Wine Slushies (adapted from Celebration Generation)
Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp citric acid
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
750 mL bottle of red wine*
3 cups water

Directions:
Combine the granulated sugar, citric acid and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse for about 3-4 minutes until the sugar is processed and everything is mixed well.

Place a gallon size freezer ziploc bag in a bowl. Pour the sugar mixture into the bag. Add the wine, water and lemon juice. Gently mix with a spoon to dissolve. Place into the freezer and allow to freeze for at least 3-4 hours until it reaches your desired consistency.**

*Note: the sweeter the wine you use, the sweeter the slushie will be. Also, I have only used red wine, but I imagine you could use white wine as well.

**Note: This will keep in the freezer for multiple days but will take on more of a granita or flavored ice texture. This is no problem- eat it with a spoon. Or remove it from the freezer and squish the bag with your hands after it has been sitting on the counter for a few minutes.

Irish Brownies

As a child, I was definitely more of a cookie than a brownie gal. Something about the crunch of a cookie made me happier than the chewiness of a brownie. However, I would never say no to one of those brownies swirled with cream cheese. Cheese makes everything better, amiright?

Now that I'm a grown-up, I'm still more of a cookie lady, but cream cheese brownies still always get a yes... especially if those brownies are spiked with a little Guinness beer and Bailey's Irish cream. I made these for a St Patty's day party back in March, but they are appropriate anytime of the year.

Irish Brownies (adapted from A Spicy Perspective)
Ingredients:
For brownies:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
dash of salt
4 tbsp butter
6 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
5 oz stout beer (like Guinness)

For cream cheese swirl:
4 oz neufchatel cheese (1/3 less fat cream cheese)
3 tbsp sugar
1 egg white
2 tbsp Bailey's Irish cream

For ganache:
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
6 tbsp heavy cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a 8 X 8 baking dish with foil.

Mix the flour, cocoa powder and salt in a small bowl. Place the bittersweet chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring between, until melted.

Using a stand or hand mixer, beat the 1/2 cup sugar and 2 eggs together until light and fluffy. Add the melted chocolate while the mixer is running. Slowly add the flour mixture. Finally mix in the beer. Pour into the prepared pan.

Beat the cream cheese and 3 tbsp sugar together until completely smooth. Add the egg white and Baileys and beat until smooth. Add to the top of the brownie batter and use a spatula to swirl together.

Bake for 30-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.

Combine the the heavy cream and semi-sweet chocolate in a bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Stir until smooth (if needed microwave for another 30 seconds). Pour over the top of the cooled brownies and smooth. Refrigerate until the ganache has set.

Remove from the pan using the foil and cut into pieces.

Seafood Risotto

I think that risotto is becoming one of my most favorite meals ever! I am just impressed about how it goes from crunchy mealy rice to silky creamy smooth deliciousness; plus it is so adaptable depending on your pantry and fridge ingredients, mood, and desires. Was it really only a few months ago when I was intimidated by this dish? Although it does take a little bit of effort, you can put a restaurant quality dish on the table in less than a hour. Plus, it gives you an excuse to stand over the stove sipping wine (because of course you are going to drink the rest of the bottle of wine you opened for the recipe).

As I mentioned earlier this week, I made this seafood risotto for my parents while they were visiting. I think my dad enjoyed learning how to make it (you can tell he was excited enough to snap some photos). My kitchen is pretty small so my mom was tasked with peeling and deveining the shrimp then she retired to the living room to play on her iPad. :) 

Seafood risotto had been on my mind for awhile. Ideally, I would have sauteed up some scallops to set atop the rice, but since scallops do not play nice with my mom, we went with crab and shrimp. To tell you the truth, we didn't miss the scallops at all. I'm sure they would have been good, but the flavor of the crab really stole the show (and it was from a can!). We added some mushrooms to deepen the flavors and they complimented the seafood perfectly. I debated throwing in peas for a burst color, but my dad does not play nice with green vegetables so we skipped them. Didn't miss those either. I'd make this again in a heartbeat; you should too!

