Irish Stew

I love planning special menus for holidays. Not just Thanksgiving & Christmas, but ANY holiday. Today is St. Patrick's Day, so it's time for the annual soda bread, Irish stew, and teasing from my husband about the one day a year it smells like beer outside at my alma mater...

My sweet husband enjoyed this meal so much, he asked if there were any other Irish holidays we could commemorate with this delicious meal. That sure is nice to hear!

Although traditional Irish Stew recipes use lamb seared in bacon fat, I took the liberty of using pork and olive oil. The results are magnificent. The pork is super tender, the broth so savory a toddler will keep you busy feeding HIM your broth, and the vegetables are tender and delicious. The stew has enough potatoes to stick to your ribs, but not so much that you feel guilty about the carbs.

I served this stew with Weight Watcher's recipe for Irish Soda Bread.


Irish Stew
2 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 green pepper, diced (traditionally, this would be onion)
garlic cloves, minced
3 potatoes, diced
2 c beef broth
1/2 c white wine (I used leftover Chardonnay)
1 tsp thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 pork chops, cut into 1" cubes
2 Tbsp flour
olive oil

Saute the diced veggies in olive oil. Meanwhile, coat the pork cubes in seasoned flour. Sear the pork cubes in batches (so the pan doesn't get crowded). Place all ingredients in a crock pot on High for six hours.

Minestrone Soup

I thought cravings stopped when the pregnancy was over, but apparently they don't! I had a stray craving for kale again that inspired this soup. Traditionally, minestrone contains shredded cabbage and/or spinach, but kale is in season and delicious. As it turns out, this soup is very satisfying and flavorful, while still being incredibly simple to make.

I served this with corn muffins, but any fresh bread or popover would be delicious.

Minestrone Soup
1 1/2 c chicken stock
14 oz can of diced tomatoes, undrained
16 oz can kidney beans, drained & rinsed
14 oz can green beans, drained
2 leaves kale, coursely chopped
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/3 c small pasta shells, cooked

In a saucepan, combine the first nine ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cooked pasta just before serving, so they don't get water-logged.

By the way, this would be a great candidate for a crock pot soup, too.

Sausage & Lentil Amnesia Soup

Ever see the movie Memento? It's about a guy trying to solve his wife's murder, but he lost his short-term memory after a head injury. He kept track of people and ideas with notes to himself.

Sometimes I forget about this recipe even though it is hearty, delicious, and satisfying. It's a perfect winter night meal when paired with your favorite bread. Be sure to leave yourself a reminder of this recipe and how much you like it where you'll find it as soon as the snow flies...

Sausage & Lentil Amnesia Soup

1 c dry lentils
5 c water
2 low sodium beef bouillon cubes
1 tsp dried basil
¼ tsp black pepper
7 oz turkey kielbasa, sliced
10 oz frozen cut broccoli
1 medium carrot, chopped

Rinse lentils, drain, and place them in a crock pot. Add water, carrots, bouillon cubes, basil, and pepper. Cook on LOW for 6 hours, and then add kielbasa and broccoli. Cook on HIGH for ten minutes. Serves 4.

Note: Those of you who are particularly sharp-eyed will notice that the picture shows peas instead of broccoli. I am nursing, so I shy away from broccoli right now. However, I do prefer the recipe with broccoli, so the recipe reflects this preference.

Memere's Goulash

This recipe is based on one of my favorite recipes from growing up. My mom calls this Hamburg Skillet Casserole, but, in our house, we call it Memere's Goulash. My husband called it that one night and the name stuck. (Memere is the French-Canadian way to say Grandmother.) Let this be a lesson - give something a catchy name or someone else will pick one for you.

Several years ago, we were stuck in a New York toll lane behind another silver Honda Civic. The other car had a bumper sticker, cross hanging from the rear view mirror, and a nun in full habit driving it. So, ever since, my own little silver Honda Civic has been called "The Nun Car". I say it again, give something a catchy name or someone else will pick one for you.

Memere's Goulash

1 lb lean ground beef

2 Tbsp parsley

4 beef bouillon cubes

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

3 c water

2 c carrots, sliced

2 c noodles

3 c frozen green beans or peas

Brown meat, then mix in the parsley, garlic powder, pepper, bouillon cubes, water, and carrots. Simmer the mixture for 15 minutes, then add noodles and green beans or peas. Cook for an additional 15 minutes. Serves 3.

Baby, It's Cold Outside Beef Stew

We received several inches of snow in the last two days, which is a big deal in Central Indiana. Typically, the weather gets cold without delivering the beautiful, fluffy wonderland. I love playing in snow, then coming inside to make (and eat) hearty stews. Today, I pulled out the Crock Pot to make Beef Stew.

This recipe is based on my Mom's recipe for Beef Stew, but made in the crock pot. I modified it by adding corn and cooking wine, which adds a richness to the savory broth.

