Irish Beef Stew

I found this recipe when I wasn't even looking for a beef stew recipe. Krista (kritta) from the new nest, posted it and I saved it for "some day". I have made a beef stew before -- in a crockpot. Everyone raves about crockpot cooking, but I just find it to be "ok". To me, it tastes the same, whether you are having beef, chicken, or whatever. So, when I saw a non-crockpot beef stew, I knew at some point I would want to try it; and with MH loving Guinness, I definitely wanted to give it a try. Last Sunday, we were sitting around the table trying to figure out what we wanted to buy at the grocery store. MH mentioned a beef stew would be good for these cold days coming up, so I said "I have JUST the recipe." I made kritta's recipe last night and it was delicious!

• 2 pounds lean beef stew or chuck, in 2-inch chunks
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• All-purpose flour for dredging
• 2 tablespoons bacon drippings or vegetable oil
• 2 large yellow onions, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• 6 to 8 medium carrots, scraped and sliced
• 2 to 3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
• 1 cup Guinness stout
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions1. Season beef with salt and pepper; toss beef chunks in flour until well coated.
2. Heat drippings or oil in Dutch oven and brown beef over medium-high heat in two batches. When all are browned, remove beef from pan and add onions and garlic and cook over medium heat until onion is translucent.
3. Return beef to pot and add carrots, potatoes, stout and broth. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer for two hours. Then before serving, dissolve the cornstarch in cold water and stir into the broth and simmer for another ½ hour.

My Modifications

I used:

• 30-35 mini carrots
• 5 potatoes
• 1 whole bottle of Guinness Stout
• 2 ½-3 cups beef broth
• 2 Tbsp. each, cold water and cornstarch
• Added sea salt and cracked ground peppercorns

Martha's Glazed Meatloaf

My friend Martha has a cooking blog. My blog is more of a recipe blog; but she's the real deal and actually cooks regularly for pleasure as well as sustenance. She posted on the nest one night about how she has made a kick-a** meatloaf so she directed me to the link in her blog. Since I had all of the ingredients on hand, I made it and she was SO RIGHT! It was a delicious meal.

For more tasty ideas from Martha, go to her blog: http://www.throwingspoons.com/

Glaze

• ½ cup ketchup or chili sauce
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons cider vinegar or white vinegar

Meatloaf

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced/pressed
• 2 large eggs
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• ½ cup milk
• 2 pounds ground beef chuck (or 1 lb. beef, 1/2 lb. pork, 1/2 lb. veal)
• 2/3 cup quick oatmeal

Directions
1. For the glaze: Mix all ingredients in small saucepan; set aside.
2. For the meat loaf: Heat oven to 350F. Heat oil in medium skillet. Add onion and garlic; sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool while preparing remaining ingredients.
3. Mix eggs with thyme, salt, pepper, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, pepper sauce, and milk. Add egg mixture to meat in large bowl along with oatmeal and cooked onion and garlic; mix with fork until evenly blended and meat mixture does not stick to bowl. (If mixture sticks, add additional milk, a couple tablespoons at a time, until mixture no longer sticks.)
4. Form meat mixture into 9x5” loaf and put onto foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Brush with one-quarter of glaze. Bake until glaze is set, about 45 minutes. Top with another one-quarter of glaze; continue to bake until second coat has set and loaf registers 160 degrees, about 15 minutes longer. Cool at least 20 minutes. Simmer remaining glaze over medium heat until thickened slightly. Slice meat loaf and serve with extra glaze passed separately.

Sweet Honey BBQ Meatballs

Deb brought the ingredients to make her fabulous slow cooker meatballs to one of our Feast of Christmas Eve celebrations. It was a hit with the family, and an easy appetizer recipe for future parties, including the Best Nestie GTG Ev-ah, and Karen's baby shower.

• 1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
• 1 jar apricot preserves
• ¼ cup honey (add more to taste)
• 1 bag frozen meatballs (I bought the Italian one's from BJ's)

Directions
Turn on the slow cooker to HIGH.
Combine the BBQ, apricot preserves, and honey and warmed.
Add frozen meatballs (or could be defrosted) and gently combine with the sauce until all of the meatballs are covered.
Keep slow cooker on HIGH until the sauce is hot and the meatballs are starting to heat through.
Turn slow cooker to LOW until it is time to serve.

Orzo Salad

My SIL, Francesca, made this for an impromptu cookout when Caroline and Joe came for a visit. She thought she was "slummin' it" for us by making hamburgers and this Orzo Salad, but I have to say, it was one of the most delicious meals all summer. She took the recipe from Food Network's Giada DeLaurentis, and modified it into the following recipe. It was a huge hit for our house, but also at Karen's baby shower.

• 1 pound orzo pasta
• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus ¼ cup
• ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
• 12 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
• Juice of two lemons
• 15-20 grape tomatoes, sliced
• 1 box frozen niblet corn, cooked
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Cook orzo, as per the directions, drain. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper or tin foil and lay out the orzo to cool. This is the key to keep the orzo from clumping. Drizzle with the 3 tablespoons of olive oil, toss, and spread out. Add more, if necessary. Set aside to cool.
Cook the frozen corn, drain, and set aside to cool.
Once both are cooled, transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and toss gently to combine.

Ambrosia

Here's another recipe that I got from Nick's mother. I made it recently for Karen's baby shower. Stayed up until 1:00 a.m. to make it, and guess what? I forgot to put it out!!!

• 2 cans medium canned oranges (no juice)
• 1 large can pineapple chunks (no juice)
• 8 oz. sour cream
• 1 bag of multi-colored marshmallows
• 3 Tbsp. sugar

Add oranges, pineapples, and marshmallows into a large bowl.
Combine the sugar into the sour cream.
Fold sour cream mixture into the ingredients above.
Cover and refrigerate before serving.
May want to add a proportionate amount of sour cream/sugar mixture to moisten, if necessary.

Cucumber Dill Appetizers

I first tried this at the 2008 Cronin Family Reunion. The recipe came from one of my stepmother's cousin's wife's sister (got that straight?). It's so simple, so easy, yet so good.

• (1) 8oz. container of whipped cream cheese
• 1 - 1½ packages Good Season's Italian seasoning
• Seedless cucumbers, sliced thin-to-medium thickness
• Dill, to taste
• Wheat bread

DirectionsMix the packet of Italian seasoning into the whipped cream cheese until combined. Taste and add more from a second seasoning packet, if needed.
Cut off crusts of wheat bread, and slice into 4 squares.
Toast lightly.
Spread the cream cheese mixture on each square of toast.
Add a sliced cucumber to each piece of toast.
Sprinkle with fresh or dried dill.