{Britt Bakes} Shiner Bock Beer Cake

As you know, Micah does the cooking around these parts. I happily oblige, but every now and then have to get my hands a little dirty and whip something up to fulfill that tiny domestic voice that occasionally whispers 'cake' in my ear.

Usually, I'm a big fan of baking from scratch. Most of my recipes are all organic and from another generation. This cake, however, is an easy throw together that can taste homemade with the change of a couple of ingredients. 

Shiner Bock, for you non Texans, is a great dark amber colored beer brewed just north of Austin. To get a similar taste, use a Bock beer. If you're lost on picking a comparable one, ask someone at a local grocery store with a solid beer/wine section or look around for a local brewery. They might be able to point you in the right direction.

Shiner Cake

Ready for this?

1 Box Yellow Cake Mix

Replace the water or milk ingredient with beer

1. Follow directions on box

Shiner Old Fashioned 'Boiled' Icing

 via

 1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup Shiner
2 egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Place sugar, cream of tartar or corn syrup, salt, water, and egg whites in the top of a double boiler. 

2. Beat with a handheld electric mixer for 1 minute. 

3. Place pan over boiling water, being sure that boiling water does not touch the bottom of the top pan. (If this happens, it could cause your frosting to become grainy). 

4. Beat constantly on high speed with electric mixer for 7 minutes. Beat in vanilla.

5. Frost immediately after whipping using rubber spatula and serve.

6. Enjoy!

{Stud Muffin} Greek Turkey Wraps

 Since I don't eat red meat and Micah is trying to stay away from it, we are having to get pretty creative with turkey, chicken and fish. Micah is a huge fan of Greek food, and I approach it cautiously because of the heavy lamb use. To get me to try it, he made this one day and told me it was just a Greek version of a turkey burger. I jumped in happily, and after I had polished off a wrap, he informed me that all the flavors were Greek. I was pretty impressed, and because the recipe is fairly easy, he wanted to share with you guys. 

Turkey Patty

1 package ground turkey

1/2 bell pepper

1 slice of bread

1/4 cup of milk

1/4 red onion

1/4 cup green onion tops

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

1 egg

Yogurt Sauce

1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt (I use Fage)

Juice from 1 large lemon

6 mint leaves

1 large basil leaf

1/4 cup diced cucumbers

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

4 Naan breads, sliced in half

Spinach leaves

Sliced tomato

EVOO

1. Fine chop mint and basil leaves for yogurt sauce

2. Combine all yogurt sauce ingredients in medium bowl and whisk together

3. Refrigerate sauce while preparing meal 

4. Heat oven on lowest setting and place Naan bread on pan to warm

5. Soak slice of bread in milk in large mixing bowl until ready to mix turkey ingredients

6. Chop onions, bell peppers and green onions into very fine mixture

7. Combine all turkey patty ingredients in bowl with bread using hands until evenly distributed

8. Heat large skillet on high with light coating of EVOO in pan

9. Form small coaster sized turkey patty around 1/2" thick and brown evenly until firm on both sides

10. Place in container on top of paper towel as finished to maintain heat

11. Assemble Naan wrap by spreading sauce on bread, add spinach leaves, sliced tomatoes and turkey patty and enjoy!

{The Stud Muffin} Eat Mor Meat

 I like chicken. Micah likes cow. 

Since I refuse to eat anything that once had eyelashes, every once in a while, he cooks a non chicken meal to prevent him from growing feathers and beak. If you ask him, too much chicken could be disfiguring and every man needs a good steak and beer once in a while.

Rib-eye steak

1 Tsp Coarse sea salt

1/2 Tsp Cracked pepper

3 Springs fresh rosemary

3 Cloves garlic

Pat of butter

EVOO

1/2 Lb brussel sprouts

Pinch of salt

Pinch of pepper

3/4 Tbsp coarse mustard

1 lemon

1/2 Can light beer

 2 Tbsp Parmesan

{Steak}

1. Heat oven to 500 degrees

2. Heat cast iron pan on stove until 'screamin' hot with EVOO

3. Season steak with salt and pepper to taste

4. Brown garlic cloves in hot oil until browned on both sides and remove

5. Sear steak until carmelized on both sides ~1.5 minutes each side

6. Place garlic and rosemary on steak with pat of butter

7. Place in oven 

Medium Rare: 5 minutes

Medium: 7 minutes

Medium Well: That's just wrong.

Well Done: You wasteful showboat.

8. Remove from oven and plate

{Brussel Sprouts}

When steak is on stove, combine all veggie ingredients (minus parmesan and lemon) into pan and simmer until beer reduces down and sprouts are carmelized. Finish with squirt of lemon and parmesan to taste.

