Recipe: Irish Beef Stew

A True Pot o’ Gold

Spring is in the air which means St. Patrick’s Day is front and center. While Lucky Charms and green beer frequent the leprechaun’s table, this is a hearty stew that will make eyes green with envy for the recipe. And here it is!

For the past several St. Patrick’s Days this Irish Stew has made a special appearance in my home. After we served it at our first St. Patrick’s Day party in our new home our guests raved about this so much we’ve been making it ever since.  🍀🍀🍀  We don’t just enjoy this for St. Paddy’s Day but any day we have an appetite for a delicious stew.

Try it once and I think you’ll enjoy it as much as we do!

Time:

To Prepare: About 20 minutes
To Simmer: 2-3 hours (the longer the tastier)

Foodie Tips:

❤  The best sidekick for this stew is a 1-2 cup-sized dollop of my family’s smashed potatoes. I form a large divot in the middle and ladle the stew on top. There’s nothing better!

❤  Whether you use a skillet, dutch oven or crock pot, the special “oomph” to this recipe is to make sure your cooking vessel has a lid — covering this stew during the simmer stage will ensure the flavors are infused into the stew for a super-tasty dish.

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon  |  Olive Oil
1 – 2 Pounds  |  Chuck Roast, Cut Into Cubes
1  |  Yellow Onion, Chunked
5 Large  |  Carrots, Peeled And Chopped
3 Cloves  |  Garlic, Minced
2 Teaspoons  |  Fresh Rosemary, Chopped
2 Teaspoons  |  Fresh Thyme, Chopped
1 Teaspoon  |  Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon  |  Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
3  |  Bay Leaves
2 Cups  |  Beef Broth
2 Tablespoons  |  Flour, Sifted
2 Tablespoons  |  Butter, At Room Temperature (try Falfurrias available at HEB)
½ Cup  |  Peas

What To Do:

1. Heat a large cast iron skillet or dutch oven to medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. Add the cubed chuck roast and cook, stirring here and there until it’s browned. Do not cook the meat until it’s well done! 

2. Add the onion, carrots, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, and bay leaves and cook until the onions begin to soften (about 5 minutes). If using a slow cooker (Crock Pot) transfer the meat mixture to the crock pot. Otherwise… add the broth, cover and low-simmer for 2 or more hours, stirring periodically. You’ll love the smell that forms from this savory dish!

3. In a small bowl with fork or whisk, make a slurry by mixing the flour and softened butter together. Pour this into the stew. Add the peas and let everything mingle and thicken. Just before serving remove the bay leaves and discard. Serve into bowls and enjoy the stew alone… or even better partnered with my smashed potato recipe (see recipe tips above). Sláinte!

Serves about 4-6 Texans, depending on the size of their appetite!

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty

Email: JoePaul@KW.com
Mobile: 512-222-3302
Web: JoePaulReider.KW.com

❤ Love Food? In a click and a scroll you can visit more of my favorite recipes — there’s more than 50 recipes here on the Home Style Austin blog!

Recipe: Birthday Cake For Dogs

Pawsitively Irresistible

There are lots of “those” people out there – Dog lovers who consider their pets a front-and-center part of the family. Such is my pack of three to me!

So when my yellow rescue Lab “Harley” turned 12 I knew what I had to do – make him the best doggy cake ever. And boy, oh boy, he loved this peanut butter and carrot cake!

Foodie Tips:

❤  Know your Dog’s diet and whether or not cake is something that he/she can safely enjoy. When in doubt always check with your Vet. I feed my pets treats like this in moderation vs. an all-you-can-eat scarf-fest.

❤  While ours was a gift from a kind friend you can find the Wilton paw print pan locally at Bed Bath & Beyond, Walmart, and online. You can also skip the paw print pan altogether and use an 8 inch round pan, or just any shape you’d like and freehand the paw print design to the top of the cake.

❤  We found all of our our cake decorations at HEB. We opted to go big or go home so we proudly displayed Harley’s age in candles (12) plus a Happy Birthday banner all surrounded by color-flame candles, which were amazing.

❤  You can use food coloring to make the icing to your chosen cake-paw colors. Sadly we realized we were out of yellow coloring so we couldn’t make brown icing for the paw pads… but then we got the idea to grind-up some of the Dogs’ grain-free treats and sprinkle them to make the paw design. We used a mini-blender to do the grinding after hand-crushing them with a rolling pin proved to be too difficult and messy.

