Category Archives: recipe

by Becki | September 16, 2014 · 10:19 am

Colorado Mary

All of the days have been blending together. The only way I’m able to figure out the difference between a weekday and a weekend is whether or not there’s a food truck outside the brewery.
A delicious Arepa Verde – a Colombian-style corn cake topped with avocado mayo, crispy pork, cilantro and lime juice from SoBe Fort Collins.
Nomad Street Cuisine came on Saturday and I had one of the best burgers I’ve ever consumed. I don’t give out those labels lightly, my friends.
Creamy Camobozola cheese, spicy arugula and sweet ‘n savory bacon jam on a juicy patty, served in a tender brioche bun. This was on par with my favorite burger of all time – The LAB burger. Seriously, it’s that good.
I could tell is was Sunday because the brewery was in use. We brewed our first guest beer – pumpkin ale!
Caramelized with a blow torch. Just because we can.
100lbs of torch-caramelized pumpkin went into the brew. I’m beyond excited to finally taste it!
My recipe development for Snowbank Brewing has been going slowly, but surely. After the Chimichurri and Pale Ale Infused Artichoke I ran out of time to cook for a while. This latest recipe was inspired by our traditional brunch we attend every Sunday.
Bloody Mary Sundays at Gravity 1020, redux.

I’d like to start by saying that I do not like Bloody Mary’s. I’d only had two in my life and they just were not for me. Until this.

Colorado Mary

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Serves	4
Prep time	10 minutes
Meal type	Beverage

A spicy twist on the traditional Bloody Mary using Snowbank Brewing's Colorado Red ale.

Ingredients

4 cups tomato juice
1 cup Colorado Red ale
1 cup vodka
1 + 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 cup vinegar (I used the vinegar that came in the banana pepper jar)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 Small pinch of ghost pepper powder
1 Large celery stalk
1 dill pickle
1 Large piece of bacon

Directions

Step 1
In a pitcher combine the tomato juice, Colorado Red ale, vodka, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, celery salt, vinegar, freshly ground black pepper and ghost pepper and stir well.
Step 2
Using a lime, rim a shaker pint with salt, add ice cubes and Colorado Mary mixture and garnish as desired. Bacon is highly recommended.

This spicy twist on the traditional Bloody Mary with the addition of beer makes all the difference. The sweet malts and tomato juice are balanced out by the tangy vinegar and fiery ghost pepper. Add bacon. You just have to.

And now I must head back to the brewery for yet another day of work. We have a special tasting with Tasty Harmony this evening for an exciting upcoming project. It’s no food truck, but I’m sure not complaining!

Chimichurri and Pale Ale Infused Artichoke

Working at the brewery every single day makes it pretty difficult to find the time to actually cook something. Luckily, I’ve got the pressure cooker to combat that issue. Photographing is another story since I get home after dark every day. For this artichoke recipe, I started cooking at 9am so I could get my good lighting, wrap it up and be at the brewery by 10am. Nothing like garlicky artichokes and beer for breakfast!
This is a recipe that has been on my brain ever since that first fateful day of Becki vs. artichoke. If you cannot beat the artichoke, you must become the artichoke. Lourdes Gourmet sent me another care package in the mail so I could actually make that dream of a recipe become a reality. First, you hack off the top inch of the artichoke and trim the leaves with kitchen shears.
Smother the top with chimichurri sauce, being sure to work the sauce into the leaves with the spoon.
Place in a pressure cooker with a cup of pale ale (preferably Snowbank Brewing’s Bike Trail Pale) and cook for 10-12 minutes.
Serve and pair with a pint of the same pale ale you cooked with.

Chimichurri and Pale Ale Infused Artichoke

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Chimichurri and Pale Ale Infused Artichoke

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Warning: A non-numeric value encountered in /home/bitesn5/public_html/wp-content/plugins/getmecooking-recipe-template/recipe-template-functions.php on line 2787

Serves	1
Prep time	5 minutes
Cook time	12 minutes
Total time	Warning: A non-numeric value encountered in /home/bitesn5/public_html/wp-content/plugins/getmecooking-recipe-template/recipe-template-functions.php on line 2723 Warning: A non-numeric value encountered in /home/bitesn5/public_html/wp-content/plugins/getmecooking-recipe-template/recipe-template-functions.php on line 2723 17 minutes
Meal type	Appetizer, Side Dish, Starter
Misc	Serve Hot

This artichoke is infused with lemony, garlicky Lourdes Gourmet Chimichurri Sauce and pressure-cooked to the tenderest perfection with the use of Snowbank Brewing's Bike Trail Pale ale in place of water.

