Tag Archives: st. patrick’s day

Chocolate Mint Protein Smoothie – A Super Shamrock Shake!

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This post is sponsored by Optimum Nutrition and contains affiliate links.

St. Patrick’s Day or ANY DAY, my pumped-up version of a Green Shamrock Shake with protein powder is sure to satisfy post-workout recovery needs with 27g protein for muscle management.

This delicious, creamy Chocolate Mint Protein Smoothie features fresh mint and spinach, sugar-free chocolate chips. My protein choice today is Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard 100% Whey protein (in French Vanilla Creme) which offers 24g high-quality whey protein per serving and 5.5g naturally-occurring BCAA to help endurance and recovery.

Enjoy St. Patrick's Day or any day with this better-for-you version of a green shamrock shake -- featuring fresh spinach and mint plus other key ingredients like protein powder and a few sugar-free chocolate chips! A great post-workout snack or breakfast on the go. Get more clean eating recipes at thefitfork.com
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BTW, I’ve actually visited the HQ and manufacturing facilities for Optimum Nutrition and it was very impressive with so many safety protocols– it made it obviously clear why this product line is the “world’s best-selling whey protein powder” and why I trust it in my green mint protein smoothie (as well as so many other protein powder recipes).

I’m such a food manufacturing nerd, I could have watched the production line at Optimum Nutrition all day long!

Enjoy St. Patrick's Day or any day with this better-for-you version of a green shamrock shake -- featuring fresh spinach and mint plus other key ingredients like protein powder and a few sugar-free chocolate chips! A great post-workout snack or breakfast on the go. Get more clean eating recipes at thefitfork.com

This protein shamrock smoothie with Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey Protein was my post-workout snack after an intense sweat session the other day, but with 320 calories it would also make a great breakfast or light meal on the go.

EmpowerMINT mint smoothie with protein powder

Of course, you can trim it down a little by skipping the whipped topping and sugar-free chocolate chips — I’ve made it that way many times too!

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“Shamrock Shake” Chocolate Mint Protein Smoothie
Prep Time
5 mins
Total Time
5 mins
 

Enjoy St. Patrick's Day or any day with this better-for-you version of a green shamrock shake — featuring fresh spinach and mint plus other key ingredients like protein powder and a few sugar-free chocolate chips! A great post-workout snack or breakfast on the go. Get more clean eating recipes at thefitfork.com

Course: Beverage, smoothie
Keyword: chocolate mint, green bean, protein powder, protein smoothie, shamrock shake, smoothie
Servings: 1
Calories: 320 kcal
Ingredients
  • 8 oz. unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 small banana about 6” in length
  • 3 Tbsp fresh mint leaves
  • ½ cup fresh spinach leaves
  • 1 scoop Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard 100% Whey protein French Vanilla Cream
  • 1 tablespoon sugar-free chocolate chips save a few for the garnish
  • 2 tablespoons sugar-free non-dairy whip
Instructions
  1. Add almond milk, banana, mint, spinach, protein powder and chocolate chips to the blender and process until smooth. Blend in a few ice cubes, if needed, to achieve desired consistency. Add whipped topping and a few extra chocolate chips for garnish.
Recipe Notes

320 calories, 27g protein, 9g fat, 9g dietary fiber, 28g net carb.

Irish Corned Beef Potato Nachos to Fuel Ninja Leprechauns

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day! You probably won’t ever find me sitting in a pub downing Guinness or whisky, but I’ll definitely eat! So today, I’m sharing my crazy, tasty spin on traditional tavern food and Irish Corned Beef Potato Nachos are featured on my menu! Corned Beef Irish Potato Nachos

Those lucky Irish, with their abundance of potatoes! Spuds make a super great fuel choice for athletes, the complex carbs provide healthy energy to help nail workout and run goals. I did a whole blog post on this that you can check out HERE. Add corned beef from the deli, sharp white cheddar and a bit of cabbage should you care, and these nachos will have your taste buds dancing a jig.  Continue reading →

Lucky Day Kale Pesto Potato Fries Two Ways!

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 Kale Pesto Oven Fries an be spiralized or cut into wedges for a quick and easy potato side dish. This Irish inspired recipe is fun for St. Patrick's Day.To celebrate the plucky and persevering Irish culture, I’m sharing a “green” potato recipe I recently created for my friends at Litehouse foods – Kale Pesto Potato Fries Two Ways with Blue Cheese Sauce. You can just thank me later, you lucky leprechauns!   Kale Pesto Oven Fries an be spiralized or cut into wedges for a quick and easy potato side dish. This Irish inspired recipe is fun for St. Patrick's Day.

The inspiration for this super easy recipe is “colcannon,” a traditional Irish dish made from creamy mashed potatoes and kale or cabbage. Potatoes and Irish culture or forever linked, as we all learned in history class – at one point leading up to the mid-17th century Great Potato Famin, it was said that the average Irish laborer ate 10 pounds of potatoes a day and for three-fifths of the population it was the primary fuel of life.

Okay, eating such a potato-centric diet causes dietary imbalances, but potatoes ARE a smart choice as a side dish to protein and other fruits and vegetables in your healthy diet. Tubers are packed with wholesome nutrients including complex carbohydrates for quality energy and vitamins and minerals, especially iron, magnesium, vitamin B-6 and vitamin C.Kale Pesto Oven Fries an be spiralized or cut into wedges for a quick and easy potato side dish. This Irish inspired recipe is fun for St. Patrick's Day.

