Beer Bread with Italian Herbs

We had leftover beer at the Cooking School after our Summer Mexican Grill Party and Beer Tasting this week - a great excuse to make a loaf of beer bread! This bread is so quick to make that it was in the pan and ready to bake before the oven was preheated. Use your favorite herbs or omit for a plain loaf. Serve this warm with butter.

Beer Bread with Italian Herbs

3 cups self-rising flour (purchased or recipe below)
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon Italian herbs
12 ounces beer

Preheat oven 350°. Grease a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.

Combine ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon. Pour into prepared pan and bake 45-55 minutes, until bread sounds hollow when tapped and crust is golden brown. Serve warm with butter. Makes 1 loaf.

To make 1 cup of self-rising flour:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Simple ingredients


Batter is thick


Spread evenly in pan


After baking


Ready to eat - still a bit warm. Delicious with salted butter!

Creamy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

This mac and cheese can be made as quickly as the "blue box" variety that is so popular with kids. A quick lunch or a side with dinner, use different pasta shapes and cheeses for variety.

Creamy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

8 ounces macaroni, shell, penne or other pasta
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste

Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil; cook pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain well and return to pan.

While the pasta cooks, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and whisk in flour until no lumps remain. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly, until completely incorporated and smooth. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently until sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from the heat and stir in cheddar, Parmesan, mustard and Worcestershire until cheese is melted and sauce is creamy. Pour sauce over drained pasta and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Butter and flour mixture cooked with milk until smooth

 

Add cheeses, mustard and Worcestershire

 

Stir until smooth

 

Add to cooked, drained pasta

 

Serve from saucepan

Baked Bananas with Cinnamon Sugar

This super simple dessert comes together in minutes. Be sure to use bananas that are just ripe and do not have spots. Kids of all ages like bananas, cinnamon and chocolate. Drizzle with a little dark rum for adults!

Baked Bananas with Cinnamon Sugar

4 firm, ripe bananas
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375°. Line a small, rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Peel bananas and slice diagonally into 1-inch pieces. Arrange bananas in a single layer on baking sheet. Drizzle melted butter over bananas and toss gently to coat.

Combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over bananas.

Bake, without turning, until tender, 9-10 minutes. Serve warm over ice cream and garnish with chocolate shavings. Serves 4.

Ready to bake

 

Cool a few minutes after baking

 

Served over ice cream with chocolate shavings

 

Roasted Purple Asparagus

I stopped downstairs in produce on my way home tonight looking for a vegetable for dinner. The beautiful purple asparagus caught my eye. The stalks are large, 10 stalks weighed 1.06 pounds. Because of the size, I decided to slow-roast them at 350° degrees for about 25 minutes - rather than in a hotter oven for less time as I would thinner asparagus. The result was delicious. The spears were very tender and had a mild asparagus flavor. The vibrant purple color fades slightly with roasting.

Roasted Purple Asparagus
1 1/2 pounds large purple asparagus, about 16 stalks
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Rinse asparagus well and pat dry. Break off woody ends of stalks. Transfer asparagus to prepared baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, toss to coat lightly and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange asparagus in a single layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until asparagus is tender. Serves 4.


Coat asparagus lightly with olive oil; season with salt and pepper

 

A nice punch of color on the plate

 

Cheddar Pecan Wafers

Perfect with a glass of wine, these crumbly, crispy wafers have a bit of heat from the cayenne. Keep rolls in the refrigerator or freezer and be ready to slice and bake.

Cheddar Pecan Wafers

8 ounces shredded sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese, room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon salt

Place cheese and butter in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until well combined. Add remaining ingredients and beat until well blended.

Divide dough into 2 pieces, roll each piece into a 1-inch diameter log and wrap tightly in wax paper. Refrigerate at least 4 hours. Preheat oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Slice each log into ¼-inch coins with a sharp knife and arrange 1-inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet 2 minutes before transferring to paper towel lined rack to cool completely. Store wafers in an airtight container up to 4 days. Makes 60 wafers.

Chicken with Prosciutto, Tomatoes and Sage

I like this chicken because it is light and filling at the same time. Fresh sage is important. Use the best tomatoes you can find - if you plan ahead, buy them a few days in advance and let them sit at room temperature to ripen fully. Enjoy!

Chicken with Prosciutto, Tomatoes and Sage

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup prosciutto, cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and sauté until well browned and just cooked through, about 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Add shallots and garlic to the skillet; sauté 2-3 minutes, until softened. Add tomatoes, wine, prosciutto and sage to the skillet; stir well and bring to a boil. Return chicken to the skillet, reduce heat and simmer until sauce has thickened and chicken is heated through, about 5 minutes. Serves 4.

Ingredients for two servings

 

Chicken is well browned

 

Sauce is thickening while ingredients simmer

 

Served with roasted green beans and brown rice with wheat berries

 

Vanilla Cream Pound Cake

Recipe of the Week, this pound cake is rich and delicious. The Jungle Jim's taste testers couldn't agree if the cake is better for breakfast, a snack or as dessert.

Vanilla Cream Pound Cake

2 sticks unsalted butter
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
8 ounces heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon pure vanilla

Preheat oven to 325°. Grease a 12 cup tube or bundt pan. Remove butter, eggs and cream from refrigerator 45 minutes before mixing batter.

Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating thoroughly and scraping down sides of bowl after each addition. Add flour alternately with whipping cream, mixing well. Beat until batter is very smooth, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla, mix well. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 1¼-1½ hours, until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan and transfer cake to a cooling rack to cool completely. Serves 12.

Batter will be very thick and heavy


Cool 10 minutes in pan


Serve sprinkled with powdered sugar (also good with fresh berries)