Irish Beef Stew

In honor of St. Patrick's Day here is my post on Irish Beef Stew. It was so good!! But just a heads up, it takes about 3 hours to cook, so give yourself time. We ended up eating at 8:00pm because I didn't time things well...but it was worth it. Also, please enjoy the amazing smells that come from this dish that will fill your home... It's wonderful!!

Though traditionally Corned Beef and Cabbage is what we eat [and will eat] for St. Patrick's Day, this is a great dish and serves many. So if you are looking for a meal tonight to celebrate this green holiday, try this and let me know what you think. :)

Irish Beef Stew

Ingredients
Stew beef
3-4 Carrots- cut 1/4 thick slices
1 Yellow Onion- 1 inch cut
3 Garlic cloves- diced
3 Celery- chopped
4 Red Potatoes- 1 inch cut
Cabbage- 1 - 1 1/2 cup chopped
Beef Stock- 2 cups [or more]
Tomato paste- 1/3 cup
Stout beer- 1 1/2 cup [I ended up pouring the whole thing in just because though]
Dried Thyme- 2 tsp
Red pepper flakes- dash
Bay leaf- 2
Salt & Pepper to taste
Olive oil- 2 Tbs

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Then heat a dutch oven or large oven-safe pot with olive oil, add the beef chunks in one layer. Brown the beef on both sides, about 5-6 minutes, set aside.

2. Once the beef is all browned, toss it back in the pot with garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir about 1 minute.

3. Add stock, beer, tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaves, making sure the stock covers the beef. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir and bring to a boil, then let simmer and cover. Then place the covered pot in the oven. Cook for about 1 hour, then remove and add the carrots, onion, potatoes, and celery. Return pot to the oven for 2 more hours.

4. Add the chopped cabbage about 15 minutes before you need to remove it. Cabbage cooks quickly so you don't want it to wilt.

5. Spoon into a large bowl and enjoy!

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!! 

Crock Pot Wild Rice Soup

This.meal.is.delicious.

That's all.

Really though, it turned out great. :) It is the perfect Fall evening meal. And it is super super easy!

Ingredients

1/2 cup Brown Rice
1/2 cup Wild Rice [I used Trader Joe's Rice Medley]
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 [32oz] Chicken broth
1 [14.5oz] can Chicken broth
1 tsp dried Thyme
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1 small garlic, minced
4 chicken tenders, shredded after cooked

1. Stir rice and oil in crock pot, cover and cook on HIGH for 15 minutes.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir, cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours.

 3. Carefully pull chicken out about 30 minutes before serving.

Shred chicken, then place back in the crock pot for about 30 minutes.

3. Enjoy!

Italian Wedding Soup

I've decided to make more soups throughout the month. At least 2 every month which is more than I was doing. This soup is a must make again. It got high reviews from me and the hubs! ;) It was so warm and flavorful and hearty. I really enjoyed making it too because it was simple enough. I had fun looking at different Italian soup recipes to kind of bring 'em together and form an even better taste!

Now you can make your own meatballs, by all means... but not me! I had a meatball incident in the first few months of our marriage where I was making spaghetti & meatballs and well... a slip here and all the meatballs and sauce were everywhere. So, I'm going to stick to buying meatballs already made and cooked. :) Plus that made this meal that much easier!

Italian Wedding Soup

Here's what ya need:
16 oz bag Trader Joe's Turkey Meatballs
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1 large garlic, minced
1/2 small red onion
32 oz Chicken stock
1/4 tsp dried dill
Dash of Italian Medley
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
1 Tbs white cooking wine, optional
3 oz Spinach
Salt & pepper
Parmesan cheese to top

1. Warm meatballs in oven according to package, halfway.

2. In a large pot on medium heat, saute garlic and onion. Add chicken stock, salt, pepper, dill, Italian Medley, and wine[optional]. Bring to a boil. Stir well.

3. Add meatballs.

4. Beat egg then add to pot. Stir well. Then break egg apart using a fork. [Stir with a fork mixing and break the egg up.]

