Guinness Stew

While in Las Vegas, MDS and I had dinner at Ri Ra Irish Pub in Mandalay Bay. Nothing in Vegas is truly authentic, but it is possible that Ri Ra is the closest thing to authentic there. Ri Ra, which comes from a Gaelic term meaning fun and madness, was built from reconstructed pubs from Ireland. Ri Ra is a beautiful pub that makes you forget that you are surrounded by casinos. 

The food at Ri Ra is excellent Irish pub fair. MDS ordered the Guinness Stew, which was delicious. So I decided to try to re-create the stew. Now the first steps in preparing the stew requires about an hour of dedicated steps. But once the stew is put together, it just simmers for some time with occasional stirring. One ingredient that is traditional is parsnips, which are related to carrots. I found that I really like parsnips and will add them into my regular rotation of roasted vegetables.

Guinness Stew 

• Olive oil
• 1/2 pound bacon
• 2 1/2 pounds beef
• 3 Tbsps. flour
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 2 onions, chopped
• 3 medium potatoes, cut 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 large parsnip, chopped
• 12-16 ounces Guinness stout
• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 tsp. ground thyme
• 2 bay leaves

Cut beef into one-inch pieces. Dredge beef through flour mixed with salt and pepper. Fry bacon in a Dutch oven. Remove bacon. Add olive oil, if needed. Brown the beef on all sides, working in batches until all beef is browned. Remove all beef. Cook onions until carmelized. Add garlic and cook for two minutes. Add potatoes, carrots, celery, and parsnips. Cook for 5-10 minutes. Add Guinness and bring to a boil. Deglaze the bottom of the pot. Boil for 2 minutes. Return the bacon and beef to the pot. Add broth, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 2 hours. Remove bay leaves. Enjoy!

Chicken Stir-Fry Whip Up

I found this recipe among Grandma's recipes. I assume that she found it in on a jar of Miracle Whip, based on the ingredients. And the name of the recipe--whip up--is accurate; the recipe is very quick to make.

This recipe could easily be sized up or down to meet the number of servings that you might need. When I made this recipe, I served it over noodles instead of rice. I also cut the chicken into chunks instead of strips so that the chicken would cook faster. And, although the recipe says to cook the chicken for 3 minutes, it is better to cook the chicken for 10 minutes before adding the vegetables. And I did not have miracle whip, so I substituted mayonnaise. This meal was delicious and easy, so give it a try.

Chicken Stir-Fry Whip Up 

• 1 pound chicken breast, cut in chunks
• 3/4 cup miracle whip
• 16 ounces frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. garlic powder

Cook the chicken in a large skillet in the miracle whip for 10 minutes. Add the mixed vegetables, soy sauce, and garlic powder. Continue cooking until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Serve over rice. Enjoy!

Pork Goulash

Every year during the period of lent, I give up sweets. So when I turn to Mom's recipe box, instead of all the delicious desserts, I look for savory recipes. I came across this pork goulash recipe and thought it would be worth trying. Goulash is a meat and vegetable stew that is an excellent comfort meal. There are many variations of goulash, with variations of meat, vegetables, and seasonings.

This recipe was very to make, with fairly standard ingredients that are easy to find. One ingredient that I had to substitute was the can of condensed onion soup. I used a packet of dried onion soup mix with a cup of warm water and a tablespoon of corn starch. The recipe said to serve the goulash over noodles, but I served it over farro. It can also be served with bread or rice, so enjoy it however you prefer.

Pork Goulash 

• 1 1/2 pound pork, cut in cubes
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 can condensed onion soup
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 1/8 tsp. thyme
• 1/2 cup water

Dredge meat in flour mixed with garlic salt and pepper. Reserve excess flour. Brown meat on all side in oil in large heavy skillet. Add remaining ingredients except water. Blend reserved flour with water and stir into mixture. Cook, covered on low heat, for one hour. Stir twice during first hour of cooking. Add a little water if necessary. Remove cover and cook 15 minutes longer. Serve over noodles. Enjoy!

Chop Suey Caserole

I find this recipe in Mom's recipe box; I suspect Mom found it on a soy sauce label or something similar. Despite the name, it is a very American dish because it includes a can of condensed soup and is a classic American hot dish. In my internet research, I found a number of variations that appear under this name, but I stuck to Mom's version. It is a delicious and filling meal that is quite easy to make.