Seafood Risotto 

Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 large onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

6-7 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth or seafood broth)

1 cup white wine

2 cups sliced mushrooms

6 oz can lump crabmeat, picked over to remove any shells

1/2 lb shrimp, peel and deveined

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp Old Bay seasoning

salt and pepper

1/2 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Directions:

Bring the broth to a simmer in a saucepan over medium high heat. Cover and reduce to low to simmer.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook over medium heat until softened about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice and cook, stirring quickly until the rice in well coated, about 2-3 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring frequently until the liquid is almost gone, about 5-7 minutes. Add the broth, about 1 cup at a time, and stir the rice constantly until almost all the liquid is absorbed, about 5-7 minutes. Continue to add broth until the rice has been cooking for 15-20 minutes. Add the mushrooms and add more broth continuing to stir completely absorbed. It will take around 35-45 minutes for the rice to cook completely. Taste periodically to see if the rice is tender and not mushy. Continue to cook, adding more liquid to keep moist until you reach the desired consistency.

When the rice is almost done, heat the 1 tsp olive oil in a small pan. Add the shrimp and sprinkle with Old Bay and salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for about 1 minute on each side until pink and cooked through.

When the rice is completely cooked, stir in the crabmeat and cooked shrimp. Mix completely and remove from the heat. Stir in the parmesan cheese. 

Garnish with additional cheese as desired.

Serves 4.

Red Wine Risotto with Bacon, Mushrooms and Peas

I'm becoming a wine gal. I think it's because I live alone and you look classy if you are drinking a glass of wine by yourself but a bottle of beer makes you look like an alcoholic (you know, to the outside world that is obviously watching your every move and judging what you do when you are by yourself). True? I'm not sure, but in my messed up mind this makes sense.

I don't really drink a lot of wine. Just a glass here or there with dinner (okay, maybe two glasses if it is a weekend and I'm sucked into a good book or sappy movie). My journey with wine has really been an adapting one; I used to only like white wines like Pinot Grigio because I needed it to be cold and I liked the crispy taste. Recently, however, I've gotten into red wine- not sweet red wine- but drier reds like Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. I will never ever claim to be a wine connoisseur because let's be honest, I buy wine because it is on sale or because I'm drawn to the picture on the bottle.

Anyway, usually I will open up a bottle of wine and over the course of a few days finish it. However, after my trip to NC a few weeks ago I realized I had a half bottle that had been sitting on my counter for a little too long. I thought to myself, it probably doesn't taste as good any more so I should probably cook with it instead of drinking it. My mind jumped to risotto and I experimented from there. As this was only the second time I made risotto (see here for the first and step-by-step directions), I think I did pretty well making up the recipe. I enjoyed it for sure. As with my last risotto recipe, this serves one, but you could certainly up the amount for 2 or 4 people.

In case you are wondering, I'm not the first person to experiment with red wine in the kitchen. See this article for 100 recipes using leftover wine. I've already bookmarked some of them for the next bottle I don't finish...

Red Wine Risotto with Bacon, Mushrooms and Peas
Ingredients:
2 pieces bacon (+ 1 tbsp bacon fat)
1-1 1/2 cup chicken broth (low sodium store bought or homemade)
1/2 small onion, coarsely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas
5 button mushrooms, coarsely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1/3 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup red wine (I used Cabernet Sauvignon)
2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese + more for serving
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:
Cut the bacon into small pieces and cook over medium heat in a large skillet until browned. Drain the bacon pieces on a paper towel and discard all but 1 tbsp bacon grease.

Bring the broth to a simmer over medium heat in a small saucepan. Cover and reduce the heat to low.

Add the onion and garlic to the skillet with the bacon grease and cook over medium heat until soften about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Toss in the peas and rice and cook, stirring quickly, until the well coated, about 1-2 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is almost gone, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms. Add the broth, 1/4 cup at a time, and stir the rice constantly until almost all the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Continue to add broth until the rice has been cooking for 20-25 minutes. Taste and check to see if the rice is tender but not mushy. Continue to cook, adding a little more liquid to keep moist until you reach the desired consistency.

