Kind of like my wardrobe issues of being in limbo between “young” and “adult”, I have a similar predicament with friends. Some of my best friends are single and ready to mingle in large cities (Chicago, Cincinnati…) while other friends are married and have children — very settled down.
Mr. Prevention and I have been together for 9 years now, but only have our little Lily dog to answer to. While we don’t take advantage often enough of our freedom of a DINK (double income, no kids) status…sometimes we do.
Saturday night we ventured out to a Michigan brewery for dinner and drinks. The crowd was young and loud — definitely not a kid-friendly place.
From there, we meandered down to a casino where we settled in at a blackjack table. We don’t gamble often and when we do, Mr. Prevention heads for the slots while I plop down at a blackjack table. That particular night I was able to turn $60 into $280, but I should note that the $60 came from Mr. P’s wallet as I never have cash. Of course, he tried claiming the winnings as his own, but I prompt returned his $60 and pocketed the rest 
I love our impromptu date nights. There’s something so special about bundling up in boots, a scarf, and a winter coat to head out with your better half to enjoy a good craft beer. I said that night, “I love Michigan so much!”
While we can’t bring along our friends and their kiddos to such evenings out, they are the recipients of leftovers when Mr. P and I eating out on the weekend and neglect the leftovers in our fridge (there was plenty to share of this recipe!). As you can see from the photo above on the stove, you need to use a big, big pot for this one. The good news is that I truly believe this stew was hearty enough to satisfy the meat-lovers in your life. The flavors were superb and the meat was not missed at all.
Vegetarian Guinness Stew from The Kitchn
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 celery stalks, diced
2 onions, diced
1 lb cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
3 lbs russett potatoes (about 6), peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 Tbsp flour
1 (14.9 oz) bottle or can of Guinness*
1 tsp mustard
1 Tbsp vegetable base
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
4 cups water
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot and add celery and onion. Cook until softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.
Add flour to the softened mixture and stir to coat; cook for 2 minutes. Pour in Guinness and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until all vegetables are fork-tender, about 45 minutes. Serve hot.
Yield: 8 servings (about 2 cups each)
Nutrition Information (per serving): 175 calories; 1.8 g. fat; 0 mg. cholesterol; 603 mg. sodium; 32.3 g. carbohydrate; 4.0 g. fiber; 6.5 g. protein; 21.5 g. sugar
Result: Despite the lengthy ingredient list, this recipe was incredibly easy to make. You could even chop the veggies ahead of time to make this a very doable weeknight meal. The majority of the recipe time is just spent simmering, so it really is a simply stew to make. Of course my favorite part is the nutrition information — at under 200 calories and 1.8 grams of fat per serving, it’s hard not to love this one lots! Enjoy!
*trace amounts of Isinglass may be present in Guinness making it not vegetarian; feel free to use a different beer to suit your preferences!
It was a good, relaxing weekend and somehow, I ended the week a few bucks up!
Be well,
That sounds like a great date night.
Yes please! I keep seeing more and more recipes utilizing beer. I have yet to make the sacrifice of putting it into my cooking. I can imagine it would really enhance a stew though. And congrats on the blackjack win. That’s some good luck.
I’m so glad you posted about this one and that you enjoyed it. I noticed it on your menu last week and wondered if it would have enough umph to be a main course. I can’t wait to try it!
Nicely done with your winnings, Nicole! I would have done the exact same thing
This Guinness stew looks incredible!
You know, date nights are the one thing I miss most. Having a kid who has two working parents make date nights few and far between. Savor every second of it!
It’s weird because I have a neighbor next door whose only a couple years younger than me, but he and his wife have four kids – the youngest being six year old twins! The last time we went over to hang out with them, my husband and I realized we had forgotten what it was like to be around kids that young!
Hooray for the $$! I would have done the same thing.
I did the dinner and casino thing on Friday night, except unlike you, I lost money. I only lost $30, but I was still pretty choked about it. I don’t like parting with my money. Well, unless it means I’m buying new clothes or groceries. Then it doesn’t seem to bother me.
The recipe looks great Nicole! Congrats on 9 years together, Andy and I have been together since we were juniors in HS. We have the same scenario with our friends. Some still party like they are in college while others prefer low key nights. Defiantly prefer the low key nights on the weekend as my week days are SO busy!
Thanks times a million for this recipe! The hubs and I always hit the Irish pubs on St. Patrick’s Day (it’s great to be a DINK sometimes, right?!). Guinness stew was always a favorite of his, but since we stopped eating meat last year, he’s kind of bummed when St. Patty’s rolls around and there’s no meatless options. I’m so excited to make this for him next month!
It is great to be a DINK sometimes! Hope you love this recipe, Lindsay!