March 17 - Green

I love St. Patrick's Day, in fact, we are still celebrating St. Patty because I made the most delicious Shephard's Pie for dinner tonight. It is a surprising 322 calories per serving, the recipe is below:

1 tbsp canola oil
· 1 medium onion, finely chopped
· 2 large carrots, chopped
· 1 pound extra-lean ground beef
· 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
· 2 tbsp no-salt-added tomato paste
· 2 tsp dried mixed herbs
· 1 cup fat-free, reduced sodium beef broth
· 1 cup frozen peas
For the Topping:
· 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-1 1/2-inch pieces
· 1/2 cup fat-free milk
· 1 tbsp light butter

Preparation:

In a large pot, heat canola oil on medium-low heat. Saute onions and carrots until softened. Turn up heat to medium-high and add beef; cook until no longer pink. Add Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, herbs and broth. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Add peas, then simmer 5 minutes more.
While sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add potatoes, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain water. Add milk and light butter. Mash with a potato masher until smooth. Season if you like.
Pour sauce into an 11-inch by 7-inch baking dish and allow to cool slightly. Top with potato. Optional: sprinkle with 1/3 cup reduced-fat cheese.
Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

So anyway, back to green.

One of the great traditions in Chicago is the dyeing of the river on St. Patrick's day and the parade. Unfortunately I had to work Saturday morning so I couldn't really be a part of the celebration. I had to find a conservative green shirt, that didn't say "I Peed Green on 3-17" on the back, to wear under my suit, and instead of drinking green beers in the morning, I was drinking my regular coffee... without Bailey's, thank you very much.

I decided rather than sit in traffic on Lake Shore Drive, I would take the train. Little did I know, I would be riding the train with very obnoxious, very excited people. Every one was decked out in their finest green and everyone was ready to party. We finally made it to the city and my walk to work which usually takes 20 minutes... tops, took 45. I've never seen so many slow moving people.

And when we got to the river... there was a wall of traffic... not moving. Every one was there to see this.



I can't think of a better representation of green, and hopefully next year I will be able to join in the celebration.