The prep work for this dish takes a little bit of time because the ground beef needs to be browned. Otherwise, the dish just takes time in the oven. When I made this recipe, I used a smaller dish and had to use two dishes. Next time, I will use one 13x9x2 pan.

Chop Suey Caserole 

• 1 pound ground beef, browned
• 2 cups diced celery
• 1 1/2 cups diced onion
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup rice, uncooked
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup

Combine all the ingredients. Pour into a 13x9x2 baking dish. Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Enjoy!

Lemon Kuchen

I don't know what is so good about lemon-flavored sweets, but I always enjoy them. I found this recipe in Mom's recipe box and thought it would be terrific for a dreary winter day. Lemon Kuchen is the German name for this lemon pound cake. This Lemon Kuchen is just delicious. 

The recipe's ingredients are mostly basic ingredients that you may readily have available. When I made this recipe, I did not have a lemon handy for grated lemon peel, so I just used lemon juice in the cake batter. The cake was just fine and had a good lemon flavor. This recipe could be turned into orange pound cake by substituting orange for lemon in the recipe.

Lemon Kuchen 

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 Tbsp. grated lemon peel
• 4 eggs, separated
• 3 cups flour
• 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup milk

Lemon Glaze frosting

• 1 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla
• dash of salt

Preheat oven to 350. Combine butter and sugar. Blend in vanilla and lemon. Add egg yolks, one at a time and mix well after each. Add combined dry ingredients alternating with milk, mixing well after each addition. Fold in stiffly beaten egg white. Pour into a greased and floured bundt or tube pan. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan. Combine the lemon glaze ingredients until well blended. Spread the glaze evenly on the cake. Enjoy! 

Strawberry Cookies

Megan recently hosted a family party for her birthday at her new condo. In addition to the Cannoli Cake that I made for the party, I also made these strawberry cookies. Meg likes strawberries, and I wanted to try a new cookie. This recipe results in delicious cookies and would be good with other fruits, such as raspberries.

This recipe makes delicious and soft cookies. Instead of butter, the cookies use olive oil. And, a little lemon juice is added to the dough. But most importantly, I liked that this recipe uses actual strawberries, not artificial flavoring. Because it was not strawberry season, I used frozen strawberries that worked just fine. I recommend chopping the strawberries into a size similar to chocolate chips. Then reserve some nice pieces to be pushed into the top of each cookie before baking.

Strawberry Cookies 

• 2 eggs
• 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 1/2 cup flour
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 2 cups chopped strawberries
• powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, juice, oil, vanilla, and sugar. Add flour and baking powder until combined. Gently mix in most of the chopped strawberries, reserving some for pressing into cookies. Form dough into a ball and drop onto cookie sheet. Press a strawberry piece or two into each cookie. Bake for 13-15 minutes. Allow to cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Cannoli Cake

Cannoli Cake is a special cake version of the popular Italian Cannoli. My family most often gets the cake from Vesuvio Bakery in North Riverside. You can't go wrong with anything from Vesuvio, but this year, for Meg's Birthday, I thought I would try making a Cannoli Cake.

Cannoli Cake is usually done as a layer cake. You could do a pan cake and just use the cannoli filling as a frosting. But a layer cake is special, so I made 3 cake layers for this cake. I used a box yellow cake mix or easily make your own yellow cake. The cannoli filling is what makes this cake. If you plan to use the cannoli filling as a frosting, instead of whipped cream frosting, you might want to preserve some of the filling without chocolate chips for the outer frosting. The recipe makes enough cannoli filling to fill a two-layer cake and frost the cake.

When I made this cake, I tried to make fresh whipped cream frosting. But, I did not leave myself enough time and the frosting was not stiffening enough, so I had to resort to using frozen whipped topping, which worked just fine.

Cannoli Cake 

• Yellow Cake mix or make your own
• 15 ounces ricotta, drained overnight
• 16 ounces mascarpone cheese
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 10 ounces mini chocolate chips
• Whipped cream frosting

The day before making the cake, drain the ricotta overnight in the refrigerator using cheesecloth lining a strainer. Bake the cake using the type of pan. I used 3 eight inch round pans. 

While the cake cools, prepare the cannoli filling. Blend the ricotta and mascarpone cheese in a bowl with an electric blender until well combined. Beat in the powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt. Fold in chips.

Assemble the cake by spreading the filling between the cake layers. Frost the cake with the whipped cream frosting. Enjoy!