Perfectly Green Recipes for St. Patrick's Day

Perfectly Green Recipes for St. Patrick's Day

hemlock
Everyone knows what St. Patrick’s Day is all about—the drinks. But also what comes with drinks, is how you feel after, and that’s most often not very good.
While you might not necessarily be able to prevent the drinks, what you can do is make sure that you’re also eating something healthy and nutritious to keep your body from feeling terrible.
Conveniently, the theme color for St. Patrick’s Day is green. And food that’s usually good for you? Also green!
Here are some green recipes you can cook up for this year’s St. Patrick’s Day.
leaves
Steak and Salsa Verde

Steak and Salsa Verde

From Jamie Oliver

Ingredients
1 lb quality flank steak
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, halved
For the Mexican salsa verde
1 small bunch fresh coriander
1 small bunch fresh mint, leaves picked
1 clove garlic, peeled
1-2 fresh jalapeno or serrano chillies, seeded
4 large scallions, trimmed
2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
juice of 1-2 limes
1 tablespoon olive oil
⅛ teaspoon salt
Method
Take your steak out of the refrigerator and let it get up to room temperature while you make your salsa.
Get yourself a good knife and a big cutting board. Set aside a few of the cilantro leaves, then chop the top of the bunch, stalks and all, with the mint leaves, garlic, chiles, scallions, and tomatoes until it’s all very fine – watch your fingers here! Sprinkle over a pinch of the salt and pepper, then add most of the lime juice and a good lug of extra virgin olive oil. Mix together on the board, taste it, season with the remaining salt, pepper, lime juice, or chile, and put it into a bowl ready to go.
Get a frying pan, grill pan, or outdoor grill screaming hot and season both sides of your steaks with the salt, pepper, and a good lug of olive oil.
Add the steaks to the pan or grill. Your steaks should take about 6 to 7 minutes per side to cook depending on how you like them. As it cooks, rub the steak with the cut side of the garlic clove for some extra flavor.
When the steaks are perfectly cooked to your liking, move them to a plate to rest for a few minutes.
Cut the flank against the grain and with the knife at an angle to the board into ¼-inch-thick slices, and arrange them on a large serving platter or divide between your plates.
Finish with a few dollops of salsa, and scatter over your remaining cilantro leaves. Drizzle over any resting juices and let everyone tuck in.

Pizza
From Food 52

Ingredients
250 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping the dough
1/2 gram active dry yeast
8 grams (1 teaspoons) fine sea salt
175 grams water
2 cups tightly packed fresh basil
1/2 cup walnuts or pine nuts
1 to 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped (to taste)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
12 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut in half
2 cups loosely packed, fresh arugula
Method
FOR THE PIZZA DOUGH:
In a medium bowl, thoroughly blend the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the water and, with a wooden spoon and/or your hands, mix thoroughly. We find it easiest to start with the spoon, then switch to your hands (see slideshow).
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and allow it to rise at room temperature (about 72°) for 18 hours or until it has more than doubled. It will take longer in a chilly room and less time in a very warm one.
Flour a work surface and scrape out the dough. Divide it into 4 equal parts and shape them. For each portion, start with the right side of the dough and pull it toward the center, then do the same with the left, then the top, then the bottom. (The order doesn’t actually matter; what you want is four folds.)
Shape each portion into a round and turn seam side down. Mold the dough into a neat circular mound. The mounds should not be sticky; if they are, dust with more flour.
If you don’t intend to use the dough right away, wrap the balls individually in plastic and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Return to room temperature by leaving them out on the counter, covered in a damp cloth, for 2 to 3 hours before needed.
FOR THE PESTO:
Place the basil, walnuts or pine nuts, and garlic in a food processor fitted with the S blade. Pulse to combine, until the mixture is coarsely ground.
Turn the motor on and drizzle the olive oil in a thin stream. Add the sea salt, pepper, lemon, and nutritional yeast, and pulse a few more times to combine.
FOR THE PIZZA:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Place each dough disk onto a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a circle with a 10 to 12 inch diameter.
Transfer each gently to a cookie sheet dusted with cornmeal or flour. Spread each with 1/2 cup of pesto (about half the recipe). Distribute asparagus evenly over the two pizzas. Place two pizzas in the oven and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until crust is golden and asparagus is lightly browned.
Remove pizza from oven. Sprinkle one cup of arugula lightly over each pizza. Cut each pizza into halves or thirds, and serve!

