Drunken Bean Stew

My ancestry is both Irish and German, with plenty of Viking thrown in for good measure. One would think that I could drink anyone under the table. Surprisingly, I'm not fond of the taste of strong liquor, and I've never actually acquired a taste for beer. Unbelievable with my ancestry, right? I like Belgian beer, because they are sweet, and my son concocted what my dad later told us is known as red beer. Beer mixed with tomato juice. I can drink that.

All of that aside, I really like cooking with alcohol. I'm not sure why I like the flavor it imparts food, but don't like drinking it straight. So when I come across a recipe that lists alcohol as an ingredient, I tend to want to try it.

Drunken Bean Stew

One can green beans
One can black beans
One can kidney beans
One can lima beans
One can pinto beans
One can corn
One quart of V8 juice
One can diced tomatoes with green chiles
2 bags frozen mixed vegetables
One small cabbage, diced
2 T. barley
3 cloves garlic, diced
One bottle of dark beer

Combine all the ingredients except for the beer in a large pot. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for about an hour. Add the beer and simmer another 45 minutes to an hour. Season to taste. Serve. Enjoy!

What I like about this stew is how adaptable it is. You can add or subtract the veggies to suit your taste. It is one of those recipes for a cold day and you don't want to go to the store, so you raid your pantry and freezer. Kind of like add a rock and you have stone soup.

Serve it up with some cornbread or a crusty bread that invites you to tear hunks off and slather with some vegan butter, and you've got a great filling meal.