St. Brigid Guinness Stew Puff Pastry Pot Pie

St. Brigid's feast nears the mid-winter mark. A perfect meal for these still cold (but growing in light) winter days is stew, and a beef & Guinness stew is a great one for the Irish saint(s). It is a variation on a Beef and Guinness Stew recipe posted by Jessica several years ago. Puffed pastry makes a flaky and delicious topping which ups the cozy quotient as it nestles the steamy stew beneath its layers.

Guinness Stew Puff Pastry Pot Pie

Ingredients:
1.5-2 lb beef chuck, cut into bite-size pieces
2 Tbsp flour
salt & pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 cup beef broth
1 cup Guinness
1 TbWorcestershireire sauce
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
1 sheet puff pastry

Directions:
Add flour, salt, and pepper (to taste) to a large plastic bag, add beef chunks and shake to coat. Heat oil in large pot. Brown meat in batches and remove to separate container.

Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic and water to pot. Cook vegetable s until tender, stirring occasionally. Add tomato paste and stir. Return beef to pot along with broth, beer, worcestershire sauce, and seasoning.  Cover and cook 1-2 hours.

Allow stew to cool. Divide cooled stew between four 16 oz ramekins. Roll out puff pastry large enough to cover two dishes. Cut into equal squares.  Lightly bright a 1-inch border around each square with a beaten egg. Invert pastry onto filled ramekins, pressing puff pastry sides to dish. Brush top sides of pastry with lightly with beaten egg.

Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees, then reduce to 400 and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until pastry is puffed and lightly browned.  Serve hot. Pin It

St. Brigid's Hearty Healing Beef Stew

I wish I had a great lake of ale for the King of kings, and the family of heaven to drink it through time eternal. I wish I had the meats of belief and genuine piety, the flails of penance, and the men of heaven in my house.  ~ St. Brigid of Ireland

St. Brigid is the patron saint for numerous things including cattle and dairy work. She was said to be the best mead and ale maker in all of Ireland, as well as an excellent cook. One way to celebrate this Abbess from Kildare is to enjoy a steaming bowl of Irish Beef stew… made with Ireland’s own Guinness Draught!

Many miracles have been attributed to St. Brigid that involve physical healing. Another great recipe to serve on her feast day is the following nourishing and delicious Hearty Healing Beef Stew adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks The Healing Kitchen: 175+ Quick & Easy Paleo Recipes to Help You Thrive.  I love beef stew and finally have a new favorite (grain and nightshade free!) recipe to replace my old favorite which is no longer on the list of foods I can eat.

I modified the original ingredients (serves 4 to 5) from The Healing Kitchen to make enough stew for our family of nine:

Hearty Healing Beef Stew

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3-4 pounds beef stew meat
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 2 large yellow onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme (This time I used 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick (I am out so I used 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon) 
• 2 (1-inch) pieces fresh orange peel
• 8 cups Beef Broth 
• 1 - 15 oz can Sweet Potato Puree
• 1 cup red wine
• 8-10 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (the first time I used 1 bag of Trader Joe's Carrots of Many Colors) 
• 1 head of celery, chopped
• 1-2 bunches of kale, chopped

Directions: 

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the meat, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and brown on all sides for 8-10 minutes total, but avoid getting a crust on the outside.  (Make sure you scrape up all those caramelized brown bits from the bottom of your pot to give your stew a deep, rich flavor!)

Stir in the onion, thyme, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, orange peel, and remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant.



Add the broth, sweet potato puree, and wine to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with a  lid, and cook for 1 hour.

Add the carrots and celery to the pot and return the stew to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for an additional 40 minutes. Add the chopped kale, submerging it in the liquid, and cook for 25 more minutes, until wilted and tender.  

Remove the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and orange peel before serving. 

For the feast of St. Brigid, our girls enjoy baking "St. Brigid's Cross Dinner Rolls" to serve alongside the stew for the rest of the family who aren't on a grain-free diet. I love how they turn out!

Prayer to St. Brigid of Ireland

St. Brigid,

You were a woman of peace.

You brought harmony where there was conflict.

You brought light to the darkness.

You brought hope to the downcast.

May the mantle of your peace cover those who are troubled and anxious,

And may peace be firmly rooted in our hearts and in our world.

Inspire us to act justly and to reverence all God has made.

Brigid you were a voice for the wounded and the weary.

Strengthen what is weak within us.

Calm us into a quietness that heals and listens.

May we grow each day into greater wholeness in mind, body and spirit.

Amen.

