Clovers aren’t the only thing that bring good luck for St. Patrick’s Day. Here are three healthy St. Patrick’s Day recipes that are sure to bring lots o’ luck to your oral and overall health.
Corned Beef & Cabbage
Servings: 6
Cabbage is loaded with nutrients like Vitamin C, an antioxidant that can protect against heart disease, cancer and vision loss. That makes it a healthy and tasty option perfect for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. This recipe includes meat, but you can skip it entirely for a delicious vegetarian version!
Ingredients:
- 2 celery stalks, cut into 3-inch pieces
- 3 carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces
- 1 small yellow onion, cut into wedges
- ½ pound small potatoes
- 6 sprigs thyme
- 1 corned beef brisket, about 3 pounds, keep the pickling spice packet
- 1 head cabbage, cut into 1 ½-inch wedges
- Grainy mustard (optional during serving)
Directions:
- Add celery, carrots, onion, potatoes, and thyme to a 5 to 6-quart slow cooker.
- Place corned beef, fat side up, on top of the vegetables and sprinkle with pickling spice
- Add enough water to cover the meat.
- Cover and cook on high for 4 hours on high or 8 ½ hours on low, until corned beef is tender.
- Arrange cabbage over corned beef and cover, cooking for 45 minutes on high or 1 ½ hours on low, until cabbage is tender.
- Thinly slice corned beef against the grain and serve with vegetables and mustard.
Recipe courtesy of marthastewart.com.
Sugar-free Key Lime Cheesecake
Servings: 12
This recipe calls for nonfat Greek yogurt, which is packed with protein. Your body uses protein for strong bones, muscles, skin, and hair. The probiotics in Greek yogurt are healthy bacteria that boost your immune system and reduce digestive issues.
Ingredients:
Animal Cracker Crust
- 2 cups animal cracker crumbs (plain graham crackers will also work)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
Cheesecake Filling:
- 24 ounces plain, nonfat Greek yogurt
- 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 5 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon Stevia extract (or your favorite liquid sweetener)
- 1 tablespoon Key Lime Zest
- 2/3 cup Key Lime Juice
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Place a sheet of parchment paper on the springform base, then close the springform “ring” onto the base, tightly trapping the parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix the animal cracker crumbs, salt, and almond milk. It should look like a dough. Press the mixture into the prepared pan and set aside.
- In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment, add the yogurt and cream cheese. Mix on medium speed until completely smooth.
- Reduce the speed to low and add one egg at a time. When completely smooth, add the stevia and key lime zest.
- Bake the crust you set aside earlier in the oven for 14 minutes. While that bakes, finish off the filling.
- Add the key lime juice to the mixer to whisk until the crust is done baking.
- Take the crust out of the oven, then pour in the cheesecake filling.
- Bake for 1 hour and 15-20 minutes. Let cool at room temperature, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
Recipe courtesy of dessertswithbenefits.com.
Spicy BLT Green Bloody Mary
Servings: 4
This recipe gets you green without the dye. It gets bonus points because of the green tomatoes, which contains beta carotene for eye health, Vitamin C for strong immune function, and Vitamin K, which ensures normal blood clotting.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups green tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons parsley
- ½ cup English cucumber chunks
- 2 limes, juiced
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 jalapeno, quartered
- 2 teaspoons horseradish
- ice
- 8 ounces of vodka
- Kosher salt to taste
For Garnish:
- 4 romaine lettuce leaf hearts
- 4 strips crispy bacon
- cherry tomatoes
- lemon wedges
Directions:
- Combine the green tomatoes, vinegar, parsley, cucumber chunks, lime juice, Worcestershire and jalepeno in the jar of a blender. Puree on high until very smooth.
- Stir in the horseradish and the vodka. Season to taste with kosher salt.
- Fill 4 glasses with ice cubes.
- Pour over ice and garnish with Romaine lettuce leaf hearts, and crispy strips of bacon and cherry tomatoes and lemon wedges.
Recipe courtesy of heatherchristo.com
Don’t forget to brush and floss after celebrating!
