Beer, Bacon and Chicken Stew... Oh My!

It's fall here in Central Pennsylvania and with fall comes beautiful leaves, the delicious scents of
baked goods, apples, pumpkins, and the lovely crock pot.  I love my crock pot; it is one of my best friends.  There is something so lovely about putting in all the ingredients, seasoning it, setting it, and leaving it to do its thing all afternoon or evening.  Then, when I come home the house smells like heaven.  This recipe was no exception.  I wanted something warm, comforting, and stew-like but healthy.  I wanted to feel warm, comforted and happy as I devoured dinner, especially since we've finally gotten into fall like temperatures.  This recipe from Eating Well did require quite a bit of prep work on the stove in a frying pan, but I used the same frying pan for all the things, and let me tell you, the stew is totally worth it.  The only change I made in this stew was to use a lighter beer.  I did this because I'm not a huge dark beer/stout fan and also because I already had it in my 'fridge versus having to buy more beer.  It made my stew a lot lighter in color, but the flavor is still good and comes through in the stew broth.  Use chicken thighs in this recipe too, not only are they cheaper, but they remain juicy throughout the longer cooking process.  Definitely give this stew a try, it will warm your heart, soul, and bowl!

Beer, Bacon, and Chicken Stew

6 tbsp plus 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour, divided
1 tsp salt, divided, plus more for taste
1/2 tsp of pepper, plus more to taste
2 1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 tsp of your favorite oil (I used 2 tsp butter and 2 tsp olive oil)
3 pieces of bacon, chopped
1 2/3 cup of Guinness beer or stout (I used a glass bottle of Coors Light since I had it)
1 pound of baby carrots or 5 large carrots cut into 1 inch pieces
1 8-ounce package of cremini or button mushrooms, quartered
2 cups of chopped onion
4 cloves of minced garlic
2 tsp of dried thyme
1 cup of reduced sodium chicken stock
2 cups of frozen baby peas, thawed
4 small, cubed potatoes (these are totally optional)

First, combine 6 tablespoons of flour with 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper in a shallow dish.  Dredge chicken thighs in the mixture to coat completely, transfer to a plate.  Heat 2 tsp of your oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add half the chicken and cook until well browned, about 2 to 4 minutes.  This is the base for the delicious broth, so don't cheat!  When they are done, transfer to the bowl of the slow cooker.  Repeat with the remaining thighs until all the chicken is in the slow cooker crock.  Next, add the chopped bacon to the skillet and cook until brown and crispy.  Stir the remaining flour into the bacon and cook for 2 minutes.  This will remove the raw flour taste.  Then add the beer and scrape up the bits in the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon.  Pour the mixture over the chicken.  Add the remaining oil and saute the onion until translucent, add the garlic and cook until just fragrant.  Add the carrots, mushrooms and thyme.  Saute for about 5 minutes and then dump into the crock pot with the bacon and beer broth.  If you want, add the optional potatoes at this time.  Cover and cook until the chicken falls apart, approximately 4 hours on high and 7 to 8 hours on low.  Before you serve, add in the peas and stir.  Allow the peas to be heated through, about 10 minutes.  Taste and then add more salt and pepper as needed.  Mine needed about 1/4 tsp of pepper and about 3/4 tsp of salt.

Makes 8 servings approximately 1 1/3 cups per serving
365 calories *
13g fat (3 sat or 6 mono)*
88 mg cholesterol *
28 g carbohydrates *
0 added sugar *
30 g protein *
4 g fiber *
570 mg sodium *
650 mg potassium*
* Without potatoes and using stout

Rosemary Apple Bread

Bread: warm with a crunchy crust and soft, luscious interior, I'm a sucker for you.  Seriously, it's a terrible, terrible addiction.  I won't touch pre-sliced, somewhat hard bread you buy in a bag (needless to say, I'm not a sandwich girl)  but I will devour an entire loaf of the fresh stuff.  An entire loaf, alone, with no help and no butter.  Then I spend the next 2 hours in a blissed out carb coma, loving and loathing my life decision.  It's a serious problem.  It is why I try to not make fresh bread very often.  I have no self control, none!
    So, what's a girl to do with no self control and a love for bread?  Well, try new bread recipes of course and tell herself that this time will be different.  After a day pep talk about not eating an entire loaf at one time in one sitting, I felt brave enough to try this bread recipe.  It's fall here in PA and apples are my true love.  I've had apple rosemary pork before and loved it, so I figured how could apple rosemary bread be bad and guess what, it's not bad at all, not even a little bit.  In fact, it's pretty darn good, so good that my willpower is being tested every moment it sits on my counter.  I'm on day two and still have half a loaf left, I swear it is only because I've been at work these last two days.  It is good, crazy good, and a bit of Stonewall Kitchen apple cider jam makes it even better.  Like dessert quality good.  So without further ado, here is the original recipe. I made a few changes.  I used dried rosemary.  Why you ask?  I'm cheap and I already had it.  Secondly, I coated to top of the bread with melted butter and then liberally coated it with white sugar.  Why?  Because it made an absolutely phenomenal sweet, crunchy crust that is the perfect foil for this savory bread. I urge you, make this recipe!  I made it using my KitchenAid Stand Mixer, but you can make it by hand with very little effort.  This isn't a bread that has to rise for 2 hrs. 40 minutes of rising time and you are ready to bake.  It's a dense bread, but soft and supple, and just sooo good!