Ingredients:

for the cake
1 Cup  |  Whole Wheat Flour
1 Teaspoon  |  Baking Soda
¼ Cup  |  Natural Peanut Butter (no sweeteners, colors or preservatives)
¼ Cup  |  Vegetable Oil
⅓ Cup  |  Local Honey (we used Round Rock honey)
1 Cup  |  Carrots, Shredded
1  |  Cage Free Egg

for the icing
4 Ounce Package  |  Low Fat Cream Cheese *at room temperature*
1 Tablespoon  |  Honey
Food Coloring  |  To Dye The Icing (optional)

What To Do:

1. For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease your pan. Whisk together the flour and baking soda. Add the rest of the cake ingredients and mix until well-combined. Pour batter into the pan and bake for 15 – 30 minutes, or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Our paw pan only required 15 minutes. Remove the cake from oven and set it aside to cool.

The Dog Cake Before The Birthday Decorations Are Added

2. For the icing: Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature. In a mixer whip the cream cheese with the honey until fluffy. Decorate the cake and present. Be careful your Dog doesn’t get near lit candles! After blowing out the candles and removing them I cut a couple of small pieces and placed them in his Dog bowl.

This cake will last a couple of days covered in the fridge. Have fun with this recipe!

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

Email: JoePaul@KW.com
Mobile: 512-222-3302
Web: JoePaulReider.KW.com

❤ Love Food? In a click and a scroll you can visit more of my favorite recipes – there’s more than 50 recipes here on the Home Style Austin blog!

Recipe: Cheesy Carrot Dog Treats

An Easy Pack Pleaser

This is a treat recipe that my Doggies have enjoyed for many birthdays. So this month when my SuperLabby Harley turned 11, we knew exactly what to do!

This “mini muffins” recipe is surprisingly easy to make and we hope your pack digs it as much as ours.

Always check with your Vet about which foods are appropriate for you to share with your pet. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 Cup  |  All-Purpose Flour
1 Cup  |  Whole Wheat Flour
1 Tablespoon  |  Baking Powder
1 Cup  |  Cheddar Cheese, Grated
1 Cup  |  Carrot, Grated
2  |  Cage Free Eggs
1 Cup  |  Milk
¼ Cup  |  Vegetable Oil

What To Do:

1. Grease a mini muffin tin with baking spray.

2. Combine the two flours and baking powder; mix well.

3. Add the cheese and carrots and mix well with opposable thumbs and the rest of your fingers.

4. In a separate bowl beat the eggs and whisk in the milk and oil. Pour the batter over the dry mixture and stir gently by hand or with a wooden spoon until everything is mingling well.

5. About this time preheat your oven to 350°F. While it’s preheating…

6. …Fill the mini cups to just underneath the top of the pan. Bake 20-25 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

7. Cool and serve. You just became your pup’s superhero! Again, and again!

Yields about 24 tail-waggin’ treats. 

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

Harley’s 11th Birthday Pic ~ He’s Never Looked Happier!

 

 

 

Firecracker Coleslaw Recipe

Bring Color And Flavor To Your Table

With our taste buds searching for a different kind of slaw we rested on this firecracker coleslaw recipe which we find perfect for the Fourth of July and family BBQs.

This is a colorful dish that’s fresh, crunchy and packs some delightful heat thanks to our trusted friend – the jalapeño. In coleslaw? Keep it tastefully weird, right?! This dish is extremely flexible and you can experiment by introducing your own favorite ingredients.

We never stray too far away from the original recipe.

Foodie Tips:

❤  Ingredients that sometimes make a cameo in our dish include fresh crumbled bacon or some chopped Texas pecans.

❤  For those searching for less heat you can reduce or eliminate the fresh jalapeño or add a bit more cabbage.

Ingredients:

The Dressing
1 ½ Tablespoons  |  Salt
1 Clove  |  Garlic, Minced
½ Cup  |  Cider Vinegar
⅓ Cup  |  Sugar
2 Tablespoons  |  Mustard (We’re keen for Trader Joe’s Garlic Aioli Mustard)
2 Tablespoons  |  Vegetable Oil
2 Tablespoons  |  Juice From The Jar Of Pickled Jalapeños (from below)
1 ½ Teaspoons  |  Hot Sauce (we used Hot Picapeppa Sauce)
½ Teaspoon  |  Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
½ Teaspoon  |  Celery Seed

The Slaw
½ Small  |  Green Cabbage, Cored and Shredded
½ Small  |  Red Cabbage, Cored and Shredded
3  |  Carrots, Peeled and Grated
1 Each  |  Red, Green and Yellow Bell Peppers, Seeded and Thinly Slivered
2  |  Fresh Jalapeño Peppers, Seeded and Thinly Sliced
2 Tablespoons  |  Minced Pickled Jalapeño Peppers

Directions: 

1. To prepare the dressing combine the salt and garlic in a large mixing bowl by pressing them together with the back of a spoon to make a paste.

