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A Note From feedfeed
When it comes to beer, there is nothing I love more than a bold, juicy and hop-forward IPA. The more bitter the better, and bring on all those fresh citrus notes. IPA is such a natural pairing for food; its bitterness can stand up to spicy, salty, deeply caramelized and even sweet flavors like a champ. The one downside, all that flavor in an IPA can also make you very full making it hard to truly enjoy the food you’re pairing it with.
Enter Goose Island’s new So Lo IPA. It drinks just like the big-bodied IPAs I know and love but leaves my belly feeling, well, less big bodied. Don’t get me wrong, you won’t ever catch me on a diet, it’s not in my DNA. I tried no carbs in solidarity with my sister in preparation for her wedding and I lasted 3 hours, no joke. My philosophy around eating is everything in moderation; you should eat and drink what makes you feel good. So Lo definitely makes that list! It’s crisp, refreshing, pairs well with the food I like to eat but doesn’t overpower the main course by filling me up with liquid calories. Each 12 ounce can contains 98 calories (for reference, your average IPA packs more like 200) but it doesn’t drink like your typical light (i.e watery) light beer. It’s big on hops, has a strong but pleasant bitterness and has a bright citrusy aroma l love. The fact that it’s low in calories is a nice little surprise; you’d never know it from the taste alone!
Will my new found love for So Lo replace my cravings for a big, bad, caloric equivalent to a milkshake IPA anytime soon? No, but it’s certainly making its way into the weekly rotation!
In this recipe I decided to pair with versatile So Lo with a Loaded Baked Sweet Potato Bar with a bit of an Italian twist. It’s a recipe that’s perfect for entertaining or a fun and interactive weeknight dinner. You can prepare many of the toppings and even the sweet potatoes in advance and let people build the potatoes on their own before popping them in the oven to reheat. The crispy Bomba Sauce roasted chickpeas are truly impossible to stop eating, and be sure to make some extra caramelized onions; you’re gonna want to toss them on everything. The bitterness of the broccoli rabe is tamed ever so slightly by fresh garlic and lemon juice but still stands up really well to the pleasant bitterness of the beer. The best part of this recipe? Make it as easy or involved as you want. Don’t have time to make caramelized onions? Pick up some store bought onion jam instead. Don’t have time to prepare any of the other toppings? Take a trip to the olive bar at your local grocery store and stock up on marinated mushrooms, pickled peppers and artichoke hearts, the options are endless! Whatever you do, be sure to wash it down with a So Lo or two, after all, who’s counting?!
Recipe and Headnote Molly Adams
Recipe Card
ingredients
- 4 sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean, pierced all over with tines of a fork
- Olive oil, as needed
- Kosher salt, as needed
- Black peppercorns, freshly ground, as needed
- 1 cup caramelized onions, recipe below, divided
- 1 batch Bomba Roasted Chickpeas, recipe below, divided
- 1 batch Garlic and Lemon Broccoli Rabe, recipe below, divided
- 1 batch Crispy Mushrooms, recipe below, divided
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 425˚F and line a baking sheet with foil. Add pierced sweet potatoes to the prepared sheet pan and and coat lightly with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven to roast for about 45 minutes, or until tender.
Step 2
Remove from oven and let cool slightly, then cut in half and scoop out some of the flesh (save flesh for another use) so there is room to add toppings. Space the potato halves out on the prepared sheet pan.
Step 3
Divide the onions, chickpeas, broccoli rabe and mushrooms among the 8 potato halves and return to the oven until heated through, about 5-10 minutes.
Step 4
Top stuffed potato halves with tomatoes and scallions and serve.
For the Caramelized Onions:
ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 large yellow onions, sliced into half moons
- Kosher salt, as needed
- Black peppercorns, freshly ground, as needed
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup white wine, or chicken stock
Step 1
Add butter to a large dutch oven or wide skillet and melt. Once melted, add onions and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until they begin to sweat. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 2
After 15 minutes, add red wine vinegar and stir, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a little wine or chicken stock as needed to deglaze the bottom of the pan, until onions are deeply browned and caramelized.
For the Bomba Roasted Chickpeas:
ingredients
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons Bomba Sauce (Fermented Calabrian Chile Pepper Sauce)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Kosher salt, as needed
- Black peppercorns, freshly ground, as needed
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 425˚F and spread the chickpeas on a small rimmed sheet pan, add bomba sauce and olive oil and toss to evenly coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Step 2
Roast for 20 minutes, tossing halfway through, or until crisp and golden brown.
For the Garlic and Lemon Broccoli Rabe:
ingredients
- 2 bunches broccoli rabe, ends trimmed
- Kosher salt, as needed
- Black peppercorns, freshly ground, as needed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 lemon, juiced
Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and set up an ice bath. Add the broccoli rabe to the boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until bright green and tender. Add broccoli rabe to an ice bath for 1-2 minutes, then drain thoroughly. Roughly chop the broccoli rabe.
Step 2
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add broccoli rabe and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, and add lemon juice.
For the Crispy Mushrooms:
ingredients
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, bottoms discarded, tops thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- Splash of tamari
- Kosher salt, as needed
- Black peppercorns, freshly ground, as needed
Step 1
In a large dutch oven, add olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Remove mushrooms from heat and season with tamari,salt and pepper.