Bread Made from Spent Grains

After I started brewing using an all grain method called single infusion I had no idea what to do with the grains I used. I would have 12 to even 20 pounds of "spent" grains that would just get thrown away. They smelled so good I didn't want to just toss them into the garbage. After a few batches I decided to make bread with them. There are conflicting discussions on whether or not bread made from spent barley used for making beers is nutritionally worth anything. Maybe it isn't but I sure love the taste of the recipe I discovered below. The template isn't mine (if I find the website I printed this from I will definitely give them props) but I have tweaked it a little to my taste. If I'm using lighter grains I tend to go with honey as the sweetener, darker grains get molasses. The amount of flour varies batch to batch as well. If the grains are still a little wet I'll add more flour  in 1/2 cup increments switching between the wheat and bread flour. The result is a hearty slightly sweet bread that is hella-licious as a grilled cheese sandwich or with fresh thick cut German bologna. It's even better when you match the cheese to the bread and have a pint of the beer you made along side. Now that I've blown a few minutes of your time I've posted the recipe I use and the resulting bread below. If you try this recipe feel free to tweak and or comment about it here.

I made some changes with my latest batch. They're shown in red. To help relieve the grain of some of the unused wort I put it in a strainer and used the bottom of a coffee cup to pressed as hard as I could. (Jan 20th, 2011) 

3.5 (3 1/3) cups all purpose flour - Remember this varies from batch to batch depending on the wetness of the grain you're using.
2 cup wheat flour (could handle higher ratio of wheat)
2 tsp. salt
3 cups spent grain
¼ cup of sugar, honey or molasses (depending on the grains used when brewing)
¼ cup of slightly melted butter
1 egg (Beaten)
1 (1/2) cup of milk (usually use less, depending on how wet the grain is)

Yeast Starter
1 package of dry bread yeast (Quick rise)
1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar (didn't need sugar this time)
Add sugar to water in a bowl and completely dissolve. Add yeast and cover with aluminum foil. Set aside for about 20 minutes. After 20 minutes you should see some activity in the bowl. When you're dough is ready roll the yeast to the bowl and knead it into the dough mixture.
Using the quick rise yeast I was able to skip the waiting period. I just added the yeast to warm water, waited about 5 minutes then added the batch to the dough. It rose great with no problems.


Mix the dry, then the wet ingredients until the dough is easily pulled away from sides of bowl and all the ingredients are mixed in well. It's a great idea to use a mixer with a dough hook.

Knead for 10 min by hand or 5 min by mixer. Slowly add yeast starter and mix well.

Shape into ball and let rise in oiled bowl until doubled (about 90 min) Punch down and divide. I usually get 3 average sized loaves out of this. Let it rise again in greased loaf pans or cookie sheet until doubled, (or slightly more as this is dense bread, takes about 1 hr.). Score top of loaves with a knife.

Preheat oven. Bake at 350F for 50 min, until deep golden brown. Spray loaves with water just before going into the oven and again 2 min into baking to make a crunchier crust. Rotate pans halfway through. Let cool for 30 min on baking rack before slicing,

See my results below:

One Skillet Spaghetti (world famous)

This is a one skillet spaghetti recipe that was passed on to me from my step-mother Rita (rest in peace Rita). It's been my favorite spaghetti recipe since I was 16. Since that time I've engineered/mutated it several dozen times until it is what it is today.

One such mutation was brought about by Rita's mother (Loretta). One Saturday afternoon she accidentally added picante sauce instead of tomato. Maybe she wasn't wearing her glasses or had suffered a slight bump to the noggin but it added such a wild flavor I've used it ever since. You wouldn't believe the looks I get from my Italian friends but if you know me, you know I'm a one way ticket to crazy town. I'm the type of guy that throws caution to the wind. An adventurer that only knows danger as a mild annoyance and fear as something read about on the back of Lucky Charm boxes. OK here's the recipe:

Ingredients

8oz ground beef
8oz Italian Sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
1 package (7oz) ready-cut spaghetti
1 can (14oz) diced tomatoes, don't drain
14oz Salsa (whatever temperature you want)
3/4 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup water (I eventually add more but it's guessing)
1 can (8 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

I use a 12 inch 5qt skillet. It's the best size for stirring/moving all the ingredients around because it gets pretty messy in one pan. I've used smaller but it gets messier.

Brown the sausage, ground beef, and onions.

Drain the grease.

Add everything else minus the spaghetti and cheese.

Bring to a boil.

Turn the heat down to a simmer and add the noodles. I use about a hand full breaking the pasta in half when I add it.

Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes then start stirring about every 5 minutes.

Pay attention to the state of the noodles and the sauce they're "bathing" in, if it gets too dry in there it'll burn. Add water as necessary but don't over do it since you want a lasagna type consistency.

Once the noodles are finished (I prefer al dente) bring on the cheese.

Turn the heat off and cover. Let it sit long enough to let the cheese melt.

Notes:

Have fun and add different heats of sausage, picante sauces, cheeses, and even pasta. One of my favorites was a tomato basil linguine. It took longer and I really had to watch the water but it tasted great.

The picture I included has mild and sharp cheddar plus an Italian 5 cheese blend I picked earlier from a local grocery store (Kroger).

Guys if you can perfect this dish for a date (or wife) she will love you. I cooked this for my wife the first time she came over and it's still her favorite dish.

Sauerkraut Balls

From Blogger Pictures

This is a staple for games and especially for the annual Zegerhaus Zegerfest.

8 oz. mild sausage (use hot if you'd like)

1/4 c. finely chopped onions

14 oz sauerkraut (squeeze dry and chop fine)

2 tbsp. plain bread crumbs

*5 oz cream cheese it helps to soften to room temperature

2 tsp. parsley

1 tsp. ground mustard

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 c. flour

2 beaten eggs

1 c. plain breadcrumbs

Cook sausage and onion until meat is brown; drain. Add sauerkraut and 2 tbsp. bread crumbs to the mixture. Combine cream cheese, parsley, mustard, garlic salt, and pepper. Add to sauerkraut mixture. Chill one hour. Form into small balls and coat with flour. Dip in egg mixture and roll in bread crumbs. Fry in deep fat until brown. Usually takes about 4 minutes at 375 degrees.

Note: The above picture is a doubled recipe. Depending on the amount of people you're serving you may need to double the ingredients.

Be sure to comment on how yours turned out. I'd love to hear it.

Happy New Year!

*EDIT: It's 4oz of cream cheese not 5. Sorry, Fred.

Cap'n Crunch French Toast - Crazy Good

I had this recipe sittin' around when Cap'n Crunch cereal was brought up by friend on Facebook. Believe it or not I'm not out to kill you with the calories in this sucker. Moderation (like in my beer) is the key! I can't remember where I got this from otherwise I'd give them "props". It's only food right?

Ingredients
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups Cap'n Crunch cereal
8 to 10 slices thick-sliced white bread (fresh French is the best)
Butter
Topping:
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups blueberries (or any other fruit you wish, I like peaches as well)

1. Mix the eggs, cream, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk until combined.

2. Crush the cereal in a large bag until it resembles something like graham cracker crumbs (not too fine it'll mess up the crunchiness) Transfer it to a shallow dish.

3. Dip a couple slices of bread into the cream mixture until soft (not soaked). Let excess cream drip from the bread.

4. Press into the cereal crumbs to coat evenly. Place on a sheet pan and repeat with the remaining slices.

5. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat, add butter as needed, and cook the bread until it is caramelized on both sides. About 6 - 8 minutes total depending on how it looks.

6. Beat the cream, confection sugar, and vanilla with a large bowl in a hand mixer until you're happy with the consistency. Top off the French toast and serve with the berries.

"The Best" Breakfast and Sandwiches

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The family and I were on our way to Bob Evan's Sunday when I suggested we try a little restaurant I've been eying for a couple months. Just a little spot off rt.3 in the southern corner of the Glengary Shopping Center. At first my wife was skeptical but I was able to convince her and we stopped.

-INTEL-

Hours: Sunday 8am-3pm
Monday and Tuesday 6am-3pm
Wednesday - Friday 6am-9pm
Saturday 8am - 9pm
Food: American Style Diner
Prices: most (if not all) items are under the $10 mark (fed a family of four for under $30)


Walking into the place is very reminiscent of a small town diner. Small seating arrangements with a bar that held about a dozen people. There are about 4 or 5 tables outside but we chose to be seated inside. Sounds of plates clanking, people talking and laughing, and wait staff ordering food for their patrons. The smell of breakfast made me even hungrier than I already was (and as of 10am I was caffeine-less folks not a good thing by any means). We were greeted by a very nice woman who sat us and took our drink orders. With in a few minutes our server had arrived with our drinks and took our order. My wife and I chose the main omelet. $7.95 for a 3 egg, 1 meat, 3 veggy, and cheese absolutely delicious omelet that came with toast and potatoes. She had the bacon, I chose sausage. Everything tasted fresh-off-the-farm. Even the toast was fresh. They make the bread fresh daily from scratch - oh so good. Both boys had pancakes that were probably the size of a small ocelet (which I had to try, ya'know....just be safe right?) and were very tasty. It felt as though I was eating Sunday breakfast at my grandmothers minus some very obnoxious cousins.

