Tex-Mex Beer Biscuits

It's nearly Fall, with just one more week until the official autumnal equinox. Leaves are turning colors locally, brightening up our gray days with great sweeps of neon reds and oranges on nearby hillsides. NFL season is in finally in full swing with team rosters set. (Go Hawks!)

You know it must be time for chili and cornbread and red plastic cups at tailgate parties... But this week I'd rather indulge in beer biscuits and pass on the bottled brews. Yes, I'm back on crutches this month and mindful of careful footwork and balance. So I will pass on the usual cornbread too, and reach for some more of these flavor-packed biscuits instead. They make tidier finger food with fewer crumbs but are still loaded with some of my favorite southwest flavors. Pepper jack cheese, bacon, green onions, chile powder...yum! Now I wonder how a waffled version would work???  

Tex-Mex Beer Biscuits

based on a recipe from the Beeroness

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar
1 tsp chile powder (a blend or ancho or chipotle)

1 stick (that's 4 oz or 8 tbs) cold butter, cut into small cubes

1/2 cup lite sour cream

2/3 cup beer

½ cup shredded jalapeño jack cheese

3 Tbs finely chopped green onions
3 Tbs cooked bacon, crumbled

2 Tbs melted butter

¼ tsp coarse sea salt (smokey bacon salt preferred)

   

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Oil a baking pan or spray with cooking spray.
3. Place the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor; pulse to combine. 
4. Add the cold butter; process until combined.
5. Add the sour cream, cheese, green onions, bacon and beer; Pulse until just combined.
6. Turn out onto a well-floured mat or board; knead lightly and pat into a rectangle, about 3/4 inch thick.
7. Fold the dough into thirds; roll lightly, once in each direction to about 1 inch thick. 
8. Fold in thirds again; roll lightly to about 1 1/2 inch thick.
9. Scoop with a cookie scoop, cut with a knife or use a floured biscuit cutter to form 12 biscuits. Place in the prepared baking pan.
10. Brush biscuits with melted butter and sprinkle the tops with salt.
11. Bake at 400 for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the tops are a light golden brown.

Salads in Jars for #10DaysofTailgate

Unless you are an avid football fan, tailgating is all about the food; rib-sticking dishes like sliders, brats, wings, chili, anything with barbecue sauce. After a few nibbles helpings of these favorites I crave a lighter, healthier bite and head for vegetables... something crunchy beyond the crudités and dip. Toss a penalty flag, call a foul and any eject all soggy, wilted, overdressed salads from your tailgate party. Go with a fresh approach - layered salads in glass jars. You can adapt one of your favorite recipes, experiment with a new recipe, or play around with interesting ingredients just for fun. The secret, if there is one, is in the layering. 

Begin by spooning 2 to 3 generous tablespoons of the salad dressing into squeaky clean containers with lids, like my repurposed 13-ounce jelly jars. Top this with a layer of firm, crunchy vegetable(s) that won't soak up the liquid. Add additional ingredients, pressing each layer firmly as you go to minimize the exposure to air. Leafy greens and fresh herbs work best on top. Note: fill your jars completely; don't leave empty air space on top as I did in some of these photos. Screw on the tops and that's it. The salads are good to go, or chill and hold. 

Salads in jars are quick to prepare once you have your ingredients prepped. Think mise en place. They store well, staying fresh in the fridge for several days, and are easy to stack and transport to any event or even to your work desk. Score! Shake to distribute the dressing and enjoy straight from the jar, or empty the contents into a bowl if you prefer.  

I like to set out a variety of ingredients and build new combinations, change up the dressings, try different herbs and toppings. Go ahead, get creative and play with textures and flavors. 

Greek Salad in a Jar

Build this salad with fresh local produce for an extra flavor boost. Salty feta and licoricey basil really pop this classic.

Salad Ingredients:

Diced hothouse cucumber, green onions or red onions, yellow and orange bell peppers, halved grape tomatoes, diced or crumbled feta cheese, fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley, pitted olives or pine nuts if you like.

Dressing: 
Whisk together 1/2 tsp Gourmet Garden garlic, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard, 2 oz red wine vinegar, salt & pepper to taste. Add 4 oz of good olive oil in slow dribbles and keep whisking until emulsified.

