Spent Grain Flax Crackers

we have been trying to use up our spent grain from home brewing in every possible way. we have been wanting to make crackers for a long time so we thought why not now with all our grain left over from the 'nut brown' we recently brewed.

here is the recipe:

preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

1 cup spent grain

1 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup butter or earth balance (room temp)

4 tbl sugar

1 tbl baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 cup rye flour

in a mixer slowly combine ingredients. slowly add:

1 1/4 cup unbleached white flour

mix to a stiff dough. divide in half and roll out to 1/8 inch think. then, spray with water from a water bottle, and sprinkle with flax seed and coarse sea salt.

when the oven and stone are preheated, pull out the stone and slide the rolled out dough on to it. cut it with a pizza cutter and throw it in.

bake for 9 minutes or so, until the bottom is a deep golden brown. flip them and bake them for another 5 mins or so. make sure they don't burn. they bake fast.

pot pie brew night

today was a memorable day.  it was our second celebrated event of pot pie brew night, a brilliant tradition we recently invented that will clearly continue, because it is wonderful. beer + brewing + eating delicious variations on the pot pie... how could that go wrong?

tonight the pot pie was a creamy cauliflower pot pie with a black olive studded biscuit crust.  the beer a lovely smelling nut brown, bubbling happily in the fermentor beside me, right this second.

 here's the tasty recipe. for the pie. not the beer. that's top secret...

i believe the inspiration for this pot pie was originally pulled from veganomigon but has been made and altered numerous times over the past few years.  i once made this for my hamburger helper and cold hot dogs on crackers eating grandpa and he loved it. that's a winner for sure. he didn't even tell me it tasted "healthy"!

sauce:
3 tablespoons butter - i use earth balance
4 tablespoons all purpose flour

make a roux! brown that flour in the melted butter, until it smells nutty and delicious, stirring constantly.

2 cups unsweetened coconut milk (or other unsweetened milk)

slowly stream in milk while stirring

1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons good grainy mustard
salt and pepper to taste

add herbs, mustard and salt and pepper.  simmer for about 10 minutes until thickened into a sauce.

now, sauté your veggies!

1 large leek, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced

sauté leek and carrot for about 10 minutes until soft

2 cups quartered crimini mushrooms
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

add mushrooms until softened and beginning to brown, deglaze with white wine vinegar.

1 head cauliflower, in florets

add cauliflower, cook for a few minutes until just tender. don't over cook.

add the sauce to the veggie mixture and pour into a casserole dish.

roll out crust to fit the top and gently place over veggie mixture sealing at the edges.

bake at 375 until top in golden and interior is bubbly.  let rest a few minutes and devour.

favorite chipotle black bean soup

we have been making this very soup a lot lately. a whole lot.  partially just because we tend to have all the ingredients on hand so we're ready to go, but mostly because it is wonderfully delicious and fills your belly in the best of ways.  win win.

1 very large onion, finely diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground oregano
1 bay leaf
2 chipotle chilies in adobo
2 teaspoons adobo sauce

sauté onions and peppers until soft and beginning to brown. stir in garlic and sauté about a minute.  add spices, chilies, adobo sauce and bay leaf stir and cook until fragrant.

2 cups black beans soaked for at least a few good hours or over night
12 cups water

add soaked beans and water.  bring to a boil and simmer for a hour or so until beans are fully cooked and much of the water is absorbed.  the longer the better.

3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

once beans are cooked and soup has thickened a whole lot add the orange juice, cocoa powder, and cilantro.

top with diced red onion or sliced green onions, more cilantro, maybe some sour cream or some cheese.  what ever you wish.  it's going to be good. enjoy!