Resolved – Simplify February
The
hyperbole of the Holiday Season, starting in November, as well as the continued
exuberance of the season with special gatherings, family and meals that
provided challenges for taste and presentation have temporarily worn me out.
January should be the time for regrouping, making of dietetic resolutions and
general readjustment, except that the football league has managed to insert
Superbowl Sunday at the end of this month, which precludes carrying out all such
good intentions. So, now that there is ‘great joy’ in Baltimore, life elsewhere
can go back to normal.
February
being the shortest month, seems like a good time to attempt readjustments. A
woman I met had the intriguing suggestion of using this time to rebalance the
contents of her freezer and her pantry, by only buying essentials like milk and
bread for the month and cooking mainly with the foodstuffs accumulated in the
house. Worth the try, but I would miss the fresh fruit and salads, so essential
for pleasant meals.
Still, much
as I love my kitchen, the aim for this month is to spend shorter time in it
preparing our meals. This does not mean giving up fresh and healthy
ingredients, but rather reverting to simpler and less time consuming recipes.
However, unlike the summer, when it is possible to put together a delicious
salad, winter requires something more substantial and preferably warm, to chase away the daily chill.
Soups are wonderful, since most of them can be made in quantity, which then
provides a meal for several days. The
same of course can be said for slow cooker meals, but simple and even colorful
meals can be had in times of 25 minutes or less, with the right ingredients.
A much
neglected ingredient in this area is couscous, which can be prepared in 10
minutes and like polenta and grits serves as a delicious base for a variety of
toppings.
Couscous with salami and broccoli ragu
Pour 2/3
cup whole wheat couscous in a heavy ceramic bowl and pour over it 2 cups
boiling chicken or vegetable broth with 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper. Cover and let
sit 10-15 minutes, after which fluff with fork and keep warm. In the meantime
heat 1 Tblsp. butter and 1 Tblsp. olive oil in a heavy skillet, sauté 4 oz.
sliced mushrooms with 2 cloves chopped garlic for a few minutes, sprinkle with
2 tsp. flour and stir in ¾ cup beef broth and a shake of red pepper flakes.
Stir until thickened, then add 4 oz soppressata or other hard salami cut in 1/3
inch cubes and a cup of small broccoli florets. Simmer to heat through and
serve on top of couscous in individual bowls.
Recently we
came back from a disastrous short vacation and a less than pungent pasta supper
seemed to be desirable. There are certainly dozens of recipes for pasta
carbonara, but since there were no eggs in the refrigerator, this made a
colorful and satisfying meal.
Rotini Primavera – Carbonara
Cook the desired amount of
rotini primavera (multicolored vegetable rotini) in a large amount of salted
water for 10 minutes, adding ½ cup frozen peas during the last 2 minutes of
cooking. Drain and toss with the sauce.
While the
pasta is cooking, in a heavy sauce pan fry 2 slices of bacon to nearly crisp
and drain on paper towels. Pour off most
of the fat and sauté 1 small onion finely chopped for a few minutes, stir in 1
chopped clove of garlic, salt, pepper and then stir in ½ cup milk. Bring to
simmer and blend in 2 oz. cream cheese and ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
cheese. Add slivered 2 thin slices of deli ham and when heated through pour
over the drained pasta with peas. Sprinkle with the crumbled bacon and toss to
mix. Serve with added Parmesan cheese.
I’m quite
resolved to simplify February. Unfortunately there is Valentine’s day!
(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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