The Best Beer Cheese Dip (for soft pretzels )

This is an amazing dip, but DO NOT USE pre-shredded cheese. Shred cheese before you start to make the dip. It will make it go much easier. I also recommend bringing ingredients to room temperature. I used cold half and half and cold beer and cold cheese -- so it took a lot longer to make this all come together into a smooth dip.

 

3 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp flour 

3/4 cup half and half

2/3 cup Yuengling Black and Tan beer (save the extra for drinking)

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 heaping tsp dijon mustard

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp kosher salt

10 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese (recommend Cabot Seriously Sharp white cheddar)

 

Instructions
1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add flour and whisk. 

2. Slowly add the half and half and whisk until slightly thickens. 

3.Add the beer and bring to a slow simmer. 

4. Add the other ingredients and stir until well-mixed.

5. Now add the shredded cheese a little at a time until it is all added. Stir vigorously until cheese is fully melted and the dip is smooth and creamy. This may take a few minutes.

6. Remove from heat and serve warm with homemade pretzels. It will thicken when it cools.

Leftovers can be reheated on the stove or microwave. Eat it up within a week.

Oh my Dal-ing: My Best Dal

This takes about 45 minutes to prep and cook -- most of it is cook time. No need to soak the lentils. Great with Naan or basmati rice. This recipe makes 3 generous helpings with a small leftover bowl or 4 smaller helpings. I recommend doubling it for more than 3 people.

1 cup red lentils (do not substitute for green or brown lentils)

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, smaller dice

5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced or minced

2 inch knob of freshly grated ginger 

1/2 heaping tsp ground turmeric

1 heaping tsp ground coriander

2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 heaping tsp ground cayenne pepper

1-2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp tomato paste from a tube

15 oz can petite diced or crushed tomatoes (undrained)

13. 5 oz can coconut milk (can use reduced fat, but dal will not be as rich)

2 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)

1 Tsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice

Fresh, chopped cilantro leaves (for garnish)

1. Rinse lentils in a fine mesh strainer until water runs clear. Then set aside to drain.

2. Heat olive oil in a heavy pot with a lid. Add onions to hot oil and cook until they become tender. Add garlic and grated ginger and cook about 2-3 minutes until onion is very tender and slightly browned.

3. Stir in spices and toast until fragrant. Add tomato paste and mix together. Watch carefully so it doesn't burn.

4. Add tomatoes and allow to come to a boil. Cook a few minutes to reduce liquid. 

5. Add broth and coconut milk. Let it come to a boil and simmer for a short time.

6. Add lentils and still well. Let liquid come to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover the pot with a tight lid, stirring periodically to avoid having lentils stick to the bottom of the pot. Cook for about 20-30 minutes or until the lentils break apart and it becomes a creamy, thick mixture. You will need to stir often so feel free to take off the lid when it starts to thicken.

7. Add lemon juice and cook about 5-10 more minutes or until the dal thickens to desired consistency. I like a thicker dal, so it might take more time. Taste and adjust seasonings.

8. Serve with cilantro on top and a side of hot naan. I like to have a salad with this too.

This can be stored 4-5 days in the refrigerator and reheated in the microwave or stove. You can also freeze dal for about 2 months -- just thaw, heat and eat. 

Hatch Chile Corn Chowder

 4 T butter

1 c. chopped sweet onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 T rice flour (wheat flour is okay too)

1 tsp each salt and pepper

1 tsp Trader Joe's Elote Seasoning or chili powder

14.5 oz can low sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

1 tsp liquid smoke

1/2 c water

1 cup chopped zucchini

2 cups red potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 roasted hatch chiles, enough to make 1/3 to 1/2 cup

3 cobs sweet corn, roasted and cut off the cob, approximately 2 cups

2 cups 2% milk

14.5 oz can creamed corn

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped, plus more for serving

1 cup Monterey jack cheese or cheddar cheese

broken corn chips (use leftover from bag)

 

In a large stock pot, melt butter, onion, and garlic. Saute until soft. Add rice flour until incorporated into the butter. Add the salt, pepper, and Elote seasoning or chili powder. Mix on medium heat for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

 

Add chicken broth, liquid smoke, and water and bring to a boil.  Add zucchini and potatoes and simmer until zucchini and potatoes are soft, but not falling apart (about 15-20 minutes), stirring occasionally to keep mixture from burning. Add the milk and bring to a simmer.

In the meantime, oil the hatch chiles and corn and roast them on a grill to char them. Make sure corn is turned so as not to burn the corn. The chiles will probably be done in 5 minutes, the corn will take 10-15 minutes. Remove both from grill and allow to cool to the touch.

Once cool enough to handle, take the outside "skin" off the chiles and chop into small pieces and remove corn from the cobs using a knife and a deep bowl to catch the kernels. 

Add the corn, chiles, canned cream corn, and cilantro to th chowder. The potatoes should be soft, but still firm. If too thin, allow the chowder to simmer longer. If chowder is too thick, add a little milk or water to thin. Adjust seasoning. 

Serve chowder with cheese, fresh cilantro and broken tortilla chips. This makes 5-6 generous helping and is delicious as leftovers. You can also make this ahead and reheat it. It's a great summer weekend meal. Serve with some fresh tomatoes or a cucumber, tomato salad. This does have some heat, but if you like it very spicy, you can also add some hot sauce to it.

