Celebrate the Eatin' of the Green!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I read recently that St. Patrick's Day is one of the most celebrated holidays, and it seems everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's day. I have a bit of the Irish in me and have made the Irish soda bread, the corned beef, cabbage and boiled potatoes. Today, however, I am trying to create some new, healthier traditions with some green delights.

Try your hand at a few of these fun recipes. Your body will thank you and your taste buds won't mind either.



Emerald Isle Sauce

1 ripe green kiwi, peeled
1-2 stalks celery, chopped
1 ripe pear, cut into pieces
1 gala, fuji or other sweet apple, chopped
dash of spirulina
1 tsp cinnamon and/or 1 drop YL cinnamon bark essential oil

Add celery and fruit to the blender and blend thoroughly. Add spirulina and cinnamon and blend until well mixed. Sprinkle with ground flaxseed for added Omega 3 benefits.
Note: To make anything a bit greener in color, add a 1/4 tsp of spirulina. Besides being high in protein and extremely nutritious, it's bright green/blue color will be dazzling.

Shamrock Shake
This will rival any McDonald's shake and it is so much healthier. Full of protein, a full spectrum of nutrients and enzymes, this shake is a meal replacement. 

1 frozen banana
8 oz coconut (or almond) milk
2 scoops YL Balance Complete or Power Meal powder
1 Tbsp maca powder (optional)
2 Tbsp raw cacao powder
1-3 drops YL peppermint essential oil 
small handful of chocolate mint or other mint leaves 
1/4 tsp spirulina powder or 1/2 cup of spinach leaves

Put all ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth and creamy. No green food coloring needed. Enjoy!


Leprechaun Hummus Dip

1 15 oz can garbanzo beans - drain & rinsed
1 cup kale, in pieces
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp dried lemon peel 

1/2 tsp fine black pepper

1/2 tsp celtic sea salt (more if needed)
3 dashes of cayenne (or more)
1/4 cup raw cashews
1 & 1/2 Tbsp tahini, roasted
1/4+ cup warm water
1/4 cup chopped cilantro or parsley leaf
1/2 tsp garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 tsp spirulina (optional)

3-5 drops YL Lime essential oil

Add all ingredients to high speed blender (or Twister jar of Blendtec). Blend from low to high until creamy and color is consistent. Add a few extra splashes of water or drizzles of oil if needed to blend smooth. 

Pour in serving dish and chill in fridge for 1 hour or overnight. The mixture will thicken slightly when chilled and flavors will blend.  Serve with a drizzle of olive oil on top and fresh cilantro or parsley as a garnish. Serve with veggies, rice or flax crackers, organic corn chips or other.

There are lots of recipe ideas on the internet. Here are just a few other sites that I found for Green St. Patrick's Day ideas.  

http://greatist.com/health/healthy-green-recipes-st-patricks-day

http://redtri.com/naturally-green-food-for-st-patricks-day/slide/1/#slide

www.rawfamily.com

What are you doing for St. Patrick's Day? Do you have a healthy idea you could share with us?