The Quiet Evening

It may not have matched the energy of a Saint Patrick's day in Boston pubs, but we had a lovely night. We enjoyed some of Billy's home brewed stout, a vegetarian Irish stew (see the recipe below), soda bread, and a classic movie.

The Quiet Man is seriously one of my favorite movies of all time. It's romantic, chauvinistic (in a great dated-Hollywood sort of way), and comic all at once. John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara had great chemistry, and the scenery and music are just beautiful. Just because the holiday passed doesn't mean it's too late to watch it! I may bust out the DVD again this weekend for a repeat screening.

And without further ado . . . the recipe for my vegetarian Irish stew. This is based on a crock-pot recipe from Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker, a cookbook I love. This is more of a last-minute stew with a few additions and substitutions. It serves 2-3 people.

1 medium onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
2 stalks of celery, cut into 1" chunks
3 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1" chunks
1 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
1 cup vegetable broth
1/4 to 1/2 cup of Irish stout, such as Guiness
1 package of seitan or your preferred meat substitute
3/4 cup frozen green peas

Saute onions in a heavy-bottomed pot until soft. Add carrots and celery, cook about 5 minutes. Add potatoes, cook 2 minutes more. Add salt, pepper, and thyme, stir, and allow mixture to cook for a few more minutes to meld flavors. Add bay leaf and vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer about 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Add Irish stout and simmer another minute. Add seitan and peas, stir, and cook until warmed through (but not too long or the peas will look yucky!).

Say slainte over beers and serve.