We'll be going again soon.

The Dog Joint - Westerville, Ohio

About a year ago my wife brought home a couple hot dogs from a place she found in Westerville called The Dog Joint. It's a small place just inside uptown Westerville on State Street. It seats about 40 on the inside and around the same on the patio when it's open. The staff is very friendly. The place is clean. The dogs are prepared in front of you and made from pure Vienna beef and the toppings can range from chili and cheddar cheese to sauerkraut and 1000 Island Dressing. I haven't had all of them but I think it's a task I'd be willing to take. We decided to meet for lunch last Saturday and I thought I'd write a little something about it possibly enticing you to go for some dogs and people watching. The beer selection is n't great but they have Frostop Rootbeer on draft and frankly you can't go wrong with Frostop.
I had the "Windy City". Yellow mustard, onions, sweet neon relish, tomatoes, pickles, sport peppers and celery salt on an egg bun.

The best Chicago style dog I've had in Columbus and the surrounding areas. My wife had the Southern Belle. Brown mustard, onions, chili and coleslaw.

Great dog. The boys had a regular hot dog and a corn dog. They were also treated to some "puppy chow". From what I understand (ok, I took some I admit it, I was worried it had too much sugar so I did my fatherly duty and saved them from certain sugar overload) it's chex cereal coated in chocolate, peanut butter, and sprinkled with confectionery sugar. Great food, low prices, great location, and a clean friendly staff. If you're in the mood for a 'gourmet' dog this place is worth the trip.

That Chili Recipe

When making this make sure to have at least 4 hours of free time and 3 hours before dinner. It makes a lot so be sure to have a large stock pot for cooking. You may also need plenty of plastic containers for leftovers unless of course you make and eat it while you’re camping. A friend of mine and I used it for a staple on a weekend camping trip. Chili dogs (some of the best dogs you’ll ever taste!**), chili eggs, chili chili….you get the picture. Just be sure to stay away from fire after the second day. Did you know methane gas damages the atmosphere a lot more than CO2? Anyway, I can’t believe we wasted this on Busch Light, chalk it up to inexperience. 

Nowadays I like this with a porter or an IPA. Why a porter? I discovered that the dark chocolate in porters goes very well with the smokiness from the chili powder. It may sound weird but it’s definitely good.  Good examples of porters are "Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald" and "Road Dog Porter from Flying Dog Brewery". A very good example of an IPA would be without a doubt "Dogfish Head Brewery's 60 or 90 Minute IPA's". My favorite is "New Holland's Existential Hopwine" but that's another story. 

Ingredients

2lb ground Beef

1lb Italian sausage (medium, hot, mild……your choice)

4 cloves minced Garlic 

2 large onions chopped

½ large green pepper

3 stalks of chopped celery

112 oz of tomatoes (usually 4 28oz cans of whole peeled tomatoes will work)

1 large can of tomato juice

¼  cup sugar

3 tablespoons chili powder

½ tsp of cayenne pepper

 2 oz Franks hot sauce (I put that shit on everything) 

3 tablespoon Creole seasoning

1.5 oz Worcester sauce

4 28oz cans kidney beans ( I used dark and light red)

Start Cooking

Brown the sausage, beef and onions.

Dump them into a large stock pot with all the ingredients except the beans. Bring to a boil.

Turn down the heat and simmer for 2 hours stirring occasionally (say, every time you get you get up to grab another beer stir the pot a little)

After 2 hours pour the beans in and bring it to boil. 

Turn the heat down to simmer and wait another hour*, stirring occasionally. 

*Note: When I want this a little hotter I take about 3 cups out of the pot after 2.5 hour and set it aside. I then add about 2 oz of hot sauce, chopped jalapeno, and one more clove of garlic. I bring it to a slow boil then let it simmer for about 30+ minutes. It’s not massively hot but you’ll sweat a little.  

**Note 2: The chili dogs. There’s this little place at a non-descript US Submarine base I used to visit when the boat I was on stopped for supplies. 

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I dreamt of their chili dogs they were so good. A cold beer and a hot chili dog was the best after a bit at sea. After I introduced a slightly burnt (very slight) hot dog to this it was all she wrote. I would love to visit that bar again but the chili dog they had has been replaced indefinitely.  

Cheers!