2. Add the remaining eight dressing ingredients and whisk until everything is well-combined. Set aside.

3. Add the six slaw ingredients to the dressing and toss/mix well. Let the slaw rest in your fridge for 30 minutes or up to a few hours. This slaw is best served fresh but will last into the following day.

Yield: 10+ servings (enough for a family picnic or party)

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

❤ Love Food? In a click and a scroll you can visit more of my favorite recipes!

Rosemary Veggie Dog Treats

The Best Dog Treat Recipe!

Their Favorite Dog Treat Recipe

I used to run an eco friendly pet specialty company, so I’m a big fan when it comes time to care for our furry friends. In fact, some of my very best friends have four legs and I consider myself the lucky one to have known some of these loyal, gentle souls.

To make a tasty dish they’ll really love, we make a batch of these homemade dog treats which were my company’s signature treat – I handmade thousands of them! I hope you enjoy these treats from my pack to yours! I can honestly say that my Labs love these treats as much as I love sharing them. They smell wonderful!

Foodie Tips:

❤  Have fun creating these crunchy treats with a variety of cookie cutter shapes! Some of our favorites include a mini Texas, heart, stars, cats, a fire hydrant and of course dog bones. You can also buy seasonal shapes which are perfect for gift-giving (shamrocks, pumpkins, candy canes, etc.). Williams-Sonoma has a great cookie cutter line-up.

❤  You don’t have to slow-cool the cookies overnight if you (or they) are in a hurry … but allow at least a couple of hours for the treats to crisp up.

Ingredients: 

½ Cup  |  Canned Carrots (no salt added)
½ Cup  |  Canned Green Beans (no salt added)
¼ Cup  |  Low Sodium Chicken Broth
¼ Cup  |  Fresh Rosemary, Finely Chopped
1 ½ Cups  |  Whole Wheat Flour
1 Cup  |  Rice Flour
½ Cup  |  Wheat Germ
¼ Cup   |  Brewers Yeast
2 Tablespoons  |  Garlic Powder
¼ Cup  |  Olive Oil

Directions: 

0. Preheat oven to 350°F.

1. Purée the carrots, beans and chicken broth. We used a Cuisinart Smart Stick (an immersion blender).

2. In a large separate bowl, combine the rosemary, the two flours, wheat germ, yeast and garlic powder. Add the puréed veggies and the olive oil. Mix well by hand. This is a dry mix so don’t give up – work out any frustrations on the dough until it comes together well enough to roll (about 4-5 minutes). Take a moment to enjoy the smell along the way – these treats smell wonderful!

3. Lightly dust a cutting board with a bit of the whole wheat flour. Roll the dough to about ¼” thick. Cut out your doggie treats with their favorite cookie cutter shapes and place them on a cookie sheet lightly coated with non-stick cooking spray.

4. Bake for 15 minutes in your preheated oven. Turn off the heat and allow the treats to slow-cool overnight.

Yield: About 9 dozen Doggie treats if using small cookie cutters about 1-2″ in size.

Stores well in an airtight container or bag. 

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

❤ Love Food? In a click and a scroll you can visit more of my favorite recipes!

Chicken Basil Orzo Soup Recipe

Soup’s On!

Any of my friends, family, or coworkers will tell you that I’m kind of a ridiculous fan of soup. I love it! I enjoy making soup at home where I can cozy-up with a warm bowl in the cold of winter. And even on brutally hot summer days when the rest of the world is dining on popsicles, I can be found in the kitchen making soup … and then I have a popsicle for dessert!

The first night I made this bowl of soup I realized I didn’t use nearly enough basil; it just tasted like a pretty classic chicken noodle soup. But the second day when I reheated it, I added in another handful of basil and it totally rocked; it was wonderfully herb-a-licious!

If you’re a fan of chicken soup, grab some fresh basil and give this Home Style Austin recipe a go!

Foodie Tip:

❤  We arm-wrestled over whether this should be called Chicken Basil Orzo Soup or Turkey Basil Orzo Soup. Either way, we all win!

