For all the deviled egg fans out there: Here‘s a springtime recipe for Sweet Pea Deviled Eggs from Del Monte. You can use cooked fresh spring peas in season (now!), or can use canned peas year-round. This recipe also works for St. Patrick’s Day and other green-theme occasions.

Substituting peas and avocado for half of the egg yolks reduces the cholesterol load.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Makes: 24 stuffed egg halves

RECIPE: Sweet Pea Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

These deviled eggs have reduced cholesterol: Only half of the yolks are used. Photo courtesy Del Monte.

Preparation

1. COOK eggs: Place in a large saucepan, completely covered in cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat, run under cold water briefly and peel. Peeling under cold running water helps to remove the shell more easily and helps to cool the eggs for handling. Cut in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks; set aside 6 of the 12 yolks for for another purpose (see below).

2. PLACE 6 egg yolks in a blender or food processor with the peas, avocado, mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, mustard and salt and black pepper. Purée until smooth.

3. SPOON equal amounts of the purée into each of the egg white halves. Garnish with parsley and/or paprika.

If you have extra yolks, we know what to do
with them. Photo courtesy American Egg
Board.

USES FOR COOKED EGG YOLKS

If you’ve got extra egg yolks:

 
We found this recipe for Pennsylvania Dressing, which was served in the dining cars of the Pennsylvania Railroad atop a salad of iceberg lettuce, tomato wedges, sliced cucumber, scallions, radishes and celery:

PENNSYLVANIA DRESSING RECIPE

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. MASH egg yolks with enough tarragon vinegar to make a smooth paste.

2. ADD each ingredient in the order listed, mixing well before adding the next. Beat with a whisk until blended thoroughly, about 1 minute.

3. POUR into a glass jar and cover tightly. Chill at least 1 hour before serving. Makes 1 pint.
 
FOOD TRIVIA: WHY THE EGGS ARE HARD COOKED, NOT HARD BOILED

It‘s a technicality: While the cooking water is brought to a boil, the eggs are actually simmered until cooked, not boiled.

Line up the green shots for St. Patrick’s Day. Photo by Kasia Biel | Dreamstime.

If you’ve been too busy to prep for St. Patrick’s Day, you can still toast with something special. Depending on what you have at home, you can serve a bright green:

 
IRISH COFFEE & IRISH HOT CHOCOLATE

They aren’t green, but they sure taste good. Here are the recipes.
 
Sláinte!

Avocado potato salad. Photo courtesy
AvocadoCentral.com.

Like guacamole? Like potato salad?

Combine the two concepts in this Hass Avocado and Red Potato Salad Recipe from Avocado Central. The green accents are festive for St. Patrick’s Day, although this recipe rocks from Super Bowl Sunday through Christmas (when you can add sliced red cherry tomatoes for a red-and-green effect).

As we showed yesterday in the Corned Beef & Cabbage Potato Salad recipe, you can add a tantalizing twist to traditional potato salad by incorporating non-traditional ingredients. If you have a favorite unusual potato salad recipe, let us know!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 8

Ingredients

 
*A large avocado averages about 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados adjust the quantity accordingly.

 
Preparation

1. PLACE potatoes in a medium pan and cover with water. Bring water to a boil and cook potatoes for about 15 minutes or until just tender when pierced with a fork. Drain well and transfer to a bowl.

2. COMBINE mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Add dressing and green onions to potatoes and gently toss. Stir in avocados.

3. REFRIGERATE for 4 hours or overnight to allow flavors to blend.

It’s as comforting as an evening in an Irish pub, says Samuel Adams about its Irish Red Ale, which brings together a roasted malt sweetness with a light but earthy hoppiness.

So head out and pick up some Irish Red to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

Irish Red Ale is a refreshing, lighter beer style closely related to English Bitters. As with all recipes, there are numerous variations; but all tend to have the characteristic deep red color and mild flavor.

In Ireland, the brew is called Irish Red Ale, Red Ale, or Irish Ale. Imports from Ireland include Beamish Red Ale, Caffrey’s Irish Ale, Murphy’s Irish Red and Smithwick’s.

Among American-brewed Irish Reds, look for Goose Island’s Kilgubbin Red Ale, Great Lakes Brewing’s Conway’s Irish Ale and Saranac Brewery’s Irish Red Ale.

Look for Irish Red in the bottle. Photo courtesy Samuel Adams.

Adding to confusion, some American craft brewers have taken American Amber Ales, added coloring or a bit of roasted malt and called them Irish Red as well.

What’s the difference between an Amber Ale and an Irish Red?

The recipes are very similar. The main difference is the measure of bitterness in the beer. Amber Ales use more hops to achieve more bitterness. The secondary difference is the origin of the hops and the type of malts: Irish Red use more English malts (often toasted malts) and hops, American Amber Ales use more American malts and hops.

