Last weekend we volunteered at the Texas Craft Brewers’ Festival. We had a really nice time meeting brewers from all over the state, sampling some of the the unique beers on offer, and of course serving craft brews to the good people of Texas. In honor of another fantastic festival we wanted to post a delicious but healthy beer-related treat that will help get the rest of our week off to a good start.

Recently, we brewed a porter and used the spent grains to make some spent grain flour. This flour is a great high-fiber substitute for bran and a wonderful way to use the grains that are left over from brewing. These muffins use the spent grain flour with carrots, nuts, and other nutrient-dense foods to make a muffin that will help you get fueled for whatever fun you have planned for the day ahead.

Vegetable Sambar

This version of a typical South Asian soup is a tasty and nutritious use for late summer vegetables.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dried red lentils
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon whole cumin
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon asafoetida
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 3-4 dried hot red chili peppers
• 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
• 1 large yellow onion, minced
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1 medium potato, cubed
• 1/2 pound eggplant, cubed
• 1/2 pound okra, sliced
• salt to taste

Preparation

1. In a large soup pot, bring lentils and broth to a boil and simmer, covered, until soft, about 30 minutes.
2. While the lentils are cooking prepare vegetables and spices. In a mortar and pestle (or a spice mill) combine coriander, peppercorns, mustard seeds, fenugreek, and cumin. Grind spices until they are a coarse powder.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a large wok. Over medium heat fry the ground spices until fragrant, about one minute.
4. Add asafoetida, turmeric powder, whole red chilies, and onion. Continue frying until the onion is translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Stir in tamarind paste and add the remaining vegetables. Lower heat and cook until potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes.
6. Remove cooked vegetables from heat. Add the vegetables to the lentils and broth, and when they have finished cooking season with salt to taste.

Panna cotta, or cooked cream in Italian, is a super simple, but delicious dessert. Our vegan take on it uses coconut milk in place of the cream, and agar agar powder in place of the usual gelatin. This recipe is quite basic, so feel free to get creative with flavoring (maybe some cardamom or lemon zest, or even chocolate!). Other toppings, like fresh berries, are also fun to experiment with.

Coconut Milk Panna Cotta with Poached Pears

Note that while the preparation is quick, the panna cotta does have to set for a few hours in the refrigerator, so prepare well ahead of dessert time.

Genever, the Dutch precursor to what we know as gin, is an earthy, clear spirit with a flavor somewhere between whiskey and vodka. The earthy tones pair very well with the sweetness of the strawberries in this refreshing drink. Try it out!

Genever Strawberry Smash

Ingredients

• 2 fresh strawberries, sliced
• 1 ounce simple syrup
• 1 1/2 ounces genever (we used Bols)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• soda water
• lemon twist

Preparation

1. In a highball, lightly muddle the strawberries with the simple syrup.
2. Add genever, lemon juice, and enough ice to fill the glass. Stir to combine.
3. Top with soda water and garnish with a lemon twist. Drink with a straw!

Fresh hot peppers are abundant this time of year and it is easy to take them for granted. But, come this winter, you will be glad if you take the time now to preserve your piquant summer bounty.  Here are a few of our favorite ways to make sure we have hot peppers all year long:

Fermenting Peppers for Hot Sauce

• Dried Pepper Flakes – This is my favorite way to preserve hot peppers with thin flesh like hinkelhatz, cayennes, scotch bonnets, and habaneros. Dehydrate whole, clean, fresh  peppers in a dehydrator until they are dry and brittle, about 12 hours. If you don’t have a dehydrator you can also dry peppers in a warm (150 degree) oven or outside, but these methods may take considerably longer. Dried peppers are more comfortable to handle then fresh peppers – once they are dry you can easily remove the stems and shake out the seeds if desired. Transfer the dried peppers to a food processor and pulse until the peppers are in the desired size flakes. Let the flakes and any dust settled in the food processor then transfer to an airtight container and keep for up to a year. 
• Smoked Peppers – I get really excited when I hear that a friend is smoking a brisket, not because I have ever even had brisket but because it is a good chance to smoke salt (yummy) and peppers. Choose hot peppers with thicker flesh that can soak up the most flavor. Homemade smoked jalapenos (also known as chipotles) will make you think twice about their canned cousins and smoked poblanos are fantastic in cold weather chili. Serranos are also a good option. If your smoked chilies are not fully desiccated store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a year.
• Pickled Peppers – I love pepper relish and sweet pickled hot peppers. We have a good pickled jalapeno recipe, which would also work well padróns  or any pepper with a medium-high heat. Canned pickled peppers will last forever and should be refrigerated when opened.
• Salt Brine Fermenting – This summer we are making fermented hot sauce with padrón peppers and habaneros using a recipe from the Joy of Cooking. They are brined in a salted sweet wine and left open to the air for several days to ferment. The fermented peppers are then ground, vinegar is added, then it is bottled. This hot sauce can last in the refrigerator indefinitely (think about the bottle of Tabasco that always seems to be in the back of the fridge when you need it).