Remove pan from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese. Pour into a bowl and top with bacon pieces and additional parmesan cheese as desired.

Serves 1.

Chipotle Cheddar Ale Soup

If you are like me, sometimes you come across a similar recipe on a ton a blogs and you seriously cannot get the idea out of your head. For me, during the start of this fall and immersed in football season, it was these cheddar and ale soups. Be still my heart (maybe literally from bacon, cheese and beer), but they just looked perfect. Of course, I couldn't decide on one particular recipe to follow so I made an amalgam of them all to come up with this deliciousness.

A few things to remember in order to make this soup work well. First, choose a brown ale or lager such as Newcastle or Bass or Yuengling (nothing too light or too dark, just wouldn't go). Second, do NOT use preshredded cheese; preshredded cheese has corn starch in it to prevent sticking. However, this also inhibits melting ability. I like to use my food processor for the shredding because it speeds up the process, you can certainly do it by hand though. You'll need 11-12 oz of cheese- you pick the kinds. I went with a combo of chipotle cheddar (that was screaming at me from the Target cold box) and sharp white cheddar; it provided a nice spicy and smoky flavor. I could imagine that any combo of cheddars and colby jack would also work well.

Don't worry, I also loaded up the soup with a number of different veggies so we could get some good nutrients as well.

And to make it even better I served it in a pretzel bread bowl. What goes better with beer than pretzels? Check back later for that recipe. For now just enjoy this.

Chipotle Cheddar Ale Soup
Ingredients:
3 pieces bacon, chopped
2 small potatoes, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 small onion, diced
1/2 jalapeno, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
1 tbsp fresh thyme, diced
2 tbsp flour
1 bottle (12 oz) brown ale (such as Newcastle)
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup half and half
8 oz chipotle cheddar cheese
3 oz sharp white cheddar cheese
extra slices of jalapeno, for garnish
diced parsley, for garnish

Directions:
Finely grate the cheese using a food processor (or a hand grater).

Cook the bacon in a dutch oven over medium heat until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels. Add the potato, celery, carrot, onion, jalapeno, red pepper, garlic and thyme to the bacon grease in the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the flour and stir until starts to brown, about 2-3 minutes.

Whisk in the beer, followed by the chicken broth. Finally whisk in the half and half. Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickened slightly.

Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the cheese, one handful at a time, until melted.

Serve (in a pretzel bowl, if desired), topped with the bacon, jalapeno slices and parsley.

Serves 4.

Kahlua Cupcakes

It's officially time to wish you a happy fall! Saturday was the first day of fall and Illinois definitely had the fall weather going on. I dusted off a scarf and sported it and a jacket all day long. Of course, I wasn't ready to go all winter, so I rocked some sandals :)

Saturday was more than just the first day of fall. It was my first Illini tailgate experience. My aunt and uncle have season tickets and they come over for most games. This past week they dragged along my cousin and we got to play while they went to the game. Kinda like being kids all over again. Just grown-up kids that went shopping at the mall, walked 2 miles across campus to tailgate, and hung out in the warmth of a bar instead of attending the game.

Plus we ate these boozy cupcakes.

Oh my word, you guys -- If you want a decadent chocolate cupcake and enjoy some coffee and Kahlua, you HAVE to make these! The cupcake is super moist and the buttercream frosting puts it over the top.

Perfect for tailgating, watching football on your TV at home or as a staple for the dessert table during upcoming holidays.

Kahlua Cupcakes (adapted from Curvy Carrot)
Ingredients:
For the cupcake:
2 eggs (yolks and whites separated)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
1.5 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup brewed coffee, cold
1/2 cup Kahlua

For the frosting:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
dash of salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp Kahlua
Bittersweet chocolate, for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Using a hand mixer (or stand mixer or whisk), beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the granulated sugar and beat until thick and stiff.

Mix the flour, cocoa powder and baking soda in a small bowl.

Mix together the coffee and the Kahlua.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and beat to mix thoroughly. Gradually and alternately, add the flour mixture and coffee mixture, mixing on low, ending with the flour. Gently fold in the egg white mixture using a spatula.