For beer drinkers who prefer less hop influence, Irish Reds offer virtually no hop aroma low to moderate hop flavor, as well as low to moderate malty aroma and flavor. They have a very clean finish with a low buttery or toffee flavor. The use of roasted barley for coloring often results in a slight roasted finish and also creates a dry finish for the beer. Unlike English Ales, Irish Red has no ester (fruity) flavors.

As you lift a glass, remember to says “cheers” in Gaelic: sláinte (pronounced SLAWN-cheh)
 
LEARN YOUR BEERS

Check out the different types of beers and beer terminology in our Beer Glossary.

Here’s a charming twist on corned beef and cabbage created by PotatoGoodness.com: Turn it into a potato salad!

You can serve it with anything from a sandwich at lunch, to dinner—whether your dinner is hot corned beef and cabbage, grilled fish, a burger or anything that goes well with potato salad.

For year-round feasting, leave out the corned beef and enjoy the recipe as a cabbage potato salad.

Prep time is 20 minutes, cook time is 15 minutes. The recipe serves 6.

CORNED BEEF & CABBAGE POTATO SALAD
RECIPE

Ingredients

A yummy twist on potato salad for St. Patrick’s Day. Photo courtesy PotatoGoodness.com.

 
Dressing Ingredients

Cocktail onions at piquancy to the dish. Photo by Michael Steele | THE NIBBLE.

Preparation

1. CUT potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes and place in a large pot fitted with a steamer basket. Add 1-inch of water to pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender; let cool slightly. While potatoes are cooking…

2. COMBINE remaining salad ingredients in a large bowl.

3. PLACE all dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well.

4. ADD warm potatoes to bowl and drizzle with dressing; lightly stir to coat salad with dressing. Serve immediately.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING

Calories: 220 Fat: 12g Cholesterol: 20mg Sodium: 370mg Vitamin C: 50mg Carbohydrates: 22g Fiber: 2g Protein: 7g Potassium: 87mg

Three shades of green for St. Patrick’s Day. Photo courtesy McCormick.com.

We love this festive cake from McCormick. It’s an ombre cake: Ombre is the French word for shade, and each layer is a different shade of green. Keep that a secret until you cut the cake: Everyone will be delighted.

You can bake the cake from scratch or use a good white cake mix. Just be sure to have lots of green food color on hand.

Serves 12.

GREEN LAYER CAKE RECIPE

Cake Ingredients

 
*Ingredients as required on Duncan Hines White Cake Mix. Use whole eggs instead of the egg whites directed on the package.

Preparation

1. PREPARE cake mix as directed on package, using whole eggs. Stir in vanilla. Divide batter evenly into 3 bowls.

2. STIR 50 drops (about 1/2 teaspoon) food color into one of the bowls, tinting batter dark green. Stir 15 drops food color into another of the bowls, tinting batter medium green. Stir 2 drops food color into last of the bowls, tinting batter light green.

3. POUR each bowl of batter into a greased and floured 8-inch round cake pan. Bake as directed on package. Cool layers on wire rack.

4. FROSTING: Beat butter and vanilla in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating well after each addition and scraping sides and bottom of bowl frequently. Add milk; beat until light and fluffy.

Green food color does the trick. Photo courtesy McCormick.com.

5. PLACE dark green cake layer on serving plate. Spread with 1/3 cup of frosting. Top with medium green cake layer. Spread with 1/3 cup of frosting. Top with light green cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. Garnish as desired.
 
OMBRE CAKE FOR OTHER OCCASIONS

You can use the same recipe to make a stunning ombre cake for other special occasions. Simply replace the green food color with your color of choice.

Homemade peanut brittle. Photo courtesy
LearnToCook.com.

You’ve never made peanut brittle before? It’s time: March is National Peanut Month.

We’re presenting a recipe from chef Mark Dowling of LearnToCook.com, a website dedicated to getting the whole family in the kitchen with easy video recipes showcasing the basics of cooking.

His easy recipe for peanut brittle is below. Chef Dowling was kind enough to take the time to create our special request: a variation for St. Patrick’s Day that adds a touch of Irish whiskey.

For other occasions, you can substitute the spirit of your choice; and use whatever nuts you like. (We love pistachio brittle.)

You can keep the recipe kid-friendly by enhancing it with seeds (flax, pepita/pumpkin and/or sesame seeds), mini chocolate chips, crumbled bacon or chile heat.

The recipe yields five pounds of brittle.

