In America, everyone wants to be Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. The feast of this 4th or 5th century saint has captured the imagination of many, and joining in a parade around March 17 can be fun. Traditional Irish dishes served in USA are usually laden with fat, but they can be modified for healthier alternatives.
St. Patrick's Day Traditions
Variations of the traditional Irish-American St. Patrick's Day feast are many, but most include:
- corned beef and cabbage
- potatoes
- Irish soda bread
And of course, plenty to drink, and music and dancing. If it’s not possible to get dark and frothy Guinness, any light beer for the dieter is reminiscent of the Emerald Isle’s fondness of beer. Emeraldtiger.com lists several ways to enjoy whiskey. Whiskey, uisce beatha, or "Water of Life" in Gaelic, is the central ingredient in Irish coffee, a delicious hot drink. Another variation is whiskey mixed with hot water, lemon, and cloves, making it a low-calorie drink.
American Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner is Not Eaten in Ireland
Residents of Ireland don't recognize the American dish of corned beef and cabbage eaten on St. Patrick's Day, but it’s based on the traditional ingredients of meat, cabbage and potatoes. Often pork or bacon replaces beef, but it seems potatoes and cabbages have always been included.
The feast of St. Patrick comes, surprisingly, in the middle of the Catholic Church’s Lent period, when traditionally no meat is eaten. Commentators have suggested its origins are similar to Madri Gras, as a prelude, or welcome reprieve, of the more rigorous diet that is followed until Easter.
The celebration of the patron saint of Ireland dates back centuries. Philip Freeman says in his book "St. Patrick of Ireland", that St. Patrick was originally a patrician or upper class Romanized Briton, living in modern day Wales, who was kidnapped and enslaved by the very same people who came to venerate him, the Irish. After escaping, he eventually went back to Ireland, and succeeded in converting most of the island to Christianity, while retaining many old pagan symbols, such as placing and old sun symbol in the middle of the cross, thus producing the now familiar Celtic Cross.
St. Patrick's Day Diet Corned Beef and Cabbage
St. Patrick's Day dishes don't need to be fattening. If on a diet, try this alternative:
Crockpot Corned Beef and Cabbage
- 3 pounds corned beef
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup chopped onion
- · 2 cloves garlic, minced
- · 2 Bay leaves
- · 1 Head cabbage (about 2 pounds), cut into 8 wedges
Place corned beef in Crock Pot. Add water, onion, garlic and bay leaves. Cover, and cook on Low for 10 to 12 hours (overnight is good).About two hours before its finished, add in the cabbage and let continue to cook. After two hours, serve dish hot.
You can serve this with a small serving of potatoes, but hold the butter!
Healthy St. Patrick’s Day Soda Bread and Irish Coffee
You can replace the white flour based Irish soda bread with this alternative fiber-rich recipe.
- 1 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup oatmeal (ground)
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 cup buttermilk, plus a tablespoon or more if needed to moisten all flour
Preheat oven to 425 F. Grease or spray a small baking sheet with nonstick spray or oil.In plastic bowl, combine flour, ground oatmeal baking soda, and salt. With large plastic spoon, mix in buttermilk until mixture is well combined. Dust hands with flour, and form a doughy ball. Bake until bread is golden on top, about 35-40 minutes. Serve hot. Bread is best eaten shortly after it's baked.
Then, you can wash it down with the help of this delicious, lower-calorie drink:
A lower-calorie Irish Coffee
- make espresso strength coffee
- pour in Irish Whiskey sparingly
- add a sweetener to taste
- take some low-fat whipped cream. Take a tablespoon, and let it slide gently along the outside of the spoon on the coffee to form a frothy cover.
It’s always possible to go back to the basic store-bought brisket with seasoning; butter-dripping mashed potatoes and cabbage, as well as white Irish soda bread, washed down with pints of beer and limitless calorie-full whiskey, if you choose to abandon your diet for the day.
Then, dance the night and those pounds away to the tunes of Irish bagpipes!
Anya Tikka - I was born and grew up in Finland, studied at LSE in London, England, and have lived in USA for the past 15 years. Being interested in ...
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