Ireland’s Rxs For A Fun and Healthy St. Paddy’s Day!
As the saying goes- Everyone is Irish on March 17th and if you
need a recipe for making corned beef or if you want to know
how Ireland’s favorite beer can help you look and feel younger,
then this is the post for you.
First up, the lowly potato.
If you plan on having potatoes this St. Paddy’s day, why not
try something different and have a potato bar?
A potato bar?
Yes, serve piping hot baked potatoes with gourmet fixings-
and add different types of beer and you’ve got the makings
for a different and unique type of St. Patrick’s day party.
And before getting started, here are some reminders of why you should
add potatoes to your menu, not only this March 17th, but year round.
a) Lower Blood Pressure.
Eating the potato, especially the skin can help lower blood pressure
just as effectively as doctor-prescribed meds.
Give credit to the potassium in the potato, a mineral so powerful
it’s able to flush sodium out of your system. The type of sodium
that causes your blood pressure to rise.
b) Retain Muscle-
If wasting away and losing the muscle you had in your 20’s and 30’s
is a concern- then, look no further than the potato.
Again, the potassium in these root vegetables help you hold
onto muscle, especially as you age.
Green tomatoes and bananas are also helpful.
c) Strong Bones-
Like muscles wasting away, you also must be concerned with
thinning bones (osteoporosis) as you get up in years.
Eat more potatoes and prevent the inevitable bone loss.
d) Depression-
Potatoes can also hep you prevent and overcome mild forms of
depression and sadness.
Important tip: Just avoid deep frying them in oil (fries) and
then adding burgers, shakes and sweets. Doing this not only
makes depression worse, it also causes it to persist.
e) Youthful Skin-
Want to avoid buying pricey skin care products and/or going
under the surgeon’s knife? Start adding more potatoes to your
daily menus. A man who grew a large amount and had trouble giving
them away, decided to juice a couple each day. After a month,
he noticed a smoother, rosier complexion and far fewer age spots.
So, now that you know about some of the benefits of the lowly
potato, it’s time to learn how to set up your “Potato Bar!”
The St. Paddy’s Day Baked Potato Bar.
1) Bake Your Potatoes-
The ultimate “loaded” potato has to be baked to perfection:
and that means fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside.
Begin with large baked potatoes that are the same size,
(russet or Idaho) are best; scrub the peel thoroughly and
prick the with a fork or steak knife.
Dissolve 1 Tbs. salt in a 1 cup of water and use a brush (pastry)
to brush the salt water onto the potato skins, (this makes the
skin crispy). Place the potato on a baking sheet and bake for
50 to 60 minutes, until soft. Remove from the oven and brush
skins with olive or coconut oil. Bake another 5 to 7 minutes,
remove from the oven and carefully wrap in aluminum foil
to keep them warm.
2) Create a Space For Toppings-
Use your kitchen counters or a long table
in the living room, and set out some fixings.
Place some butter, (pats work best) sour cream,
then shredded cheeses, followed by some steamed veggies:
broccoli florets, carrots, creamed spinach and sauteed
mushrooms.
And finish up by placing minced chives, bacon bits,
salt, pepper and hot sauce on the counter or table.
3) Make It More Like An Irish Potato.
Simply put, use the toppings that are popular in Ireland.
And they are…caramelized onions, blue cheese, and mayo.
To do: Cook a chopped onion in a skillet (using a little
oil) on medium-low heat until soft and brown at the edges,
about 30 minutes. (you can do the day before the party)
And when the guests arrive, allow them to split the potatoes
and add the onions, mayo and blue cheese.
4) The Beverage Station-
If there’s a time to serve iced-cold beer, today (March 17th)
is the day. Place a few types of beer, plus some soda and
sparkling water on the counter or tabletops.
And for those who don’t imbibe, put out a pot
of coffee, (Irish, of course), along with some cookies
or cupcakes.
5) St. Paddy’s Day Party Ideas-
If you’re stuck for ideas on how to make this day even
more eventful, here are a few tips:
* Play some music. Go to youtube.com and download
Irish tunes, like…Molly Malone, Danny Boy or Celtic Woman.