Ingredients

1 artichoke
4 + 1 tablespoons Lourdes Gourmet Chimichurri Sauce
1 cup Snowbank Brewing Bike Trail Pale Ale (or other pale ale)
2 tablespoons butter (melted)

Directions

Step 1
Slice off the top inch of the artichoke and trim each leaf with kitchen shears.
Step 2
Spoon the Lourdes Gourmet Chimichurri Sauce over the top and work into each leaf with the spoon.
Step 3
Place the cup of pale ale in the bottom of the pressure cooker and add the artichoke, stem down so the sauced end is facing upwards.
Step 4
Bring to pressure and cook for 11-12 minutes. Remove the pressure cooker from the hot area of the stove and allow to naturally depressurize.
Step 5
In a small cup, melt the butter and mix in one tablespoon of chimichurri sauce.
Step 6
Remove the artichoke from the pressure cooker and drizzle the butter/chimichurri sauce over the top.
Step 7
Devour the best artichoke you have ever had.

The butter sauce for dipping afterwards is completely unnecessary. The Lourdes Gourmet Chimichurri Sauce melts in the pressure cooker and falls inside the leaves of the artichoke while the pale ale infuses its flavor into each piece. This is, hands down, the BEST and most tender artichoke I’ve ever consumed in my entire life. I ate it for breakfast and I would eat it again with every meal if I had the means to make it.

Now go invest in a pressure cooker and order some of this sauce online. You can thank me later.

I was supplied with free product from Lourdes Gourmet with which to create recipes. All reviews/opinions/obsessions are my own.

Sweet ‘n Smoky Short Ribs with Cauliflower Mash

Colorado has been getting some crazy weather lately!
See those specks? That’s cottonwood, embarking on an allergy-infested journey from the trees into people’s sinuses.
Crazy gushers have been rampant, followed by plenty of hail and booming thunder.
And then God apologizes and sends us sunsets like this. Love it. Love all the craziness, hail included.
For all those moments when we were stuck inside, avoiding the drenching, piercing rains, this box came to the rescue.
So pretty!
They’re always saying you should add some color to your diet.
My favorites from the box were the Chico King pale and Double Latte stout. Luckily, I have plenty of craft beer nerd friends who were willing to split some bottles with me. These are all pretty hefty beers and they definitely needed to be shared.
For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you may have seen that I got a pressure cooker as a housewarming gift! All those beers in a box + people who want to share said beers + a new pressure cooker = vegan split pea COOKOFF and beer tasting!
(Spoiler alert – mine was too thick, Janna’s was too thin so we ended up blending them together and the ending result was AWESOME!) We spent the evening sipping, stirring, laughing and playing with puppies.
My handsome fella joined us for the cook-off and a sleepover. Augh, that face! I love my rescue puppy!

Anyway back to the pressure cooker…
It’s led to crazy things like me making more artichokes. Despite the first debacle, I’ve become obsessed with artichokes. Unhealthily obsessed.
The ridiculous amount of chokes and vegan things I was creating in my pressure cooker left me craving something a wee bit more substantial. I was sitting on my couch with the pup and got an insane, desperate need to make short ribs. And there definitely needed to be beer in that recipe.
Stout, to be specific.
I seared off three pounds of these babies, threw a bunch of beer, vinegars, sugars and spices into the pressure cooker, shut the lid and prayed.
To add a little health factor, I rested the short ribs on a smoky cauliflower mash. All the carnivores in the house adored this recipe. J’adore.

Sweet ‘n Smoky Short Ribs with Cauliflower Mash

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Sweet ‘n Smoky Short Ribs with Cauliflower Mash

Serves	4-6
Prep time	20 minutes
Cook time	40 minutes
Total time	Warning: A non-numeric value encountered in /home/bitesn5/public_html/wp-content/plugins/getmecooking-recipe-template/recipe-template-functions.php on line 2723 Warning: A non-numeric value encountered in /home/bitesn5/public_html/wp-content/plugins/getmecooking-recipe-template/recipe-template-functions.php on line 2723 1 hour
Meal type	Main Dish

Juicy pressure cooker short ribs smothered in a sweet and smoky stout-based gravy, served over cauliflower puree.