Pour, or ladle, the batter into a cupcake pan with liners, filling each about 2/3 to the top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool completely.

To make the frosting, beat the butter on high until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating on low to incorporate completely. Once it is smooth, add the salt, vanilla and Kahlua and mix until you reach the desired consistency.

Pipe or frost the cupcakes how you desire. Top with freshly shaven bittersweet chocolate.

Makes approximately 16 cupcakes (I recognize that there are only 15 in the picture above. I actually made 16 but couldn't fit them all in my cake carrier so I had to eat one on Friday night before I frosted them on Saturday morning. FYI: the cupcakes were great by themselves).

Corn and Roasted Tomato Risotto (a how to)

I'm not sure how much you have perused the website. Besides the (almost) daily recipes, there is a link to a page on right that takes you to my Recipe Archive. Use it to get back to those recipes you want to make most easily. I have them categorized by type of dish to help you sort through them.

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Additionally, awhile ago I added another page link on the right labeled My (Cooking) Bucket List. Here I started a list of the foods I would like to try my hand at sometime in the future. I'm hoping to continue this blog and add those recipes as I attempt them. Plus, the bucket list will likely grow as I find more desires in the kitchen.

This bucket list idea was partially inspired by my infatuation with competitive cooking shows-- in particular, MasterChef. I certainly do not have enough skill for shows such as Chopped and Next Food Network Star, but the home cook aspect of MasterChef makes it a potentially obtainable dream for me. However, on MasterChef there are certain types of cuisines and dishes that the contestants are expected to be able to make. Take, for example, a few weeks ago when the bottom two cooks were tasked with creating THREE souffles in one hour. Holy cow, talk about pressure. Not only are souffles technically challenging, but they needed to infuse the correct flavors and add a little bit of extra umpf to stand out. Before I would ever try out for the show (not saying I'm committing to season 4), there are some things that I need to give a once (or twice, or three times) over.

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The first thing I put on my bucket list (and that has been on my bucket list FOREVER) was risotto. From what I understand this dish is really a challenge and staple for cooks of all levels. Even on Chopped and NFNS, a bad risotto can send you packing. Many of the recipes out there are designed for making risotto for four and since I wasn't comfortable enough with the dish to adapt things right out of the gate, I turned to my trusty "Serve Yourself" cookbook. Of course, it has a risotto! And a perfect one for summer-- packed full of fresh corn and roasted tomatoes topped with fresh basil.

To tell you the truth, I had this recipe on my menu for 3-4 weeks in a row until I finally made it. I am usually pretty good at sticking to the menu plans for the week (since I've already bought the groceries and planned everything out), but this risotto was just overwhelming. Mostly, I think, because I would be exhausted at the end of a work day and just not ready for a labor intensive meal. So, I'd fall back on picking up Panera on the way home or whipping up a quick salad or grilled cheese and putting off the plan. But finally, on a Saturday night, I said, "Julie, you gotta bite the bullet and do it. It's going to be yummy and you won't know how much effort it actually takes until you make it." And so I did. With no regrets. It was delicious and not nearly as scary as I had imagined. Risotto can now be crossed off the bucket list, and certainly, I will be making more. Watch out, world (or kitchen)!


Maybe you are like me and you are intimidated by risotto. For that reason, I took some pictures along the way to guide you in your risotto making. Kind of a "how to". If you're an expert, skip ahead to the recipe at the bottom that is written like normal. And certainly, as always, feel free to double or quadruple the recipe to feed your whole family. :)


Also, please note that I followed Joe's suggestion of making corn broth. When I read this recipe in his book, I asked why I had never thought of to do this before. Especially since I'm now in the middle of corn country and I can buy 8 cobs for $1 sometimes! Of course, I can't eat 8 cobs before they go bad, so I typically cut the kernels off and freeze them for future use. I never once thought to do anything with the husks, silks and used cobs. Talk about wasteful. This broth is soooo easy and flavorful! You can use it as a substitute for vegetable or chicken broth or stock in just about everything. You not only avoid the high amount of sodium in the prepackaged kind (that's why I like to make chicken stock too), but it doesn't cost you a cent more than what you were paying for the corn anyway. Some people are so smart. I'm just piggy-backing off of them; feel free to jump on as well. ;)


Okay for real, I'm on to the recipe.


