COOKING GREEN FOR ST. PATRICK'S DAY April 2, 2003 Susan Noble Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent

If April showers bring May flowers, what did March bring us? Green food, of course. Don't panic and check your refrigerator. I don't think green mold is growing in there. I'm referring to green foods eaten in celebration of St. Patrick's Day.

St. Patrick's Day was the theme for the recent "Heart-Healthy" Cooking Class I taught along with partners from the Robeson County Health Department and Southeastern Regional Medical Center. Participants sampled a variety of green dishes to get in the Irish spirit. Here are some class favorites.

To attend future cooking classes, call me at 910-671-3276. Request to be added to the foods and nutrition newsletter mailing list.

Try this casserole - which includes broccoli - to sneak a green veggie past your kids.

Preheat oven to 375°. Place potato halves in saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes or till tender. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Return potatoes and 1 cup liquid to pan. Mash potatoes with potato masher till slightly chunky. Add broccoli and next 6 ingredients to pan; stir well. Spoon potato mixture into 11- x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and bake 5 more minutes or till cheese melts.

Yields 6 (1-cup) servings.

Drain pineapple, reserving juice; set pineapple aside. In saucepan, combine gelatin, water, and reserved juice. Cook and stir over low heat till gelatin is dissolved. Refrigerate till syrupy, about 30 minutes. In small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese till fluffy. Stir in gelatin mixture, walnuts, marshmallows, and reserved pineapple. Fold in whipped topping. Transfer mixture to 1-quart serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or till set.

Yields 9 servings.

The addition of other vegetables adds nice color to this cabbage dish. This baked version of cabbage is nice when you're feeding a crowd. You can prepare it ahead of time, refrigerate, and bake later -- 1 hour before serving. There's no standing over the stove at the last minute stirring a pot.

Lightly spray 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Layer the first 4 ingredients, in the order given, into dish. Slice margarine and dot over top of vegetables. Mix sugar, salt, and pepper together; sprinkle over top. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour.

Yields 8-10 servings.

Great party food! With the current popularity of quesadillas, even non-spinach eaters might give it a try. Spraying the quesadillas with cooking spray before baking gives them a crisper texture. I also use this technique when baking chimichangas rather than frying them.

Coat large nonstick skillet with the olive oil cooking spray and preheat over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, garlic, and thyme; cook, stirring frequently, till mushrooms release their juices and are nicely browned. If mixture begins to dry out, periodically place lid on skillet. (The steam released during cooking will moisten the mushroom mixture.) Add spinach to skillet and cook, stirring frequently, for a minute or two or till spinach is wilted. Remove skillet from heat and set aside.

Lay a tortilla out on a flat surface, and spread 1/8 of spinach mixture over bottom half of tortilla. Then sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese over spinach. Fold top half of tortilla over to enclose the filling. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make 8 filled tortillas.

Coat 2 large baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray. Lay folded tortillas on baking sheets. Spray tops of tortillas with cooking spray. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, turn quesadillas with spatula, bake for 4 more minutes or till lightly browned and cheese is melted. Place each tortilla on cutting board and cut into 4 wedges. Serve hot.

Yields 32 appetizers.

The use of brand names in this column does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service of the products or services named or criticism of similar ones not mentioned.

E-mail address: Susan_Noble@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 5/30/03