,

Minty Orzo Salad in a Jar

Mint and honey balance the slightly bitter bite of kale (or radicchio) in this pasta salad.

Salad Ingredients:

Chopped celery, roasted red peppers, cooked orzo, purple kale or radicchio ribbons, green onions, goat cheese, fresh mint leaves and pecan bits.

Dressing:

Whisk together 1 Tbs honey, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp dried mint, 2 Tbs white balsamic vinegar, 3 Tbs good olive oil, salt & pepper to taste. 

Here are some other ideas for recipes to adapt to a salad in a jar presentation:

Guacamole Salad

Couscous Sweet & Tart

Italian Pepper Salad

Quinoa Mediterranean Salad

Southwest Corn Salad

(Click here for a further look at mason jar salads at Shockinglydelicious.)

#10DaysofTailgate is approaching its end. Have you checked out the prize packages and entered yet? Click HERE to view our generous sponsors and enter the giveaway. 

Here's what the rest of the team brought to the table today...

Starters

‘Da Bears in ‘Da Blankets by Sew You Think You Can Cook

Jalapeno Popper Deviled Eggs by Debbi Does Dinner Healthy

Philly Cheese Steak Eggrolls by Cooking In Stilettos

Ketchup & Mustard Glazed Meatballs by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Duck Bacon, Pear, Brie Baked Wontons by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures

Mains
Buffalo Chicken Sliders by girlichef

Chipotle Ranch Chicken Wings by Cheese Curd In Paradise

White Chicken Chili by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Saucy Maple Leaf Duck Sliders by Making Miracles

Three Pepper Burgers by Eliot’s Eats

Chipotle Mustard Pork Chops by The Pajama Chef

Cherry Chipotle Drumsticks by Summer Scraps

Sides

Salads in Jars by OnTheMove-In the Galley

Gazpacho Shooters with Spicy Shrimp for #10DaysofTailgate

Welcome to ‪#‎10DaysofTailgate‬ hosted by Culinary Adventures with Camilla! This event runs rom September 20th through September 30th with nearly two dozen bloggers and more than one hundred recipes to inspire you through an entire tailgating season. A huge thank you goes to the event sponsors who have graciously donated prizes for our readers. There are fourteen different prize packages so make sure you enter the rafflecopter HERE and check back throughout the event. Don't forget to follow the hashtag on Twitter too.

It's time for the opening kickoff of this virtual tailgate gathering, so let's get the party rolling!

Tailgating can be a little different here in Seattle where many fans arrive at University of Washington games by boat, and sailgate afloat. Early-season games are often held in sunny 70-80 degree weather, so this chilled Gazpacho Shooter with Spicy Shrimp would be a welcome starter. 

Is this a family-friendly appetizer, a soup, a colorful salad, or an adult beverage with an added shot of vodka? It could be any of the above; the difference is all in the details. Whichever option you choose, gazpacho is deliciously refreshing, a perfect kickoff to warm-weather tailgate parties anywhere.

• To save time, you can prepare the Gazpacho a day ahead and hold it in the fridge; the texture and taste actually improve with an overnight rest. 
• Cook the Spicy Shrimp ahead of time to serve chilled, or grill them just before serving to serve warm. 
• Offer the soup chunky to sip as an easy-to-eat appetizer, with or without a spoon. 
• Or puree all of the ingredients in a blender and pour; add a shot of vodka or tequila to each glass and you have a zesty, Better-Than-A-Bloody-Mary beverage that's colorful and loaded with flavor. 
• Increase the vegetables/decrease the liquid, go light on the blender action and shazam! it's a Gazpacho Salad to serve as a light, healthy option. After all, not everyone yearns for chili, sausage rolls, wings, ribs, pulled pork, loaded nachos, etc. before a game - I do love those traditional tailgate offerings, just not so much in 80+ degree weather. 

Gazpacho Shooters

Yield depends on size of glass - I filled 12 shooter glasses and 6 small bowls with this batch.

