New Year’s Food Resolutions
How many of us have sat down on New Years day, if not with pen and paper or iPad, then at least just a mindful of intentions of how to improve things in the New Year? It may be just the annual response to some level of guilt for all the excesses we have indulged during the closing months of the last year or a simple “morning after” response of “I can do better” in terms of health, finances or even our regional community.
In regards to all three of these aims, food plays a significant role. Health: I will aim to eat a more healthful diet and maybe even shed a few of those newly accumulated pounds. Finances: I will plan for at least some economical meals to be prepared at home by shopping with a plan that includes seasonal foods and hence saves money and minimizes waste. Regional community: I will aim to use more seasonal foods, especially those that are produced locally.
As I compile my personal list of resolutions, I prefer to call them - aims. Too rigid an interpretation of them would deprive us of the varieties of citrus that brighten our tables in the winter even up here in Maine. And while citrus are not local, they are at their seasonal best in winter. Broiled grapefruit with just a sprinkle of sugar and nutmeg is one of the treats of my morning breakfast as I watch blue jays and doves squabbling over the corn on our snowy deck.
For a healthy low calorie lunch, it is hard to beat my tomato-cabbage soup, which I have previously described in my book. This is quick and easy as well as low in calories and is equally tasty made either with only cabbage or rice.
Tomato Cabbage Soup
Bring to boil 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth, add 1-2 cups coarsely shredded cabbage and continue to cook for 15 minutes. Add 2 cups tomato (or V8) juice and 1 cup cooked rice (optional). Heat to boiling and serve. If you like things spicy, a dash of Tabasco sauce will certainly liven up this flavorful soup.
For local flavor, it is Maine shrimp season again and it is a delight to have these fresh and delectable small shrimp for a variety of dishes in the kitchen. Recently we enjoyed a new version of a quesadilla recipe for supper. It combines two of our local products, Maine shrimp and potatoes in a surprisingly filling combination.
Maine Shrimp and Potato Quesadillas
Thinly slice a large peeled potato, cover with cold water plus 1 tsp. salt and bring to boil. Boil for 5 minutes, drain potatoes thoroughly and roughly mash with 2 Tblsp. milk or broth. Leftover boiled potatoes can be substituted in this step. In a large bowl thoroughly mix: the prepared potatoes, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, 1 cup shredded Jack cheese, 8 ounces Maine shrimp meats, rinsed and patted dry, 2 finely chopped green scallions, 1 Tblsp. finely chopped jalapeno pepper (optional), ½ tsp. salt and 2-3 Tblsp. light mayonnaise or sour cream. Divide the mixture among four 8 inch flour tortillas. Set the mixture in a long strip along the center of the tortilla, fold over the tortilla and lightly flatten it closed. Brush both sides of the folded tortilla with vegetable oil and fry in a medium hot non-stick pan 2-3 minutes on a side. Turn off the heat, cover and let stand for another 2 minutes until the shrimp are cooked through. Alternatively bake at 400 degrees for 6 minutes followed by a short period under the broiler to lightly brown the tortilla. Serve hot with dilled light sour cream and salsa if desired.
Having written my New Years resolutions/aims the old fashioned way with paper and pencil, I’m probably admitting to their impermanence. But since there are many tasty economical ways to keep them, it is worth the try!
(I. Winicov Harrington lives in Waldoboro and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)
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