Brussels Sprouts! Yes, you can eat them!

Brussels Sprouts. New! Improved! Edible!

This is the easiest recipe ever and super delicious.  My roommates and I eat these like popcorn.  Crowd pleaser!

You will need: A big ol' bag of Brussels sprouts; olive oil; salt; pepper; crushed red pepper

1) Halve all of your sprouts right down the middle.
2) Put them in a big plastic bag
3) Pour a little olive oil in the bag, then shake some salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper in the bag as well.
4) Shake it like a red headed stepchild
5) place the sprouts guts-up on a baking sheet
6) This is the part where I forgot to tell you to preheat the oven to 350. Go do that, but, you know, earlier.
7) Place pan in the oven and leave the sprouts in for 20-30 minutes. When they are done they should be a little crispy and brown on the outside and a little soft on the inside.

HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY!!!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!!!  

This year for the office St. Patrick's Day Party I made some lamb and Guinness Stew.  It is FABULOUS.  Eat this before you go out and the Guinness will always be below your gullet.

• 3 pounds lamb cubed
• 1/2 cup flour
• 5lbs red potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 packet of onion soup mix
• 2 large yellow onions, cut into large dice
• 3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch fresh rosemary
• 1 bunch fresh thyme
• 1 bunch fresh parsley
• 2 quarts lamb or beef stock, or as needed
• 24 ounces Guinness stout
• 1 cup pearl barley (optional)
• 2 teaspoons corn starch
• Salt and  black pepper, to taste

cook barley it for 20 minutes in 3 cups of lamb or beef stock, then add when you return the meat to pot with the vegetables.

Season the meat with salt and brown the meat in a little oil. Remove and reserve, and sprinkle with a little flour. Add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery to the pan and sauté, tossing to coat with the fat. Add the Guinness and scrape up any caramelized meat juices. Add the potatoes, return the meat to the pot (and the barley if you're using it). Add enough stock to barely cover, cook over medium heat until just boiling, then reduce heat to very low and simmer 2 - 3 hours, until the meat is tender, stirring occasionally.  Add in soup mix at about the 1 hour mark.

Check seasonings, add salt and pepper to taste, then remove from heat, stir in parsley and the cornstarch (mixed into 4 teaspoons water) and stir. Cook over low heat for a few more minutes to thicken. Serve with plenty of Irish brown or white soda bread, tea and more Guinness if you like.

First Failure: Revenge of the Leeks

REVENGE OF THE LEEKS

So, I haven't been posting as much as I should on this for one simple reason:  I started Grad School and haven't had as much time to cook.  Some of my Irv and Shelly's has been siphoned off to friends in recent weeks due to my sheer lack of time to cook.

I have to admit, though.  This is not the first time I have given away food from Irv and Shelley's.

I know.  I have already destroyed my New Year's resolution.  It happened a few months ago when I was confronted by these roots of Welsh fame:

  Leeks.  Even the name sounds revolting.  Leeeeeeeeeeks.

So I did what any coward would do and let them rot until I had to throw them away.

 .

...I know

But last week Irv and Shelly's karma'd me right in the face with the return... and the revenge... of the leeks.

I was bitter and in denial.  Why would anyone even grow these stupid things?  So rather than do any cultural research or really try, I chopped them up with some onions and garlic and threw them in a pan with some cooked rice.  On top of this bed of fried-rice weirdness I pan fried a tuna steak that had been marinating in white wine and thyme.  It didn't look particularly appetizing, but there was no other food in my house.

So I ate it....

Lesson learned.  Leeks 1 Nicki 0