Ingredients:
1 TB Gourmet Gardens Garlic in a tube, or 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced

generous 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs, no crusts

3 cups low-sodium V-8 juice

1 poblano pepper, cut in small dice

1 sweet pepper, red, orange or yellow, cut in small dice

4 large tomatoes; peel, seed and dice  

1/2 large, sweet onion or one bunch of scallions, small dice

1 English cucumber; peel, seed and dice

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 TB red wine vinegar

juice of 1 lime

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp. cumin

1 small jalapeño, seed and dice, OR use Sriracha, Tabasco or other hot sauce (quantity to your taste)

Spicy Shrimp* (recipe follows)

Optional Toppings:

picks or skewers of diced avocado and tiny cherry tomatoes

fresh cilantro, basil or parsley, coarsely chopped

a dollop of salsa

Directions:

1. Combine garlic, bread crumbs, half of the V-8 juice and half of the sweet pepper, tomatoes, onion and cucumber in a food processor or blender and puree. 
2. In a pitcher or bowl, combine the puree with the remaining V-8 juice, diced veggies, oil, vinegar and seasonings. Blend with a spoon; taste and adjust seasonings. Taste again. The soup should be thick, chunky and slightly glossy from the oil. Chill for an hour or two, or overnight. Stir before serving.
3. To serve, pour into a small glass and top with a skewer of Spicy Shrimp. Note: If fresh or frozen shrimp are not available, top with fresh cilantro or parsley, cubed avocado and a cherry tomato, or commercial salsa  (Do not use canned shrimp!! They can be nasty disappointing.) 

Spicy Shrimp

Ingredients:

use large shrimp, at least 1 per shooter glass

salt and pepper

1 Tablespoon olive oil or canola oil

1 Tablespoon butter

ground chipotle pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika (pimenton)

1-2 teaspoons garlic, minced or use Gourmet Gardens Garlic in a tube

Sriracha or other hot sauce, to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the oil and butter in a medium sauté pan and cook over medium-high heat until the butter melts. Add the chipotle pepper, paprika, garlic and hot sauce and cook for a minute or two until fragrant, stirring or swirling the pan occasionally.
2. Sprinkle the shrimp with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook until barely done, just a minute or two on each side until they turn pink. Remove the shrimp from the pan, skewer each with a long pick and add to each serving of Gazpacho.
3. OR make the sauce and keep it warm. Thread the raw shrimp on a double-prong metal skewer and grill on a lightly-oiled barbecue for a minute or two until just cooked through, brushing with sauce frequently while they cook. Serve as above in step 2.

Note: Gourmet Garden is a sponsor of #10DaysofTailgate, but I purchased my own product. I love this company and have used many of their high-quality products in my home kitchen and boat galley for years.

Click below to explore more tempting tailgate food from the #10DaysofTailgate bloggers.

And here's what the team brought to the table...

Starters

Loaded Baked Nacho Supreme by Cheese Curd In Paradise

Baked Blueberry Pork Egg Rolls by The Pajama Chef

Gazpacho Shooters with Spicy Shrimp by OnTheMove-In the Galley

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Meatball Sliders with BlueCheese Aioli by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventure

Dips

Soft Pretzels and Buffalo Cheese Dip by Things I Make (for Dinner)

Cheesy Bean Dip by Making Miracles

Garden Fresh Salsa by Eliot’s Eats

Pineapple Salsa by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen

Devilish 7-Layer Dip by Miss Laura’s Kitchen

  

Sips

War Eagle Sangria by Sew You Think You Can Cook

Spicy Strawberry Bourbon Shooters by CafeTerraBlog

Iowa Sunrise by From Gate to Plate

Sides

Deviled Egg Potato Salad by Cooking In Stilettos

Mains

El Diablo’d Lamb Lollipops by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Ginger Chicken Kabobs by Summer Scraps

Chili by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Spiced Fig and Garlic Chicken Wings by girlichef

Baked Mac and Cheese  with Bacon Pretzel Topping by Debbi Does Dinner Healthy

Asian Duck Sliders  by Curious Cuisiniere

Pineapple Chile Lime Wings by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches by Love and Confections

Sweets

Peanut Butter Pretzel Brownies by The Spiffy Cookie