St. Patrick, it turns out, was not a leprechaun. He loved the Emerald Isle, but shockingly, he didn’t wear a green top hat or carry lucky clovers.
St. Patrick’s Day has transformed over the years from a religious observance to a day to celebrate and feast in honor of common Irish heritage. From the top o’ the morning to the last Irish coffee, the College Kitchenista has you covered.
Green eggs and ham
If you are a child of the ’90s, you most likely endured countless St. Patty’s celebrations and Dr. Seuss appreciation days with mounds of fluffy, tasteless, green dye No.3-tinted eggs. Take back the bright meal with this healthy, flavorful hash to start your festivities on the right foot.
1 bunch kale
4-5 green onions
4 eggs
2 large russet potatoes
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped ham
3-4 strips bacon, chopped
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 & 1/2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence
Olive Oil
Parsley
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash the potatoes, and chop them into bite-sized pieces. Wash kale, onions and pepper. Chop, and set aside. Spread the potatoes in an even layer onto flat baking sheet. Toss them in a dash of olive oil and the spices. Bake for 20-30 minutes.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and ham. When brown and crackling, add the pepper, kale and onions. When the potatoes are done, add them to the skillet. Toss all ingredients together. In a corner of the pan, scrape aside the hash. Fry the eggs to your liking in the corner. When an egg is done, serve up a big scoop of hash, topped with the egg and a sprig of parsley.
Boiled dinner
A meal for a traditional Irishman, a boiled dinner is just what it sounds like — a meal of meat, potatoes and vegetables all boiled together in one pot. Born out of necessity, the BD can be a bit bland. To keep flavors fresh but ingredients original, roast the meat separately, and add it to the plate at the last second.
3 pounds corned beef
1/2 head cabbage
3 carrots
6 red potatoes
1 yellow onion
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
1 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
10 whole peppercorns
6 whole cloves
Salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the brisket from its packaging, and give it a thorough rinse to remove some of the excess salt. Place it on wire rack in a roasting pan, fat side up. Spread the mustard and sugar evenly over the roast. Sprinkle with pepper. Make six small slits in the roast, and insert the cloves into these crevices. Bake for two hours. Let rest for 20 minutes before carving.
Wash all the vegetables. Chop them into large chunks — except for the onion, which should be peeled and left whole to flavor the rest of the dish. Place all the vegetables in a large pot with the peppercorns, a bay leaf and a dash of salt. Cover the contents with water. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Plate the vegetables, and top with several thin slices of corned beef.
Beergaritas
As a cocktail is usually reserved for the warmer months, the beergarita can make a timely seasonal debut on St. Patrick’s Day. Its light green hue is on-theme, and it’s not as booze-heavy as a traditional marg, so you can sip pre-parade to sunset without overindulging.
4 bottles light beer
1 cup tequila
1 frozen can limeade concentrate
4 limes
Kosher salt
Cut two of the limes into thin slices. Set aside. Mix the beer, tequila and limeade together in a pitcher. Squeeze the juice from the remaining limes into the pitcher. Serve over ice, and garnish with the sliced limes and salt around the rims of the glasses. Adapted from Rachel Ray’s “Beer Margaritas.”
