Inspire "Green" Recipes for St. Patrick's Day

I'm not Irish. My family's roots date back to Great Britain, so I don't have a connection to St. Patrick's Day, unlike others. We didn't celebrate it when I was growing up, apart from making sure I wore green clothing to school or else I would be pinched (who even started that odd tradition?). I have never experienced a soda bread or corned beef and cabbage dish.

But I still love being creative with my recipes. So, when I started looking at Pinterest earlier this month, I realized there are some great St. Patrick's Day recipes out there. Then, I searched through my family's recipes and I found a recipe I just had to try. Before I knew it, I had created an entire menu of "green" recipes I have decided to share on the blog.

Get ready to put on some green, slap on one of those "Kiss Me, I'm Irish" buttons, and start talking like a leprechaun. If you serve any of these dishes on St. Patrick's Day, you might just inspire someone else to appreciate the holiday, as well.

1. Green Eggs & Ham 

Green eggs and ham (photo/Kasy Long).

I recently celebrated Dr. Seuss's birthday and when I was preparing my recipes for this blog post, I thought, "Green eggs and ham would be nice." When I was young, green eggs and ham sounded awful. Scrambled eggs are supposed to be yellow, not green. I sympathized with Dr. Seuss's protagonist, who wanted nothing to do with green eggs.

But still, I decided to try it for the blog post. Food coloring doesn't add a different taste to the scrambled eggs. They taste perfectly normal. All you have to do is get over your original disgust of green eggs and you're good to go. Trust me; just try it. This dish is a great breakfast/brunch dish for St. Patrick's Day.

To prepare this dish, you will need the following ingredients:

• One bone-in fully cooked spiral cut ham 
• 4 eggs 
• Green food coloring

Take the ham out of the refrigerator about two hours before baking to allow it to come to room temperature. Remove the ham from the packaging, rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Then, place the ham in a deep baking dish with the fat side up. Bake the ham in a preheated 325-degree oven for about 1 1/2 hours. 

After the ham is baked, carefully remove it from the oven, slice it, and set it aside. To make the scrambled eggs, crack the eggs and beat them in a medium-sized bowl until they are completely mixed together. In a cooking pan over medium heat, coat the pan with cooking spray (or butter, if you prefer), and add the eggs. You'll hear a nice sizzle sound, which only means you're doing the right thing! As the eggs begin to set, gently pull the eggs across the pan with a cooking spatula, forming large soft curds. 

Continue cooking (pulling, lifting and folding the eggs) until the eggs are thickened and no visible liquid egg remains. Add one small drop of green food coloring and stir the eggs until they're evenly coated. You don't need much food coloring. From what I have learned, one drop of food coloring goes a very long way. 

You're ready to dig into your St. Patrick's Day breakfast. Be sure to read a copy of Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham. After all, the book inspired this dish in the first place. 

2. Rainbow Veggie Tray 

Rainbow veggie tray (photo/Kasy Long),

Why would you want a traditional veggie tray when you could have a rainbow veggie tray? This fresh veggie rainbow is not only healthy and delicious, but it's also fun to look at and eat, especially on St. Patrick's Day. You can customize your tray with vegetables of your choice. Just remember to follow the colors of the rainbow! 

I made my rainbow veggie tray with the following vegetables: 

• Red tomatoes 
• Orange carrots 
• Yellow bell peppers
• Green broccoli 
• Purple cabbage
• White cauliflower 

Arrange the vegetables to resemble a rainbow. Can you find a pot of gold? 

3. Roseanna's Jell-O Salad 

Green Jell-O salad (photo/Kasy Long).

This is an old family recipe that was usually reserved for spring or summertime parties or social gatherings. Named after a relative, Roseanna's Jell-O salad is sweet and refreshing, making it the perfect dessert for just about any occasion, including St. Patrick's Day. 

To make this dessert salad, you will need the following ingredients: 

• 1 can of crushed pineapple
• 1/4 cup sugar 
• 1 small box of lime Jell-O mix 
• 1 small carton of cottage cheese
• 1 8-oz. carton of Cool Whip 

To begin, drain the liquid from the pineapple and put it in a small saucepan. Add the sugar and cook on medium-high heat until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in the lime Jell-O mix. Set aside in a serving bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until the mixture thickens. 

Then, add the cottage cheese and Cool Whip. Stir the ingredients thoroughly and refrigerate for approximately three hours, or until the mixture has become firm. Pair this salad dessert with a cookie, and you're good to go! 

4. Lemony Green Beans 

Lemony green beans (photo/Kasy Long).

This recipe, inspired by Ree Drummond (AKA Pioneer Woman), is the perfect side dish to your St. Patrick's Day meal. If you like green beans, you might as well add tangy lemons to have a side dish that will please guests all season long. 

To prepare lemony green beans, you will need the following ingredients: 

• 1 pound of thin green beans
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
• 1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 t. salt 

To begin, snap off the stem ends of the green beans. Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add the butter. As the butter begins to melt, it will begin to foam. The color will progress from lemony-yellow to golden-tan, to, finally, a toasty-brown. 

Then, add the green beans and saute for approximately three to four minutes. Add some lemon juice, salt and pepper, for taste. Enjoy! 

5. Mint Blondie Bars 

Mint blondie bars (photo/Kasy Long).

You can't celebrate any holiday without baking a delicious dessert. These mint blondie bars (inspired by Simplee Thrifty) are great for St. Patrick's Day because of the green M&M's. The bars are simple to bake, delicious, and they will be a big hit with children. 

To bake these dessert bars, you will need the following ingredients:

• 2/3 cup butter
• 2 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 2 cups flour 
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup green mint M&M's 

To begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper, or spray with cooking spray. Place the butter and brown sugar in a medium-sized saucepan and heat to medium heat. Stir constantly until the ingredients are smooth. Remove from heat, set aside in a large mixing bowl, and cool for five minutes.

Add the eggs one at a time and stir until incorporated. Add the vanilla, flour, baking soda, and baking powder and stir until well-combined. Then, add half of the chocolate chips and half of the green mint M&M's. Stir to combine.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan. Add the remaining M&M's and chocolate chips on top, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool until slightly warm, and then cut them into bars. Enjoy!

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These recipes aren't necessarily new, but maybe you have never considered preparing these for St. Patrick's Day. Some are traditional (Jell-O salad or the mint blondie bars), while others are probably more unique (lemony green beans and the rainbow veggie tray). If you decide to prepare these dishes, remember to have fun on St. Patrick's Day. Wear something green and search for the pot of gold.

Don't be afraid to eat an extra mint blondie bar. They're worth it!

-KJL-