Brigid's Cloak, The Life of Saint Brigid: Abbess of Kildare, and Saint Brigid and the Cows (not pictured)

St. Brigid Doll from Catholic Folk Toys

You can find additional recipes and ideas for celebrating the feast of St. Brigid in the archives here at Catholic Cuisine and over at Shower of Roses. 

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Lamb Ragout over Potatoes for St. Agnes

Ragout is a thick, rich stew. Serving this lamb ragout over mashed potatoes creates a hearty meal for a cold January day, such as the feast of St. Agnes, January 21.  I was particularly attracted to this version of a ragout recipe, as it is served over the mashed potatoes and the fluffy mashed potatoes remind me of lamb's wool - a fitting St. Agnes association to go along with the actual lamb roast.  St. Agnes is typically pictured holding a lamb, and her name means lamb. 

Lamb Ragout

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pounds lamb stew meat, cut in cubes

1 cup chopped onion

2 medium carrots, sliced 

2 medium sweet potatoes, cubed

1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes

2 cans (14 ounces each) beef broth

3/4 cup dry red wine

2 teaspoons dried rosemary

1 teaspoon salt

Mashed potatoes

Directions

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add stew meat and onion. Cook and stir occasionally until meat is browned. Add remaining ingredients (except mashed potatoes). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover. Continue cooking about 2 hours until meat and vegetables are tender.

Serve ragout over mashed potatoes in bowls.

St. Agnes, Pray for us. 

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St. Teresa of Avila - Chicken Stew With Lighter than Air Dumplings

The following recipe was submitted by Kathy at 9 Peas in honor of the feast of St. Teresa of Avila.  Thank you Kathy! 

Here I go again, being a Feast Day Recipe Hack.

St. Teresa of Avila's Feast Day was on October 15th

I know she was brilliant, a Doctor of the Church, but I strongly suspect she had as sense of humor. When I read some of her quotes and stories I am inspired, and usually a few of them spark some imaginative ideas among our children about her humility allowing her to laugh at herself (sometimes, I know she also begged for no more public favors). I might be wrong, but I love the thought that she did have a sense of humor so and with that in mind I decided to hack my Chicken Stew with Dumplings into a recipe just for her. The dumplings are very light and the stew is hearty, so why not - think about it.

I begin by making stock. Take a whole chicken, add chopped up veggies (celery, onions, carrots, garlic etc..) and boil on the stove with herbs (parsley, kosher salt, pepper, sage, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, celery salt) I usually simmer this for several hours, then I place a colander on top of another pot and pour the stock through to catch all the veggies, the chicken and allowing the broth to be caught in the pan I intend to make the stew in. I take out 2 cups of broth and set that aside. I allow 1 cup to cool to add to the dumplings and I mix about 1/2 cup corn starch into the other cooled broth and mix until corn starch is completely dissolved and set aside to add a bit later.

Dumplings are pretty much biscuits with a few tweaks. I take 2 cups flour, 4 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 cup shortening. Mix dry ingredients first then cut in the shortening. Once shortening is blended well make a well in the center and add 1 cup broth. If you need more liquid, add milk but you don't want to dumplings too wet so mix well before adding anything. Roll out dough and then take a pizza cutter and cut into squares.

Now go back to the broth, turn the heat up to high medium and add chopped up carrots and frozen peas (sometimes I add corn too) I always discard the veggies from stock and add fresh at this stage. I also season the broth if it needs more. This can be by your preference, but I generally add more salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Add the corn starch blend you mixed up and stir it in good.

Once the broth is at a good rolling boil start dropping in the dumplings - DO NOT STIR! I'm serious, don't stir it because it will break down your dumplings. I use a wooden spoon to push them aside a bit to allow more to be added, but I never stir until the dumplings start to look like they are done. They will first puff up and then start settling down. I keep the lid on the pot at this stage and cook about 20 more minutes to allow the stew to thicken up. When you do begin stirring, do so very gently.



Voila and yum! This is my husbands most favorite meal! It may be a lot of steps, but it is actually easy to make and all those steps are worth it because you end up with a very hearty stew full of flavor.

While we ate the meal we passed around text with St. Teresa of Avila quotes in it. It is such a wonderful change to go from always instructing and teaching while your children are young to see those minds formed and adding to the discussion about a Saint. Hearing how they understand a quote and what it means to them is a lesson for the parents as well.


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An Ethiopian Dinner for the Feast of St. Philip

The following post was written and submitted by Angie O'Connell, for publication here at Catholic Cuisine, in honor of the feast of St. Philip the Apostle. Thank you Angie!

