That’s “Good health to you” in Irish Gaelic.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! You don’t have to be Irish to GO GREEN today.

• Evaluate your recycling habits. Can you do more? Check with your recycling provider to find out if you’re taking advantage of all the programs (for example, hazardous materials collections, electronics collections, etc.).
• Add a green vegetable (not salad) to every lunch and dinner. Tired of broccoli and green beans? Look at all the produce you’ve been ignoring, and try something new.
• Check your lawn care products – are they horrible chemicals? There are other options – look for environmentally friendly (earth-, air-, and water-friendly, not to mention people- and pet-friendly) lawn care.
• Reduce your junk mail. Seriously. You get enough in your spam folder; you don’t need it in your actual mailbox, too.
• Drink a green smoothie at least once a week. Just add a couple of handfuls of spinach to your favorite smoothie. (If the color bothers you, put it in an opaque or colored glass or mug.)
• Reduce your energy consumption. Energy costs are skyrocketing between the civil unrest in the Middle East and the issues with nuclear power in Japan. How can you cut back? Where can you walk, or carpool, instead of drive? What can you turn off?
• Make your salads from a variety of greens – get more adventurous than romaine and spinach. Try arugula, mesclun, baby herb mix, butter lettuce, red or green leaf lettuce… there are lots of choices.
• Don’t use the dry cycle on your dishwasher. After it’s done washing, open the door and let everything air-dry. If you start it before bed, set it to “air dry” – everything is dry in the morning.
• Plan – or plant – your garden. Depending on your growing zone, it may be planting season already. Even in an apartment, you can grow herbs in pots. If you have a balcony or deck, you can grow tomatoes and strawberries. If you have a yard, you can grow just about anything.

Yes, today’s recipe for St. Patrick’s Day is a day early… so you can prepare!

We like to serve this with spicy chicken or vegan sausages (and some good Irish beer on St. Patrick’s Day).

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Arky’s Colcannon
Blue * Serves 8

3 large Idaho potatoes
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green cabbage, cored and cut into 1-1/2 inch chunks
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
salt
pepper
2 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut them in chunks, put them in a pot, and cover with cold water. Bring the potatoes to a boil over medium-high heat, and then reduce the heat to maintain a low boil for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot, heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Add the onion and cabbage, and cook until transparent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the apple cider vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. When the cabbage looks thoroughly wilted, add the potatoes, and mash them into the dish. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Add the paprika and parsley, stir well.

Mound the potato mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish. Don’t pat it down, you want a mound of potatoes. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until it gets a light brown crust.

Here’s a different (and still incredibly easy) way to prepare salmon. We like to serve the salmon and vegetables on a bed of steamed spinach.

To make this recipe extra easy, purchase pitted Kalamata olives. If your grocery store has an olive bar, you may be able to get them already halved.

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Mediterranean Sea Salmon
Purple * Serves 4

Four 6- to 8-ounce salmon steaks or fillet, rinsed and dried
20 asparagus stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces
12 cherry tomatoes
12 Kalamata olives, pitted and cut in half
4 Tablespoons olive oil for drizzling
6 basil leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Preheat oven to 375F.

In a large baking dish place salmon, asparagus, tomatoes, and olives. Drizzle with olive oil and top with basil. Sprinkle with a little salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and cook an additional 10 minutes, checking the center of salmon to your preferred doneness.

We made this for the Super Bowl, and it was great on the buffet table, but it would be just as good as a main dish. Serve it with a brown rice and vegetable pilaf, and a Greek salad for the perfect meal.

Kofte is traditionally a seasoned lamb “meatball” on a skewer, from the Middle East. This vegan version is adapted from a recipe in Gourmet magazine.

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Zucchini Kofte
Green * Serves 6

1 pound zucchini (about 3 medium)
1 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup packed cilantro sprigs
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
canola oil for frying

for sauce:
1 cup plain soy yogurt
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro

For the sauce, mix the soy yogurt, minced garlic, and chopped cilantro in a small bowl. Refrigerate, allowing the flavors to blend while you make the kofte.

Coarsely grate the zucchini in a food processor. Toss with 1 teaspoon salt in a colander. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Pulse the garlic, parsley leaves, and cilantro leaves in the food processor until finely chopped.
Press the zucchini in the colander to get out some liquid. Then put the zucchini in a clean, dry dish towel (not terrycloth) and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.

In a large bowl, mash the chickpeas with a fork. Add the breadcrumbs, cumin, coriander, pepper, and the parsley-cilantro-garlic mixture and stir to combine. Add the zucchini, breaking it up, and combining everything well.

Form the mixture into balls, using 2 Tablespoons of the mixture for each ball. Place them on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and chill for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375F. In a skillet over medium heat, place enough oil to generously film the bottom of the pan (about 2 Tablespoons in a 12″ skillet). When the oil shimmers, add some of the kofte (don’t crowd the pan). Brown them on several sides, blot on paper towels, and put back on the rimmed baking sheet. When all the kofte are browned, cook them through in the oven for about 20 minutes. Serve with yogurt sauce.

Sometimes we get in a rut with our meals. This is a dinner that will shock you out of your rut (probably) with restaurant-quality flavors and techniques that are easy to replicate.

We like to serve this with braised baby bok choy (top with sliced almonds) and brown rice.

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Asian Red Snapper
Purple * Serves 2

1 pound of red snapper fillet
2 stalks of green onion, cut in half vertically and then sliced again into three sections each (you will have six very thin sections)
1 thumb-size piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
4 Tablespoons soy sauce or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
4 Tablespoons rice wine
1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
1 small can or jar water chestnuts
2 ounces dried shiitake mushrooms soaked in water to soften (squeeze out excess water and chop into bite size pieces)
4 Tablespoons of hot chili oil (optional)

Brush baking dish with sesame oil and preheat oven to 450F.

