Best Of The British Isles

 St.David's Day, the national holiday of Wales was a few days ago. St Patrick's is next weekend. Despite what others have said the UK and Ireland does have some wonderful food. It could be Devon cream teas with rich fruity scones or a Sunday roast, with roast beef, Yorkshire pudding and thick gravy.

So here's the question  - what is your favorite British and or Irish food. I would have today I love colcannon, that flavorful mash with spinach and kale added. I love added huge blobs of plant butter too for creaminess. There's also fish and chips(the vegan version with Gardein's fish fillets)These are the perfect meal for me. 

What do you like? Let us know with an answer or even a picture.

Planning For Saint Paddy's

 One of the biggest party days is coming up,Saint Patrick's day is a day for tradition but also for fun. You can combine the two into a festive feast.

  A new twist on the holiday is combining old and new. Yes you can serve corned beef but make it crisp and juicy in the air fryer.It;s pickling the brisket first in apple cider vinegar and then rubbing it with dry mustard. Cook it for one hour at 359 degree Fahrenheit. A tasty side is air fried cabbage steaks that can serve as a base for the corned beef.slice the cabbage thin through the middle. Brush with olive oil or melted butter and season with salt and pepper Air fry for ten minutes at 360 degrees Farenheit. They should be crisp and golden. Keep in mind this is also the perfect meal for vegetarians and vegans celebrating St.Patrick's Day. Colcannon is a must also  You can buy the potatoes now so you don't have to run out or just used mashed potatoes to make this Irish classic. Buy the greens for it the day before. Here you can use fresh baby spinach mixed with kale for a Spring-y green flavor. Minced garlic gives it a true flavor but you could add a pinch of garlic powder too. It can be fried into little rounds too ro turned into colcannon bombs. Make sure you have either vegetable oil and olive oil both for frying.

Of course Saint Patrick's Day is a drinking day too. do you just serve only Guinness or have different beers? Guinness can be strong and you may have guests that may find it so. There may be some guests that also find it too strong in taste too. You could have Smithwick's another Irish beer with a great following.It's a red ale that has a strong barley flavor. This ale pairs well with a variety of foods and perfect with a plate of corned beef.some may prefer what's known as a cream ale such as Kilkenny's It has a caramel flavor that people may like better than the more robust ales along with a creamy head. You could also throw ina few American ales such as Sam Adams Irish ale or even Yuengling . Another aspect to consider is dessert. Although it's not as important at a Saint Paddy's Day party as it is at others, there should be a sweet or two along with Irish coffee. decide what you want to make.it could be stout cupcakes or Irish cream fudge made with Bailey's. Another must buy is plenty of bottled water. You don;t want guests driving home drink. Give them water to dissipate the alcohol's effects.

Get ready for a fun day. Make sure you have the ingredients and beers to have a memorable st patrick's day. enjoy planning it and hosting it.

A Healthy Saint's Paddy's Day

Today is St. Patrick's Day , a day dedicated to eating Irish food and drinking endless gallons of green beer.some may think it unhealthy however some Gaelic dishes are actually good for you . The Irish have always been big defenders of farm to table and locavore dining long before it became friendly.

One of the hallmarks of Irish cuisine is that it is fresh.Butter and cream come from nearby creameries throughout the island. There is fresh free range beef and lamb that are free of hormones and antibiotics.Yes there is the potato but there is also cabbage a true superfood.It is great for lowering cholesterol thanks in part to fiber. This binds with bile acids  which are then easily excreted. This lowers cholesterol.Cabbage does have to be steamed, though and not boiled for this to happen. It also has phyto chemicals that help in preventing colon , prostrate and bladder cancers. You can also have red cabbage too or Savoy  and these are rich in antioxidants,Red cabbage is an excellent source of Vitamins K and C and should be eaten on a regular basis.Corned beef,   surprisingly has some health benefits too..As with any red meat it's an excellent source of protein as well as B vitamins, zinc and thiamin. Remember it is also high in fat so just one serving will do.

Potatoes are another dish well associated with the Emerald Isle, although originally from South America.Everyone thinks they're bad for you but that's because they're either deep fried or served with tons of butter and sour cream.However  they are beneficial in preserving brain and nerve tissue.The skins contain quercitin which stops inflammation such as arthritis. Spuds are also good for bone,and heart health as well as lowering blood pressure.They can be cooked with another superfood kale to create a Gaelic classic , colcannon.This is made with milk and cream along with butter but you can sub in skim milk for whole.Seaweed is also a part of the Irish diet. In fact it was eaten during the Great Famine of 1850 when the  potato crop died out.This was dulse , and carrageen moss which are now considered super foods. Dulse is an excellent natural sauce of iodine along with being high in iron, and potassium. Carrageen moss is excellent for skin and hair along with for reduce respiratory problems. It is rich in Vitaimns A,E, F and K, along with be saturated with calcium, potassium and sulphur. Eat it to combat eczema problems and bouts with psoriasis.

Irish foods are healthy and good for you. Celebrate Saint Patrick's day with a healthy dose of corned beef and cabbage. Throw in some spuds , dulse and carrogeen moss to round it out. And, yes you can end it with a big mug of green beer!

Irish Cuisine Strength And Sustainability

By now everyone is probably sick of all that corned beef and cabbage as well as anything dyed green.True Irish cuisine is one born from sustainability and hardship.Despite it all the food is flavorful and rich with local meats and produce. Saint Patrick would be proud as well as familiar with today's Irish cuisine.It basically is simple cooking made with very basic ingredients.Gaelic chefs ,such as Kevin Dundon is bringing this kind of sustainable cooking to the rest of the world.For two or three millennia the Irish have been living off the land and sea.Since the Bronze Age, the indigenous have been eating a version of smoked ham as well as roasted pig.By the eighth century,geese, hens and ducks were added to their diet .The Celts landed in Ireland around this time and with them brought baking skills.They were able to grow rye,wheat and barley ,and then used the chaff, grinding it into flour.This was made into a type of griddle cake. .Around this time they also created a mead from fermented honey and water as well as a basic beer made without hops.Cheese was an important part of their diet as was butter and cream.Streams provided them with fish for a bit of variety They foraged for fruits and wild herbs to flavor both main dishes and desserts. Once the potato was introduced in the 1600's,Irish cuisine was forever changed.The spuds were a great source of nutrition and could blend with any ingredient.Both rich and poor used them.Upper class nobles enjoyed potatoes as well as carrots with mutton in Irish stew.Their tenants ate them with milk and cabbage.Surprisingly this diet is rich in proteins and vitamins.Unfortunately the famine came in the 1840's. Locals wound up eating even grass to survive .Luckily the island is ringed with Seaweed and they lived on what's know as carrageen moss.Ireland saw better times in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.A good meal now can include fresh caught salmon or fresh from the farm along with variety of fresh fruit and vegetables. Irish cheese has come into its'own in the last few years ,rivaling its'Continental counterparts. This St .Patrick's Day see Irish cuisine for what it is: a salute to sustain ability .It is a rich and varied one,full of fresh ingredients.It's not anything dyed green .It is a cuisine from a rugged land.