I have always love the scripture about St. Philip baptizing the Ethiopian eunuch. It is very vivid and exciting, especially for the kids! I thought it would be fun to try an Ethiopian dinner, especially since it is my 11 year old's patron saint's feast day.

Many of the ingredients were specialized, so I read through some Ethiopian menus and used the closest substitutions that we had at home. I did try a new recipe for African chicken stew. The whole family really enjoyed it!

The really neat part, is that in Ethioipia they use the ritual breaking of "Injera", a pancake made with Teff flour, to symbolize loyalty and friendship. The "Injera" is used for their plate. The food is shared in common in the middle of the table. (I did put food in the middle of the table, but then made individual plates for each person.)

 We used "Flatout" bread instead of the authentic "Injera". We also included salad "salata", hummus "buticha", veggies "fasolia",  "avib" is an Ethiopian spiced cottage cheese - we used regular cottage cheese, and the stew resembled Ethiopia's national dish "doro wot".  It was a big hit, and we will definitely try it again.

 

Here is the recipe for African Chicken Stew:

1 T vegetable oil
3 lbs. boneless chicken cubed
1 Lg onion chopped
5 medium potatoes peeled and cubed
2 cloves of garlic crushed
1 t coarse ground pepper
1 t salt
1 t coriander
1 t cumin
1 t crushed red pepper ( I used 1/2 t, and it was still a little hot)
1 cup water
1 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup peanut butter
2 cups fresh chopped spinach

Heat oil in large skillet. Brown chicken until cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside. Add onion, potatoes, and all spices. Cook until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Stir in water, broth, and peanut butter. Add chicken, and top with spinach. Cover and simmer until potatoes are cooked through. About 20 minutes. (I stirred often and had to add more broth.)  Enjoy!

Prayer to St. Philip

O Glorious Saint Philip, at the Last Supper you said to Jesus, "Lord, show us the Father and it will be enough for us." Help us to make this our prayer also and to seek God in all things. Obtain for us the grace to know the Father and Jesus Christ whom he has sent - for in this does eternal life consist.

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Easy Beef Burgundy for Feast of Saint Thérèse

This post was written by past Catholic Cuisine contributor Amy.

My mother used to make this for me on my birthday by special request. It is a simple and more American than French version of beef bourguignon. Also a lot easier!!

With the feast day of St. Thérèse fast upon us, I had thought about trying to make Julia Child’s beef bourguignon again (had to promise the kids that next year I would go through the all day process!!!), but knew that time would not be on my side that day, so instead I am making the easier and quite yummy beef burgundy! I gave you the recipe as I make it (for a small army) but this is easily halved.

Amy Caroline’s Beef Burgundy

(actually it is her mom’s recipe)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lean stew meat
• 2 cans Golden Mushroom soup
• 2 cans mushrooms (drained)
• Burgundy wine
• Extra Wide Egg noodles

Directions:


In an ovenproof casserole add stew meat, soup (keep cans), and mushrooms. Fill the two empty soup cans with the Burgundy wine and add to casserole dish. Mix well, cover and stick in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook for two to three hours. Check the meat on occasion to make sure that it is cooked through and is still tender. This is usually at about two hours.

Take out of the oven and let rest while you make the noodles to package directions.

Drain noodles and add to the beef Burgundy.

Serve with a fresh garden salad and French bread. Voila! French cooking made the American way... easy!

Bon Appétit and have a blessed Feast of Saint Thérèse!

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Irish Beef and Guinness Stew

With St. Patrick's Day coming up in less than a week, I thought I would take a second to share the recipe for our favorite Irish Beef Stew.

Irish Beef and Guinness Stew

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds lean beef stew meat
• 3 tbs vegetable oil, divided
• 2 tbs all-purpose flour
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 tbs tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups Guinness stout beer (or other Irish Stout)
• 2 cups carrot, cut into chunks
  
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 tbs fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Directions:

Trim the meat of any fat, cut into 2 inch cubes, and toss them in a bowl with 1 tbs of the vegetable oil. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne. Toss the meat in the mixture to coat.

Heat the remaining oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef, and brown on all sides. Add the onions and crushed garlic. Stir the tomato paste into a small amount of water (to dilute); pour into the pan, stir to blend, cover and cook gently (reduce heat if necessary) for about 5 minutes.

Pour 1/2 cup of the beer into the pan, and as it begins to boil, scrape any bits of food from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. This adds a lot of flavor to the broth. Pour in the rest of the beer, and add the carrots and thyme. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Yields: Six to Eight Servings

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh!

St. Patrick's Day Blessing Upon You!

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