Welcome to Friday Food Fight, where two recipes duke it out to become my supper.
This week’s contenders:
GUINNESS BEEF STEW: Who doesn’t love to cook with beer? Especially Guinness; a bit for the stew, a bit for me…This hearty and delicious meal is perfect for the changing Canadian weather.
*Mum’s tip: You can add whichever vegetables you want, try potatoes and celery. Cooking the potatoes with the stew will make it a full meal, no need for a side (except for bread and butter, yum). You can also add some chili powder if you want an extra kick!
Recipe:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds braising beef, excess fat trimmed
1/4 cup flour
2 cups coarsely chopped onion
2 cups coarsely chopped carrots
1 cup coarsely chopped celery
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 11.5-ounce Guinness Stout beer
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups beef stock (we like to use the Kitchen Basics brand)
salt and pepper
Heat oven to 275 degrees F. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. While the oil heats, pat the beef dry, season with 1 teaspoon of salt, and then roll in flour so that all sides are lightly dusted.
Working in batches and adding additional oil as needed, add beef in one layer to the hot oil and brown on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve for later. Add onions, carrots and celery to the same Dutch oven. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes until the onion just begin to sweat and soften. Add garlic and cook another minute.
Pour in Guinness and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan to get up any brown bits left over from cooking the beef and vegetables. Add the reserved beef, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, beef stock and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir then cover with lid and place into oven. Cook 1 hour then check on the stew. If the top of the stew is dry, add some extra beef stock or water. Taste for seasoning and add salt/pepper as needed then cover again and cook another 30 minutes to an hour until the beef is tender and can easily be pulled apart with a fork.
Recipe courtesy of inspired taste.
IRISH NACHOS: I was looking around for some fun ways of making nachos, and fell on this recipe. It looked too good not to pass!
*Mum’s tip: Mum doesn’t really make nachos, but maybe this is a good time to get those dips out of the fridge and see what’s still good. Right Mum?
Recipe:
1 large russet potato [add a few extra if feeding a crowd]
your favorite healthy oil
dried parsley, cayenne, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, to taste
and all your favorite nachos toppings!
t-rex chefs add some shredded chicken or pork and have at it
vegansaurus chefs skip the cheese or add some daiya instead — this dish is easily veganized and oh-so flavorful either way. You can also make these with butternut squash!
toppings
cheese [I grated two cheddar/mozzarella string cheeses]
fresh or pickled jalapeno peppers
greek yogurt
guacamole
ranch
salsa
tomatoes
black beans
black olives
chopped green onion
bell peppers or sweet mini peppers
dried parsley, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, to taste
Set your oven to BROIL on high. Wash and peel your potatoes [or leave the skin on for extra nutrients!] and cut into discs. I like mine the same thickness and texture as steak fries. Crunchy, crust-like outside and a fluffy mashed potato-like center. It makes me weak in the knees.
Spritz or rub with your favorite oil [olive, coconut, etc…] and sprinkle with cayenne pepper, dried parsley, and a little salt and pepper if you’d like! Lay flat on a wire cooling rack or grilling rack and set atop a reflective baking sheet. This will allow both sides to cook evenly and prevent mushiness.
Recipe courtesy of Peas and Crayons.
*VERDICT*: Not too sure how I ended up with 2 Irish recipes. I know I’m extremely late for St-Patty’s day, but hey, Canada is getting cold and these recipes are delicious. Which also means I will have some Irish nacho appetizers before my Guinness Stew. Shucks.
What are you making for supper? Tweet me @warriorrenaud, or use the hashtag #fridayfoodfight.
Not Xena: Warrior Princess 