{The Stud Muffin} Peruvian Beer Can Chicken

Those poor chickens. We kill them, pluck them, and then stick a beer can in a compromising place. To add insult to injury, we set them on the grill. All of that, and they didn't even get to make the trip to Peru.

And yet, they reward us with amazing flavor.

Taking one for the team

This guy... so uptight.

{Chicken}

1 Whole Roasting Chicken (2lbs)

2 Dried Ancho Chilis

2 Dried Smoked Chipotles

1 Tbsp Cumin

1.5 Tbsp Sea Salt

1/2 Tsp Black Pepper

4 Lg. Cloves of Garlic

1 Dark Beer in a Can

1 Lime (Zested and Juiced)

1 Tbsp EVOO 

{Dipping Sauce}

2 Cups Greek Yogurt (Plain)

1 Lime (zested and juiced)

1 Jalepeno (seeded and chopped)

1/2 Cup Cilantro

**If cooking on charcoal grill, light coals 1 hour before cook start time**

1. Blend all spices, chiles, oil and lime juice/zest together to thin consistency (We use Magic Bullet)

2. Pour mixture into gallon Ziploc bag

3. Place chicken into bag with marinade and massage marinade into chicken through bag

4. Let chicken sit for as long as possible before cooking (2-4 hours min.)

5. Blend all dipping sauce ingredients together in food processor (or Magic Bullet)

6. Cover and refrigerate sauce until chicken is finished

7. Open beer can and enjoy 1/4 of can before inserting into chicken (no epidural available)

8. Chicken should be able to stand upright awkwardly with drumsticks facing down without touching grill

9. Roast chicken until interior temperature reaches 160 degrees with meat thermometer

10. Outside should look carmelized and evenly charred

11. Rip and dip! Enjoy!

{If you roast corn in the grill with the chicken, wrap in foil and corn will take on smoked flavor of chicken.} 

Delicious.

{The Stud Muffin} Lurve Chicken

This is the first meal Micah ever cooked for me. It was on our first Valentine's day, two weeks after we started dating. I thought it would be more fun to stay in and cook dinner together (plus it beat fighting the Valentine's day crowds). So a dinner and a movie night at home it was.

What movie you ask? Well, because he was cooking the dinner, he picked the movie. I thought maybe a comedy, or a light romantic something or other. 

He brought over Star Wars IV...

Thank goodness I loved his cooking.

Breading
4 Tbsp Flour
4 Tbsp Panko Bread Crumbs
2 Tbsp Pine Nuts
I Lemon (zested)
2 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary (stripped)
1/2 Tbsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Pepper
1/2 Tsp Paprika

1 Egg White
Olive Oil (1/4 cm deep in pan)
2 Chicken Breasts (butterflied, pounded flat)

1. Heat up olive oil in large sautee pan with EVOO
2. Mix all breading ingredients together in food processor to fine consistency (we use Magic Bullet)
3. Dredge chicken in egg white
4. Coat thoroughly with breading mixture
5. Let chicken sit for 5 minutes to allow mixture to stick 
6. Shallow fry on high until golden brown (3 minutes give or take depending on thickness of chicken)
7. Remove from oil and place on plate covered with paper towels (absorbs extra oil)
8. Squeeze lemon generously over chicken to taste

{The Stud Muffin} Brick Chicken and Onion Potatoes

I have a feeling that being a food photographer is a little like being an on field sports photographer.

There's always the risk of getting hit, knocked over or burned and ruining the photo (and possibly large patches of skin.)

When Micah is on the move, I'm at risk for getting run over or pushed into the hot oven. Usually, I just leave him to it in the kitchen and interrupt only to take a photo. 'Only' to take a photo probably isn't the right way to say it. Micah says, "Here, I'm doing the next step, come get a picture."

Well, 12 photos later, I still haven't found the perfect angle, or I have to adjust my lighting. And Micah's patience is thinning. Usually he just sighs and taps his foot and acts pretty put out having to wait for me to capture his creation in the best light possible.

We love to watch shows like Chopped and Iron Chef on the Food Network, and after trying to photograph my own husband in the kitchen, I can't imagine being one of the camera people trying not to get run over by two sweaty chefs.

I think I'll stick to Micah's foot tapping and deep sighs.

