Irish side dish ideas?

Guinness?

Just kidding!

Just make some regular food, and color it green. Ireland doesn't even really celebrate this, it's an American thing anyway.......

Black pudding. (No, it's not made with really, really dark chocolate.)

Cabbage?

soda bread or potato bread (boxty)

both easy enough to make

Although not a typical "Irish dish" but, ~ Green (lime) jello is always great & add in some fruit/pineapple and Voila! You "could" use this as a side dish??

This is not really a side dish, but it might impress your co-workers and I think it would fit with Thomas's no side dish proclamation.

http://www.myveggietable.com/2010/03/happy-st-patricks-day-irish-soda-bread.html

Check this out!

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/healthy_irish_recipes

Well, i get the day off work, and there's a parade in Belfast, so I'd say we DO celebrate it here. In a different way, of course.

Irish side dishes:

Well, there's our fabulous bread. Soda bread is lovely, as is wheaten bread.

Or our potatoes - champ (mashed potatoes with green onion chopped through it) or colcannon (mash potato with cooked cabbage through it). Both of those could be prepared ahead and heated in the microwave. Or do a potato salad.

Guinness?

I concur!

Of course we celebrate Paddy's day!!! Hmmm side dishes ... Calcannon is yummy and very Irish; just google for recipes.

Here are a few ideas for side or starter type dishes:
-Colcannon (mashed spuds and cabbage -kale is lovely in it, much nicer than white cabbage!)
-Potato Pancakes (Boxty)
-Chips (that'd be steak fries in the US I think)

See the trend there? All made of spuds lol... anything seafood would be good too. Plenty of that around here, from crab and mussels to salmon and whatever else you can think of! With brown soda bread

Happy cooking

ps: It's St Paddy's Day... no offense, but it does curl my toe nails when I see 'Patty's Day' *shudder*

Sorry to disagree with our American friends but we have been celebrating St Patrick's Day in the emerald isle for rather a long time. Every Irish regiment will be presented with shamrock sprigs and every newsreader will be wearing a sprig of shamrock to celebrate our national Saint's Day. There will be many celebratory church services and a pilgimage to Saul Cathederal the burial place of St Patrick. While our exiles do make it a large event across the pond those who did not emigrate celebrate on all sides of the community. Living on the genuine emerald isle we have no need for artificiality. Happy St Patricks Day!

So in Ireland, you dress up like leprechauns, everyone has to wear green or be pinched, and you turn your beer green so as to get properly drunk, Right?

No?

Oh. Because in America, St. Patrick's Day celebrations have nothing to do with church, and everything to do with green beer. We have changed it the same way American celebrations have changed Cinco de Mayo.

I'm not saying it isn't Irish, I'm saying the way America does it barely resembles the origin.

Whiskey Soda Bread--- Could use any other kind of booze, Spiced rum is nice in there XD
3 1/2 – 4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup whiskey
1/4 cup butter, melted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine 3 1/2 cups flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a small bowl, combine the egg, buttermilk, whiskey and melted butter. Add to the flour mixture and stir until just combined.
Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for about 30 seconds, incorporating more flour as needed if dough is sticking to your fingers. Make a round loaf and place on the baking sheet.
Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.


Shamrock Salad

First Layer
1 small box lime gelatin
1 small can undrained crushed pineapple

Dissolve gelatin in one cup hot water, then cool. Add pineapple. Pour mixture into large mold and chill until set.

Second Layer
1 small box lemon gelatin
6 ounces cream cheese
10 marshmallows
2 cups whipping cream

Dissolve gelatin in one cup hot water. Mix one package cream cheese with one cup whipping cream. Pour mixture on top of set lime gelatin. Chill until set.

Mix remaining cream cheese with one cup whipped cream and the marshmallows cut into small pieces. Turn out mold on lettuce green and top with this mixture.

Whip 1/2 cup cream and add drained maraschino cherries and drained pineapple slices, arranged to form an attractive circle on top.


Corned Beef Potato Salad

1 can corned beef (the kind you have to open with the attached key), chilled, fat scraped off, and cut into 1/2" cubes
3 large potatoes, any kind, about 1 1/2 lbs.
4 green onions, minced
1 can (about 1 1/2 c.) sauerkraut, drained and rinsed and chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped/diced
1/3 c. minced dill pickles (Clausen brand is the best)
1 small jar diced pimientos (optional, for color)

Dressing:
1/2 c. low-fat mayo or salad dressing
1 c. low-fat sour cream
2-4 T. prepared mustard (we like the spicy brown mustard)
1-2 T. horseradish
1/4 c. milk or broth or pickle juice
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt

Combine last 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Boil whole potatoes in skins until barely tender. Peel and cut into large pieces (2" x 2"), and place in dressing mixture while still warm. Toss to coat thoroughly. Stir in other ingredients. Refrigerate. Taste and adjust for salt several hours later.

Serve cold on lettuce. Garnish with cherry tomatoes, sliced.

YIELD: 4-6 Servings as a Main Dish