Traditional Irish Stew

Erin Go Bragh!

St Patrick's Day is upon us, so I felt compelled to make a traditional Irish Stew.  I was going to use lamb for this dish, however, I was not too excited about paying north of $12 per pound for lamb.  So my next thought was to substitute stew meat which is perfectly acceptable.  Then, I remembered that I had a 2 pound beef rib roast in the freezer that I won at a meat shoot.  It may not be traditional Irish stew, but this dish turned out fantastic.  In honor of the way it turned out, I will include my recipe for Irish coffee as well as a cornmuffin recipe that I ground my own corn to make the corn meal.  This was a fun two days in the kitchen.

Thanks to http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/irish-stew-recipe0.html?oc=linkback for the original recipe.

---Enjoy

Traditional Irish Stew

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 med yellow onions, diced 
• 2 lb stew meat / mince or lamb (Remember, you can substitute stew meet, but I used beef rib roast.)
• 2 lbs size B red potatoes cut into eighths
• 1 lb baby carrots cut in half lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons pearl barley
• 1 cup roasted corn
• 5 cups low sodium reduced fat beef broth
• 1 bouquet garni (parsley, thyme and bay leaf)
• 1/4 teaspoon Sage
• 1 sprig dried thyme (1/2 tbs dried)
• 1 bunch parsley leaves, finely chopped (9 teaspoons dried)
• 1 bunch chives (1/2 cup chopped)
• Salt & pepper (personal preference) 

Method

1. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, soup pot or dutch oven, heat the oil over med heat, reduce to low and sweat the onions in oil, until they are translucent.  About 20 minutes. 
2. Add the dried thyme and stir. 
3. Add the meat and brown on a high heat to seal in juices. 
4. Add carrots, and pearl barley. 
5. Pour in the chicken stock so that it almost covers the meat and vegetables. 
6. Season with salt and pepper, and add Bouquet garni. 
7. Cover and cook on low heat for 2 hours, being careful not to boil. 
8. Place potatoes on top of the stew, cover and cook for 30 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.
   
   Serve the stew in large flat soup bowls, and drizzle herb butter over the potatoes or garnish with parsley and chives.
   
   

   Whole Wheat Cornbread Muffins

• 1 1/2 cups cornmeal 
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 cup roasted corn kernels
• 1 cup chopped nuts of your choice (such as pecans or walnuts)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Line a standard muffin tin with either paper or tin liners, or spray with canola oil.
3. Whisk together cornmeal, flour, flaxseed, baking powder and salt in a bowl. 
4. In a seperate bowl, whisk together almond milk, applesauce and honey. 
5. Stir honey mixture into cornmeal mixture. Add corn and nuts and stir until combined. 
6. Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serving Irish Stew  Stew can be eaten at any time of day although eating it for breakfast would be bit much. This can be a substantial meal so dont plan on taking a jog afterwards.

Irish Coffee Brew a pot of coffee Pour milk into a small saucepan and bring to a boil* Transfer milk to a small bowl and whisk vigerously until frothy Pour a cup of coffee and add a shot of Tullamore Dew Irish Whisky leaving enough room for the frothy milk Add the milk and enjoy 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 1/4 cup honey 1 cup roasted corn kernels 1 cup chopped nuts of your choice (such as pecans or walnuts) * Be creative.  I used an Almond/Coconut non-dairy blend instead of milk