Royal Wedding Beer - Windsor & Eton, Windsor Knot 2011

Enough, Enough, I have supped enough royal wedding beers from 1981 and at last someone has saved me. My friends at Windsor & Eton Brewery took pity on me having to drink stale ale and kindly sent over a bottle of their Windsor Knot fresh from the fermenter.

Although W&E are a new brewery, they have quickly stamped their mark on the beer scene in London. Their first two beers, Guardsmen and Knight of the Garter were a fine introduction but it was when the Conqueror hit London pubs before Christmas that it became clear that this was no ordinary new microbrewery. Conqueror is a "black IPA" and was considered at the time a risky experiment for such a new boy on the scene. However it really hit the mark and was a great success. I gave it a plug here and can still vouch that it remains a most tasty beer that is still a first choice whenever I see it.



The Royal Wedding beer, Windsor Knot - not the only beer of that name but clearly the one with the strongest provenance - is another beer packed with hop character. Sovereign (UK)and Nelson Sauvin (NZ) to represent the home and away of the Empire, oops I mean Commonwealth.

Golden in colour, with a refreshing taste and aroma of tropical fruits, this beer really hit the spot. Only 4% in strength but with the fortitude to satisfy and a long bitter finish that begs the next sip.

I am a big fan of 330ml beers especially for strong beers or those that need to be drunk cold. However on this occasion it was not enough, I wanted more. This beer was so good that I could have managed a 5 litre mini-cask and still not been satisfied.



On Twitter the other day, @thegunmakers tweeted "I'm calling it : @WindsorEtonBrew is the best new brewery in SE England for a long while ..."

I going to try to get down to the Gunmakers beer festival before the week is out to reacquaint myself with this beer in its cask form - and in a measure greater than 330ml.

You have not got long to take advantage of this year's wedding beers but if you want something with which to toast the happy couple, and the subsequent happy coupling, you should snap up a bottle or even a 5l mini-cask of Windsor Knot. Recommended !

Colorful & Practical Fetish Kitchen from BelmontBabe.com

Italian Cooking Helpers @ BelmontBabe.com

Homemade Salisbury Steak

By: Kelly Berenger

"This recipe has been in my family for years. It's easy to cook, but tastes like it took hours to make! I usually make enough extra sauce to pour over mashed potatoes. YUM!"

Ingredients

• 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed French onion soup
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix together 1/3 cup condensed French onion soup with ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, salt and black pepper. Shape into 6 oval patties.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown both sides of patties. Pour off excess fat.
3. In a small bowl, blend flour and remaining soup until smooth. Mix in ketchup, water, Worcestershire sauce and mustard powder. Pour over meat in skillet. Cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 440 | Total Fat: 32.3g | Cholesterol: 132mg

Easy Mushroom Alfredo using Cream of Mushroom Soup

Mushroom Alfredo

This is a quick-to-fix meal that will become your family favorite. I usually increase the garlic to 2 plus cloves.

Ingredients -

1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup 1/2 Cup Whole Milk 1/2 Cup Red Pepper (diced) 1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese 1 Clove Garlic (minced) 2 Tablespoons Parsley (chopped) 4 Cups Linguine or Fettuccine (cooked)

Preparation:

1. In a saucepan, combine soup, milk, red pepper, cheese, garlic and parsley. 2. Bring the mixture to boil at medium heat, stirring often. 3. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. 4. Pour the sauce over the noodles and sprinkle it with pepper and additional cheese if desired.

White Hot! (New LASAGNA Swap!) by Hungry Girl

HG's Hungry Girlfredo White Lasagna
White Done Right!

In what world is pasta baked in cream sauce and cheese NOT a calorie-and-fat-packed nightmare? In HG Land, baby! Your head may actually explode when you taste the insanely gooey decadence that is our Hungry Girlfredo White Lasagna. So don't say we didn't warn you...

Ingredients:
3 medium zucchini, ends removed
1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
2 large egg whites or 1/4 cup liquid egg whites
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. salt, divided
1/4 tsp. black pepper, divided
1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms
2 cups chopped spinach
3/4 cup fat-free sour cream
4 wedges The Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss cheese
4 tbsp. reduced-fat Parmesan-style grated topping, divided
4 sheets oven-ready lasagna noodles (like the kind by Ronzoni)
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Optional: additional salt and black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Slice zucchini in half widthwise, and then slice each half lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick strips. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg whites, garlic, oregano, basil, 1/8 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. black pepper. Stir well and set aside.

Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat on the stove. Add mushrooms and, stirring occasionally, cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add spinach and cook until spinach has wilted and excess moisture has evaporated, about 2 more minutes.

Remove skillet from heat and let cool. Blot away excess moisture from veggies, using paper towels. Transfer contents to the bowl of ricotta mixture and set aside.

Re-spray skillet and return to medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook zucchini until softened, about 2 minutes per side; remove skillet from heat and re-spray between batches. Set zucchini aside.

To make the sauce, in a microwave-safe bowl, combine sour cream with cheese wedges, breaking cheese wedges into pieces as you add them. Stir in 2 tbsp. Parm-style topping, remaining 1/8 tsp. salt, and remaining 1/8 tsp. black pepper. Microwave for 30 - 45 seconds, until very warm. Stir until smooth and set aside.

Spray an 8" X 8" baking pan with nonstick spray. Evenly place 1/3rd of the cooked zucchini strips on the bottom. With a spoon or spatula, spread half of the ricotta-veggie mixture on top. Evenly top with 2 lasagna sheets, followed by 1/3rd of the sauce.

Repeat layering with the same amounts of zucchini, ricotta-veggie mixture, lasagna sheets, and sauce. Evenly top with remaining zucchini, followed by remaining sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and remaining 2 tbsp. Parm-style grated topping.

Bake in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes, until cheese starts to brown.

If you like, season to taste with additional salt and black pepper. Enjoy!

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Serving Size: 1/4th of lasagna (1 large piece)
Calories: 290
Fat: 6.5g
Sodium: 726mg
Carbs: 33g
Fiber: 3g
Sugars: 10g
Protein: 21.5g

PointsPlus™ value 7*