Talk about the longest post ever.


Thanks for sticking with me.

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First and foremost, prep your ingredients. Cut your onion and garlic, grate your cheese, and start your tomatoes roasting (sorry for the lack of photo, I wasn't committed to the how-to until after I started cooking).

Bring your corn broth to a simmer and cover.

Heat the oil and add your onion and garlic. Cook until softened.

Add the corn and rice and stir until they are coated with oil.

Add the wine first, but then add the hot broth (1/4 cup at a time*), stirring constantly until all the liquid is absorbed. *I found that about using a ladle about half full was a good approximation for 1/4 cup.

Continue to cook until the rice reaches the desired consistency.

Lastly, stir in the tomatoes, followed by cheese and butter. Serve topped with the basil leaves and extra grated cheese.

Corn and Roasted Tomato Risotto (very slightly adapted from "Serve Yourself" cookbook)
Ingredients:
1/2 pint grape tomatoes
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1 to 1.5 cups corn broth (see below) or vegetable stock
2 tbsp coarsely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, chopped
kernels from 1 ear fresh corn
1/3 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
3 basil leaves, thinly sliced

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F.

Please the tomatoes on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil. Toss with 1 tbsp oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste. Roast for 30 min, until the tomatoes are lightly browned and collapsed, turning halfway through.

Bring the corn broth to a simmer over medium heat in a small saucepan. Reduce the heat to low and cover.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook about 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the corn and rice and cook, stirring quickly, until the rice is well coated, about 1-2 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is almost gone, about 5 minutes. Add in 1/4 cup hot corn broth and repeat the cooking and stirring until the liquid is absorbed. Continue to add the broth (1/4 cup at a time) and stirring constantly until the rice has been cooking for about 20 minutes total. Taste the rice to make sure it is tender but still slightly firm. Add the tomatoes. Cook for 2-3 more minutes until the rice in tender, but not mushy, adding more liquid if necessary.

When the rice is cooked correctly, stir in the butter and cheese. Add salt and pepper as you like. Transfer to a bowl and top with the sliced basil and more freshly grated parmesan.


Homemade Corn Broth (from "Serve Yourself" Cookbook)
Ingredients:
4 ears of corn (including husks and silks and everything)
7 cups water

Directions:
Rinse the corn. Remove the husks and silks, discarding any browned or blackened spots. Cut into about 2-3 inch pieces.

Remove the kernels from the cobs. I like to stand the cob upright in a large bowl and slice from the top downward. It doesn't make as big of a mess in the kitchen. Cut the cobs into 2-3 inch pieces. Freeze the kernels if you are not going to use them immediately, for another use.

Add the cobs, husks and silks to a large stockpot. Cover with the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered for about 1 hour. No need to stir or disturb.

Strain the broth into a large bowl. Squeeze the solids to remove as much liquid as possible. Use in place of vegetable broth/stock immediately or freeze for future use.

Mexican Beer Steak Fajitas

Ok, y'all, I had a great birthday weekend. Scott came to visit and despite the fact that he wanted to take me out for a nice dinner, I convinced him that it was really more of a birthday treat for me to spend the weekend cooking meals for us. It didn't really take a lot of arm-twisting on my part because he eats out A LOT now that I've moved away so home-cooked meals are a treat for him as well. Let me tell you, cooking for other people is one of my love languages (for those of you who have read "The Five Languages of Love", you are probably about to start arguing with me that cooking is not technically a love language. I know, I know, but go with me, I'm taking creative license on MY blog. Deal. :) ).

Now I'm excited to share with you the meals we enjoyed this weekend. On Saturday late afternoon, after we spent a bit of the day at the pool, we had a Mexican feast revolving around these steak fajitas. I marinated the steak in beer before hand. I had been planning on using Corona but then Meijer had a mix-pack of Mexican beers for sale last week. So, I picked Dos Equis instead. Totally turned out great. And to make things even more enticing, the cooking part is soooo fast and easy.