EASY PEANUT BRITTLE RECIPE

Ingredients

Preparation

1. COARSELY CHOP the nuts. Sift baking soda to eliminate any lumps.

2. BUTTER 2 cookies sheet trays/half sheet pans and set aside.

3. PLACE sugar, corn syrup, water OR optional whiskey and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring regularly to avoid scorching. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot.

4. REDUCE heat to medium and continue boiling at a moderate steady rate until mixture reaches 275°F. This might take about 35 minutes. Stir frequently. When you reach 275°F…

5. SIR in the nuts. Then continue to cook over low heat. Keep stirring regularly. At this stage, you want the mixture to reach 295°F, the “hard crack stage.”

Go ahead: Take a bite! Photo courtesy LearnToCook.com.

It might take another 15 minutes to get there, but keep a close eye on the thermometer so it doesn’t overcook!

6. REMOVE pan from the heat and remove the thermometer.

7. SPRINKLE in baking soda; stir thoroughly to combine. POUR immediately onto the buttered sheet pans. Use two forks to lift up and separate the mixture as it cools.

8. COOL thoroughly overnight. Then break up as desired and store in an airtight container.

Adults only: Sip some Irish whiskey as you enjoy your whiskey brittle.

We”ll be eating green on St. Patric’s Day.
Photo courtesy Avocados From Mexico.

Although we start every St. Patrick’s Day with a green bagel, each year we look for new, fun green dishes for our celebration.

This year it’s Avocado Deviled Eggs: Avocado replaces the mayo in this party classic.

This recipe, from Avocados From Mexico, yields 12 deviled eggs.

GREEN DEVILED EGGS

Ingredients

Preparation

1. COMBINE the egg yolks and avocado in a small bowl; mash until smooth.

2. STIR in yogurt, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper; mix thoroughly. Stir in jalapeño and onion

3. SPOON into egg white shells, dividing equally. Arrange on a serving plate. Cover lightly with plastic wrap; refrigerate for up to 3 hours. Garnish with chives before serving.

For St. Patrick’s Day, New York City’s historic Grand Central Oyster Bar, celebrating its 100th Anniversary this year, offers this “Centennial Classic” recipe: Guinness Battered Fish and Chips.

Chef Sandy Ingber’s rendition is served daily throughout the year Mondays through Saturdays, lunch and dinner. Since St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Sunday this year (March 17th), the restaurant is closed. But Fish & Chips lovers can make Chef’s recipe at home.

RECIPE: GUINNESS BATTERED FISH & CHIPS

Ingredients

Fish and chips: Perfect St. Patrick’s Day fare. Photo by Hannamaria H. | IST.

Panko bread crumbs. Photo courtesy
Kikkoman.

Preparation

1. COMBINE beer, baking soda salt, pepper and egg in a large mixing bowl.

2. WHISK in flour slowly, until the batter is thick (not runny) and adheres to a wooden spoon.

3. HEAT oil in a deep fryer or in a deep sided sauté pan to 350°F. DREDGE fish in flour, shaking off excess and dip in batter, covering all sides of fish.

4. HOLD an end of the battered fish and gently dip into hot oil, dipping it halfway in; wait 15 seconds and drop into oil. This will prevent the fish from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

5. FLIP fish over when brown on one side and cook altogether about 6-8 minutes, depending on the thickness of filets. The fish should be all one color all the way through or 140°F internal temperature.

6. DRAIN on paper towels. Serve with tarter sauce and French fries.

VARIATIONS: TEMPURA BATTER, CRISPY PANKO COATING

We prefer Japanese methods for breading and deep fat frying:

Tempura batter: Combine 1 cup of flour, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1-1/2 cups of seltzer water and salt.

Panko breadcrumbs (if you want a gluten-free version, use crushed Corn Flakes instead of panko):

Here’s how to create a panko coating on your fish and chips:

1b. SKIP steps 1 and 2: You are not making a batter. Instead:

2b. BRUSH filets with olive oil and dip into a plate of panko bread crumbs. Shake off excess and repeat the process.

3b. REFRIGERATE the coated fillets on a baking sheet or plate for 15 minutes before frying. The olive oil will harden somewhat and hold the crumbs tighter. Even better, if you have healthy coconut oil, use it: It hardens best!

4b. RESUME process with Step 4 above.

Even if you have nothing planned and no time, you can still do something special for St. Patrick’s Day:

Drink Green

Make green beer, sparkling wine, ginger ale, lemon-lime soda (7-Up, Sprite) or club soda.

ANOTHER TIP: Pour any effervescent beverage down the side of the glass, rather than into the center. It preserves more bubbles.

It’s easy being green on St. Patrick’s Day. Photo by MBPhoto | IST.

Eat Green

Color dips, condiments and other creamy foods green. Use 10-12 drops green food color per 1/2 cup of:

 
On St. Patrick’s Day, it’s easy being green.