Matcha Madness! 3 Green Recipes for St. Patrick’s Day

I loved holidays growing up. My mom was one of those moms who really knew how to get into it —  she would decorate the house, cook special food, and make sure the mood was set no matter what holiday we were celebrating. I think it really left a mark on how I experience holidays, even now as an adult.

St. Patrick’s Day is one of the holidays I remember the most. My dad’s side of the family is 100% Irish, so we would wake up the morning of St. Patrick’s Day with all of our furniture overturned in our rooms and things misplaced (mind you, we had an otherwise VERY tidy house). Downstairs, the milk was green and so was everything else in the fridge — the leprechauns had come and boy did they make trouble!

The fact that my true (food) love is inherently green and passes on that vibrant color to everything it touches makes it the perfect tool to use on St. Patty’s Day…of course I’m talking about matcha! Matcha tea is all the rage these days because it is incredibly healthy; it’s packed with anti-oxidants like Vitamin C, making it wonderfully immune boosting. It’s also a natural source of energy with caffeine delicately balanced out by calming L-Theanine. Aside from being a superfood, matcha is also incredibly versatile and can be used in both sweet and savory dishes.

I put together 3 green recipes for this holiday that I’m certain your little ones will love! You can start the day with Matcha Oatmeal with Crunchy Seed Clusters, follow up with some Irish Colcannon Soup with Gluten-free Turkey Bacon Grilled Cheese Bites for lunch, and finally enjoy a thick and creamy Matcha Milkshake for dessert!

Matcha Oatmeal

Ingredients

3 cups filtered water

pinch of sea salt

1 cup steal cut oats

1 teaspoon ghee or organic butter

2 teaspoons local honey

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)

1 teaspoon matcha

1/4 cup sprouted pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup hemp seeds

2 tablespoons whole flax seeds

1 teaspoon ghee or olive oil

2 teaspoons maple syrup

pinch of ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Bring water and salt to a boil, add oats and stir. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes or until almost all of the water has absorbed and the oats become thick and creamy.
2. While the oats cook, heat a skillet over medium and add seeds. Stir frequently and watch carefully so seeds don’t burn. After a few minutes, add ghee or oil and stir to coat. Turn off the heat and add maple syrup and cinnamon, stir to combine, spoon onto parchment paper and let cool completely. Break apart into bite sized clusters and set aside.
3. Stir in ghee or butter, honey, nutmeg and matcha just until combined.
4. Spoon into serving dishes and top with seeds. Serve immediately.

Irish Colcannon Soup and Grilled Cheese Bites

Soup:

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups rutabaga, peeled diced

2 cups parsnips, peeled and diced

2 cups leeks, chopped

1 clove garlic, roughly chopped

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 cup filtered water

2 teaspoons sea salt

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon matcha

Instructions

1. Heat a medium stock pot over medium heat.
2. Add olive oil, rutabaga, parsnips, leeks and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes, until the vegetables begin to tenderize. Then, add broth, water and salt. Cover and let simmer for 20 - 30 minutes.
3. Once the vegetables are tender, remove lid, add parsley and matcha and blend with an immersion blender or high powered counter-top blender until smooth.
4. Garnish with Grilled Cheese Bites (see below). Serve hot.

 Grilled Cheese Bites:

Ingredients

4 slices gluten-free bread

2 tablespoons softened ghee or organic butter

4 thin slices or 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

3 slices turkey bacon (nitrate free) 

Instructions

1. Place bacon in a cold skillet. Turn the heat on medium high and cook bacon until crispy (about 3 minutes per side once the pan is hot). Remove from heat and cut in thirds.
2. Smear ghee or butter on one side of each slice of gluten-free bread.
3. Ghee side down, add 1 slice of cheese to each piece of bread, then place slices of bacon on top, the second slice of mozzarella cheese and top with second slice of bread (ghee side up). Repeat for second sandwich.
4. Heat a fresh skillet over medium. Once hot, place both sandwiches on the skillet and let cook for 2-3 minutes, flip and repeat on the second side. If you need to get the cheese to melt, place a cover over the skillet for an additional minute or two and reduce the heat to low.
5. Cut grilled cheese into bite sized pieces (I cut the sandwich in thirds, rotate and cut in thirds again making 9 pieces).

Matcha Milkshake

Ingredients

2 cups almond milk

1 ripe banana, sliced and frozen

2 teaspoons matcha

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Blend all ingredients in a high powered mixer until completely smooth.
2. Pour into 4 glasses and garnish with ground cinnamon or nutmeg if desired, serve immediately.

*if you want to make this and did not freeze bananas ahead of time, reduce milk by 1/4 cup and add 1/2 cup crushed ice.

~Kristin O’Connor

Kristin is a published author and private chef focused on encouraging optimal wellness. The Kristin O’Connor brand of gluten-free, eco-friendly products is a true culmination of her passion for health and devotion to philanthropy, bearing a mantra as wholesome and pleasing as her food! For more inspiration, check out her website and Instagram.

What is your favorite way to enjoy matcha? Share your recipes with us below!