Beer Bread!

So, it's a well-known fact amongst friends and family that I don't drink. That doesn't stop me from enjoying a good, hearty beer bread during the holidays! It's about the easiest bread in the entire world, freaking delicious, plus, the alcohol cooks off in the oven.

So.  Good.

Here's all you need:
3 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
12 oz. beer

Optional: 1/4 cup of melted butter

You'll want to remember to preheat your oven to 375 - this goes together SUPER FAST so you might as well get that oven goin'. Grease up your loaf pan whatever way you please, be it with cooking spray or butter or ... I don't know, something else that greases up real nice so you can get the loaf out again.

Mix together the dry ingredients (if you want, you can reduce the sugar by half). Add the beer. Mix again until the dough is thick and moist throughout, then pour it into your greased up pan. If you want, go ahead and pour the melted butter over the top, since it'll make the crust nice and crispy.

One nice thing about this bread: mix-ins are SUPER EASY. I like cheese. I've heard of other people doing various herbs. It's great as-is, but feel free to get creative and let your heart be your guide or whatever.

I used 12 oz of Goose Island 312 for the loaf I made tonight. No pictures, unfortunately. It's already pretty demolished. Soooo good. I had it alongside a weird chickpea/romanesco/chili thing I made tonight (and used some more of the 312 to deglaze the pan for an impromptu sauce).

I'll see about posting some kind of pictures/recipe for the main dish once I've got it perfected. It was delightfully spicy. I just got some red chili paste at the Korean market this afternoon, and I'm way too excited to abuse it.

even lazier eats

Okay, I admit it... I accidentally slept in today, and when I woke up, I was staaaarving. I'm nearly out of milk, though, and didn't have near enough to eat a bowl of Shredded Wheat, so I ended up making a box of macaroni and cheese.

The other week, Back to Nature brand mac 'n cheese was on sale at Jewel, so I grabbed a couple boxes, just knowing I'd have a lazy day like this where I didn't really want to put in much effort. I'm not a fan of frozen meals, but I'll admit that I fall back on boxed macaroni sometimes, because it's just so convenient and comforting, and you get a good two or three meals out of it.  I mean, I grew up eating the stuff, you know? There's an attachment.

Anyway, I got the Spirals and White Cheddar, because I'm also a sucker for goofy shapes and undyed cheeses. They've even got Crazy Bug shaped pasta, but those weren't on sale so I gave them a miss this time. Now that I know the stuff's good, though ... maybe. Maybe. I just wish the bugs came with white cheddar.

Another admission: orange cheese just freaks me right the heck out, so I'm really glad that more companies have been offering white cheddar lately. Anyway, this stuff is DELICIOUS. The noodles held their shape, the cheese was sharp, and it all went together ridiculously easily, as one would hope for from ... a box of mac and cheese, haha.

NOW, the actual reason for this post is that I have a PRO TIP for all y'all out there.

If you're making boxed mac and cheese? Don't use any milk or butter.

Use plain yogurt.

No, seriously, 1/3 cup of plain yogurt instead of the suggested milk + butter will generally save you a little on the calorie count AND make your macaroni and cheese rich, creamy and delicious as all get out. I'm pretty sure I picked this tip up from the side of a box of Annie's mac and cheese a few years back. I was skeptical as all get out, but figured it was worth a shot - and oh, goodness, was it ever.  I've been doing it that way ever since.  If you're gonna be eating from a box, you might as well spruce it up a little, and there's no easier way to do it than using yogurt.

Do it. It's amazing.

Have you ever made mac 'n cheese with yogurt before? Do you have any other ideas for making the world's laziest meal a little more exciting? Let me know!!!

lazy chili

Time for my first "recipe," such as it is. It's winter here in chicago now, and thus FREEZING. We're busy experiencing the kind of weather that makes you want some good, hearty eats to keep you nice 'n toasty on the inside while you hide under your mountains of blankets and sweaters. I know I don't always feel like getting too complicated with what I cook, though, so here's a reallllly simple chili recipe I make sometimes - most ingredients come from a can, which makes it a snap to put together.

you can sub in fresh ingredients based on availability - sometimes i'll soak my own beans, if i remember ahead of time, and fresh tomatoes are always a nice touch. organic ingredients are generally preferable, too, but you can use whatever you have on hand.

oh, and it's vegetarian. if you choose not to garnish with cheese, it's even vegan! oh boy!

Lazy Chili:
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 small potatoes, unpeeled, cubed
1 can (15 oz) Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) sweet corn, drained and rinsed
1 small onion, finely diced
1 tsp diced garlic
1/2 tsp ginger
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp red pepper
black pepper and sea salt to taste
Green onions and/or sharp cheddar cheese to garnish

Basically, all you have to do is dump everything into a large pot on medium heat. I like to add the onion in raw. If you'd rather, you can add some oil to a frying pan and sautee the onion until it's translucent before adding to the mixture.
Stir occasionally, but otherwise keep covered. Simmer the mixture for about 45 minutes, to warm it up and let the flavors mingle.

To serve, just ladle out into a bowl while hot and add sprinkle with chopped green onions and cheese if desired. You can stir the cheese in for added heartiness and an interesting texture change.

This makes a great, simple dinner and will last you for days! I don't have any pictures right now, but ... it's chili. It ain't the prettiest of dishes to begin with. It reheats nice and easy on the stove or in the microwave, though. The beans, vegetable broth and tomatoes are your key players here, and other ingredients can be added or omitted depending on your tastes.

I'll try and get a picture next time I whip this together, and add it just for show!

oh goodness.

Hey! So, looks like this is my first post.  I figured that, what with the amount of time I spend lurking blogs, I might as well start one of my own.

I've got two big loves in my life, which I reckon will take up most of my posting time: food and music. That, and watching videos of kittens on Youtube, but shh. Let's keep that one secret, shall we?

I figure I'll use this blog to post about my adventures cooking and listening to tuneskis, both to keep track and to inspire you to get out and try new things too! I know I've pulled a lot of great ideas from the internet over the years, and hopefully I've got a few of my own that you'll dig on too.

If you're wondering about demographics here, I'm a 22 year old artist, mostly self-employed doing freelance work and illustration. I'm vegetarian, live in Chicago, and love to support local businesses.

Let's do this thing!