4 St. Patricks’ Day recipe ideas with a healthy twist

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — It’s March, which means St. Paddy’s Day is just around the corner. And here to help you feel the luck of the Irish, Village Health Clubs & Spas dietician Jaime shares some festive recipes with a healthy twist.

Pot of Gold Hummus and a Veggie Rainbow Golden Hummus

• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 3 Tbsp tahini
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp ginger powder
• 1/4 – 1/2 tsp ground turmeric, to taste
• 1/4 tsp salt, or more to taste
• Optional: pinch cayenne pepper
• Optional: 1/2 – 2 tbsp water
• Different Colored Vegetables such as red grape tomatoes, orange carrots, yellow bell peppers, green snap peas, purple cabbage

Add drained chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, ground garlic, ground ginger, ground turmeric, salt, and cayenne (optional) to a blender or food processor and blend on high until creamy and smooth, scraping down sides needed. If too thick, add 1/2 to 2 Tbsp water, adding 1/2 tbsp at a time until desired consistency is reached. Place hummus into a small circular bowl. On a platter, make a rainbow using different colored vegetables, then place hummus at the base of the rainbow to resemble a pot of gold.

Fruit Rainbow Platter

• 2 cups strawberries, halved
• 2 cups mandarin orange segments
• 1 cup pineapple, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1/2 cup green grapes
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/2 black grapes

Arrange the fruit beginning with the strawberries along the edge of the plate. Continue adding the fruit, row by row, in the order listed. If the fruit slides towards the center, gently push the fruit back towards the edge of the plate and continue adding rows until the rainbow is complete. Add a small bowl on each side of the rainbow, with one holding yogurt and the other holding the banana chips. Serve with bamboo skewers if desired to allow guests to create their own rainbow kabob.

Whole Grain Irish Soda Bread with Avocado Pea Spread

• 2 2/3 cups white whole wheat flour (about 12 ounces)
• 3/4 cup wheat bran
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons steel-cut oats
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 2 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk (at room temperature)
• To serving: avocado pea spread
• Avocado Pea Spread
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, defrosted
• 1 tsp salt
• Pinch of black pepper
• Zest of 1 lemon and juice of half
• 1 tsp chilli flakes, optional

Preheat oven to 400°F. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 7 ingredients (through wheat germ) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Slowly add buttermilk, stirring just until moist. Let sit for 15 minutes. Spoon batter into a 9 X 5-inch metal loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool on rack.

To make the avocado pea spread, place defrosted peas in a bowl with the avocado, lemon, salt and pepper. Use the back of a fork to mash the mixture to your liking. Top a piece of bread with the mixture, then garnish with chili flakes, extra lemon and salt as desired.

Irish Stew

• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• 2 pounds lean beef stew meat, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
• sea salt
• 3 cups cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 3 turnips, peeled and diced
• 2 small zucchini, diced
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 3 cups beef stock
• 1 cup Guinness beer OR 1 additional cup beef stock
• 1 Tablespoon arrowroot or cornstarch OR 3 tbsp all-purpose flour (optional)

Heat large skillet over medium high heat. Dry beef or lamb and sprinkle with salt. In batches, brown the outside of the meat in the skillet. You do not want to cook the inside of meat. Place browned stew meat and all other ingredients, except the arrowroot or cornstarch, in a 6-quart crock pot. Stir to combine. Cover crockpot and cook on high for four hours or low for 6 – 7 hours. Add arrowroot or cornstarch and cook for an additional hour. Meat should be very tender when finished.

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