Chocolate beer!

I was in Whole Foods with my friend and I saw chocolate beer! What a surprise! I asked my friend to buy it. She let me have a small taste. It smelled like chocolate, but it tasted like beer. It was sour and a little bitter. But it also had a chocolate aftertaste!

I used the chocolate beer to make beer bread. I mixed up the dry ingredients. When I added the beer, it very foamy. In the oven, the bread smelled a lot like chocolate-banana bread I’ve made before. I let it cool, then had a taste.  It was not too bad, but a little more sour than beer bread I’ve made before. The best part was the chocolate aftertaste.

Chocolate beer bread smells so good!

I paired the bread with Smoky Green Split Pea Soup adapted from Dreena Burton’s Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan.  I had never had smoked tofu before.  It has a firmer, chewier texture than the extra-firm tofu I usually buy. It was also sweeter than other tofu. I had to add some white rice vinegar to the soup (about 2 Tablespoons) so it wouldn’t be too sweet.  It is a yummy, hearty soup. It was a perfect meal for New England winters!

Dinner is served

Chocolate Beer Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 t salt
• 1 T baking powder
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 12 oz. chocolate beer

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a loaf pan.
2. Mix the flours, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a large bowl.
3. Add the beer, stirring as you pour it in. Make sure you use a large bowl, because the mixture will bubble up quickly.
4. Bake for about an hour, until the crust is nicely browned and a toothpick inserted in the bread comes out clean.
5. Cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then remove and place on a cooling rack until completely cool. Slice with a serrated knife, preferably a bread knife.

Smoky Split Pea Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 T olive oil
• 2 medium red onions, diced
• 3 ribs celery, diced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 1 large sweet potato, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 t salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 T dried oregano
• 1/2 t dried sage
• 1 t paprika
• 1 lb dried split peas
• 4 c vegetable stock
• 5 – 7 c water
• 2 bay leaves
• 8 oz smoked tofu, juienned
• 2 T lemon juice
• 1 – 2 T white rice vinegar (if soup seems too sweet)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add in the onions, celery, carrots, sweet potato, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, sage, and paprika. Saute for about 5 minutes.
2. Add split peas, stock, 5 cups water, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Add tofu, cover, and cook another 20 minutes.  Add water as necessary to keep soup from getting too dry.

Sauteing the veggies