Ingredients: 

1 Teaspoon  |  Olive Oil
1/2  |  Sweet Yellow Onion, Diced
2  |  Carrots, Peeled And Diced
2 Stalks  |  Celery, Diced
3 Cloves  |  Garlic, Minced
8 Cups  |  Good-Quality Chicken Stock
2 Cups  |  Cooked Chicken, Diced Into Bite-Sized Chunks
2  |  Bay Leaves
To Taste  |  Sea Salt And Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
5-6  |  Fresh Basil Leaves, Chopped
1 Cup  |  Dried Orzo Pasta

Directions: 

1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large cooking pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is heated, add onion and stir for 1-2 minutes. Then add carrots, celery and garlic then stir for 60 seconds. Stir in chicken stock, diced chicken, and bay leaves, then season with salt and pepper. Let simmer for an hour (or 30 minutes if you’re rushed).

2. Raise heat to medium-high and bring the soup back to a boil. Then add basil and dried orzo pasta and cook per instructions until the pasta is al dente. Taste and re-season with additional salt and pepper (or more basil) if needed. Serve warm.

Yields: 3-4 Servings

Love this recipe? We want to hear from you!

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

❤ Love Food? In a click and a scroll you can visit more of my favorite recipes!

Texas-Tuscany Beef Stew Recipe

One Hearty Meal

Even during the hottest days of summer, I dream of this amazing beef stew. Best of all, this stew is easy to make and even easier to eat!

The stew’s signature ingredients? Chianti-marinated beef brisket and a Texas jalapeño or three!

Foodie Tip:

❤  If you like tummy fillers like I do, you can serve the stew on top of rice or noodles. One thing we enjoy is that instead of boiling rice/pasta in water, we substitute water with beef or chicken broth for an extra-special flavor.

Ingredients: 

3-5 Pounds  |  Beef Brisket (get a good cut)
3-4 Cloves  |  Garlic, Halved
1 Bottle (750 ml)  |  Italian Chianti Wine
4 Tablespoons  |  Extra Virgin Olive Oil
To Taste  |  Kosher Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2-4 Cups  |  Beef Broth
3-5 Medium-Sized Carrots  |  Peeled And Cut Into 1″ Pieces
3 Stalks  |  Celery, Chopped Into 1/2″ Pieces
4 Medium  |  Russet Or Red Potatoes, Cut Into 1-1/2″ Chunks
3 4 Inch Sprigs  |  Fresh Rosemary, Chopped

Plus Ups:

1/2 Cup  |  Kalamata Olives, Halved
2 Leaves  |  Sage Or Bay
2-3  |  Jalapeños, For A Texas-Inspired Kick
To Enjoy  |  Rice Or Noodles (Optional)

Accessories:

To Cover  |  Cling Film
To “Pat” Beef Dry  |  Paper Towels
To Brown  |  A Dutch Oven Or Large Pan
To Cook  |  A Crock Pot (Or Slow Cooker)

Directions: 

1. Place the beef into a 13-inch by 9-inch glass baking dish. Cut 6-8 “slits” in the brisket and insert the garlic halves. Pour the wine over the meat and marinate in the refrigerator, loosely covered with cling film, for 2 hours (overnight recommended). Turn the meat over and marinate here and there.

2. Remove the brisket from the wine and “pat” it dry with paper towels. Reserve the wine.

3. In a large Dutch oven or large pan, heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the meat on all sides with salt and pepper.

4. Using tongs, place the meat in the pan and brown on all sides, about 2 minutes for each side. Remove the meat and place it into your Crock Pot.

5. In the pan, pour the reserved wine, scraping up any brown bits. Cook for about 1-2 minutes. Transfer into the Crock Pot.

6. Add beef broth to almost cover the beef. Cook on low Crock Pot setting for 2-2.5 hours.

7. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, potatoes and rosemary (plus the olives, sage and jalapeños, if desired). Cover and continue to cook on low setting for another 2-2.5 hours, or until tender.

8. [ Sidenote: The beef may already be soft and falling apart before you cut it! In this case, skip this step. If not… ] Remove the meat from the stew. Place the meat on a cutting board and cut into quarters. Using 2 forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Return the meat to the stew and cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes.

9. Serve with a glass of Chianti and enjoy!

Love this recipe? We want to hear from you!

 

 

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

❤ Love Food? In a click and a scroll you can visit more of my favorite recipes!