I never celebrated St. Patrick’s Day growing up other than wearing green to school and even then I’d push it by wearing just a bit of green in my socks. I am big on cultural traditions though and since I married a man who’s partly Irish I thought I would venture into a St. Patrick’s Day feast for my Irish family. Problem? None of us are big fans of Corned Beef and Cabbage and I couldn’t figure out what else to serve. My mother in law told me to find a good stew recipe and that I did.
This stew is truly a treat and perfect for our one time a year celebration. I found the recipe online in a newspaper article, which was originally from a Tavern somewhere on the east coast. The article was removed so I’m unable to acknowledge the name of the Tavern. Sorry! I’ve been making it for years now and have changed it around a bit to make it my own.
Although there’s a lot of chopping in this recipe it comes together easily since I use store bought rotisserie chicken and it’s a one pot meal. I have to say, what sets this stew apart is of course the stout beer but also the mushrooms. It gives a whole new rich, savory flavor compared to the more classic stews. It also happens to be a great low glycemic meal with assorted vegetables and lean meat. Using new potatoes instead of Russet, gives you a lower glycemic load for the meal.
I serve this with Irish Soda Bread, yum! My other Irish discover. If you’ve never made this bread before it’s so easy. It gives you a rustic, crusty outside and soft inside. I add a little dash of honey to my dough to make it a bit sweeter.
If you want to make a St. Patrick’s day feast sans the Corned Beef give this stew a try!
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 4 stalks of celery, chopped
- 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 large sweet onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup Guinness stout
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 8 to 10 small yellow, new potatoes, diced
- 2 cups rotisserie chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- ½ pound Cremini mushrooms, quartered (button mushrooms are fine)
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the celery, carrots, onions, salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables until beginning to soften, about 6 minutes. Turn the heat to low and add the garlic, rosemary, thyme and bay leaf. Cook, stirring frequently so you don't burn the garlic, until vegetables are soft and fragrant.
- Add the Guinness beer. Cover the pot and cook stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
- Add the potatoes and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the chicken, Worcestershire sauce, mushrooms and half the parsley. Simmer for 10 minutes or until mushrooms are cooked to your desired preference. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with remainder of fresh parsley.
About the Blogger:
Meri Raffetto is the founder of Real Living Nutrition, triplet mom, dog butler and author of the Glycemic Index Diet for Dummies® and coauthor of Glycemic Index Cookbook for Dummies® and Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Dummies®.
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