You should try it. :)

And wait until you see the homemade salsa and guac we had with it. Stay tuned.

Mexican Beer Steak Fajitas
Ingredients:
3/4 lb top loin steak, cut into 1/4 inch thick strips
1 bottle of Mexican beer (I used Dos Equis, but Corona would work well I'm sure)
juice of 1/2 lime
3 cloves of garlic
2 cups of bell pepper, sliced thinly (any combination of colors)
3/4 cup onion, sliced thinly
1/2 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp freshly ground pepper (more or less to taste)
salt, to taste
flour tortillas
sour cream and shredded cheese, for serving

Directions:
Between 12-24 hours before you are cooking the fajitas, combine the steak strips with the beer, lime juice and garlic cloves in a large bowl or marinade container. Chill in fridge for 12-24 hours, stirring or flipping at least 2-3 times throughout.

Heat the oil in a large skillet (or wok) over medium-high heat. Using tongs add the steak and garlic to the skillet and season with the freshly ground pepper; cook until the steak is browned through, approximately 5-6 minutes, stirring a lot. Remove the steak to a plate and discard the garlic. You should still have a little bit of liquid in the pan that cooked off of the steak. Add the peppers and onion and cook with stirring approximately 4-5 minutes. You want to still have some crisp to the peppers. Add the steak back to the pan and season with salt.

Serve divided among flour tortillas garnished with sour cream and shredded cheese, as desired.

Honey Bourbon Pulled Pork

Some days you just need a drink.

Normally, I'm a beer or wine gal, but I had bourbon in my house for this recipe, so I thought I would try it on the rocks to conclude my stressful day. However, I took 2 or 3 sips and decided that I cannot get behind drinking straight liquor; I prefer to eat my bourbon, especially when it takes on the form of the DELICIOUS barbecue sauce. 

I won't make you listen to all the details of my day yesterday, but I should have known that it wasn't going to be a great day when I was almost to work and I remembered that I totally forgot to turn on the crockpot before I left my apartment. Here is my sad non-cooked pork after I made the trip back home :(

Maybe because of the extra drive home and back, my little car started to get sick and made some funny noises on my way home. It is a good thing I had this liquor pulled pork waiting to cheer me up.

I think I've mentioned it before, but I love my crockpot. One of my fav things to make is pork loin. I usually pick up a large (3-5 lb) pork loin when they are on sale, cut it into manageable pieces (1 lb), and freeze it. Then I can thaw it, let it cook all day in some seasonings and sauce, come home to a great smelling apartment, and enjoy pork that essentially melts in your mouth. Of course, it is completely necessary to make extra for pulled pork nachos or burritos or salad or really anything your mind imagines. I tried this new recipe yesterday that is a homemade bourbon barbecue sauce. I adapted the recipe a bit; originally the blogger used chicken as the protein of choice. I changed up a few seasonings and went with pork instead. It is definitely a winner!

Honey Bourbon Pulled Pork (sauce recipe adapted from Healthy Delicious)
Ingredients:
1 lb pork loin, thawed
2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
1/2 cup diced onion
2/3 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup bourbon (I used
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp molasses
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger (or 1 tsp ground ginger)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat broiler.

Using a sharp knife, make 1/2 inch slits in the pork (as many as necessary for your garlic pieces, probably 8-12). Shove the garlic pieces into the slits, making sure that they are at least even with the pork's surface (or they will burn... I speak from experience). Broil the pork for approximately 10 minutes.

In your slow cooker, combine the onion, ketchup, water, bourbon, honey, molasses, vinegar, tomato paste, worcestershire, ginger and CRP. Mix to combine. Place the pork on top of the sauce and scoop some of the sauce to cover it.

Cook on low 8-12 hours (or high 4-5 hours).

Using two forks (or a knife), shred the pork directly in the slow cooker. Mix to allow for the sauce to coat all of the pork.

Serve on toasted hamburger buns.

P.S. Dinner tonight. Barbecue pulled pork quesadillas! YUM!