Ingredients

3lb short ribs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 Large onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
12oz Snowbank Brewing Pawnee Porter (or other rich porter or stout)
1/3 cup brown sugar (tightly packed)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon chipotle chile pepper
1/2 Large head cauliflower (roughly chopped)
1/8 cup unsweetened almond milk
1-2 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Directions

Step 1
Heat the olive oil in the pressure cooker over medium heat.
Step 2
On large plate mix together the flour, 1/2tsp salt, 1/4tsp pepper and 1/2tsp paprika.
Step 3
Roll the short ribs in the flour mixture and brown each side for 2-3 minutes. Remove the browned ribs and set aside.
Step 4
Add the chopped onion and garlic to the pressure cooker and saute until tender, about four minutes.
Step 5
Add the apple cider vinegar and porter to the pressure cooker, scraping all of the browned bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon.
Step 6
Add the brown sugar, tomato paste and chipotle chile pepper to the pot and stir to combine.
Step 7
Return the short ribs to the pressure cooker, seal and cook for 30 minutes once the pot has reached pressure.
Step 8
Allow the pressure cooker to naturally de-pressurize, remove the cooked short ribs to a plate and cover with foil.
Step 9
Bring the liquid up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until slightly thickened.
For the cauliflower mash
Step 10
In a medium sized pot, boil cauliflower for 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
Step 11
Mash the cauliflower and stir in butter, almond milk, salt, pepper and paprika to taste.
Step 12
Layer cauliflower mash with a short rib and drizzle generously with gravy.

I also highly recommend pairing it with the same stout you include in the recipe. Oh pressure cooker, you’ve changed my life!

What’s your favorite kitchen appliance/tool? I thought nothing could beat the slow cooker, but I think I may have just been proven wrong.

3 Comments

Filed under recipe

Tagged as Beer Camp, cauliflower puree, pressure cooker short ribs, short ribs, short ribs and beer

by Becki | July 14, 2014 · 11:05 am

Kitchen Sink Banana Bread

A quick recap of last week before we launch into this week’s latest recipe.
Biking to beer is my latest favorite thing to do. This Sorachi saison from Funkwerks tasted so much better after I worked for it!
My pops had a birthday last week! We visited Dancing Pines distillery in Loveland, shared a flight and ended up heading out with their brand new vodka (distilled from grapes!) and cherry liqueur. Goooood stuff!
And we visited the gun store. Looking, no touching after that tasting.
I got funky new pants from Marshall’s and watched my dog go camouflage. He’s kind of cool like that.
I baked balsamic olive oil cookies for the housewarming party I threw on Friday night.
It started pouring right after I snapped this picture. A rousing game of Hedbanz was played until we all hurt from laughing so hard. I left the cleaning for my roommate and was in bed around 12:30am because…
Saturday morning brew! More details about all of this to come, but until then follow Snowbank Brewing on Twitter! I’m running the Twitterverse there during all of our brew days/tappings/random outings.
Leftover cookies and caustic acid. Looking back, I probably should’ve removed the acid-covered nitrile gloves before consuming this…
After a 22 hour brew day, we returned for yet another brew day yesterday. My body was screaming for greens so I whipped up a green monsta before heading back to the shiny tanks.
Which brings me to this bread. I bake things for brew days. That’s just what I do. Pumpkin donuts and face cookies were my Enegren tradition, so I figured it would be a good thing to carry on with my new brewery.
I had leftover pumpkin puree from last week’s pumpkin donuts, and half of an avocado from some guacamole I’d made earlier this week. I figured since they were about to go bad, along with the huge bunch of Costco bananas, I’d just throw them into the bread and see what happened.
Delicious success! And way too much orange in these food styling pics… I think it’s time to go buy some new props…
I threw in some chia seeds as well to make myself feel like this bread was even healthier. So there’s that.

Kitchen Sink Banana Bread

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Serves	8
Prep time	10 minutes
Cook time	45 minutes
Total time	Warning: A non-numeric value encountered in /home/bitesn5/public_html/wp-content/plugins/getmecooking-recipe-template/recipe-template-functions.php on line 2723 Warning: A non-numeric value encountered in /home/bitesn5/public_html/wp-content/plugins/getmecooking-recipe-template/recipe-template-functions.php on line 2723 55 minutes
Meal type	Bread, Breakfast, Dessert

Hearty oil-free banana bread full of random ingredients found around the kitchen. Everything but the kitchen sink.