It’s no blarney, you are guaranteed to love my Kale Pesto Potato Fries Two Ways with Blue Cheese Sauce  — just remember not to call them French fries, Irish fries is more fitting! The kale pesto is a snap to make in the food processor, and can easily be done while the potatoes are baking in the oven. Make  another batch or use leftovers on pasta, fish, chicken, pizza and more. BTW, the pesto is nut-free so everyone can enjoy!Spiral Cut Potatoes

As for prepping the potatoes – you can use a spiralizer, a mandolin, finely julienne by hand or cut into fatter wedges, it’s the cook’s choice! I’ve used tried-and-true Russet potatoes in this dish, you could use whatever variety potato you like – on super busy days, I’ve also even hacked the recipe with frozen shoestring potatoes.

Kale Pesto Oven Fries an be spiralized or cut into wedges for a quick and easy potato side dish. This Irish inspired recipe is fun for St. Patrick's Day.

To add a blast of bold to the Irish recipe, I serve Kale Pesto Potato Fries Two Ways with the Big Blue Ultra Premium from Litehouse Foods. This incredibly creamy and rich dressing is made with extra chunks of handcrafted Artisan Blue Cheese for maximum flavor—a bowl filled for dunking is like a pot of gold at the end of a cheese-lover’s rainbow.

jennifer and dean jamaica honeymoonOh and speaking of history, did I mention my husband and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary last night! Where does the time go? And I wonder how many potatoes we’ve eaten through the years – haha! I also think you’ll get a laugh out of this honeymoon picture and the 1991-style bangs! By the way, check out these blogs I’m linking up with today Happy Fit Mama, The Fit Foodie Mama, Hello to Fit, Fairy Burger, Chocolate Runner Girl , Jill Conyers,

 

Kale Pesto Potato Oven Fries #recipe Do you prefer Curly or Wedges? #StPatricksDay

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What are you doing to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? What you you slather kale pesto on? Spiral or wedges? Please share in the comment below, I’d love to know! XOXO– Jennifer

This post was sponsored by Litehouse Foods. 

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Kale Pesto Potato Fries Two Ways
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
50 mins
 
Celebrate St. Patrick's Day or any dinner with this quick and easy Irish inspired recipe made with kale pesto, potatoes and blue cheese dressing. A delicious side dish!
Cuisine: American, Irish, Italian
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
For Potatoes
  • 4 medium Russet potatoes about 2 pounds
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons coarse black pepper
For Kale Pesto
  • 2 cups washed and dried kale (no stems)
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice from about 1 lemon
  • 1/3 cup raw almonds
  • 1/2 cup premium blue cheese dressing I used Litehouse Big Blue
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line large rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
  2. Scrub, dry and leave peel on potatoes. Use spiralizer, mandolin or sharp knife to cut potatoes into ⅛" to 1/4” thick pieces. If preferred, cut potato into 1/3” wedges. Place the strips (or wedges) in large bowl and sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper, tossing to coat well.
  3. Bake thin fries for 35 to 40 minutes, using tongs to toss halfway through cooking time. Wedge fries may need to cook for 5 to 10 additional minutes.
  4. Thin fries are done when at least half are crispy and golden brown. Thicker wedge fries will be turning golden brown on the sides.
  5. While fries are baking, add kale, olive oil, salt, garlic, parsley, lemon juice and almonds to food processor and pulse until very finely chopped and ingredients incorporated.
  6. Remove fries from oven and toss with pesto while still hot. Serve with blue cheese dressing drizzled on top or served to the side as a dip.

Simple Green Smoothie Starts St. Patrick’s Day Feast

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Don’t be afraid of the green! It’s St. Patrick’s Day (well, almost) and everything should be tinted with the color of Emerald Isle. But, who wants the yucky chemicals in food dyes that turn your beer –err, I mean, smoothie green?! Simple and straightforward, made with only the freshest and most natural of ingredients in all of the lands, you’ll start the day off right fueled with the vitamins and minerals (lots of iron!) from spinach and healthy fats from avocado and hemp hearts. In addition to adding a little crunchy variety to the top of this creamy smoothie, the hemp packs a punch of protein and nutrients – they’re powerful little seeds and probably what you’ll actually find hidden in the pot at the end of a rainbow!

Simply green smoothie

Simply Green Smoothie Recipe

  • 10 ounces unsweetened almond milk
  • ½ small avocado
  • 1 handful spinach (frozen okay)
  • Vanilla stevia, if desired
  • Ice, if needed
  • 1 tablespoon raw, shelled hemp seed (hearts)

Blend almond milk, avocado and spinach in blender. If you like a sweeter smoothie, add a couple drops of vanilla Stevia. If needed, add ice to achieve desired consistency – but, it may not be needed, especially if you used frozen spinach. Top with hemp seed. Serves 1.
green smoothie overhead 700

This healthy smoothie recipe will be breakfast for all the lucky leprechauns in my house — it will be a nice change of pace after drinking red beet smoothies last week! And, to finish celebrating the day, I’m going to be trying some of the authentic (but lighted with your health in mind) recipes from Cooking Light’s St. Patrick’s Day Feast. Check it out, there is rich stew, chewy brown soda bread, smoked salmon with horseradish, and more – it’s everything you need for an authentic and amazing St. Patrick’s Day get-together.

st pat day feast cooking light