Beef Stew (first try)
1 lb beef chuck, cut in 1" pieces
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1 celery stalk, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 potatoes, diced
1 can corn, drained
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 3/4 c low sodium beef stock
1/2 c cooking sherry
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp Worchestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
dash Cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp flour

Line a Crock Pot with a liner if you have one -- it makes cleanup so much quicker. Blend flour, pepper, and salt. Coat the beef chunks in the flour mixture, then place in the Crock Pot. Next, add the chopped and diced veggies, then the spices. Lastly, pour in the canned veggies, Worchestershire sauce, cooking wine, and beef stock. Cover and cook the stew on Low 10-12 hours (or 4-6 hours on High). About 10 minutes before serving, mix 2 Tbsp flour and three Tbsp water to make a paste. Stir this mixture into the stew to thicken it.

Tonight, I plan to serve this with Popovers. I can hardly wait!

The stew was delicious, but there are a couple of variations I plan to do next time. For instance, I plan to add frozen peas instead of canned corn and red cooking wine instead of cooking sherry. I knew I would prefer the red cooking wine, but I didn't have any on hand today. Trust me, it's worth a trip out to get the red instead of the sherry - it makes a big difference on the flavor of the stew. I will also add a small can of tomato paste.

So the improved recipe will be:
Baby, It's Cold Outside Beef Stew
1 lb beef chuck, cut in 1" pieces
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1 celery stalk, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 potatoes, diced
8 oz frozen peas
1 15 oz can stewed tomatoes
8 oz tomato paste
1 3/4 c low sodium beef stock
1/2 c cooking red wine
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp Worchestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
dash Cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp flour

Line a Crock Pot with a liner if you have one -- it makes cleanup so much quicker. Blend flour, pepper, and salt. Coat the beef chunks in the flour mixture, then place in the Crock Pot. Next, add the celery, potatoes, and carrots, then the spices. Lastly, pour in the stewed tomoatoes, tomato paste, Worchestershire sauce, cooking wine, and beef stock. Cover and cook the stew on Low 10-12 hours (or 4-6 hours on High). About 10 minutes before serving, mix 2 Tbsp flour and 3 Tbsp water to make a paste. Stir this mixture into the stew to thicken it.

Meatball Barley Soup

I meant to make the same Meatball Barley Soup I made last week. The one my husband called the "best soup I ever made". I agreed with him. It was luscious and satisfying, giving the same emotional response as a decadent dessert. However, tonight I thinly sliced the carrot with a fancy gadget from Salad Master instead of cutting chunks with a knife. Did you know that makes a HUGE difference for the taste of a dish?

As a chemist, I could tell you the theory of the surface area affect of accelerating a reaction. Or, in the case, accelerating the diffusion of carrot essence throughout a soup.Suffice it to say I threw away the leftovers (which almost never happens, given my frugal New England roots) and wrote a note in the cookbook to have big chunks of carrots.

Meatball Barley Soup
1/2 pound cooked meatballs
2 tsp oil
2 large leeks, cleaned and chopped (white and light green parts, only)
1 carrot, chopped (not shredded or thinly sliced)
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp black pepper
5 oz sliced mushrooms
29 oz reduced-sodium beef broth
1/4 c tomato paste
1/3 c quick-cooking barley

Defrost prepared meatballs. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, carrots, garlic, and spices. Cook, stirring often,until the vegetables are tender. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking and stirring for 4 minutes. Stir in the broth and tomato paste. Simmer the soup for 10 minutes, then add the barley. Simmer the soup for an additional 10 minutes, then add the meatballs. Cook, covered, until the soup is heated through (approximately 5 minutes).

This serves 4 people (or 2 people twice, as we did). The leftover soup is fantastic, too.

Potato Leek Soup

One of my favorite meals in the winter is my husband's Cream of Potato Soup. The soup is thick, creamy, and flavored with dill. Mike not only makes the best potato soup, he can also make bread by hand. The combination makes a person's heart and belly feel full and warm. The soup I made was based heavily on his recipe for Cream of Potato Soup, but I sauted a diced leek instead of using onion.

The first recipe is Potato Leek Soup.
1 leek
3 russet potatoes
3 c chicken stock
1 tsp dill
1/2 tsp salt
6 Tbsp margarine
1/2 c all-purpose flour
2 c milk
1/4 tsp white pepper
dash black pepper

Dice the white and light green area of one leek, then chop enough peeled potatoes to get three and a half cups of potatoes. Simmer these vegetables in three cups of chicken broth seasoned with one teaspoon dried dill and a half teaspoon of salt. Meanwhile, melt six tablespoons of margarine in a separate pan. Blend half a cup of flour into the melted margarine to make a paste, then add two cups of 1% milk to the margarine paste. Stir the milk mixture over medium heat until it thickens. Season the milk mixture with one quarter teaspoon of white pepper and a dash of black pepper. Puree half the vegetable and broth mixture to thicken, then pour it back into the pot. Pour the thickened milk mixture into the simmering vegetable broth while stirring. Continue simmering the soup for approximately ten minutes for the flavors to meld.

We served this soup with fresh French bread and olive oil infused with dipping herbs. If you don't have a bread maker yet, get one. They are fantastic. This was a great warm-your-belly meal on a very chilly night.