Recipes On The Brain

Looking for something new to bring to your summer picnics this year? Try my new recipe for Beer Cheese Deviled Eggs.

Ingredients:

- 6 Hardboiled Eggs
- 0.5 Tablespoon of Mayonnaise
- 1.5 Tablespoons of a Medium Bodied Amber Beer
- 2.5 Tablespoons of Finely Shredded Sharp Cheddar (I used a zester for mine)
- 1 Teaspoon of Dijon Mustard
- 1 Teaspoon of Horse Radish
- 1 Teaspoon of Worcestershire Sauce
- Pinch of Garlic Salt
- Pinch of Nutmeg
- Pinch of Chili Powder
- Green Onion for Topping
- Bacon for Topping

Directions:

Remove the eggs from the shells and cut them in half the long way. Remove the yolks and put in them in a bowl. Add all the other ingredients except for the green onion and bacon to the bowl with the yolks and whisk them together until it is smooth. Use a spoon or pastry bag to fill the white with the yolk mixture.

Add a piece of bacon and green onion as a topping and enjoy!

Recipes on the Brain

What is the next best thing to drinking delicious beer? Why cooking with it of course. Combining my love of beer and my love of cooking not only provides me with tasty food, but also a better understanding of the flavors that shine through in certain beers.

Today I would like to share with you one of my favorite and easiest recipes I make involving beer:

Slow Cooker Kielbasa in Beer

Ingredients:
3 Cloves of Garlic
1 Medium Onion (I prefer red onion to add color)
7 Medium Potatoes (Yukon Gold or Red Potatoes)
1lb Polska Kielbasa (use the best you can find, check your local meat market)
1 Can or Jar of Sauerkraut
Spoonful of Horseradish
Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
Salt
Beer Ingredient:
2.5 bottles of an Oktoberfest Style Beer (My favorites to use are Paulaner Oktoberfest or Hacker Pschorr Oktoberfest; if you don't have access to either, a brown ale will work in a pinch)

Directions:
1. Turn the slow cooker to high. 2. Rough chop the garlic, onions and potatoes and toss them into the slow cooker. 3. Next, cut the Kielbasa into chunks that are about 2 inches long and add to the slow cooker. 4. Then add the horseradish and spices. 5. Finally, add the beer and the sauerkraut and stir.

Let the whole thing cook for about 4-5 hours checking in on it about once an hour to stir and see how it is coming along. If the beer boils down but you are not ready to serve, simply add a little more beer or some water. It is ready to eat when the potatoes are fork tender.

Enjoy with some spicy ground mustard and the rest of the 6 (or 12 if you are up for it) pack.

Links of Interest:
http://www.paulaner.de/home.php
http://www.hacker-pschorr.de/