Hearty Irish Lager Stew

You probably don't think "vegetarian" when you think of Irish food, but this dish is not only vegetarian, it's vegan. This recipe for Hearty Irish Lager Stew from the March, 2011 issue of Vegetarian Times magazine is made with no animal products at all so it's super healthy. That might not have you smackin' your lips, but this stew is very tasty and since it's made of mostly veggies, you can eat a huge amount and it won't go to your hips. And, it's made with beer! So that's kinda fun.

Make sure you cut your veggies on the small side. Ours were a bit large and with the cooking times listed in the recipe we found that the potatoes were still hard. We cooked it an extra 15-20 minutes and some of it was still al dente. It was good anyways; I don't mind chewing my vegetables. I'd rather that than have them be too mushy. And we munched on some Salt and Vinegar Potato Bites while we were waiting for the stew to finish so we had no complaints.

Hearty Irish Lager Stew Serves 8 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil 8 oz. button or shittake mushrooms, halved 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.) 1 medium leek, white part only, diced (1 cup) 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced (2 cups) 2 small parsnips, peeled and sliced (1½ cups) 1½ tsp. tomato paste 1 15-oz. can crushed tomatoes 1½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth 2 sprigs fresh thyme, tied in bundle, plus 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme, divided ½ lager beer 1½ Tbsp. quick-cooking tapioca 1 cup shredded cabbage 1 Tbsp. white miso 2 Tbsp. chopped parsley

Heat ½ Tbsp. oil in large pot over medium heat. Add mushrooms and garlic; saute 8 minutes, or until mushrooms are browned. Remove from pan. Add remaining ½ Tbsp. oil to pot. Add leek, and cook 5 minutes. Add potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and tomato paste. Cook 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, broth, and thyme sprigs; bring to a boil. Reduct heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add lager, tapioca, and mushrooms. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes, or until thickened, stirring often. Remove thyme sprigs, stir in cabbage and miso, and simmer 4 to 5 minutes, or until cabbage softens. Stir in chopped thyme and parsley, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Nutritional Information as provided in magazine:
Per 1-cup serving: 118 CAL; 4 G PROT; 2 G TOTAL FAT (<1 G SAT FAT); 23 G CARB; 0 MG CHOL; 204 MG SOD; 5 G FIBER; 5 G SUGARS

Salt and Vinegar Potato Bites

We love these potatoes! Way better then french fries, roasted potatoes are much healthier. Found in the March, 2011 issue of Vegetarian Times magazine I made these tonight as a snack.

The recipe says you can drizzle the sauce over the potatoes, but I think that would have made them soggy. We liked dipping them and that way we could each control the amount of vinegar that absorbed into to potato.

Salt and Vinegar Potato Bites Serves 8 6 medium red or yello potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes (3 cups) 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil 1 cup malt vinegar 3 Tbsp. sugar Soak potatoes in large bowl of cold water 30 minutes. Drain, and pat dry. Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss potatoes with oil on baking sheet, and spread in single layer. Roast 45 minutes, or until golden and crisp, turning 2 or 3 times. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Meanwhile, bring vinegar and sugar to a simmer in saucepan over medium heat. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until liquid is reduced by half, stirring occasionally. Serve malt sauce on side for dipping, or drizzle over potatoes.

Nutritional Information as provided in magazine:
Per ½-cup serving: 89 CAL; 1 G PROT; 4 G TOTAL FAT (<1 G SAT FAT); 14 G CARB; 0 MG CHOL; 3 MG SOD; <1 G FIBER; 5 G SUGARS

Cider-Glazed Scallops

I have died and gone to heaven. Somehow the Cider-Glazed Scallops from The Irish Spirit cookbook are the BEST scallops I have ever eaten in my life. And I have eaten a lot of scallops. These scallops tenderly fried in rich Irish butter tastes like eating crab or lobster with drawn butter sauce. I couldn't help it - I was frying the scallops in batches and while the second batch was cooking I ate four or five scallops from the first batch.

And even better than crab or lobster, the apple cider glaze over the top adds a touch of sweetness that is sublime. The scallops get served over Irish Apple-Potato Cakes and the combo is perfect.

While this meal is quite easy to prepare, I somehow used every single pot in my entire kitchen. Between the boiling of the apples and potatoes and the frying of the scallops and the potato cakes . . . I had my counters covered with every pot, pan and measuring utensil when done. But it was so tasty I didn't care, and I will make these again. But I will have to double the batch because I can eat this entire recipe by myself. I really hope you try this one out because it is amazing!

Look for more Irish recipes at the roundup of St. Patrick's Day: Green or Irish, an international food blogging event hosted by kochtopf.

Cider-Glazed Scallops Serves 4 as main course 1 cup Irish cider 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 pound sea scallops, rinsed and patted dry Salt and freshly ground pepper 6 tablespoons unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter 1/4 cup minced fresh sage 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 small Granny Smith apple, unpeeled, cored, sliced and cut into 1/4-inch pieces Irish Apple-Potato Cakes

In a small saucepan, bring the cider and wine to a boil. Cook stirring frequently, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the mixture is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Set aside.

Season the scallops with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. When the butter starts to brown, add the scallops and cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until browned. Remove from the heat, transfer to serving plates, and cover to keep warm.