Shamrock Shake

Shamrock Shake

Adapted from My Darling Vegan

Ingredients
3 very ripe bananas, frozen and cut into chunks
1 cup raw almond milk
1 cup fresh arugula, packed
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1-2 tbsp raw agave (optional)
1 tbsp cacao nibs (optional topping)
Method
In a high-power blender or food processor combine bananas, almond milk, spinach, and peppermint extract and blend until smooth. Add the raw agave to taste. If your bananas are ripe enough, you’ll likely not need any.
Top with cacao nibs and serve immediately.

Lucky Leprechaun Dip

Lucky Leprechaun Dip

From Healthy Happy Life
Ingredients
1 can white cannellini beans (1 1/2 cups) – drain/rinse in hot water
1 cup kale (I actually used frozen kale! But fresh works too)
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp lemon juice + generous pinch of lemon zest
1/2 tsp fine black pepper
3 dashes of cayenne
1/4 cup raw cashews (no need to soak if using a high speed blender of food processor)
1 1/2 Tbsp tahini, roasted, organic
1/4+ cup warm water
1/4 cup chopped parsley, flat-leaf
optional: garlic powder or roasted garlic
Method
1. Add all ingredients to high speed blender of Vitamix. Blend from low to high until silky and smooth. Add a few extra splashes of water or drizzles of oil if needed to blend smooth. (It will firm up quite a bit in the fridge)
2. Pour in serving dish and chill in fridge for 1 hour or overnight. You could serve right away or warm if desired as well.
3. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil on top and fresh parsley to garnish.
Shaved Carrots, Watercress, and Cashews

Shaved Carrots, Watercress, and Cashews with Orange Vinaigrette

From Whole Living

Ingredients
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 small carrots, peeled into ribbons
1 bunch watercress, thick stems removed
1 scallion, thinly sliced on bias
2 clementines, peel and pith removed, fruit cut into segments
1/3 cup salted cashews, halved
Method
Whisk orange juice, mustard, and honey in a small bowl. Whisk in olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.
Combine carrots, watercress, scallion, clementines, and cashews in a medium bowl. Toss with vinaigrette and adjust seasoning to taste.

Quinoa and Mango Salad

Quinoa and Mango Salad with Lemony-Ginger Dressing

From Food 52

Ingredients
1 cup regular, red or black quinoa, rinsed well in a strainer
2 cups water
3 mangoes
1 large red onion, halved stem to root and slivered
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups micro greens
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1-2 avocados, halved, pitted and sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
3-4 teaspoons lemon juice
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (or 1 tsp ground ginger)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook the quinoa: In a saucepan, bring quinoa and water to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until most or all of the water is absorbed, about 12-15 minutes. The little “tails” should pop free from the grain and it should still be pretty chewy. If any liquid remains, strain the quinoa.
Toss onion slivers with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for about 30 minutes. Resist stirring until they begin to brown, then stir occasionally; not too much or they will not brown as nicely. Remove when they are soft and nicely colored. Let cool.
Pit and dice mangoes. Try to squeeze out some of the juices from the fibrous part surrounding the pit before discarding it – there’s often a lot of juice in that section. Add it to the diced mangoes Make the dressing: Whisk the olive oil into the lemon juice. Whisk in the ginger and add salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble the salad: Mix the quinoa, mango (and juices), black beans, and cilantro together. Spread the micro greens on a large plate and layer the quinoa mixture over the greens. Top with the roasted onions and the avocado slices. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve.

leaves
The most important part of keeping up a healthy lifestyle is balance. Indulge—have a few beers because it’s St. Patrick’s Day. But don’t overdo it, and balance it out with some nutritious food.
One really good way to encourage a healthy, balanced lifestyle, is to grow your own food, and with the Urban Cultivator, you can do that 365 days a year.
Offering over 35 varieties of microgreens, herbs, and vegetables to grow in the Urban Cultivator unit, you can eat healthily anytime.
What are you doing for St. Patrick’s Day? Let us know in the comments section!