friday feature v2 :: baked eggs + pale ale.

I don't normally have time to do a recipe and beer feature for the blog, but I really stepped up my game this week!




I mentioned I'm trying to work hard at an eighty/twenty balance with Paleo and non-dairy eating.  I made this recipe a while back and had forgotten how easy it is!  My baked eggs are adapted from this recipe from Paleo Spirit.  My recipe feeds 2-3 people.

What you need//

• 4 portobello mushrooms
• 4 oz. smoked salmon
• 4 farm fresh eggs (preferred as whites can still be runny after cooked)
• Coconut oil
• Fresh or dried parsley
• Pepper
• Optional: Dijon or horseradish mustard

Steps//

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Wipe portobellos clean with a damp paper towel.  Then scrape out the stem and any gills necessary.  You want a "bowl" to be able to hold the meat and egg.  I've found the deeper the bowl (and more rounded the edges), the better it is for holding the eggs.  I look for this when buying my mushrooms
3. Melt a bit of coconut oil.  Spread this on the outer edges and bottom of your mushroom to assist with cooking and prevent sticking to the pan
4. Optional: If you prefer, spread a bit of dijon mustard in the "bowl" of the mushroom.  I simply dipped my cooked mushroom in mustard, but I think it would be easier and possibly more delicious to cook it this way.  The dijon helps to cut the saltiness of the salmon.
5. Layer a couple of pieces of salmon in the "bowl" of the mushroom
6. Gently, crack an egg on top of the meat
7. Season with pepper (no salt needed as the smoked salmon is salty enough) and parsley or other herb of choice
8. Delicately, put the pan in the oven (you don't want eggs spilling over the mushrooms!) and cook for 20-30 minutes until eggs are to your liking.  I find in my oven 25 minutes leaves the yolks a bit runny still which I prefer.

It's that simple!  I like to make this dish when I'm having a solo dinner because it's so easy to prepare for one.

As for a beer pairing, I chose a simple pale ale.  I fell in love with Blue Mountain after visiting their brewery on a trip to Virginia.  The brewery is gorgeous!  I would definitely recommend checking it out if you're ever in the Charlottesville area.  Blue Mountain's Full Nelson Pale Ale is a well-balanced, not too hoppy beer.  I absolutely love a craft beer in a can (it's perfect for camping and travel!), and Blue Mountain was the first craft brewery in Virginia to introduce cans.

This beer is only 5.9% alcohol, so it's great for all-day drinking at the beach (and not too hoppy for that) or just to help you relax after a long day at work.  

What is your favorite solo meal to make?

Any favorite canned craft beers?

friday feature v2 :: a drink for your valentine.

As today is Valentine's Day, it only seems appropriate to feature a drink that you could gift your beer-loving significant other.



If you're not quite feeling wine today, check out Bell's Smitten.  This brew is a golden rye ale, which is comparable to an American pale ale. It's a bit of a hoppy beer but the rye malts help to balance it out.  I like to think of it as a beginner's IPA.  Still working your way up from pilsners?  Try this brew next!  The color is a beautiful amber with just the right amount of hop bitterness to make me want to keep coming back to it.



The label of this beer is great.  I really love the hand drawn labels that Bell's has for all of their beers.  One thing I should note is that this beer is unfiltered.  When a beer is filtered, it removes most of the sediment from the liquid.  Since Smitten (and all Bell's beers) is not filtered, you'll see some "stuff" floating around in the beer.  Don't be scared!  The positive result of being unfiltered is a more flavorful beer since the filtering process often strips the brew down a bit.



Smitten is only 6% alcohol, so you should be able to take down a few of these beer without sending yourself over the edge.  Want to know about the greatest thing?  Bell's did this:

Smitten valentines?!  Sold!  What a wonderful and cute idea.  Since it's too late to get a "beerentine," stop and pick up a six-pack of Smitten to enjoy with your significant other.  It's a great alternative to wine and the perfect appetizer to a V-day dinner.

Do you have a favorite Bell's Beer?
What is your drink of choice for this romantic holiday?

Food & Beer Friday :: Flower child.

I'm still out of the loop.  To be fair, this week has been hectic and chaotic.  I'll bring a life lately update on Monday, but for now.  Enjoy this quick little beer spotlight!

I pulled one out of the archive from that Chicago trip that I've yet to recap.  Of all the drinking we did in Chi-town, I tried to drink only things that I couldn't access back in NC.  Half Acre Beer was a company that I really enjoyed.  One of my only regrets was that we didn't go visit the brewery.  On our last day of vacation, we picked up a four-pack of the Daisy Cutter to wind down and watch some of the new season of Arrested Development.

Half Acre characterizes the Daisy Cutter as a "west coast" pale ale even though it's brewed in Chicago. It's a perfect pale ale at 5.2% alcohol.  I'd say it's a pretty standard pale ale, but it's pretty damn delicious for something that's brewed close to you (we don't have a great pale ale brewed in NC in my opinion).  I'm always a big fan of canned beers, and this one hit the spot.  I mean it's nothing special like the Rosa was for me, but this would be a go-to if I lived near Chicago!

I'm keeping it short and sweet this week, but if you really need a food pairing check out last week's beer.  In the meantime, go see what Sarah chose to feature this week! Then link-up!  Link-ups will be open through Monday and you can link any food or beer post from the week.  Come join us!

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Food & Beer Friday :: It's a paleooza!

Even though I'm Chicago living it up, I couldn't forget about Food & Beer Friday!  I'm keeping it short and sweet, but this brew is worth checking out!

Should I prep this post by confirming I'm not an alcoholic?  I'm not, but either way I typically end my work days by coming home and cracking open a beer.  Since I like to start my evenings with something simple, a pale ale is perfect!  I was drawn to New Holland Brewing's Paleooza.  At 5.6% alcohol, this brew is light and clean with the perfect hop bitterness.  It's brewed with Cascade hops and a refreshing way to end my work day or start my evening!  

Now since I cut things short, head on over to Sarah's blog and see what she reviewed!  I'll be back next week with some Chicago brews!

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Food & Beer Friday :: I've been called a hipster.

I wasn't going to let the Whole 30 interfere with my Food & Beer Friday (especially not with Sarah co-hosting with me)!  I pre-planned and tried four beers for myself you all.

True story :: I've been told I'm the most hipster person my friend knows.  More truth :: CAP dressed her baby up in a mustache onesie to see me because I am so "hipster."  I also have an affection for large glasses, so of course I was drawn to Evil Twin Brewing Hipster Ale.  If I were you, I'd grab this beer in the can.  It comes in bottles too, but based on Evil Twin's "gypsy brewing" status, the bottles are pricey.  To preface, gypsy brewers travel all around making beer in other brewers.  The Hipster Ale was brewed in my backyard of South Carolina! The brewery is Westbrook Brewing.

Be prepared, this beer is hoppy!  It was actually much more hoppy than I expected.  Evil Twin is originally from Denmark, but they went American style when brewing this pale ale.  I believe the Pale Ale title threw me; this seemed more like an IPA.  The beer is a beautiful amber with a light colored head.  To be honest, I just love that it comes in a can.  It's a bit too hoppy to be a beach beer for me, but at 5% alcohol it would be just perfect for a springtime cookout!

Now it's time to head on over to check out Sarah's post!

Do you have a favorite Pale Ale?

Cheers!

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