Irish Stew

IRISH STEW: This dish is simple yet hearty. It requires the sacrifice of a good stout such as Guinness but it is well worth it in the end. We serve with Irish soda bread and homemade apple butter. Turn on some Irish tunes and you’d think you’re in Dublin.

Serves: 4 || Prep Time: 30 minutes || Cook Time: 60-90 minutes (stove top) or 5 minutes medium pressure (pressure cooker)

1 bottle 11.2 fl oz Guinness Stout
1 cup water
1 cup vegetable stock
2 onions or leeks, coarsely chopped
4 stalks celery, sliced
6 carrots cut into 1″ chunks
6 yellow potatoes, do not peel, cut into large chunks
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, low sodium, include brine
1 tablespoon parsley flakes or fresh
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Optional: If needed, use flour to thicken (make a roux by mixing a bit of the stew broth and a few tablespoons of flour – add the roux to the pot of stew and wait about 10 minutes to thicken).

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Stove Top: Prepare all vegetables. Place all ingredients into a soup pot, stir and cover. Simmer on medium heat for 60-90 minutes until vegetables have softened. If the stew needs to be thickened, for desired consistency, add flour by the tablespoon to a small about of stew broth, stir, add roux to the pot.

Pressure Cooker: Prepare all vegetables. Place all ingredients into a 5 quart pressure cooker. Cook on medium pressure for 5 minutes, take cooker off the hot burner and let rest until pressure is released. The stew will likely need to be thickened. Make a roux by adding a few tablespoons of flour to a small amount of stew broth, stir, add this roux to the pressure cooker and wait about 10 minutes for stew thicken.
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Whole wheat soda bread is a nice companion.

Nutrition Facts
Calories 480 Calories from Fat 1, Total Fat 0g, Saturated Fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 446mg, Total Carbohydrate 90g, Fiber 22g, Sugars 4g, Protein 22g

This is one of Tom’s favorites and we love the leftovers even better than the first plating.

This “hearty” loaf will become a favorite! Here’s a fun loaf for a main entree or to use in sandwiches.

CoachBJ's Black Bean and Mushroom Loaf — CoachBJ’s Black Bean and Mushroom Loaf

Serves: 8

1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
4 ounces (1 cup) Portabella Mushrooms
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1 stalk celery
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can black beans, lo sodium (drain, reserve broth)
1 cup oat bran
2/3 cup farina (quick cooking cream of wheat or use cream of rice for gluten-free), uncooked
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, lo sodium
1/2 teaspoon hickory liquid smoke
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons salt substitute
2 teaspoons basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce, lo sodium
For Hot Tomato Glaze:
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 clove garlic
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
Note: If you don’t like it spicy, just substitute with your favorite topping (ketchup, barbecue sauce, etc.).

Preheat over to 350° F. In a food processor, dice onion, garlic, mushrooms, celery and parsley. In large bowl, mash beans then add oat bran, farina, yeast, spices and herbs. Add diced vegetables, mix well. Add reserved bean broth and tomato sauce, as needed, until the mixture can be formed into a nice moist loaf. In a non-stick loaf pan, form the mixture into a loaf. Top the loaf with the hot tomato glaze. Cook for about 40 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

To Make Hot Tomato Glaze: Drain tomatoes. In food processor, puree tomatoes along with garlic clove and hot sauce.

NUTRITION FACTS

Calories 171 Calories from Fat 9, Total Fat 1g, Saturated Fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium131mg, Total Carbohydrate 35g, Fiber 8g, Sugars 4g, Protein 9