Ingredients

1 + 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg
2 Large bananas (mashed)
1/2 Large avocado (mashed)
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup brown sugar (tightly packed)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons chia seeds

Directions

Step 1
Grease two mini bread loaf pans (or one standard size bread pan) and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Step 2
In a small bowl, mix together the flour, salt and baking soda.
Step 3
In a large bowl, combine the bananas, avocados, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, egg, chia seeds and vanilla and mix until smooth.
Step 4
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold in until just combined.
Step 5
Pour the batter in to the loaf pan(s), top with banana slices if desired, and bake for 35-55 minutes. The bread is done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Step 6
Allow to cool. Or just devour it straight from the pan like I did.

I’m off to another crazy busy week! Happy Monday!

What else do you bake with browning bananas? I have a ton more I need to use up!

3 Comments

Filed under recipe

Tagged as baking, banana bread, brewing, Craft Beer, healthy banana bread

by Becki | June 23, 2014 · 5:00 am

Mixed Vegetable Hash with Imitation Panda Meat

I know I sparked your interest when I posted this picture last week…
My interest was sparked as well and I went home with two of these sausages to test out. But before I get into the recipe, here’s a recap of last week – It was insanely awesome and busy.
Fridays are free pretzel day at The Mayor of Old Town. This will be a new tradition of mine, so if you’re in FoCo on Fridays and want me to treat you to a jalapeno cheese pretzel with raspberry jam, show up and I’ll generously call over the waitress so you can enjoy one of these heavenly babies!
The evenings have been absolutely to die for up here! I went out with some friends after Mayor and enjoyed a few of the many patios about town.
Hot Rocks Lager from Port Brewing. Drooool.
Saturday was the Taste of Fort Collins. I went with my friend Kara and met up with a handful of people to sample the goods and enjoy a concert.
Braffle (a brat smothered in sauerkraut and maple syrup, wrapped in a waffle) from the Waffle Lab and Collective Soul!
I had to Google Collective Soul to find out who they were… BUT they played three songs that I recognized from my middle school years! The drunken crowds rocked out until the sun set.
Father’s Day was spent up in the mountains eating mass amounts of Indian buffet, helping pull a guy out of the middle of the road who had passed out on his bike after drinking a pint (no joke) of vodka and threatened a bunch people with a knife. We calmed our nerves that night with Pure Imagination stout from Verboten Brewing.
My Aerogarden is a success! I ate these leaves and promptly had to sit down from the exhaustion of the harvest.
And that brings us back to this. Imitation panda meat. I came across this at The Boar and Bull – a local butcher shop in Loveland that has some of the most delicious beef tenderloin I’ve ever had the good luck to consume. I saw these and knew I couldn’t leave without ’em. It is not, in fact, panda meat. Shocker, I know. These sausages are full of pork, bacon, cheddar cheese, red onions and Coca Cola. They. Are. Incredible.
To make this hash, I used the handy Veggetti.
It’s basically a much cheaper version of a spiralizer that takes up less space and gets you an arm workout.
It’s also very sharp. Be careful so you don’t end up with sliced fingers like me. Genius.
I shredded two potatoes and a zucchini…
Sliced up some onions extremely thin, threw them in a pan to soften…
Sliced up some asparagus into matchsticks and threw them into the pan with the zucchini and potatoes…
Cooked up some panda in a separate pan, then threw everything together…
Magic!

Mixed Vegetable Hash with Imitation Panda Meat

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Mixed Vegetable Hash with Imitation Panda Meat

Serves	2-4
Prep time	15 minutes
Cook time	20 minutes
Total time	Warning: A non-numeric value encountered in /home/bitesn5/public_html/wp-content/plugins/getmecooking-recipe-template/recipe-template-functions.php on line 2723 Warning: A non-numeric value encountered in /home/bitesn5/public_html/wp-content/plugins/getmecooking-recipe-template/recipe-template-functions.php on line 2723 35 minutes
Meal type	Main Dish

Thin strands of zucchini, potatoes, onions and asparagus are tossed together with smokey, rich imitation panda meat.

