If I'd known all of these details before I arrived on the Emerald Shores...I probably would've paid more attention to the tour guides! But alas! I did not have the knowledge. So I probably missed out on some prime opportunities to learn about our family. But never fear...I thoroughly enjoyed the meals on the trip! And the scenery was romantic and breathtaking!
There's a reason they call it the Emerald Isle. Ireland is beautifully, richly, green. It's as simple as that. It rained almost the entire week long. We just went anyway. As did the Irish locals.
From the time we landed at the Shannon airport until the time our plane departed from Dublin, my little tour group saw some of the most gorgeous scenery, ate rich meals, and tasted a pint of Guiness from one coast to the other. I learned two interesting things that I'll share with you now. One...Guiness is nasty! I'm sorry to say...but to me, it was like drinking the worst burned coffee. I pretended to sip every time I was offered a glass. But I just couldn't make myself drink it after the first taste. Yuck!
The second thing I learned...that the Irish LOVE their potatoes! Every single meal we ate contained potatoes...with a side of potatoes. Not fries, but boiled potatoes. And they set them on the table in a bowl like other restaraunts would serve bread. It's crazy! But as much as I love potatoes myself...it was perfect!
So today being St Patricks Day, I felt the pull of my Irish heritage. I need to make something Irish! And what could be more Irish than a hearty stew? Nothing! Just make sure you've got lots of potatoes!
A good stew is so simple to make and can really be done in under an hour. Although you'll find recipes that have much longer cooking times, it's not necessary. And the only thing different between my stew and one more likely to be found in Ireland, is the meat. I use beef, and they typically use lamb.
Gather a few ingredients: a package of stew meat, 6 or 7 potatoes, 4 large carrots, 1 1/2 cups of frozen corn, a can of green beans, a carton of beef stock (32oz), half an onion, salt, pepper, and a bay leaf.
It's always most time effecient to chop the veggies first. Toss the chopped onion into the pot with a tablespoon of butter (or vegetable oil) and saute until translucent. For my stew I like to slice the carrots into rounds. If you keep them pretty slim, it helps with the cooking time. But since this is a stew, you'll want to keep your potatoes a little more substantial.
The last thing I do, while the onions are cooking away over low heat, is chop the stew meat. Yes, I said chop the stew meat! I know! I know! It comes already chopped! But the pieces are very big. So I cut them into cubes about 1/4 inch each. It makes the package of meat go farther, and makes the bites smaller and easier to eat. And of course, it helps with the cooking time as well.
Once the onions are looking pretty, toss in the meat and turn up the heat. Brown the meat with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and about a 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. As soon as it's brown and smelling fabulous, add the potatoes and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Then add the carrots, and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. And then the frozen corn, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Last veggie...open the can of green beans and after draining the juice off...toss 'em in the pot. But DON'T add extra salt for them. I realize it sounds like we just added ALOT of salt. But potatoes take up alot of salt, so if you don't add plenty with each new vegetable, you won't get the flavor right.
Stir the pot after adding each ingredient. Then pour the 32oz carton of beef stock into the mix, stir, and toss a bayleaf on top. Cover the pot and let it boil for about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Don't forget to pull out that bayleaf before you serve it. It's kinda yucky getting that in your bowl!
Serve up your amazing Irish stew and pretend you're in a pub in Kilkenny.
Need dessert? How about an Irish Cream Pie? Easier than the stew! You'll just need a package of instant chocolte pudding, Cool Whip, a graham cracker crust, milk, and some Baileys Irish Cream. This dessert is NOT for the little ones!
Make the pudding according to the directions on the box (the ones for a pie filling). I used a 1.4 ounce package, sugar free. The only variation will be to substitute the Baileys Irish Cream for 1/4 cup of the milk. Let the pudding set for just a few minutes to thicken, then add about 6 ounces of CoolWhip and stir. Mix it thoroughy and then pour this creamy dream into a 10 inch graham cracker crust. Top the pie with another 6 ounces of CoolWhip and then sprinkle some mini chocolate chips on top. Cover the pie and refrigerate until after dinner, at least an hour or two. That's it!
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