March 14, 2009

You probably know that it’s almost St Patrick’s Day, but did you know that it’s also Potato Ho Down time too?  I bet you didn’t!

I was thinking about the two events, and two words came to mind:  green potatoes!  That’s right, you heard me correctly…green potatoes.  And no green food coloring is involved; just good edible ingredients.

I browsed my cookbook collection for an idea, and thumbed through “Savoring the Day: Recipes and Remedies to Enhance your Natural Rhythms” by Judith Benn Hurley.   It’s mostly vegetarian, and a little bit hippy-dippy, but it’ a pretty good cookbook, although it’s out of print now.  I found one of her lunch recipes called Dilled Potato Pie, which is supposed to be calming.  I figured we could all use more calm, and the recipe fit my criteria of green and potatoes so away I went.  I made a few changes and here’s what I came up with.  My entry in this month’s Potato Ho Down is Madame Potato Ho Wolfie Lee’s Dilled Potato Pie!

Green Potatoes with Pesto

Madame Potato Ho Wolfie Lee’s Dilled Potato Pie
(adapted from “Savoring the Day” by Judith Benn Hurley)

2 pounds red potatoes, peeled and sliced
1/2 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, pressed
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided usage
1/4 cup milk
1-1/2 cups watercress leaves, chopped
1/4 cup fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
2 tablespoons fresh chives, snipped
3 eggs, lightly beaten
6 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the sliced potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water.  Add a big dash of salt, and boil until completely tender, about 15 minutes, depending on how thick the slices are.  While the potatoes are cooking, saute the onion and pressed garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil until translucent.

When the potatoes are tender, drain them and add them to a large bowl.  Mash them with the milk and 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Add the cooked onions and garlic, watercress, parsley, dill, chives, eggs, parmesan, salt and pepper. Mix until well combined.

Spray a pie dish with non-stick spray, and spoon the potato mixture evenly into the dish, smoothing the top.  Bake until hot throughout and beginning to brown, about 40-45 minutes.   Serve hot with pesto or a pat of butter.

Green Potatoes with Butter

I have to say I was skeptical about this recipe…I was afraid it would be too bland, or just look too “Kermit-the-Frog-in-a-blender”.  Sorry for that visual, Kermie fans.  I’m a fairly adventurous cook though, so I plowed through and resisted the temptation to substitute spinach for the watercress.  The only time I’ve ever had watercress was raw in the vegetarian chef salad at Cafe Express; I’ve never had it cooked or even bought it fresh.  I was very pleasantly surprised though.  I didn’t get a watercress flavor at all.  All of the flavors blended together very harmoniously, but mildly.

The pie was really delicious!  I liked it with a pat of real butter on top (you are dealing with mashed potatoes, after all), but it was equally good with a drizzle of pesto over it or sitting in a pool of pesto with more parmesan sprinkled around.  I think this recipe could be modified to accommodate any flavors you like: different cheeses, adding hot sauce, or substituting other herbs.  You could also play with adding other vegetables to the potatoes, including spinach, broccoli, asparagus, corn, whatever you like!  But do try the watercress!  And do remember it for your St Patrick’s Day menu if you need an unusual side dish.

Green Potatoes: Over the Top!

See the complete collection of March’s Potato Ho Down dishes hosted by Evil Chef Mom on March 18th.  For more info on the monthly Potato Ho event, get the scoop at Noble Pig.  And don’t be afraid of eating green potatoes!

~BigSis

March 13, 2009

I wanted to be sure to get this post up today in case anyone is having their St. Patrick’s Day celebration on Saturday. If you are hosting a party or just having a couple of friends over, these Reuben Sandwiches are easy and they’re a real crowd pleaser.

I mentioned the recipe for these sandwiches a couple of days ago in my St. Patrick’s Day Party Ideas post.  These are a little different since you bake them in the oven for a few minutes and serve them open faced.  If cut into smaller pieces, they made for excellent party appetizers.

I really love that you can put these together before the party. Whenever you’re ready to serve, you just pop them in the oven for five minutes to melt the cheese.

In hindsight, I wish that I hadn’t used Reduced Fat Swiss for this recipe. Full fat cheese probably would have gotten more browned and bubbly. I was trying to cut back a little bit on the fat considering the fat content in the mayo and the corned beef.

I’ve been thinking about these sandwiches so much that I decided not to wait until St. Patrick’s Day to serve them. We’re having them for dinner tonight!

~LilSis

March 12, 2009

Lean Mean Green Cuisine!

I really do eat this way.  While it’s true that LilSis and I are 1/8th Irish, I’m not having this green cuisine in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. This is how a too-tired-to-cook vegetarian can eat, and still get some nutrition.  I put this dinner together on the fly and then realized it was all green so I had to get a photo of it since March 17th is right around the corner!  It’s not a prize-winning photo, but you get the idea.