Rosemary Apple Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoon ground rosemary (1 tsp finely chopped fresh)
1 package quick-rise yeast
1 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
1 cup diced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 1 small)
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons butter, melted
2 tbsp of white sugar

Put flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 2 3/4 cups flour, salt, rosemary, and yeast in mixer bowl with bread attachment.  Add water, stirring until a soft dough forms. Add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, so dough pulls away from the pan sides and begins to come together.  When dough has pulled away from sides cleanly and doesn't stick to you hands, turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 6 minutes); Cover and let rest 10 minutes in a warm, draft free spot.  Best place thing to do is while you're prepping, turn your oven onto warm, when it is pre-heated, turn it off and when you need to proof your bread, cover it with a towel and place it in the oven.  Knead in apple. Place the dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rest 10 minutes in your warm but off oven.

Shape dough into a loaf; place dough in an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Gently press dough into pan; cover. Let rise in a warm place (oven again (85°), free from drafts, 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Then remove dough and preheat oven to 375°.

Right before placing it in the oven, brush with melted butter.  Then liberally sprinkle with about 2 tbsps of white granulated sugar.

Bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until bread is lightly browned and sounds hollow when tapped. Brush top with butter. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.

Apple Pie with homemade filling

      So it's been a while since I've posted, but dissertation writing is in full swing and let me tell you, it's not always fun.  Other times, it is great and I'm so excited I can't wait to write more.  However, it means that most of my other writing has disappeared all together.  Hence the reason the last update for the blog was in April.  AHHHHH!
     This summer I canned a whole bunch of apple pie filling on my own.  I LOVE apple pie.  It is my all time favorite pie.  Actually, apple anything is my favorite.  Fall for me is all about apples!  Pumpkin is alright, but I crave cinnamon, tart apple, brown sugar, and the smell of baking apples.  That is my fall drug of choice.  A few weeks ago I decided to make a pie using my home canned pie filling.  Let me tell you, it was AMAZING!  So this recipe is a little bit of a cheat because the pie filling is already made.  The crust is easy, peasy and so delicious.
   In case you have a fear of crust, the alcohol in the crust ensures that it will always be flaky, no matter how many times you have to roll it out. The crust recipe is my natural go to.  It is from Alton Brown's Super Apple Pie.    The pie filling is from Ball Canning.

Crust
6 ounces unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 ounces vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
5 to 7 tablespoons applejack
12 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 2 3/4 cups, plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

To make crust:
Place the butter, shortening and applejack into the refrigerator for 1 hour.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, salt and sugar by pulsing 3 to 4 times. Add the butter and pulse 5 to 6 times until the texture looks mealy. Add the shortening and pulse another 3 to 4 times until incorporated.  Remove the lid of the food processor and sprinkle in 5 tablespoons of the applejack. Replace the lid and pulse 5 times. Add more applejack as needed, and pulse again until the mixture holds together when squeezed. Weigh the dough and divide in half. Shape each half into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

For the Filling:

2 cups sliced peeled cored apples, treated to prevent browning* and drained (about 12 medium)
Water
2-3/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup ClearJel® (cooking starch used for preserving)
1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2-1/2 cups unsweetened apple juice
1-1/4 cups cold water
1/2 cup lemon juice
7 Ball®(16 oz) pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands

DIRECTIONS:
To treat apple slices to prevent browning, apply Ball® Fruit-Fresh® Produce Protector according to the manufacturer's instructions or submerge cut apples in a mixture of 1/4 cup lemon juice and 4 cups water.

PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil.  Wash lids in warm soapy water and set bands aside.
BLANCH apple slices, working with 6 cups at a time, in a large pot of boiling water for 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm in a covered bowl.
COMBINE sugar, ClearJel®, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large stainless steel saucepan. Stir in apple juice and cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, and cook until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Add lemon juice, return to a boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Drain apple slices and immediately fold into hot mixture. Before processing, heat, stirring, until apples are heated through.
LADLE hot apple pie filling into hot jars leaving 1 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.
PROCESS jars in a boiling water canner for 25 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

When you're ready to make it all remove one disk of dough from the refrigerator. Place the dough onto a lightly floured piece of waxed paper. Lightly sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and roll out into a 12-inch circle. Place into a 9 1/2 to 10-inch pie pan that is 2-inches deep. Gently press the dough into the sides of the pan, crimping and trimming the edges as necessary. Then, open the canned jar of pie filling and dump into the pie.  Take the other disk of dough and roll it out to cover the top of the pie.  Seal the edges with a bit of milk and press the edges together until the two disks of dough seal.  Put slices in the top, so the pie can vent and then gently spread some milk over the top of the crust.  Then, sprinkle white sugar on top of the pie to give it a bruleed top.


Preheat oven to 425 and bake on the lowest rack for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 and bake for another 15/20 or until top is brown and filling is bubbly.  Make sure to place a pizza pan below the pan to catch drips.  If needed, the crust can be covered with tin foil if they begin to burn.