Yesterday I posted the Pumpkin Smoothie recipe that FH buyer Carolyn Wilson made when we appeared together on Thinking Green last month to discuss the "Flavor of Fall".  Today I'm posting my contribution, a marinade that doubles as a sauce for beef or mushroom strips. If you haven't had a chance to watch the program yet, you can find it here on the Fiddleheads YouTube page - including the part where I nearly tipped the hot pan over onto the floor. Hijinks ensue. (It was all the table's fault -that's my story and I'm sticking to it.)

Necessity being the mother of invention and all that jazz, I created this recipe recently when I wanted a marinade for lean beef strips to sample at the co-op's Saturday Indoor Market, but had no wine in the house but found . I found a bottle of organic chocolate stout in the refrigerator and used that instead. 

The addition of stout made this recipe perfect for the seasonal theme Carolyn and I were going for on the show. Stout and porter beers, brewed from hops and barley (rather than wheat), were originally touted as "nourishing" beverages, meant to be filling; and in an age when the safety of water in Europe was questionable at best, beer was certainly the safer option. Easily recognized by a thick body, dark brown to black color and dense head of pale foam, these brews possess a rich, creamy quality that suits this season better than the lighter "wheatbiers" and lagers. 

I've used two different brands of chocolate stout for this recipe; one Fiddleheads member reported equal success with Guinness stout. The brand isn't important; any good stout or porter will do here including oatmeal or Russian stout. Fiddleheads carries Drayman's Porter and Dean's Beans Coffeehouse Porter, both from Berkshire Brewing Company in Massachusetts, among other brands. 

As always, a printable pdf file can be found at our Recipe Archive.

BALSAMIC-CHOCOLATE STOUT MARINADE & SAUCE (FOR BEEF OR PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS):

For Beef:
1 scallion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed & minced
 1/8 c. balsamic vinegar
 1/8 c. chocolate stout beer, or any variety of stout or porter
1/8 c. extra-virgin organic olive oil
 pinch of sea salt, & black pepper to taste

 1 - 1.5 lbs top round or sirloin beefsteak or any other lean cut of beef , fat    
            trimmed and thinly sliced

 1 T.  spicy brown mustard
2 tea. grade B dark maple syrup 

Combine all ingredients except beef and maple syrup thoroughly to emulsify. Pour over the prepared meat strips and stir to coat the meat completely. Put in covered container and refrigerate 4-8 hours or overnight. (Stir meat or shake container occasionally.)  

 About half an hour before cooking, remove container from refrigerator, add the mustard and maple syrup to the container and additional salt and pepper if desired. Stir to recombine ingredients and coat meat,  then set aside on counter.

Heat a nonstick pan, lightly oiled skillet or wok, or charcoals to about 250-300 degrees, or medium high-heat. (If  using oil, do not NOT allow pan to scorch, smoke or brown.) Remove meat strips from container in batches or all at once, shake off excess liquid and drop into hot pan. Quickly sear or grill meat strips in batches or all at once, just long enough to sear but not cook through, a few seconds per side. Strips should still be pink (rare to medium rare) and tender inside.

 Just before removing meat, pour in enough of the marinade to coat but not “drown” the meat, stir to thicken slightly for a few seconds; marinade should be bubbling. Spoon meat and marinade quickly into individual bowls over rice (jasmine makes an excellent accompaniment.) Serve immediately with simple steamed root vegetables or greens such as carrots, brussel sprouts, chard, kale.
                  
For Portobello Mushrooms:
 Substitute portobello mushroom caps for the beef, allowing one large cap per person. 

Combine marinade ingredients as above, including maple syrup and mustard. Slice caps into thick strips and coat with marinade, including mustard and maple at least one hour before cooking.  

Sear strips in hot pan or on grill over medium heat as above, until strips are fork-tender in the thickest part; add marinade in pan to coat and thicken; serve immediately over rice with desired vegetables.

Last month Carolyn joined me on the first episode of Thinking Green, (Metrocast cable access channel 25) of the season to talk about the 'flavor of fall', and share her Pumpkin Smoothie recipe.  You can watch the show here on Fiddleheads' YouTube channel.

I've doubled the cinnamon called for in Carolyn's original recipe, as the smoothie we made for the show was tasty but slightly bland.  Coriander powder or allspice might be nice additions. You could also add frozen bananas, protein powder, or vary the spices. Steamed and pureed sweet potatoes could be subbed for the pumpkin.

Printable pdf version of this recipe can be found here or in our archive.

CAROLYN WILSON'S EASY PUMPKIN SMOOTHIE

1 15-oz can organic pureed pumpkin (or equal amount steamed or roasted fresh pumpkin, butternut or similar hard winter squash)

2 c plain or vanilla yogurt

1-2 c almond milk, or other "milk" (dairy, flax etc) of choice

1 tsp almond extract (optional)

2 Tbsp (or to taste) honey, maple syrup or agave syrup

2 Tbsp cinnamon, or pumpkin pie spice mix

1/2 c chai tea concentrate (optional)

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Adjust seasonings to taste.

I told you it was easy.

Optional add-ins/substitutes: 
Substitute prepared coffee for the chai tea and/or unsweetened cocoa powder.

Add a touch of rum if you're in the "holiday spirit", and hand car keys over to the designated driver before serving.