Return the skillet to the stovetop over medium heat. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Stir in the cider mixture, sage, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, the stir in the apple. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and the apple pieces are slightly tender. Season again with salt and pepper. Uncover the scallops and spoon the sauce over the top. Serve with the potato cakes.

Irish Apple-Potato Cakes

Well, it's March! I've been waiting to crack open The Irish Spirit cookbook I got a few weeks ago. Not that I need to eat Irish Food only around St. Patrick's Day, but I did want to have a few Irish posts around this time of year.

Okay, I'll fess up. These are so good that I was eating them raw! Well, everything is safe to eat but I was eating spoonfuls before they got fried. Mashed potatoes and apples? What an AMAZING combo! This was another one of those dishes that I couldn't believe I made something on my own that tasted so good.

I am not the best fryer in the world. My Irish Apple-Potato Cakes ended up like brown mush. I don't know . . . when my grandma made mashed potato cakes they were all nice and crisp and like individual little cakes. When I tried to flip mine they were all mush. But they TASTED amazing and that's what counts, right?


Check for the Monthly Mingle #8: Savory Cakes roundup at hosted by Meeta at What's for Lunch Honey at the end of the month.

Irish Apple-Potato Cakes Makes 8 Cakes 1 pound baking potatoes, peeled and quartered 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced 2 tablespoons water 4 tablespoons unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter 1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour Salt and freshly ground pepper 2 tablespoons canola oil

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 12 to 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain and mash. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the apples and water. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the apples begin to break up and are pulpy. Drain the apples and stir into the potatoes. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter, the parsley, flour and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. With floured hands, form the mixture into 8 flat cakes. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the oil. Fry the potato cakes for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until browned and crisp.

Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations visits Ireland

Anthony Bourdain kicked off Season Three of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations on the Travel Channel with a nice clean haircut and a trip to Ireland. Ususally, Anthony Bourdain goes someplace off the beaten path. I was surprised that Ireland would be the destination he chose to begin his new season. Ireland seems so . . . normal. And European. Not edgy at all. But that is also why I am glad Tony went there. He brings the edge out. He finds the interesting nooks and crannies of a place.

For those not in the know, Anthony Bourdain is known as the "bad boy" of the culinary world. He is also known as a fearless eater. He is an accomplished food writer and chef in his own right. He is the executive chef of Brasserie Les Halles which has locations in New York, Washington D.C. and Miami.

In his traditional format, Tony visits local establishments in the town he is visiting to eat, drink and be merry. He always meets up with some local people to talk about the town and the food. What is so unique in his show is that we not only find out about what the locals eat, but how they live. And he always discusses the history and current politics of the region. Tony's voice-over during the show delivers his famous a no-bullshit style. He is very frank and that is refreshing. He is quick to voice his opinoins but he is also very respectful. He admits when he is uneducated about things. So even though some people may not appreciate his language or his harsh manner, he is very honest. To mirror his writing and speaking style, the videographers hired for No Reservations also deliver an edgy format.

No Reservations is one of my favorite shows to watch each week and I am glad that the new season has begun and Anthony will be taking us to all sorts of interesting places.



As for his trip to Ireland, first up is Belfast in Northern Ireland. The Shankhill district to be specific. After checking out the town, he settled in at The Crown Salon for a few pints of Guiness and some traditional Irish pub fare. Tony ordered an Irish Stew and a Beef and Guiness Pie. He comments on Irish Stew that "depending who is making it, it's either the best or worst thing on earth."

For some fine dining in Belfast, Tony ate at the Cayenne Restaurant. Chef Paul Rankin brought out an Oriental Appetizer plate with Lobster-chicken Wontons, Sushi, and other goodies that looked amazing. They discussed the Irish people's dislike of fish. It was funny because they were eating sushi as they were discussing it! But Chef Paul explained how he is trying to raise peoples awareness of new foods. For their main course, Tony ordered Irish beef and the Chef Paul ordered Irish Lamb. Of course Tony had to try both. They must of had to roll him out of there after eating all of that food!

Next stop: Dublin. on the train ride to Dublin Tony had a traditional Irish breakfast - including blood pudding - and then took a nap. He spent the day wandering the city with an old friend. Of course U2 got mentioned since they are Ireland's favorite rock band. When asked what a traditional Dubliner would eat, he was taken to an asian food market! They discussed the influx of Asian people and culture in Dublin and noted that it is a good sign of the city's growth.



It was off to the seaside town of Howth to discuss more seafood with a different friend - named Paddy of course. They ate some amazing looking shellfish dishes at King Sitric. Tony was forced to wear a lobster bib and he looked so cute! All the shellfish looked so fresh and yummy - not that I'd want to cook any of it, but I'd love to be able to try it all. The razor clams he described made me want to run out and find some.

His experience in County Cork looked like so much fun! It was filled with live music, making blood pudding with another chef, playing rugby and visiting some artisanal cheese houses. YUM! I love cheese. The cheeses and meats direct from the farm looked so fresh. I did a quick search online and discovered that you can order a wide varity of Irish Artisan Cheese from Artisinal Premium Cheese. (They also have a catalog you can order and a cheese of the month club you can subscribe to!)

Next week Tony goes to someplace more exotic: Ghana.