Stella Beer Cheese Soup

The last time my husband was home I tried to make him beer cheese soup. It was a disaster! I had to toss the entire thing out. My issue was with making the roux for the soup. I do not know what I did wrong, but the soup ended up with a texture of soaked newspaper. Anyway, this evening I found myself, yet again, with an almost empty fridge. I had: 1 Stella Artois® beer, 2 spicy, smoked-type sausages, veggies, and in my cupboard a can of Campbell's Cheddar Cheese Soup. Can you tell where I'm going with this? Not only did these ingredients inspire me to try to make beer cheese soup again, but also the fact that I named the recipe after my baby girl, Stella.

INGREDIENTS (serves maybe 4 people)

• 1 celery stalk, small dice
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into small dice
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 smoked-sausages (your favorite kind), diced
• 1 bottle of Stella Artois® beer
• 1 (10 oz) can of Campbell's Cheddar Cheese Soup
• 1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth or chicken stock or water (optional)
• Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS 

In a medium stock pan melt the butter. Add the celery, carrot, onion and thyme sprig and a pinch of kosher salt and sweat over medium-high heat until vegetables are slightly tender, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the diced sausage and mix to combine and to heat through.

Next, add half of the beer and slightly raise the heat. Bring to a boil and let boil for 2 minutes. Add the canned cheese soup and mix to combine. Bring to a simmer and add the rest of the beer. Bring to a boil again then, if soup thickness is to your liking, just keep it on very low for another 5 minutes. But if you want your soup a little more thinner, add the 1/2 cup of beef broth. Bring to a boil again, then simmer on low for 5 minutes.

Serve with cheese crostini and a cold, home-brewed Stella beer (if you can find one) or a Stella Artois®.

Steamed Shrimp

Wow, it was 80 degrees today in San Diego, and it's suppose to be in the 100's tomorrow! The last thing you want to do on hot days like these is cook in a hot kitchen...or even cook at all. This is when fast cooking proteins, like seafood, become your best friends. And shrimp is just perfect for hot summer days. I have to tell you that I'm a fan of Old Bay Seasoning now, because you can use the seasoning on pretty much all seafood. Oh, and if you want to pair this dish with beer, try Michelob Ultra Lime Cactus. I'm not a beer fan, but this combination is so refreshing!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1 tablespoon OLD BAY SEASONING
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 pound fresh shrimp, with shells on

DIRECTIONS

In saucepan, combine first 4 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Add shrimp, stir gently. Cover; steam until tender, about 5 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and drain shrimp. Serve steamed shrimp with a side of cocktail sauce and melted butter.

Easy Beer Bread

I was really craving a crusty loaf of bread today so I went to the grocery store to buy one. Most of the bread left was already slightly hard (I went after work) and I didn't feel like paying $1.99 for bread that I would probably throw out the next day. So, I found a recipe for the easiest bread ever! You don't need to kneed it; you don't need to let it rest. And if you're anything like me, I bet you probably have most, if not all, of the ingredients in your kitchen right now.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 Tablespoon dill seeds (optional)
• 1 cup finely grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 12 ounces pale ale beer, or your favorite beer (I used Blue Moon)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375. Grease an 8-inch loaf pan.

Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, dill seed, and cheddar in a large mixing bowl. Slowly stir in beer and mix just until combined. Batter will be thick. Spread in a greased 8-inch loaf pan and bake until golden brown and a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean, between 45 and 55 minutes or until top is lightly browned.

Note: A pale ale works great with this recipe, but you can use a darker beer will give you a deeper flavor.