Keep it Green and Healthy This St. Patrick’s Day

It is super easy to keep St. Patrick’s Day healthy and green and still tasty and fun!!  There are so many healthy “green” options as well as some of the traditional “Irish” favorites!!  Give these recipes a try!

Irish Nachos with Reuben Topping

For the 1000 dressing

2 ½ tablespoons nonfat plain Greek yogurt

1 ½ tablespoons ketchup

2 teaspoons sweet pickle cubes

¾ teaspoon white vinegar

¼ teaspoon hot sauce (I like Frank’s)

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

For the potatoes

1 ½ pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

¾ teaspoon garlic powder

¾ teaspoon onion powder

¾ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Reuben topping

3 ounces lean deli corned beef, chopped

1 cup shredded reduced fat Swiss cheese

¼ - 1/3 cup sauerkraut, more or less, according to preference, drain and press to remove any extra moisture

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.   

In a medium bowl, combine dressing ingredients:  Greek yogurt, ketchup, pickles, vinegar, hot sauce, 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/8 teaspoon onion powder, and 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt.  Cover and refrigerate until needed.  

Cut potatoes evenly into 1/8-think slices.  Be sure to cut evenly.  

In a large bowl, toss potato slices with olive oil until evenly coated.  Sprinkle potatoes with ¾ teaspoon garlic powder, ¾ teaspoon onion powder, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, and black pepper.  Toss again to be sure spices are distributed evenly.  

Place potatoes slices onto two parchment lined baking sheets, spreading them out and making sure they don’t touch or overlap.  

Bake potato slices for 12-14 minutes.  The exact baking times may vary depending the thickness of the slices, check them frequently.  

Carefully flip all slices over and continue baking on the second side for about 5-8 minutes more, checking frequently for doneness.  

When your potatoes are done baking, mound them into a pile in the center if one baking sheet, layering them as you do so with corned beef, cheese, and sauerkraut.  Return the nachos to the oven for about 5 minutes, to allow the toppings to warm and the cheese to melt.

Serve with the Thousand Island dressing, it may be drizzled on top or served beside.  

Creamy Green Lucky Dip

1 can white cannellini beans, rinse and drain in hot water

1 cup kale, fresh or frozen

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, plus a pinch of zest

½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper

1 ½ tablespoons tahini (may substitute peanut butter)

¼ cup warm water

¼ cup chopped parsley

Blend all ingredients starting with low and slowly increasing to high until all silky and smooth.  If necessary, add additional splashes of water or I prefer drizzles of olive oil, to make the mixture blend smooth.  (refrigeration will firm up the mixture)

Pour into a serving dish and chill in fridge for 1 hour or overnight.  Serve with a drizzle of olive oil on top and with crackers, carrot sticks, celery sticks, toasted bread, and more.  Serve cold or warm.  Yields 2 ½ cups.  

Mint Cheesecake Minis

For the crust

1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs mixed with 4 tablespoons melted butter

For the cheesecake

1 package 1/3 less fat cream cheese, at room temperature

½ cup fat free Greek yogurt

2 eggs (room temperature)

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon vanilla 

4 tablespoons Crème de Menthe

Place cookie crumb mixture in the bottom of mini muffin pan (I use holiday liners), press firmly. 

Beat cream cheese with yogurt.  Add in sugar and flour and mix until well blended.  Add one egg at a time, beating until incorporated.  Stir in vanilla and Crème de Menthe by hand.  Spoon over cookie crumb crust.  

Bake about 20 minutes.  Let set before serving.  

Hidden Valley Ranch Green Goddess Pizza

1 pound store bought or homemade pizza dough

Cornmeal for dusting crust

1 cup Hidden Valley Avocado Ranch dry mix

1 head broccoli, cut into florets

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

3 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced

2 cups baby arugula

1 large avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced

Preheat oven to 475 degrees, if you are using a pizza stone place in oven for preheating.  

Sprinkle stone or pan with a layer of corn meal.  Cut the dough into 2, for larger pizzas or 3, for smaller pizzas, equal sized portions.  Form each portion of the dough into a circular shape, stretching and shaping where necessary.  You may find that the pizzas cook better when cooked separately.  

Divide the avocado ranch evenly among each pizza round, and spread, coating the pizza.  

Distribute the broccoli evenly onto each pizza and cover with the shredded mozzarella cheese.  Top each with the sliced mozzarella cheese slices.  

Place the pizza in the oven and bake for 7-10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and brown and the edges of the dough are also brown.  Remove from the oven and let sit at room temperature for approximately 4 minutes before serving.  Top with fresh arugula and avocado slices.  Serve hot!

Matcha is finely ground green colored powder of specially grown and processed green tea leaves, traditionally consumed in East Asia. The green tea plants used for matcha are shade-grown for three to four weeks before harvest; the stems and veins are removed during processing.

Some studies show that because of the way it’s made, matcha may have more of the antioxidants than loose-leaf green tea.  These antioxidants aid in reducing blood pressure., which can reduce your chances of heart disease, heart attack and stroke, among others.  Studies also show matcha can reduce your cholesterol levels.  

Matcha makes everything green!!

Matcha-White Chocolate Bark

(there are lots of variations in this recipe)

1 12 ounce bag white chocolate chips

1 tablespoon matcha powder

1/3 cup dried tart cherries, or dried cranberries, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons of sliced almonds or chopped cashews, toasted or plain

½ teaspoon flaky sea salt

Place chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave on high 1 ½ minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until chocolate melts and is smooth.  Stir in matcha.  

Immediately spread chocolate mixture into a thin layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Sprinkle with dried fruit, toasted nuts, and salt.  Pat items into the chocolate.  Place pan in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or until set.  Beak into pieces to enjoy!!