The Lush Chef

Libations used: 1 bottle of beer...
Libations left over: Crack open another bottle while the bread bakes...
I went wine tasting this past weekend with friends, and where there's tons of wine flowing, there's a need for plenty of carbs to soak up all that alcohol.  I absolutely love making beer bread because it's one of the cheapest, quickest and most flavorful breads you can make.  In the past, I've made this heavenly buttery and cheesy Cheddar Beer Bread, but I wanted to include some slightly healthier ingredients this time.  I also knew we'd be eating plenty of cheese and crackers, so there was no need for extra dairy.  This recipe for Beer Bread with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Olives from Epicurious was equally fast and uses a little oil from jarred, sun-dried tomatoes to add extra flavor.  I went heavy on the tomatoes and olives, and be sure to use a light beer or pale ale when making this — I used Blue Moon Hefeweizen.  I ended up sharing this bread at a couple of wineries with our lovely tasting room pourers and fellow visitors.  It's a great way to get hefty pours or special tastings...needless to say, we made lots of friends.

Beer Bread with Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Olives: makes 1 loaf
Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 large egg, beaten lightly
• One 12 oz bottle of light beer (I used Blue Moon)
• Scant 3/4 cup of chopped, drained sun-dried tomatoes 
• 1 Tbs of sun-dried tomato oil
• Scant 1/2 cup of chopped pimiento-stuffed olives

- Preheat oven to 350.
- Grease and flour a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.
- In a large bowl sift together the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
- Add the egg, beer, tomatoes, reserved oil and olives and stir until the batter is just combined.
- Pour the batter in the pan and bake for 40 minutes, or until it's baked through (mine took about 50 minutes).
- Turn the bread out onto a rack and let cool before slicing.