**Also, the potato recipe was shown to me by my mother in law, and now I'm addicted. I love roasted potatoes, and the onion soup mix just gives it something a little extra. YUM.*

Brick Chicken

Marinade:

1/2 large orange, sliced in thick rounds

1 lemon, sliced in thin rounds

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon of paprika

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon sea salt

Roasting:

1/2 large orange, thick slices

1 lemon, thinly sliced

2 large sprigs of rosemary

2 Skin On, Bone In Chicken Breasts

2 Skin On, Bone In Chicken Thighs

1. Mix all ingredients together, mashing up the orange and lemon slices to release juices
2. Divide marinade into two parts and pour into 2 large ziploc bags (thighs in one, breasts in the other)
3. Massage marinade into  breasts and thighs through sealed bag (insert 14 year old boy joke here)
4. Marinate chicken in marinade for 4 hours before cooking
5. Preheat oven to 500 degrees and place large cast iron pan into oven
6. Heat cast iron grill pan (or large skillet) to high on stovetop until hot
7. Sear breasts and thighs skin side down on stovetop skillet until skin is browned

 

8.  Flip chicken over, cover with remaining orange and lemon slices and rosemary sprigs 

9.  Remove hot cast iron skillet from oven and place flat side down on top of chicken

10.  Place chicken pan-wich (hehe) back into oven for 25 minutes, or until cooked through 

11.  Remove cast iron skillet for last 5 minutes of cooking to crisp skin

Onion Soup Roasted Potatoes

2 lbs small red potatoes

1 packet Lipton Onion Soup Mix

3 tablespoons olive oil 

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Wash potatoes thoroughly before cutting
3. Line large baking pan with aluminum foil
4. Quarter potatoes until bite sized
5. Pour olive oil into lined pan and distribute evenly
6. Toss potatoes in pan until well coated with EVOO
7. Pour packet of onion soup mix evenly over potatoes, then mix until evenly coated
8. Place pan in oven, stirring potatoes every 10 minutes to ensure they cook through
9. Cook for approx 40 minutes, until soft in the middle with semi crispy skins
10. Enjoy!!!

{The Stud Muffin} Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients:

Bell Pepper Stuffing

1/2 Lb Ground Chicken

1/2 Lb Ground Turkey, lean

6 Red Bell Peppers

1 Large Carrot, grated finely

1 Green Bell Pepper, finely diced

1/4 Cup Bread Crumbs

4 Lg. Cloves of Garlic, chopped rough

1 Whole Egg

1 Egg Yolk

1/4 Cup Toasted Pine Nuts, chopped

1 Tsp Fresh Rosemary, chopped 

1 Tbsp Coarse Sea Salt

1 Tbsp Coarse Black Pepper

Tomato Sauce

1 Can Low Sodium Diced Tomatoes

2 Tsp Sriracha (Thai Hot Sauce)

1 Tsp Balsamic Vinegar

2 Tsp Brown Sugar

2 Cloves Garlic, diced

5 Fresh Peach Slices

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Mix all sauce ingredients together in saucepan and simmer on medium for 20 minutes.
3. While sauce is simmering, mix all stuffing ingredients in large mixing bowl with hands (more fun that way) until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
4. Remove tops from red bell peppers, scraping insides with large spoon to remove seeds and white flesh.
5. Pour 4 Tbsp of olive oil and a pinch of salt in large stoneware or roasting dish that comfortably fits all 6 peppers, then coat outside of bell peppers generously with mixture in bottom of pan.
6.  Fill bell peppers with stuffing until stuffing mounds just past rim of the bell pepper.
7. Bake stuffed peppers for 30-40 minutes, or until cooked through, turning once in pan to avoid burned sides.
8. Returning to sauce, blend sauce to smooth consistency, then simmer sauce for 10 more minutes, stirring gently intermittently. Then let cool.
9.  When finished, remove peppers from dish and place into individual bowls and top with sauce. Serves 3, or 2 very hungry husbands.

Introducing: The Stud Muffin

 I am not much of a cook.

My brother sent me this.
Apparently my non love for cooking isn't a mystery.

I can bake, make candy, chocolate dipped fruit, anything sweet really. But I manage to burn pasta. It doesn't add up, but I have very little interest in making elaborate meals, mostly so because I can't fit much of it in my guts.

My husband, on the other hand, loves to cook. He can look into the refrigerator, pull out 5 different items, and make an incredible meal. He is in charge of the menu at our house, and it is a huge burden lifted that he loves meal prep as much as I love, well... shopping. 

His recipes have been very helpful in not only allowing us to eat at home on a budget, but also allowing me to eat healthy and flavorful while losing the weight gained from the dreaded birth control. I wanted him to have a part in this blog, and thought this would be a great way he can share his techniques and recipes with everyone who isn't lucky enough to eat all the yummies he comes up with.