* Offer guests a leprechaun hat or green beards
as soon as they arrive.
* An idea for kids. Ask adults to carve shapes into halved
raw potatoes and give kids paper and nontoxic paints
to color the potatoes.
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Next up. if you’re not sure on what type of beer to serve,
it may be fitting to serve Ireland’s favorite beer.
And what beer is that?
A dark stout like Guinness.
And if you plan on continuing to have some Guinness
after the holiday, here are some benefits, that may make
you want to have it (beer) on a regular basis.
a) Heart Health-
When one thinks of heart health, beer doesn’t come to mind,
but having 1 beer a day can keep your heart in tip-top shape.
Beer is loaded with lots of the same phenols and flavonoids
found in red wine. Stout beer relaxes blood vessels,
reduces arterial plaque and helps prevent blood clots,
lowering heart attack risk by 35%.
Plus, it (beer) can trigger a drop in blood pressure and
increase good, heart protective HDL cholesterol.
b) Luscious Locks-
The old joke about never seeing a homeless, bald guy
who drinks everyday may not be a joke at all.
According to health researchers, rinsing your hair
or drinking some beer daily, stops it from thinning
and makes it stronger.
Beer contains iron, silicon and protein, which improves
hair density by 15%.
Important tip: If the smell of beer on your hair frightens
you, try the sweet scented, beer-enriched shampoo,
called Broo Thickening Shampoo, available online
at Walmart.com
c) Lower Stress Levels-
A beer a day can relax you, any more and the complete
opposite happens. The hops in beer that give it that robust
flavor work on your nervous systems like sedatives. Hops
can also reduce stress hormones associated with caffeine
and nicotine withdrawals.
Plus, hops can ease insomnia, improving the quality and
duration of your sleep. (Near beer also work great as sleep-aids)
d) Bone Health-
A beer and a potato a day may be all of the natural medicine you
need if you’re concerned about thinning bones, (osteoporosis).
Beer is loaded with iron, calcium and selenium and silicon,
minerals that improve bone density and help prevent bone loss.
e) Prevent Dementia-
Another concern as we age: Mental decline or memory loss.
Believe it or not, a small amount of beer (or any type of alcohol)
will help prevent dementia and even Alzheimer’s.
Beer has B-vitamins and silicon and combined they remove
plaque and toxins from the brain.
Important tip: It only works for people who have a small glass
of alcohol or one beer a day, go over the limit and you’ll develop
not only memory problems, but a number of other health issues as
well.
f) Something For Non-Drinkers-
If you’re not a fan of drinking it (beer) or if you only want to
drink it on special occasions, you can use it as an ingredient
to enhance the flavor of some of your favorite dishes.
Use it to…
* Make a cake taste richer.
Prepare your chocolate cake batter as usual, replacing one
cup of liquid with dark stout, whisk ingredients together before
baking.
* Make richer tasting stews and chilis.
If you plan on making beef stew or some chili, pour 1/2 cup
of dark stout into either dish the last 15 minutes of cooking.
* Add to vegetables.
If you use only salt and pepper to flavor your vegetables,
try a dark stout for a different type of flavor.
And if you plan on having cabbage on the 17th or the following
day (s) here’s a recipe for “drunken cabbage.”
In a saucepan, combine 1 large head of cabbage (red or green)
cored and sliced with 1 btl. of Irish stout, 2 Tbs. sugar and
a dash of pepper and salt. Cook on low heat for 20 minutes,
or until cabbage is tender.
Now that you have some ideas on creating something
different and unique, (a potato bar and a beer bar)
here are recipes for Irish soda bread, corned beef and
cabbage.
1) Garlicky Crumb-Crusted Corned Beef-
Try something out of the norm and add some
breadcrumbs to corned beef.
Ingredients:
4 lb. corned beef brisket
1 cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 Tbs. chopped parsley
1 clove garlic , minced
To make:
In large pot, combine brisket with enough water to
cover by an inch. Over high heat bring
to boil, Skim and discard foam from top; cover pot.
Reduce heat to low; simmer, turning every 30 minutes,
until meat is tender, about 3 hours. Drain, pat dry.
Position one rack in upper third of oven.