I’m obsessed with asparagus right now, it’s like vegetable crack to me.  I can’t get enough of it.  Same with hummus.  This version of my Healthy Hummus has a small handful of fresh chives thrown in.  I also have some delicious green beans that SisMama made, without bacon or ham, thank you very much!  Add a green salad, and my lean mean green cuisine is complete (OK, it’s just lettuce, but it’s all I had and I put dressing on it, so TA DA, it’s now salad).  St. Patrick’s Day or not, it was a scrumptious meal!  It’s funny how your palate can change.  The longer I eat clean, the more I crave pure unprocessed good foods that are fuel for the bod.  Now, if I could just lose my craving for Kettle Chips!

Happy Patrick’s Day everyone!  And don’t forget to eat your green stuff!

~BigSis

March 11, 2009

St. Patrick’s Day Party, anyone? I love St. Patrick’s Day! I think it’s because it’s just another good excuse for me to have friends over for some party food and beverages.  Since St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Tuesday this year, I’m undecided as to whether or not I’ll have a party or just invite a couple of friends and neighbors over.

Are you hosting a party or maybe just serving up some great Irish food for a small group of family or friends? If so, hopefully you’ll find something here that will help you plan your ‘get-together’.

I have a teensy bit of Irish in me, but SirHoney is half Irish, so I like to keep things festive for St. Patrick’s Day.

I like doing just a few decorations, maybe some green and white balloons, cute cocktail napkins and plates, and a nice centerpiece. But, I really love having a selection of fun hats, tiaras, and boas for guests to choose from as they enter the party.  I think it creates a fun mood, like at a New Year’s Eve or Halloween Party.

Here are a few sites that are loaded with ideas and party supplies.

• Party City has a good selection of St. Patrick’s Day novelty items and decorations.

• Party411 has some fun St. Patrick’s Day Party Games and Party Supplies.

• There are several party theme ideas here on Celebrations.com.

To get this party started, here are a few ideas for cocktails. How about this Glowing Gecko? I actually served this at a St. Patty’s Day Party a few years ago and it was a big hit with those who like sweet drinks.

Fluorescent Green Gecko

If you’re not a big fan of the sweet drinks, how about a green beer?  You can actually brew your own green beer at home, but it takes two weeks, so there’s not enough time to start that now. Supposedly, you can just add green food color to some light beer, but I don’t think I want to drink green food coloring.

If you want to skip the green beer, just serve up some authentic Irish beer like Guinness Stout or Murphy’s.  If you’d still like a few more ideas for cocktails, check out this site for more St. Patrick’s Day Drinks.

When it comes to the menu, it obviously depends on how many people you’re having over and whether or not you just want to serve appetizers or have a sit down meal. I would normally prefer to serve more appetizers, but I’m trying to keep with the Irish theme and you can only eat so many potatoes! I don’t want anything else too heavy.

I found this Potted Beer and Cheddar recipe in the same Irish cookbook as the Potato Pancakes, but I discovered that the recipe came from Cabot Cheese.  I haven’t made it yet, but it might be an option. It looks easy and it’s festive since it has beer and cheese in it!

For my last St. Patrick’s Day Party, I had about ten people and this was my menu.

• Ham and Potato Pancakes – This recipe was in a special little Irish cookbook I bought called Irish Food, Fun, and Crafts.

• Beer Potato Soup – This soup turned out so good! I found the recipe on Fabulous Foods, but it originated from Tapp’s Brewpub and Steakhouse in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.

• Reuben Sandwiches – This recipe was on Food Network, but it originally came from Gourmet Magazine. I loved how these could be put together a little bit before the party so all you had to do is pop them in the oven as the guests arrive. I actually cut some into smaller pieces and served as an appetizers. (Of course, the ‘manly men’ can eat a whole one.)

• Corned Beef and Cabbage – I didn’t follow a recipe when I made mine, but I like Martha Stewart’s recipe for classic Corned Beef and Cabbage.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

For dessert at my party, I think we just ended up have a little Bailey’s Irish Cream (I’m not real good about remembering to include a dessert).

If you want to include a dessert, here are a few that look great!

Check out this Irish Cream Bundt Cake from The Recipe Girl. I’d really want to try this recipe!

Irish Cream Bundt Cake

For the kids, I like these Shamrock Ice Cream Sandwiches.

Shamrock Ice Cream Sandwiches

And these St. Patrick’s Day Cupcakes from Taste of Home are simple but very cute.

St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes

I hope this helps to jump start your St. Patrick’s Day Party Planning!

Oh, and don’t forget; no St. Patrick’s Day Party is complete without some great Irish music! And one last thing, you’ve got to have a great Irish toast when raising your glasses to friends on St. Patrick’s Day. I love this one.

“May your neighbors respect you,

trouble neglect you,

the angels protect you,

and Heaven accept you.”

~LilSis