Christmas Eve

Appetizer: Bistro Red Bell Pepper Hummus

Soup: Beer Cheese Bisque

Salad: Smoked Turkey & Mixed Greens with Lambic Dried Cherry Vinaigrette

Bread: Beer Bread

Entree: Smoked Porter Stroganoff

Side Dish: Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 cup dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

2 whole red bell peppers, roasted

1/4 pound garlic, roasted

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried cumin

Juice and zest of 1 whole lemon

1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)

1 cup olive oil

Directions:

1. Rinse and clean the chickpeas. Soak in water overnight.

2. Drain the chickpeas, and rinse several times with fresh water. Place the chickpeas in a large pot. Fill with water so that it covers the chickpeas by 1 1/2 inches. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until tender. Remove from the heat, and let cool. Strain, reserving the cooking liquid.

3. Place the chickpeas in a food processor or blender with the red bell peppers, garlic, basil, parsley, thyme, cumin, lemon juice and zest, tahini, and oil. Process until smooth, about 5 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper. Adjust the consistency with the cooking liquid if needed.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 small onion, chopped

2 small carrots, finely chopped

1Ú2 cup finely chopped celery

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups light cream

2 1Ú2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

4 egg yolks, slightly beaten

Salt and white pepper

Directions:

Melt butter and saute onion carrots and celery until golden. Stir in flour. Gradually stir in cream and beer. Cook over low heat stirring constantly until slightly thickened. Add cheese and stir until cheese is melted. Beat hot soup into egg yolks. Return to heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Do not boil. Garnish each serving with a daub of sour cream sprinkled with chives.

Ingredients:

6 cups mixed salad greens such as romaine, red leaf, Boston, radicchio or mezclun mix

1 Belgian endive, cored and sliced into thin julienne

12 cherry tomatoes, halved

8 to 12 generous slices of smoked turkey, duck or smoked chicken breast

3 tablespoons finely minced chives

For the vinaigrette:

1/4 cup finely chopped shallots or onions

2 tablespoons dried cherries, currants or black raisins

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 cup Boon Kreik or Framboise

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1/2 cup canola, corn or peanut oil

Directions:

Prepare the vinaigrette: combine the shallots, dried fruit, honey and beer in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced by half. Let this reduction cool to lukewarm

Whisk the mustard and vinegar together in a bowl. Add the Reduction and combine. Slowly whisk in the oil, a teaspoon at a time, until you have a smooth emulsified sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine all the salad greens and the tomatoes in a bowl, add vinaigrette to taste and toss. Divide the salad and the cold cuts evenly over large plates. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the smoked meat and sprinkle the plate generously with chives to garnish. Serve at once.

Ingredients:

4 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons baking powder

12 ounces beer (NOT light beer)

2 teaspoons salt

Directions:

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons butter

2 pounds beef sirloin, trimmed of fat and cubed

1 large white onion, diced

8 oz. white mushrooms, sliced

32 oz. Alaskan Smoked Porter

1 – 26 oz. can (family size) cream of mushroom soup

32 oz. sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium heat. Brown meat, onions and mushrooms until the meat is cooked through. Add Smoked Porter. Heat to boiling then reduce heat and simmer 2 – 3 hours*. Add mushroom soup. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add sour cream and stir well. When heated through, serve over warm egg noodles.

Ingredients:

12 medium-size fresh, ripe tomatoes

salt and pepper

1 can (12 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained

1 small onion, chopped

2 cups (8 ounces) grated sharp cheddar cheese

3 cups soft bread crumbs

Directions:

Ingredients:

Butter and flour for baking pan

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons powdered ginger

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature

1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs at room temperature

1 cup molasses

3/4 cup Samuel Adams Cream Stout, flat, at room temperature

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter and flour well a 12 cup fluted cake pan, such as a Bundt pan. Sift together all of the dry ingredients.

Using a hand held mixer set at high, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light in texture, about 1 minute. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Beat the molasses (the batter may look curdled at this stage - don't worry). Lower the mixer speed to medium. Beat in the flour mixture, one third at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Beat in the Cream Stout.