 

Shrimp and Scallop Bisque

4 Tablespoons butter

1/2 c chopped onion

1/2 c chopped carrots

1 c chopped celery

1/2 Tablespoon minced garlic

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper 

2 oz dry sherry

14.5 oz can low-sodium chicken broth

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp Old Bay seasoning 

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 pint (2 cups) half and half

12 oz peeled and deveined shrimp, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 pound bay scallops, cut larger scallops into 1/2 inch pieces

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large stock pot. Add onion, carrots and celery and saute until vegetable are tender (about 10 minutes). Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds.

2. Add flour and salt and pepper. The add the sherry and scrape up any brown bits from the pan,

3. Slowly add the chicken broth to flour and veggies, stirring to make a thick sauce.

4. Add sugar, Old Bay, and nutmeg and stir. Then add the half and half and stir until just heated.

5. Mix in the raw shrimp and scallops and cook until seafood is cooked through, stirring so mixture doesn't stick to the pan or boil too hard (use low heat).

6. Taste to adjust seasonings and serve with additional Old Bay sprinkled on top. Add chopped parsley, if desired.

This makes 4 generous bowls of soup. (Approximately 500 calories per serving)
Serve with a crispy salad on the side and some toasty bread, if desired.

Scrumptious Crab Cakes

 

1 pound jumbo lump crab meat (important you get this kind)

1/2 c mayonaise

1 T dijon mustard

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

1 - 2 tsp hot sauce

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp lemon zest, plus 1 Tbsp lemon juice

freshly ground pepper to taste

1/2 tsp salt

Fresh parsley, chopped (about 1/8 cup)

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs (or more, if needed)

Oil for frying

Combine mayo, mustard, worcestershire sauce, hot suace, egg, lemon zest and juice, parsley, salt and pepper. Carefully fold in the crab meat, but don't break up the crab. Then fold in bread crumbs to make a firm, but not stiff crab mixture. 

Using 1/3 cup measuring cup, form 8-9 crab cakes and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Chill for at least 20 minutes or until they are firm and cold.

Heat oil in a large pan and add the crab cakes - cooking over medium heat. Do not disturb them so they get brown and crispy, but not burnt. It should take 3-4 minutes. Then turn crabcakes carefully and brown on the other side (you may need to add more oil) until they are hot through and crispy, but not burnt. This should take another 3-4 minutes.

Place on a serving platter and eat with tartar sauce, cocktail sauce and lemon wedges. Can be eaten alone or as a crab cake sandwich. 

 

 

I made these for Christmas 2023 and we enjoyed them very much. Leftovers, reheated are good, but eat within a day or two or freeze them.

Cucumber salad with sour cream dressing

 5 small salad cucumbers

1 small white onion

1 Tbsp table salt

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tsp white wine vinegar 

2 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped

Pepper to taste

Using a mandolin, slice cucumbers about 1/8-1/4 inch thick into a glass bowl. Slice onion into smaller pieces. Sprinkle onion and cucumber with salt and transfer to a mesh colander. Allow to drain over bowl for at least 1 hour and up to two hours. 

Drain cucumbers on paper towels to remove as much liquid as possible. Set aside in clean and drained out glass bowl until ready to eat. Drain cucumbers if liquid settles on bottom of bowl. 

Mix sour cream, vinegar, dill and pepper in a small dish. Place in refrigerator until ready to eat. 

Just before eating, combine dressing with cucumber. Mix thoroughly to cover all the cucumbers. Sour cream May foam a little. If too thick add a little more vinegar. If too thin add a little more sour cream. 

Serve with your favorite summertime entree. 

Bacon shallot gruyere quiche

1 pie crust (I use Pillsbury brand)

6 pieces of bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 medium shallot, thinly sliced

4 oz gruyere cheese, shredded 

3 large eggs

1.5 cups (12oz) half and half

Dash cayenne pepper 

1.5 tsp kosher salt 

1 tsp ground black pepper 

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place pie crust in a 9 inch pie pan. Blind bake crust for 10 minutes or until almost done. Be sure to cover crust if it gets too brown on the edges. 

Fry bacon until crisp. Remove bacon to drain and bacon grease except 1 Tbsp. Fry shallot until softened and brown in the bacon fat. Remove from pan and drain on paper towel. 

In a medium bowl, whip eggs until frothy. Add half and half, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Add the parsley if using. Set aside. 

Place bacon and shallots in the bottom of the pie crust. Add the cheese to evenly coat the bacon and shallots. Pour the egg mixture over the cheese and gently make sure egg is completely submerging the cheese. 

Sprinkle the top of the quiche with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional). Then place the quiche on a baking pan and put it in the middle rack of the oven. If crust is brown, cover it with foil or a pie crust shield to keep it from burning. 

Set a timer for 15 minutes. Check it, then turn the oven to 350. Continue baking 20-40 minutes longer, but check often to see if the egg is set. Use a toothpick to poke it. If it comes out clean, it’s done. 

Set on counter and cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving. 

Note: you can use this recipe for any quiche, but make sure any veggies are cooked and well drained to avoid a watery quiche. Also, blind baking the crust is essential to avoid a soggy bottom!