It’s almost time to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, and you know what that means: green clothes, green accessories, and in our case, green food! This year, we want our readers to know that healthy and delicious can, in fact, coexist. So indulge without the guilt this weekend!

For those of us who aren’t the biggest fans of Irish fare, or those who want to incorporate wholesome, plant-based recipes into their upcoming celebrations, we have two creative, mouthwatering, green recipes to share: something for the snack-lovers, and something for those with an intense sweet tooth.

From one of our greenest cookbooks, Ocean Greens by Lisette Kreischer and Marcel Schuttelaar, we have a tasty avocado hummus and a scrumptious tiramisu to add to your St. Patrick’s Day menu this year.

Avocado & ‘Weed HummusThese days, the grilled vegetable and hummus sandwich has become a staple on many menus, and there are thousands of varieties of hummus. What’s more, making it is foolproof! Beet hummus, white bean hummus, avocado hummus—anything is possible, and now you can add spicy seaweed to the list!

Makes 1 full (8-ounce) jar
• 0.14 (4 g) ounce dried sea lettuce
• One 15-ounce can chickpeas
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1¼ cup fresh cilantro
• 2 small garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons white tahini
• 1 tablespoon Thai green curry paste (or 2 tablespoons for extra spiciness)
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Soak the sea lettuce according to the instructions on the package. Drain and thoroughly pat dry.
2. Drain the chickpeas. Place them in a food processor along with the rest of the ingredients except for the salt and pepper and pulse until smooth. Carefully taste and season with salt and pepper.
3. Store the hummus in an airtight container in the fridge; it will keep for at least four days.

Not Just Another TiramisuNo green seaweed this time but agar, an ingredient you may have heard about before—and may even have used. Agar, or agar-agar, is a thickener that works similarly to gelatin, but it’s plant-based: made from seaweed. Once you have gotten the hang of how to apply agar in your cooking, you will no doubt begin to value this versatile and useful thickener. It’s especially useful for whipping up mousses and crèmes, particularly this delicious coconut mousse, dressed as a fashionable tiramisu.

• 10 Medjool dates, pitted
• ½ cup strong, freshly brewed coffee (from grounds preferred)
• 2¹/3 cups coconut milk
• ¹/3 cup maple syrup
• Zest of ½ lemon
• 2 tablespoons agar powder
• Splash of water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla powder (or the seeds of 1 bean)
• Pinch of salt
• 8 (round) whole wheat tea biscuits, crumbled
• Cocoa powder, for garnish

1. Soak the dates in the coffee for 10 minutes.
2. Combine the coconut milk, maple syrup, and lemon zest in a saucepan over low heat. In a small bowl, add a splash of water to the agar and, while stirring, pour the emulsion into the coconut mixture. Increase the heat a little and bring to a boil while stirring continuously. Lower the heat again and partly cover with a lid. Let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent it from curdling or sticking to the pan. Remove from the heat, allow to cool, and set aside in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
3. Place the coffee, dates, vanilla powder, and salt in the food processor and puree until thick and smooth.
4. Once the coconut mousse has stiffened completely, remove it from the fridge. Process it with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy.
5. To assemble, add a scoop of coconut mousse to a small glass, sprinkle with some biscuit crumbs, and top with a scoop of the date-coffee sauce. Repeat. Another scoop of mousse, some biscuit crumbs, and another scoop of sauce on top. Finish by adding one final small scoop of mousse, then dust with some cocoa powder. Allow the tiramisu to stiffen in the fridge for at least 15 more minutes before serving.

So this St. Patrick’s Day go green with recipes from Ocean Greens!