Fun Ideas for St Patricks Day Breakfast

St Patrick's Day does not have to be celebrated by drinking alcohol. There are lots of fun ways you can use food to create an Irish-themed breakfast or brunch which is a delicious and healthy alternative to the traditional cooked Irish breakfast. I have based these ideas on the colours of the Irish flag (green, white and orange) so added all together they will make an attractive, fun-coloured breakfast.

Food Ideas for a St Patrick's Day Breakfast:

Green, white and gold omelette:

Fry up some sliced button mushrooms with a little chopped onion and a handful of spinach leaves in a little oil. Meanwhile whisk up two eggs per person into a bowl and grate some Irish cheddar cheese onto a plate. When the mushrooms, onion and spinach have softened add the egg mixture and make sure it spreads out evenly around the pan. When the egg is nearly cooked through, add the grated cheese, fold over the omelette and let it cook for a couple more minutes before serving with a garnish of watercress (looks a bit like shamrocks!). Top tip for cooking a great omelette; make sure you use a non-stick pan, well-heated, and cook your omelette quickly - slow cooked eggs turn into a messy scramble!

Tricolour Triangles:

Try serving a poached or fried egg on a bed of blanched spinach on a triangle of toasted Irish soda farls. Easy and it looks great! Top tip; organic, free-range eggs will have the most orangey yolks for a genuine green white and orange look. Note: blanched spinach means the leaves are cooked lightly in boiling water for just a couple of minutes - they have still kept their shape and haven't reduced down to green mush!

Potato cakes:

The Irish are well known for their love of potatoes, and yes we are very much capable of serving potatoes for breakfast!

There is a good recipe for 'boxty' potato cakes at this link.

If it sounds like too much work I will let you into a little secret: there is such a thing on the island of Ireland as ready-made potato bread. I'm not joking! If you live elsewhere, you can buy irish food products online and have them delivered to your door. Easy.

Healthy green drinks to start your St Patricks day:

First thing in the morning is a little early to begin with the whiskey and the green beer, but there are plenty of great healthy ways to create a green breakfast drink.

One of the best ways is to make your own fresh-pressed green juice. For this you will need a juice extractor (see below). Great green combinations include: celery, apple and ginger or cucumber, fennel and celery. If you'd like an orange drink (for the other side of the Irish flag), carrot and apple is a great combination and its good for the liver too - maybe an idea for breakfast the day after St Patricks Day!

Don't worry if you don't have a vegetable juicer. You can whip up a green smoothie in a normal blender. I like kiwi and apple with a little water - you can add honey if you find it too sharp.

Or alternatively why not just make your own fresh-squeezed orange juice, and serve along some of the green food ideas above. And a cup of Irish breakfast tea, obviously!