Preheat oven to 400*F. Place corned beef in roasting pan.
In bowl, combine breadcrumbs, mayo, mustard parsley
and garlic. Spread over top of corned beef. Bake on
upper rack 10 to 12 minutes or until golden.
Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Important tip: If the corned beef is too large,
you can cut it in half and freeze it. Cook it at a later date.
Or you can cook the whole corned beef, and if there’s any left,
slice it up and put 2 or 3 slices in plastic bags and when you’re
ready, take out a few slices for a sandwich or mix it (corned beef)
with eggs, onions, peppers and potatoes for breakfast.
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2) Roasted Cabbage with Bacon-
Ingredients:
6 strips of bacon, cut into 1″ pieces
3 lbs. of cabbage, cored, cut in 1 1/2 ” wedges, about 12
1 small red onion, cut into 1/4″ thick slices
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. caraway seeds, crushed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
To make:
Position one rack in upper third and one rack in
lower third of the oven. Preheat oven to 400*F.
Line plate with paper towels. In large skillet,
cook bacon strips over medium heat, turning occasionally,
until crisp, about 8 minutes. With slotted spoon, transfer
bacon to paper towels; reserve bacon and pan drippings
in skillet. Meanwhile, arrange cabbage wedges and onion
in large roasting pan.
To pan drippings in skillet, add cider, vinegar, caraway
seeds, and salt and pepper; over high heat, bring to a
boil. Pour cider mixture over cabbage and onions, Tightly
cover roasting pan with foil. Roast on lower rack for
30 minutes. Uncover pan. Turn cabbage wedges over;
continue roasting uncovered. 45 minutes or until
cabbage is tender. Serve cabbage and onions topped
with reserved bacon.
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3) Irish Soda Bread-
If you usually serve rolls, bread (rye) or biscuits on the 17th,
get out of your comfort zone and serve this traditional
Irish Soda Bread.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup ground walnuts
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus additional if necessary
2/3 cup of sugar
1 Tbs. caraway seeds
2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp.salt
1/2 cup golden raisins, chopped
1/2 cup dark raisins, chopped
1 1/2 cups of buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp. grated orange zest
To make:
Preheat oven to 325*F. Coat baking with cooking spray.
In small nonstick skillet, cook walnuts over medium-low
heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and toasted, about
5 minutes. Remove from skillet; cool.
In a large bowl, combine flour sugar, caraway seeds, baking
soda and salt; stir in raisins and walnuts, In separate bowl,
whisk together buttermilk, 1 egg and zest; stir into flour
mixture until dough forms.
Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Shape
dough into round loaf, kneading in up to 3 Tbs.
additional flour if necessary to prevent sticking.
Transfer loaf to baking sheet. Lightly beat remaining
egg; brush some of egg over dough. With a serrated
knife cut 1/2″ -deep “X” into top. Bake 55 to 60 minutes
or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped on bottom.
Transfer from pan to rack; cool.
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4) Luck Of The Irish Cookies-
If you have room for something sweet after that meal,
here’s a recipe for cookies that’s made with cake mix.
Ingredients:
1 package white cake mix (Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker)
3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Food coloring, (green)
To make:
On medium speed, beat cake mix, butter, egg and vanilla
until just combined, 30 secs. on medium-high, beat until
smooth, 1-2 minutes. On low, beat in tiny amount of food
coloring to tint dough light green. Shape half of
dough into ball; on sheet of plastic wrap, flatten into
1/2″ thick disk, then wrap. On low, beat enough
food coloring into remaining dough until tinted
medium green. Shape into ball; on sheet of plastic wrap,
flatten into 1/2 ” thick disk, then wrap. Refrigerate both
disks of dough until firm, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350*F. On lightly floured surface,
working with half of each disk at a time, roll out dough
to 1/2″ thickness. Using 2 1/2″ and 11/2″ shamrock-
shaped cookie cutters, cut out shapes,
re-rolling scraps. Transfer to ungreased baking sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges start to brown.
Cool 5 mins. Transfer from baking sheets to racks.
Cool completely.
Sources:
* Abby Mouzakitis-Fazio, R.Ph.
* Israeli Researchers