Ingredients

2 Medium red potatoes
1 Medium zucchini squash
1 Small onion (thinly sliced)
6 Large asaparagus stalks
1-2 imitation panda meat sausages (or other pork sausage, casings removed)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions

Step 1
Using a spiralizer, spiralize the potatoes and zucchini into long strands.
Step 2
Take the asparagus spears, cut off the tops (do not discard) and slice thinly.
Step 3
In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add onions, potatoes, zucchini, asparagus, salt and pepper.
Step 4
Cover for 6-7 minutes or until vegetables are tender, then remove the lid and flip to brown both sides.
Step 5
In a separate pan, cook the imitation panda meat (or other pork sausage) until no longer pink, draining off any excess grease.
Step 6
Toss the cooked imitation panda meat into the large pan and mix together.
Step 7
Serve and devour.

Real panda meat. Would you or wouldn’t you?

3 Comments

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Tagged as Fort Collins, imitation panda meat, Taste of Fort Collins, The Bull and Boar, vegetable hash browns

by Becki | June 16, 2014 · 5:00 am

Coconut Roasted Sweet Potatoes

One week until internet finally graces my house! Until then, I’m thanking Oprah for her chai while resting in the wonderfully air conditioned Starbucks in Old Town Fort Collins. It’s a welcome change after slaving over a hot oven to make these gems!
I’m completely exaggerating. This is one of the simplest and tastiest recipes I’ve ever made. A few weeks ago I received an awesome care package in the mail from my bestest buddy Rick.
In case you’ve forgotten, I should remind you of my obsession with Lourdes Gourmet chimichurri sauce. I discovered this four years ago at the farmers market in Ventura County and couldn’t get my mind away from it. I dreamed about the wonderfully tangy and herby spread, slathered slices of bread with it, basically drank the stuff. When Rick was kind enough to send me all these other goodies, I knew yet another unhealthy obsession was about to occur.
The coconut spread. Another thing with which I’ve been slathering slices of bread. I decided that an actual recipe should occur before I finished every single jar in my fridge.

Coconut Roasted Sweet Potatoes

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Serves	1-2
Prep time	5 minutes
Cook time	45 minutes
Total time	Warning: A non-numeric value encountered in /home/bitesn5/public_html/wp-content/plugins/getmecooking-recipe-template/recipe-template-functions.php on line 2723 Warning: A non-numeric value encountered in /home/bitesn5/public_html/wp-content/plugins/getmecooking-recipe-template/recipe-template-functions.php on line 2723 50 minutes
Dietary	Vegetarian
Meal type	Dessert, Side Dish, Snack

Gems of sweet potato are roasted in Lourdes coconut spread until tender and caramelized, then topped with fresh lime zest.

Ingredients

1 Large sweet potato (peeled and diced)
1/8 cup Lourdes Gourmet Coconut Spread
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons lime juice
the zest of half a lime

Directions

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Step 2
In a microwave safe cup, microwave the coconut spread for 15 seconds to thin the consistency.
Step 3
In a bowl, toss together the sweet potato cubes, warmed coconut spread, lime juice and salt.
Step 4
Spread the mixture on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 30-45 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes for an even roast.

Simple, quasi-healthy and delicious! Thanks to Rick for both the care package and patience!

What’s your favorite way to spice up a simple sweet potato?

Chocolate Caramel Porter Pops

I think it’s official. I think we may finally be over the random days of waking up to find snow covering the ground! (Knock on wood.)
There have been many a wonderful spring shower in the afternoon, but the temperature is finally on a continuous upswing! We’ve been getting 90+ degrees for the last week. Summer is coming! And summer calls for…
Popsicles!!! Not just any popsicles though. Popsicles with BEER in them!
I teamed up with fairlife to bring some boozy recipes to the table. Some of them definitely haven’t worked out.
Beer + dairy = curdled sadness. But these beersicles are a winner!
The rich creaminess of the fairlife 2% chocolate milk makes the texture of these like fudgsicles, not the bland, crystallized, icy frozen milk you might expect. You’ll notice that I instructed to put the beer in the base of these popsicles whereas the pictures are reversed. After a horrible disaster that ended with me hand mopping my entire kitchen floor, I determined that the softer consistency of the frozen beer part would better be placed on the top of the popsicle so you don’t get stuck with puddles of sweet beer and chocolate milk on your floor. You’re welcome.
I used one of my favorite porters around – Killer Boots caramel porter by Verboten Brewing. First, make a simple syrup and let cool completely. I chilled mine in the fridge for a good hour.
Slowly mix together the beer and simple syrup, tasting as you go. These beersicles end up pretty sweet, so you may want to use less than I did.
Fill the bases of the popsicle with the beer mixture and let them freeze for 2-4 hours, or until slightly solidified.
Fill them the rest of the way with fairlife 2% chocolate milk, until 1/4 inch to the top.
The genius that I am, I forgot science and the fact that liquids expand as they freeze, so after filling the molds up all the way I ended up cleaning out my freezer and rinsing off the overflow. Don’t do that.
When completely frozen, place the molds in a cup of hot water for about two minutes until the popsicles slide right out and enjoy!

