St. Patrick’s Day Goodies

It’s that time of year again to wear green, drink it up and enjoy some Irish fun.

When I traveled to Ireland a few years ago, I fell in love with the gorgeous countryside, charming people and the local pubs. I also ate some delicious food with local flavor.

Here's an Irish-inspired, low-fat recipe for cheddar-ale soup, which has 389 calories per serving and is a good source of  calcium and vitamins C and A.

Cheddar-Ale Soup

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 12-ounce beer, preferably ale
• 2 18-ounce bags precooked diced peeler potatoes
• 1 14-ounce can vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 ½ cups nonfat or low-fat milk
•  ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar Cheese, divided
• Chopped bell pepper for garnish
• Cayenne pepper to taste

Start by heating the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add beer and bring to a boil (about 5 minutes). Next, add the potatoes, broth and water; cover and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and mash the potatoes with a potato masher to desired consistency.

Whisk milk and flour together and add to the soup. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until thick (about 3 minutes). Remove from the heat and stir in 1 ¼ cups Cheddar and stir until melted. Serve the soup with ¼ cup cheese, bell pepper and cayenne pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Note: Look for precooked diced potatoes in the supermarket's refrigerated section near the other fresh vegetables.

If you are planning to celebrate at home, here is a recipe for Tea Toddy that's sure to warm you up and make you feel Irish, even if you aren’t.

Tea Toddy

• 1 cup hot Earl Grey Tea
• 1 ½ ounces Irish Cream Liqueur
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon Scotch or Rye Whiskey

In a tea cup, combine the tea, liqueur, sugar and Scotch.

This makes one serving and is sure to make your St. Patty’s Day a little sweeter.