St. Patrick's Day: Indulge In Your Favorites – Food, Drink, and Bentgo
Brooke is the serial optimist behind Charity Girl Problems, where she tells the stories of those using their unique talents and gifts to give back. She is passionate about a good book, the color pink, and empowering others to find their own give back style. www.charitygirlproblems.com
When we think March, we think St. Patrick’s Day. And when we think St. Patrick’s Day, we think all things green – green rivers, green beer, green shamrocks, and leprechauns.
The holiday best known for a drinking and dressing in green from head to toe actually began as a day of feasting to honor the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. St. Patrick is best known for driving the snakes out of Ireland (psst…there weren’t any). He was also born in Britain, making him English, not Irish. Essentially he’s the Santa Clause of St. Patrick’s Day. But let’s be honest, any excuse to indulge in a few of my favorites things is reason enough to celebrate for me.
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, I decided to celebrate old-school by creating a work friendly lunch-feast in my Bentgo. It wouldn’t be a St. Patrick’s Day feast without excessive amounts of green. And since I have celiacs disease, I made everything gluten free.
For my feast, I made a quinoa salad, filled with asparagus, broccoli, chicken, and feta cheese. For an insider trick to boost flavor - cook your quinoa in chicken stock vs. water, and add garlic, rosemary, and basil from the beginning.
As it is a feast and feasts mean indulging, I wrapping prosciutto around my apples. And for dessert? Gluten free chocolate cupcakes by SuzyCakes, topped with shamrock sprinkles. Because it’s not a proper celebration without sprinkles.
St. Patrick’s Day Inspired Quinoa Salad (base):
2 cups organic chicken stock
1 cup quinoa
1 sprig of rosemary
4-5 leaves of basil, julienned
4 cloves of minced garlic (or 4 generous scoops if you use pre-minced garlic)
3 oz of feta cheese
Optional – a dash or two of turmeric
Add the chicken stock, quinoa, basil, garlic, and rosemary (and turmeric if you’re using it) to a pot and bring to a boil. Once approximately half the stock has been absorbed by the quinoa, remove the rosemary sprig. Begin stirring the quinoa occasionally to ensure it doesn’t stick to the bottom and burn. Reduce the heat as the quinoa continues to absorb the stock. Take off the heat once all the stock has been fully absorbed and quinoa is fluffy.
Chicken – A Donna Hay Recipe:
1 liter chicken stock
1 lemon, sliced
4 sprigs lemon thyme (regular thyme also works)
1 clove garlic, halved (or a health scoop if you’re using pre-minced garlic)
4 x 180 gram chicken breasts
Place stock, lemon, thyme, and garlic in a deep frying pan (I use a Dutch oven) over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover with a lid, and stand for 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Asparagus + Broccolini:
Olive Oil
Garlic, 2 cloves minced or 2 healthy scoops of pre-minced garlic
Salt + Pepper
4-6 stalks of asparagus (with ends cut off – approximately 1 inch)
4-6 stalks of broccolini
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Prepare two pieces of tin foil, large enough to completely wrap around the asparagus and broccolini. Place the asparagus on one of the tin foil cut outs, the broccolini on the other; drizzle olive oil on each. Add a scoop full of garlic on each, and sprinkle salt + pepper on both. Wrap up thoroughly, then place in the oven for 15 minutes, or until slightly soft.
St. Patrick’s Day Inspired Quinoa Salad (assembly):
In a large bowl add quinoa, chicken (shredded), and feta cheese. Slice of up the asparagus and broccolini to bite size pieces, then fold into the salad. Add salt + pepper, to taste. Maybe another scoop of garlic, if you’re as obsessed as I am.
This salad is versatile and tastes great and can be served hot or cold. So bring it to lunch or on any picnic. Enjoy!
Many of us have the luxury of feasting and celebrating the holiday with friends and family. But one in five children in the US goes to bed hungry every night. And one in four children globally suffers from chronic malnutrition. While I love the bright colors and innovative design of Bentgo, my favorite thing about them is their partnership with Feed The Children.
In the spirit of St. Patrick and caring for others, Bentgo has partnered with Feed The Children by donating 5% of the sales of the fan favorites (Bentgo Originals, Bentgo Salad, and Bentgo Kids). So this St. Patrick’s Day, indulge in your favorites – food, drink, and Bentgo. Be a part of bringing an end to childhood hunger here in the United States and around the world.