In honor of my mother-in-law and her mother, we celebrate the 17th of March with appropriate food.  The good saint, although he associated with Ireland, was not a native of the Emerald Isle. Some say he was born in England, but the Bretons say he was from Brittany.  For breakfast, some eggs with a French flair and for dinner a lamb stew.  The lamb stew is in honor of Ireland, but the recipe has a French influence, rather like Saint Patrick himself.  Hold the Soda Bread and green beer for another day.

Basquaise Omelette: 283 calories      PB  GF            This recipe, full of the flavors of the Basques region of SW France, comes to us from Salute to Healthy Cooking, published by the French Culinary Institute. Wonderful book from which we cook all year long. Note that this is a baked omelette, so the method is a little different. Faites bien attention.

3 two-oz eggs HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week.                                                                                   1.5 Tbsp tomato sauce, such as Hunt’s                                                                                                           1.5 Tbsp bell pepper, chopped                                                                                                                          ½ clove garlic or pinch granulated garlic                                                                                                                 2 tsp parsley, chopped                                                                                                                                           1 tsp Parmesan cheese, grated                                                                                                                             2 oz apple or 2.5 oz melon                                                                                                                             blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water                                                                                       5-6 oz fruit smoothie or green smoothie or natural cider

Heat the oven broiler. In an oven-safe skillet, put the tomato sauce, peppers, garlic, parsley, and 2 Tbsp water. Cook gently until the veg are soft and the water is evaporated. Remove from pan. Add a spritz of non-stick spray and heat the pan. Whisk the eggs with 2/3 of the tomato mixture and pour into the pan. As the eggs cook, gently lift the edge of the eggs and let uncooked egg flow underneath. Do not flip or fold the eggs. Top the eggs with the cheese and put the skillet under the broiler to finish cooking. Prepare the fruit and beverages. Slide the omelette onto the plate and top it with the remaining tomato/pepper mixture.

Lamb Stew     291 cal   6.3 g fat   5.8 g fiber   24.3 g protein   29.5 g carb  60 g Calcium   GF    Another fine recipe ‘from’ Salute to Healthy Cooking.  The entire cookbook features healthy alternatives to popular French meals, but I needed to take out some potatoes and oil to make it fit into a Fast Day menu.  HINT: this serves 2 [two] people.      

1/2 pound lamb shoulder, cut in 2″ chunks            1/2 cup onions, chopped        3/4 tsp flour, thyme, bay leaf     1 oz [2 Tbsp] dry red wine   1/2 Tbsp tomato paste    1 cup turnips [or rutabagas], sliced 1/4″ x 1″    3/4 cup carrots, sliced 1/4″ x 1″ pieces     1/2 cup diced potatoes    6 pearl onions, peeled and ends trimmed

Set oven to 350.  Sear the lamb cubes on all sides in a well-seasoned cast iron pan or non-stick pan without oil. Transfer cooked meat to a Dutch oven which is ovenproof. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In the non-stick pan, sauce the onions for 3 mins or until softened but not browned.  Sprinkle with flour and stir to combine.  Add wine, stirring to scrape up any brown bits. Pour into Dutch oven.                                                                                                    Add tomato paste and cold water, enough that it just covers the lamb. Add thyme and bay leaf.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and place in oven. Adjust heat so that the liquid does not boil. Bake with an occasional stir for 60 minutes.  Add the carrots, cover and bake 15 minutes.  Add the potatoes, cover and bake 45 minutes. Remove bay.   Meanwhile, put the pearl onions in a small pan with a pinch of sugar and enough water to come up the onions half-way. Cook at a simmer, swirling the pan a few times, for 10 minutes or until onions are tender and water has evaporated. Remove onions to a warm plate. Place the turnips with a pinch of sugar into the same pan. Add  water to cover the turnips by half. Simmer over medium-high heat, swirling the pan a few times, for 10 minutes or until turnips are tender and water has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan and add to onions. Divide the onion/turnip mixture in 2 parts.       Serve half the lamb stew with half the onion/turnips as garnish along with a bit of parsley. Serve the remainder to your guest or put it right into a freezer box in the ‘fridge to cool, then freeze.    Good tasting and good for you.