Place snapper in baking dish and top with remaining ingredients except the chili oil. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.

Heat the chili oil until almost smoking. Pour the oil over the fish (carefully). Serve immediately.

Here’s another excellent Meatless Monday Meal for those days you want something warm and filling and simply delicious.

Serve this meal with a green salad dressed with a simple vinaigrette. If you’re serving this meal to someone with a heartier appetite, add a brown rice pilaf on the side.

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Baked Portobello Mushroom over Spinach
Purple * Serves 1

1 large Portobello mushroom
1/2 cup boiling vegetable stock
2 cups spinach

Preheat oven to 350F. Remove stem from the mushroom and wipe clean with damp paper towel or cloth. Place in an ovenproof dish with a cover. Pour the boiling stock over the mushroom. Bake for 15 minutes. While baking, wash spinach and tear into bite-sized pieces. Steam until wilted. To serve, put steamed spinach on a plate and top with mushroom. Serve with a green salad and basic vinaigrette.

These seven meals are easy to prepare and easy to order in restaurants. There are no excuses for not eating healthy while you’re trying to lose weight.

1. A scoop of tuna salad on a bed of lettuce or salad greens. No dressing needed!
2. Angel hair pasta with tomato sauce. No dairy; extra light on the oil.
3. Salad nicoise, no potatoes and no egg yolks. Use just 1 Tablespoon of all-natural, non-dairy dressing.
4. Vegetarian non-dairy soup with a whole grain roll.
5. Vegetarian cheeseless pizza.
6. Grilled or broiled fish (no butter, light oil) with steamed vegetables.
7. Vegetable stir-fry (light sauce).

JoAnn Carney is Marilu’s oldest sister. She’s a successful photographer and a great cook.

Parchment paper is found in the wrap-and-bag aisle of your local discount or grocery store. Don’t use waxed paper or freezer paper!

Serve the salmon with a side salad of greens and a simple vinaigrette, and a green vegetable like green beans, broccoli, or baby bok choy.

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JoAnn’s Salmon in Parchment
Purple * Serves 1

6-8 ounces of salmon fillet
1 teaspoon olive oil
dill to taste
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon chopped scallions
parchment paper

Preheat oven to 375F. Tear off a piece of parchment paper so that it makes a square. Fold it in half on the diagonal, so you have a triangle. Place the paper on a baking sheet. Open it and put the fish on the inside, next to the crease. Sprinkle the fish with the olive oil, dill, pepper, and scallions. Fold the top of the paper over the fish. Starting at one of the corners next to the fold, make little overlapping folds along the side, sealing the contents tightly inside. Continue around the two open sides, until it looks a bit like a turnover. Bake for 12 minutes (or more if it’s quite thick or you like it cooked firm).

Everybody makes turkey pot pie and turkey noodle soup.

How about turkey enchiladas? Just shred the meat, toss it with some enchilada sauce, roll it in tortillas, cover with more enchilada sauce (and soy cheese, if you want) and bake. Serve with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, chopped avocado, and your favorite salsa.

Have you had sweet potato ravioli? Saute some onions in a very little bit of olive oil. When they’re about done, drop in some rubbed sage, and leftover pureed sweet potatoes or squash. Use wonton wrappers to make ravioli – fill with about 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons filling, fold on the diagonal, and seal with water. Drop in boiling salted water to cook. Serve with a sauce of sauteed onions and mushrooms, a little turkey broth, an d thickened with a little leftover gravy. (Not so good if you caramelized your sweet potatoes, or baked them with marshmallows… use those to make more pie!)

Or make the ravioli with leftover mashed potatoes and sauteed onions (and maybe chopped spinach?) and call them pierogi. These are fried in a little Earth Balance and then you can top them with leftover gravy.

Make turkey fried rice with leftover turkey and vegetables. All it takes is some cooked brown rice and a couple of eggs. Amp up the veg content with any vegetables in your fridge. Season with garlic and ginger, and top with tamari or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos.

Put leftover cranberry sauce into your fruit smoothie. Delish! Or serve it on coconut ice cream (we love this stuff, but it’s really sweet, so don’t overdo it). We also like leftover cranberry sauce stirred into vanilla yogurt – about 1 Tablespoon for a 4 oz serving of yogurt.

And if you have leftover pie? Bring it to a someone who didn’t get leftovers.

During the holidays, or any time family and friends gather for an extended time, it’s good to have a couple of easy meals that everyone will love. It’s a bonus if they don’t resemble the Main Event meals, and if they are easy to keep on the back of the stove for whenever the gang gets hungry.

Cassoulet is a traditional slow-cooked stew, based on beans and sausage (vegan in our recipe), from the south of France.

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Cassoulet
from The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook by Dr. Neal Barnard and Robyn Webb
Blue * Serves 6 (doubles easily)

1-1/4 cups vegetable broth
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, sliced diagonally into 1/2-inch thick slices
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed (or 3 cups cooked beans)
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
kosher salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes with liquid
1 bay leaf
2 vegetarian sausage links, sliced
2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs, toasted

Heat 1/4 cup vegetable broth in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and garlic, and saute for 5 minutes.

Add the remaining 1 cup broth, beans, thyme, salt, black pepper, tomatoes, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf and add the vegetarian sausage. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Garnish each serving with parsley and bread crumbs.