A healthy pinch of luck for St. Patty's Day menus

Irish (and non-Irish) eyes will smile wide after tasting these delicious and healthy versions of traditional St. Patrick's Day fare.

And remember, if you're going to wash these down with some festive beverages, be sure to go with light beer (103 calories and 5.8 grams of carbs) instead of regular (153 calories and 12.6 grams of carbs).

Erin Go Bragh!



Corned Beef and Cabbage

Ingredients

5 lbs. corned beef brisket
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves
6 black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 garlic clove
1 carrot, cut into large chunks
1 celery rib, cut into large chunks
1 head green cabbage, cored
1 Golden Delicious apple, cored and quartered
horseradish sauce (optional)

Place corned beef into a large pot and cover with water. Simmer for 1 hour, skimming off any foam that forms on the water's surface.

Pour off the water and cover with fresh water. Add the onions, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves, garlic, carrot, and celery. Cover and simmer for approximately 3 hours, or until the meat is tender.

Cut the cabbage into six wedges. Place cabbage and apples on top of the meat. Cover and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the cabbage with a slotted spoon. Keep warm.

Remove the meat from the cooking liquid and let stand on a serving platter for 15 minutes. Cut into thin slices across the grain. Serve with cabbage and horseradish on the side.

Yield: 10 servings
Serving size: 3 oz. of corned beef and 1/2 a cup of cabbage
Counts as: 1 protein, 1 vegetable



Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Sift the flour, soda, and salt together into a deep mixing bowl. Gradually add 1 cup of buttermilk, mixing with a large spoon until the dough is firm enough to form a large ball. If the dough crumbles, add more buttermilk a tablespoon at a time, until the ingredients adhere.

Place dough on a lightly floured board, and pat and shape it into a flat circular loaf, about 8 inches in diameter and 1 1/2 inches thick. Set the loaf on a floured baking sheet. With the tip of a small knife, cut a 1/2 inch deep cross into the dough, dividing the top of the loaf into quarters.

Bake on a middle oven rack for about 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and wrap in a clean cloth. Let cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes.

Yield: One 8-inch round loaf
Servings: 12 pieces
Serving size: 1/12 of loaf
Counts as: 2 starches



Irish Colcannon

Ingredients

1 cup water
1 Tbsp. light margarine
1/4 tsp. salt
3 cups chopped cabbage
1/3 cup skim milk
1 cup instant mashed potato flakes
1 green onion, finely chopped

In a medium saucepan, combine water, margarine, and salt. Bring to a boil. Stir in cabbage; return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 4-6 minutes, or until cabbage is tender.

Remove from heat. Stir in milk and potato flakes with fork. Stir in onion. Cover and let stand 3 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings
Serving size: 1/4 recipe
Counts as: 1 starch, 1 vegetable


Creamy Irish Coffee

Ingredients

1 oz. Bailey's Irish Cream, Lite 30 proof
8 oz. hot black coffee
1 Tbsp. light whipped cream

Combine Bailey's and coffee in a glass mug.
Top with whipped cream.

Yield: 1 serving
Counts as: 1 starch, 1 condiment