Oysters and bubbly are not just for New Year’s Eve. Oysters on the half shell are a favorite in Ireland.

While they’re popular bar food with a beer, you can create a real celebration with sparkling wine.

Whether with Champagne or the lighter and more affordable Cava and Prosecco sparklers, invite friends over to toast to St. Patrick’s Day.

Alexandra Shapiro, owner of the Flex Mussels restaurants in New York City, offers these tips:

With an abundance of protein and minimal calories, the bubbly-bivalve combination is much healthier cocktail party option than, say, sugar-laden Margaritas and fat-laden nachos.

Forget the old wives’ tale that oysters are best when there’s an “r” in the month. This advice came from the days before refrigeration—much less overnight shipping—when oysters spoiled more quickly in the warmer months.

Everything you need to know about oysters.

Top off your knowledge of sparkling wines.
  

Put it at the end of the buffet table! Photo
courtesy Allen Brothers and Morton’s The
Steakhouse.

Here’s a follow-up to that tip, from chef Louis Eguarias:

Set the buffet table with less expansive items first: breads, salads, sides. Keep the expensive meat and fish dishes at the end of the line.

While many hosts, caterers and restaurants do this anyway—since people tend to consume the salad items first—there’s a rationale:

Much buffet food gets thrown away because guests misjudge their appetites. With this system, they’ll fill more of their plates with the less costly foods.

Those who want seconds can head back to the roast beef.

Do you know your cuts of beef?

Check out our Beef Glossary.

This particular recipe is for busy folks who use a slow cooker, courtesy of Spice Islands.

SLOW COOKER BEEF STEW RECIPE

Ingredients

Preparation

1. Mix. Combine flour, sugar, garlic powder, salt, rosemary and pepper in a small bowl.

2. Add. Place frozen vegetables in the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle with flour/spice mixture. Add stew meat, wine, bay leaf and tomatoes.

3. Cook. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on High for 4 to 6 hours or on Low for 8 to 10 hours. Remove bay leaf before serving.

4. Enjoy. Serve with green leafy vegetables, a big salad, and mashed potatoes, noodles or rice.

Find more of our favorite beef recipes.

Not your friend! Photo by Ramon Gonzalez |
SXC.

While recent government initiatives have eliminated trans fats and have us eating more whole grains, two villains hidden in prepared foods have been relatively quiet on the media radar. More often than not, too much salt and sugar are hidden in recipes and prepared foods.

Some salt is needed for normal functioning, but the American Heart Association recommends that you cap your intake at 1,500 mg of sodium (salt) per day. That’s 500 calories per meal, not allowing for snacks.

But within a meal, one item—a sauce or a prepared vegetable—can contain more than 500 mg of salt. That’s why the average American’s salt intake is more than twice the recommended limit: 3,436 mg sodium daily.

Even good recipes and good restaurants can use too much salt. Prepared foods are overly laden with it—just read the labels.

Dr. David Katz, founder/director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center, recommends a 1:1 ratio of sodium to calories. If the ratio is higher, the food has too much sodium. Most people’s recommended daily calorie intake is around 2,000 calories, so the formula provides more salt than the American Heart Association recommends. But it’s still less than what most of us consume!

What’s Wrong With Sodium?

Too much sodium can increase blood pressure, for starters. The Mayo Clinic explains why “just a pinch” of salt here and there adds up to unhealthy levels. Even if you feel young and healthy, you may want to take notice now.

It’s not difficult to make small adjustments. So we’re passing on these tips from John Bosse, of USANA Health Sciences:
 
1. Be an educated consumer. Read nutrition labels and choose foods that are low in sodium. Ideal foods have 5% or less of the daily recommended value of sodium per serving. Try your best to avoid foods containing 20% or more of the daily recommended value.

2. Savor the flavor. Flavor food with spices and herbs instead of salt. Use chile, curry, garlic, lemon and lime juices, onions, oregano, paprika, pepper, vinegar, wine and other favorites. THE NIBBLE’s favorite addition to savory dishes is fresh herbs—from basic parsley to fragrant fresh basil.

3. Consider a sub. Lite salts and salt substitutes offer an alternative that, when used in place of salt, will lower sodium intake and increase potassium intake, while still providing the desired saltiness. Always consult your physician before using one of these products as they are not appropriate for individuals with certain conditions or on certain medications.

4. Look for low sodium options. Look for lower sodium alternatives. Some manufacturers have created sauces and soups with half the sodium of their original recipes. Here are the differences between low sodium, reduced sodium and other terms. We also love raw almonds and other nuts; most nuts can be found without salt (see the health benefits of nuts).

5. Ask and you shall receive. Many restaurants are happy to make modifications to satisfy their customers. Many sit down restaurants can provide olive oil, vinegar, and lemon wedges as a dressing substitute; you just have to ask. Ordering pizza? Ask them to put half the amount of cheese on it. You might find the pizza still tastes just as good and probably has the same amount of cheese it would if you made your own. Not only will you have greatly reduced the sodium you consume, but also the calories and saturated fat.

6. Make a trade. We all know that fruits and vegetables are healthful foods, but most of us don’t eat enough of them. Packaged snacks and deli meats are high in sodium. If you consume salty snacks, make a daily effort to sub out one with fruit—an apple, banana, orange or pear, for example. If you don’t like fruit, choose vegetable alternatives such as baby carrots. At THE NIBBLE, we make salt-free potato chips and other veggie chips in the microwave, using this clever device. Swap out processed cereal for a bowl of sodium-free oatmeal (not the instant kind, which has added salt).

7. Switch the sandwich. If you enjoy a daily sandwich, in most cases, cooked chicken or turkey breast will be lower in sodium than ham and other deli meats. To change it up, use different condiments and salad vegetables, and look for pickles and other pickled vegetables that are low in sodium (or make your own—it couldn’t be easier).

8. Tip the potassium balance. Professional consensus supports aiming to consume potassium at roughly double the recommended sodium intake. Be sure to eat foods that are rich in potassium, such as low-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables, and unsalted or low-salt nuts and seeds. These are also solid sources of calcium and magnesium. Potassium, along with calcium and magnesium, help to rid the body of excess sodium.

If You Use Salt, Use The Tastiest Salt

Check out our Salt Glossary. While all salts have similar sodium and nutritional values,* sea salts and other culinary salts have more flavor than refined sea salts.

*Sea salts have trace minerals that are removed from refined table salt.

You can make Irish soda bread for St. Patrick’s Day with this recipe. It’s delicious for breakfast and lunch.

We’re also partial to this Irish brown bread recipe, with raisins and Guinness.

But if you want something less sweet for the dinner table, try this Potato Rosemary Rolls recipe, courtesy of Spice Islands. Don’t wait for St. Patrick’s Day (March 17th): Whip up a batch today!

POTATO ROSEMARY ROLLS RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

1. Make dough. Preheat oven to at 375°F. Combine 1-1/2 cups flour, yeast, sugar, onion, salt and rosemary in a large bowl. Heat milk, potato flakes, water and oil until very warm (120° to 130°F). Stir into dry ingredients. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 4 to 6 minutes. Cover; let rise 10 minutes.

2. Divide into rolls. Divide dough into 12 equal portions. Roll each piece into 12-inch rope; tie a loose knot in the center of each rope.

3. Raise dough. Place rolls 2 inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Cover. Let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 20 to 40 minutes.

4. Bake. Brush tops of rolls with egg. If desired, sprinkle with sesame seed, poppy seed or rosemary. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until done. Remove from baking sheet; cool on wire rack.
Find more recipes in our Gourmet Bread Products Section.