Chocolate Caramel Porter Pops

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Serves	6 popsicles
Prep time	20 minutes
Cook time	8 hours
Total time	Warning: A non-numeric value encountered in /home/bitesn5/public_html/wp-content/plugins/getmecooking-recipe-template/recipe-template-functions.php on line 2723 Warning: A non-numeric value encountered in /home/bitesn5/public_html/wp-content/plugins/getmecooking-recipe-template/recipe-template-functions.php on line 2725 8 hours, 20 minutes
Allergy	Milk
Dietary	Vegetarian
Meal type	Dessert

Boozy popsicles filled with caramel porter and rich chocolate milk.

Ingredients

12oz stout or rich porter (I used Verboten Brewing Killer Boots caramel porter)
2oz simple syrup
6oz fairlife 2% chocolate milk

Note

Must be 21 years or older to enjoy.

Directions

To make the simple syrup
Step 1
In a small pot, combine 1/2 cup of water with 1/4 cup of sugar, bring to a boil and let cool completely.
For the popsicles
Step 2
In a bowl, mix together the 12oz of stout or porter with 1-2oz of simple syrup (using more or less to taste).
Step 3
Pour the beer mixture evenly into the bottom halves of 6 popsicle molds and freeze for 4 hours.
Step 4
Once the beer mixture has hardened, pour fairlife 2% chocolate milk into the molds until a quarter inch from the top, insert the sticks and freeze overnight.

Happy almost summer to everyone! What’s your favorite style/flavor of popsicle?

Note: I was provided free product and compensation by fairlife to create this recipe. All text and opinions are my own.

5 Comments

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Tagged as beer icepops, beer popsicles, beersicles, fairlife, Killer Boots, popsicles, Verboten Brewing

by Becki | February 21, 2014 · 5:00 am

Vegan Whole Grain Protein Bread

Thursday was a homemaker day: a lazy morning lounging by the fire sipping copious amounts of coffee and reading blogs. An hour long intensive workout followed by an aromatherapy shower. A load of laundry. Making the bed with clean sheets. Folding warm clothes fresh from the dryer. Answering reader emails, writing interview quotes, figuring out ways to use up the spinach that’s about to peak.
Green monstas. I adore them.
Kale with leftover Tuno salad and diced pickles, topped with wheat berries.
Freshly baked bread. Meditation and kneading bread are the same thing.
Standing in the kitchen, staring out at the Rocky Mountains while Bastille plays through the dining room speakers, wrist deep in tacky dough that smells of maple syrup and warm yeast. That was my Thursday.
Once the piping hot loaves emerged from the oven, they were delicately sliced and placed in the basking glow of the sunset for photographing.
I almost forgot to taste test but, just in time, slathered a slice with my chimichurri sauce to inhale.
And it was gooooood.

Vegan Whole Grain Protein Bread

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Serves	10
Prep time	3 hours
Cook time	30 minutes
Total time	Warning: A non-numeric value encountered in /home/bitesn5/public_html/wp-content/plugins/getmecooking-recipe-template/recipe-template-functions.php on line 2723 Warning: A non-numeric value encountered in /home/bitesn5/public_html/wp-content/plugins/getmecooking-recipe-template/recipe-template-functions.php on line 2725 3 hours, 30 minutes
Allergy	Wheat
Dietary	Vegan, Vegetarian
Meal type	Bread

Vegan whole grain bread studded with chewy wheat berries and packing a punch of quinoa protein.

Ingredients

1 cup warm water
4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 packet active dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup pre-cooked quinoa
1 cup pre-cooked wheat berries
2 +1/2 - 3 cups whole wheat flour

Directions

Step 1
In a large bowl combine the warm water, maple syrup and dry active yeast and let rest for three minutes. (Water should not be so hot that you can't hold your finger in it comfortably)
Step 2
Stir in the salt, olive oil, wheat berries, quinoa and one cup of whole wheat flour.
Step 3
Add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough is tacky to the touch.
Step 4
On a floured surface knead the dough for 4 minutes, then shape into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover with a damp towel and place in a warm room to rise for two hours.
Step 5
Once the dough has double in size, punch down, split into two and shape into two loaves.
Step 6
Place on a greased baking pan, cover and let rise again for one more hour.
Step 7
Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, or until tops are browned.
Step 8
Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.

