5 Healthy Meals to Celebrate St Patrick's Day

St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner. In addition to pots of gold and pints of Guinness, this holiday celebrates the hardy flavors of Ireland. Bartlesville seniors can take a culinary adventure across the country while supporting their health with these five flavorful St. Patrick’s Day recipes.

5 Healthy St. Patrick’s Day Recipes

Celebrate the luck of the Irish with these five delicious and nutritious St. Patrick’s Day-inspired recipes. With simple ingredients like frozen and canned veggies mixed in with fresh produce and mild seasonings, these recipes are just as simple as they are flavorful. Plan a few dates this month with your family, friends, or a caregiver, and try a few yourself.

1. Green Shakshuka

This contest-winning green shakshuka recipe (Emily Teel via Taste of Home) is packed with good-for-you greens and flavor. It’s also vegetarian-friendly and fast to make–only about 20 minutes!

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 lb of fresh Brussels sprouts, quartered
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tsp of kosher salt, divided
• 1/4 cup of reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, divided
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small bunch kale, chopped and trimmed
• 9 oz of fresh baby spinach, chopped
• 1/4 cup of fresh parsley, minced
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup of crumbled feta cheese
• 1 tsp of grated lemon zest

Directions

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Brussels sprouts, green pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Continue cooking until vegetables become slightly browned, stirring the ingredients occasionally to keep them from sticking. Add two tablespoons of broth and the garlic, cooking for another minute.
• Next, start putting the kale, spinach, and parsley into the pot, a little at a time until they cook down and there’s more room. Stir until the greens wilt. This should only take a few minutes. Add the remaining broth and salt and give it all a stir.
• Using the back of a spoon, create four wells in the vegetable mixture. Crack an egg into each well and top with feta and lemon zest. Cover and cook for four to six minutes until the egg whites are fully set and the yolks have thickened but are still runny.

2. Creamed Peas

Add some greenery to your St. Patrick’s Day table spread with this tasty creamed peas side dish recipe from Lauren Habermehl with Taste of Home. To stay within a healthier diet, we omitted the salt and sugar from the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 package frozen peas (about 10 oz)
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• Pepper to taste

Directions

• Cook the peas according to the directions on the package.
• In a saucepan, melt the butter and stir in the flour and pepper before adding the milk. Bring to a boil, then cook a few minutes more, carefully stirring to avoid burning the milk.
• Drain the peas, combine with the sauce, and serve.

3. Potato Soup

Nothing screams “Irish” more than this heart-healthy potato soup recipe from the American Heart Association. It has 131 calories and four grams of fiber per serving.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs of potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 packages of frozen chopped onions (about 10 oz each)
• 1/4 cup chopped, dried tomatoes
• 2 pints plus 14 ounces of low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups of shredded cooked turkey
• 3 cups of packaged chopped frozen mixed vegetables
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Heat the oil over high heat in a large soup pot and stir in the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until the onions are deeply browned.

• Next, place the potatoes and dried tomatoes in the pot and pour in the broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
• Stir in the turkey and vegetables, boil, and cook for six to eight minutes.
• Sprinkle the black pepper on top.

4. Chipotle Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Add some kick to your potatoes with another recipe from the American Heart Association–chipotle chicken stuffed sweet potatoes.

Ingredients:

• 4 sweet potatoes, washed
• 1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tsp of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp of black pepper
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 white or yellow onion, diced
• 3/4 cup of frozen or canned corn
• 15 oz canned, low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tsp of no-calorie sweetener
• 1 tsp of cumin
• 1 tsp of chili powder
• 1/2 tsp of garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp of dried oregano
• 2 tbsp of water
• 2 tbsp reduced-fat pepper jack cheese

Directions

• Prick each sweet potato all over with a fork and place on a baking sheet. Bake for one hour in a 400-degree preheated oven or until they’re soft and easily pierced.
• Meanwhile, rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and place them in a baking dish. Season with pepper. Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. Remove the chicken from the oven. Once cooled, shred the chicken using a fork and set it aside.
• Grease a large skillet with cooking spray and saute onions over medium heat for two to three minutes, until translucent. Stir in the corn and beans and stir gently until heated through. Add the shredded chicken, lime juice, no-calorie sweetener, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, and water. Stir well and cook until the mixture is heated through.
• Carefully remove the baked potatoes from the oven and slice them open lengthwise after letting them cool for a few minutes to avoid burns or hot steam escaping. Spoon ¼ of the bean and chicken mixture into each potato, top with the cheese, place back on the baking sheet, and put them back in the oven until the cheese melts. Remove and serve.

5. St. Patrick’s Day Popcorn

No celebratory meal would be complete without a festive snack! This fun green popcorn recipe from Karen Weber via Taste of Home checks off both the snack box and the dessert box. With a hefty amount of sugar, this recipe is best suited for those without any dietary restrictions to follow. It would be an excellent treat for the grandkids to enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 4 quarts of popped popcorn
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup of packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/2 cup of light corn syrup
• 1 tsp of white vinegar
• 1/4 tsp of salt
• 1/2 cup of butter
• 8 to 10 drops of green food coloring

Directions

• Warm the popcorn in a large roasting pan in a 250-degree oven. In a large heavy saucepan, mix together both sugars, the water, corn syrup, vinegar, and salt, and heat over medium, stirring until it boils. Continue cooking and stirring until a candy thermometer inserted in the mixture reads 260 degrees; remove from the heat.
• Stir the butter into the saucepan until thoroughly melted. Add the food coloring and stir to combine. Drizzle the caramel mixture over the warm popcorn and toss to coat evenly. Let it cool, then break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Receive Assistance with Meal Planning & Prepping

Visiting Angels of Bartlesville’s in-home caregivers can help local seniors enjoy these healthy, tasty dishes. We offer meal planning and preparation services to older adults throughout Bartlesville, Dewey, Nowata, and Ramona. Caregivers are trained in prepping diet-conscious foods that suit their clients’ particular health conditions and nutritional needs.

Contact us today at (918) 333-7400 to learn more.