5. Add cheese. Stir well. Bring to boil.

6. Add spinach, let simmer 1-2 minutes or until spinach is welted.

7. Bowl and top with Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!!!

[Vegetable] Broccoli Cheddar Soup

This soup is one of our favorites. I enjoy doing soups, but find I'm not that good at them. [I know you're probably thinking, how can she mess up soups??] Well, what I've found is that I cannot leave all soups on the stove to simmer all day, some will turn into mush. ;) But, this vegetable/broccoli cheddar soup, I haven't messed up :) and it seems to turn out better each time I make it. [Don't know how that happens, but hey, I'll take it]. I first made this in the dead of Winter; cold weather and soups are the best combination. But now, even when it's fairly warm outside, it's still the perfect soup!

Here's what you'll need:

2 tbs butter
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 cup carrot, chopped or julienne [small slices]
1-2 celery, chopped
1tbs garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
2 potatoes, peeled & chopped
1 tbs flour
1/2 cup warm water
2/3 cup milk
2 cups chopped broccoli [I go heavy on the broccoli & used 2 large broccoli heads, chopped]
2-3 cups of shredded cheddar cheese




1. Chop all your veggies.

2. Melt the butter in a large pot, on medium heat.

3. Add the onions, carrots, & celery. Cook until tender.

4. Add the garlic, cook for 2 minutes.

5. Add the chicken broth & potatoes. Bring to a boil & cook until the potatoes are tender.

6. Mix the flour with the water, then add. Let the soup simmer until thickened.

7. Add the milk & broccoli, cook until broccoli is tender.

8. Stir in the cheese, allow it to melt.

Enjoy :)

French Onion Soup

Another meatless Wednesday on this side of town. French Onion Soup is the perfect meal for this beautiful night, plus I've been craving it! :)

Thank you to our Newlywed's Cookbook :-D

You will need:

3 tbs unsalted butter

1 tbs evoo

3 large onions, chopped into big chunks [or slices]

2 garlic, crushed

1 tbs flour

1 chicken broth

2 ¾ cups dry white wine

1 fresh bay leaf

1/2 tsp thyme

1 baguette, sliced

1 ½ cups freshly grated Gruyere cheese, about 5 oz.

salt & pepper

*It calls for 2 sprigs of thyme, but when I make this again, I wont use any thyme. I think it'll taste better without it. 

1. Place the butter & EVOO in a large pot and melt over medium heat. 

2. Add the onions & cook until soft.

3. Add the garlic & flour & cook, stirring, for about 1 minute.

4. Add the broth, wine, bay leaf, & thyme [if you use it]. Then season with salt & pepper & bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, then let simmer for about 20 minutes. [The soup is done at this point, but standing time will improve the flavor, at least 30 minutes.]

5. Preheat oven to broiler. Put the baguette slices on a baking sheet & toast in the oven.

6. The place soup in bowl, to serve, add the pieces of baguette & cheese on top. Cook under broiler until the cheese in browned and bubbling. 

7. Enjoy :)

Meatless Wednesdays

I've decided to start meatless Wednesdays as a means to not eat so much meat. If you know my husband, you know that for him, a meal isn't a "meal" without some meat! So, this is a slow adjustment :)

I decided to make homemade chicken broth, vegetable noodle soup. It was kind of an experiment for me since I had never done this before now. It was an adventure that turned out quite well! :)

Chicken broth

I took our 2 day old rotisserie chicken leftovers 

carrots
onions
celery salt [this was my celery substitute. If you have celery, use that instead]
salt
pepper
fresh thyme
oregano
red pepper flakes
basil
bay leaves
flour

Vegetable Noodle Soup
4 carrots
2 potatoes
2 small garlic, minced
1 onion
4 celery
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
pinch of pepper
pinch of salt
tsp oregano
tsp basil
tsp thyme
2 1/2 cup pasta

1. Take leftover chicken and cover with water. Place on medium heat over stove.

2. Add onions, carrots, and seasonings. [I really used whatever I had in the house at the time, really anything works for this part.] :)

3. Bring to a boil, add the flour [about 2 tbsp] & then let simmer for about 30-45 minutes.

4. Drain the chicken leftovers & vegetables into a large bowl.






5. Afterwards, strain the broth [with a smaller colander] to get rid of any excess meat.

6. Return the broth into the pot, keep on medium low.
[Or store in fridge until you're ready to make the vegetable soup.]

7.  Chop all of the potatoes, carrots, garlic, onion, celery, and peppers.

* I had to show you my new favorite tool in the kitchen!

8. After you add all the vegetables and seasonings, cook on medium, let boil, then add the pasta and simmer for about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender & pasta is cooked all the way through.

9. Enjoy!










*This freezes well too :)