Tag: black pepper

Beef & Guinness Stew – Drinking AND Eating Beer on St. Patrick’s Day

While I’ve never been a huge fan of drinking Guinness, I’ve
always been a great admirer of how wonderfully it can elevate a simple beef stew. The subtle
bitterness from the hops, and toastiness from the malt, gives the gravy a depth
of flavor that I really love.

Besides, you only need one can for this St. Patrick’s Day-inspired stew, and since they’re sold in 4-can packs…well, you can do the math.
This would normally be the point in post where I’d make my annual Irish
drinking joke, but I’m not doing one this year.

Not only is it inappropriate, but it’s culturally
insensitive, and I’d like to think I’ve matured past the point of going for
such cheap laughs. Besides, my Irish joke writer, Paddy O’Sullivan, was on a
binge this week, so I never got one from him anyway. Oh well, like I said,
probably for the best.

Anyway, if you’re looking for a gorgeous and incredibly
delicious Irish stew recipe for your St. Patrick’s Day menu, this one comes
highly recommended. I served mine with some green onion mashed potatoes, and
while I usually encourage you to serve things like this on whatever you want,
not this time. You must serve this with some form of potato. And that is no
joke. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 large servings:

4 strips bacon, sliced into small pieces

2 1/2 lb. beef chuck, cut in 2-inch pieces (tossed with
black pepper and at least 1 tsp salt)

2 onions, chopped

1/2 tsp salt

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (14.0-oz) Guinness beer, or other dark beer

1/4 cup tomato paste

4 sprigs of fresh thyme

3 carrots, cut in 1-inch pieces

2 ribs celery, cut in 1-inch pieces

2 1/2 cups chicken stock, or as needed

1 tsp sugar

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 cups mashed potatoes, optional (not really)

– Simmer stew on very low heat, covered, for about 2 hours,
or until fork tender

– Uncover, raise heat to med-high, and reduce, stirring
occasionally, until sauce thickens to your liking

– Taste and adjust seasoning!

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Cream of Asparagus Soup – For the Love of Spring

It’s not quite spring yet, but this young man’s fancy has
already turned to love. No, not that kind; I’m talking about my love for this
ultra-easy, and gorgeously colored, cream of asparagus soup recipe. For me, asparagus is one of those rare vegetables that
shines brightest when enjoyed in soup form.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the
fresh spears, and have posted many recipes featuring them, but for pure
asparagus goodness, you just can’t beat a perfectly made bowl of soup. There are no tricks or secret techniques here; just make
sure your onions are fully cooked before adding the asparagus, and other than
not over-cooking it, there’s not a lot that can go wrong.

Testing the
vegetable’s doneness by pressing them against the side of the pot should
eliminate any guesswork, but if unsure, err on the side of slightly under vs.
slightly over cooked. The other decision you’ll have to make is whether to strain
or not. I recommend it, but totally understand if you don’t. The soup is great as
is, but straining out the woodier fibers does give it a finer, more velvety texture.

Of course, the float of Parmesan and lemon cream on top is
optional also, but pretend it isn’t. It adds a great visual element, and adds a little extra richness to the soup’s lean, green
goodness. I hope you fall in love with this soup soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 1 1/2 quarts of soup:

2 tbsp butter
1 diced onion

2 pounds asparagus

salt to taste

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

cayenne to taste

freshly ground black pepper to taste

pinch of nutmeg (I forgot to mention in video, but just add
with other spices!)

1/2 cup of heavy cream

For the cream topping:

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 tsp lemon zest

*whisk for minute until frothy and slightly thickened

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Creamy Caesar Dressing

by Pam on March 4, 2013

I found this recipe on Skinnytaste^[1] and couldn’t wait to make it. I never make Caesar salads because they are so unhealthy but this recipe gives you all the Caesar salad flavor but without any of the guilt. I adapted the recipe a bit by adding some Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, and extra garlic. This creamy dressing has a ton of flavor and it was super simple to make. I loved how tangy and garlicky it was. This will be a regular on my table from now on.

Combine the cheese, lemon juice, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, freshly cracked black pepper, to taste, and anchovies in a small bowl. Mix with an immersion blender until well combined. Add the oil and Greek yogurt and mix with the immersion blender until creamy and smooth. Taste and re-season with freshly cracked pepper, if needed. Enjoy.

Print^[2]

Save^[3]

Creamy Caesar Dressing

Yield: 3/4 cup

Prep Time: 5 min.

Total Time: 5 min.

1/3 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
Dash of Worcestershire Sauce
Freshly cracked pepper, to taste
2 anchovy fillets
1 tbsp olive oil
5 tbsp non fat plain Greek yogurt

Ingredients:

Directions:

Combine the cheese, lemon juice, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, freshly cracked black pepper, to taste, and anchovies in a small bowl. Mix with an immersion blender until well combined. Add the oil and Greek yogurt and mix with the immersion blender until creamy and smooth. Taste and re-season with freshly cracked pepper, if needed. Enjoy.

References

^{^} Skinnytaste (www.skinnytaste.com)
^{^} Print Recipe (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
^{^} Save to ZipList Recipe Box (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)