Happy Friday! You made it through the week! What are your big plans for the weekend?

3 Comments

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Tagged as protein bread, quinoa bread, vegan bread, wheat berry bread, whole grain bread

by Becki | December 23, 2013 · 3:00 am

Christmas Foods Roundup

It’s Christmas Eve Eve! I think it’s about time to get those recipes in order. Here are some of our family traditions and my recommendations for some epic meals for the day!
Savory Christmas Bread Pudding – aka Eggs Portugal. We’ve had this every year as far back as I can remember, and I can’t imagine a Christmas without it! Serve it with fresh apple cider and coffee, and you’re good to go!
Eggnog Spiked Christmas Kettle Corn – in between second, third and fourth helpings of the bread pudding, this is an easy and delicious go-to snack to keep up the blood sugar!
Molasses Spiked Sirups Kager – these are a slightly healthier version of a family recipe, and can be made vegan-friendly!
Vanilla Porter Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies – wonderfully rich chocolate cookies with a burst of sweetness from the maraschino cherries and a boozy frosting to top it off.
Wilted Kale and Quinoa Salad with Maple-Glazed Pecans – if you need a break from the sugar, this is a wonderful appetizer/side dish/meal to help you feel just a tad better before sitting down for the Christmas ham (or fifth helping of Savory Christmas Bread Pudding in my case).
Caramel Pecan Caffetini – finish the long day with a decadent chocolate-coffee martini, drizzled with salted caramel sauce. Make sure you’ve changed back into fuzzy pajama pants for this if you got dressed for some strange reason during the day.

Happy cooking!

Do you have any traditional foods or family recipes you make every year for Christmas?

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Tagged as Christmas Cookies, Christmas martini, Christmas recipes, Savory Bread Pudding

by Becki | December 16, 2013 · 8:30 pm

Eggnog Spiked Christmas Kettle Corn

Anyone else feeling way behind in the holiday season? Our tree still doesn’t have ornaments on it, and for us, that is a HUGE deal. Normally the tree is up and decorated the day after Thanksgiving and I’d be ready for the Christmas music to finally cease at this point. Instead I’m trying to catch up to the whirlwind of the season and feel a little Christmas spirit before the year is over!
Barrel-aged Velvet Merkin – this is a good start. Rich oatmeal stout with a potent aroma and flavor of bourbon in front of the fire? Sounds like Christmas-time to me!
I also thought a little seasonal snack might help. I was never a big fan of eggnog as a kid, but ever since I found this Silk Seasonal Nog, I can’t get enough!
Pop some corn…
Make some nog-glaze…
Prettify the glaze….
Drizzle and enjoy! Sweet, salty, crunchy and vegan-friendly!

Eggnog Spiked Christmas Kettle Corn

Print recipe

Dietary	Vegan, Vegetarian
Meal type	Dessert, Snack
Occasion	Christmas

Ingredients

6 tablespoons powdered sugar (divided)
2 teaspoons Silk Seasonal Nog (or eggnog of your choice)
4-8 drops red and green food coloring
6 tablespoons unpopped popcorn kernels
1 teaspoon coconut oil
pinch sea salt

Optional

pinch silver and gold sprinkles

Directions

For the popcorn
Step 1
Melt the coconut oil in a large pot on the stove over medium-high heat.
Step 2
Pour in the popcorn kernels and place the lid on top, shaking constantly to coat kernels with oil and prevent burning.
Step 3
Once the popcorn is finished popping, spread evenly on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
Step 4
In two separate small bowls combine 3 tablespoons with two teaspoons of Silk eggnog (or eggnog of your choice) and stir until it becomes a thin paste.
Step 5
Add 4-8 drops of red food coloring to one bowl, and 4-8 drops of green food coloring to the other until you reach the desired colors.
Step 6
With a spoon, drizzle the glaze over the popcorn until coated to your liking and sprinkle the pinch of salt across the top.
Step 7
Add the silver and gold sprinkles here if you'd like, pour into a bowl and devour.

Happy holidays!

Are you having trouble getting into the spirit of the season? I blame the late Thanksgiving!

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Tagged as Christmas popcorn, vegan popcorn