Irish Stew

Taken from an old newspaper clipping.

• 1 1/2 pounds lamb or beef, cubed
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2 pounds peeled, cubed potatoes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups boiling beef broth
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley

Make layers of the meat, onions, and potatoes in oven-proof casserole. Season each layer with salt and pepper. Add bay leaf. Pour broth over the layers and top with parsley.

Simmer, covered, in pre-heated 300° oven for 2-3 hours, or until meat is tender and potatoes have absorbed some of the broth.

Note: I sometimes add a clove of minced garlic for added flavor.

St. Bernard Fireman's Bean Soup

From a recipe clipping from a Cincinnati newspaper.

• 2 pounds dried great Northern beans
• Water to cover beans
• 2 pounds cottage ham
• 1 large onion
• 1/2 stalk celery
• 1/2 bottle (14 ounces) ketchup
• 3 medium potatoes, diced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Soak beans overnight in enough water to cover by several inches.

Grind the cottage ham, onion, and celery together in a food processor.

Drain beans and put in a heavy pan or Dutch oven. Cover again with water and add ham, celery, and onions. Add ketchup and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 1 1/2 hours.

Add diced potatoes, salt, and pepper and continue cooking for another hour.

Makes 10 servings.

Old Fashioned Bean Soup

From a recipe clipping from a Cincinnati newspaper.

• 10 cups water
• 1 pount navy beans
• 1 ham bone
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup ketchup

Wash and sort beans. In a large pot, bring water to a boil; add beans and boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand overnight. Add ham bone (or ham hocks) and the next 6 ingredients.

Cover; simmer 2 1/2-3 hours or until beans are tender. Remove bay leaf and ham bone or hocks from soup; cut meat from bones and return meat to soup. Stir in ketchup and heat to blend flavors.

Serves 10.

Bean Soup

By Rutie Day
From a recipe clipping from an unidentified newspaper.

• 4 quarts water
• 1 large onion, minced or chopped
• 1 large can tomatoes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Hambone
• 1 pound navy beans
• 2 chopped carrots
• 3 pieces celery with greens
• 1 potato, cut up

Soak beans in pan overnight.

Salt and pepper to taste with hambone and navy beans. Cook covered 3 to 4 hours on medium heat, stirring often. Let sit for 2 more hours with lid on.

Cook again for 3 more hours, with chopped carrots, celery, and potato. Add extra water if needed.

New World Irish Stew

From a recipe clipping cut from The Cincinnati Post.

• 1 pound beef stew cubes
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or bacon drippings
• 2 cups water plus 1 tablespoon beef flavor instant bouillon (or beef broth)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 medium carrots, pared, chunked
• 2 medium potatoes, pared, chunked
• 2 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, cut into wedges
• 6 small green cabbage wedges

Yield: about 2 quarts

Prep time: 35 minutes

Simmering: 2 hours

In a large kettle or Dutch oven, brown meat in fat. Don't crowd the pan; brown slowly, turning meat occasionally. Add water, bouillon, and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat immediately so as not to toughen the meat. Cover and simmer 1 hour. Add remaining ingredients except the cabbage; cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add cabbage; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning, adding a bit of salt or Worcestershire if desired.

Recipe from Borden.

Smoky White Bean Stew

An article clipped from The Cincinnati Enquirer.

An economical stew that can also be served over rice. Add a mixed green salad and biscuits.

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large chopped onion
• 3 thinly sliced carrots
• 1/2 pound reduced-fat smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can fat-free chicken broth
• 2 1/4 cups water
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 (15- to 19-ounce) can rinsed and drained white beans
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 bay leaf

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium to high heat; add onion and carrots. Cook and stir 10 minutes or until carrots are tender. Stir in sausage; cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add broth, water, cabbage, beans, pepper, and bay leaf; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until cabbage is tender. Remove bay leaf and serve.

Minestrone Soup

This recipe may be prepared for all low-sodium diets, but those restricted to 1000-, 500-, or 250-mg. low-sodium diets should not eat the carrots and celery used for flavoring and should omit the Parmesan cheese.

• 4 beef marrow bones
• 2 sliced onions
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 3 peeled and diced potatoes
• 2 diced celery stalks
• 2 scraped and diced carrots
• 1/2 cup raw rice
• 2 quarts water
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 3 minced parsley sprigs
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup cooked kidney beans
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Place marrow bones in a heavy pot. Add onions, cabbage, potatoes, celery, carrots, and rice. Cover with water. Add garlic, parsley, basil, pepper, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 1 hour. Skim residue off top occasionally. Add cooked kidney beans. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled over each serving.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.