Having a healthy, happy and in-season new year

It’s resolution time. Time, we’re told, to take the fresh start of the new year as reason to change something about ourselves. But I say we should reaffirm what we’re doing well rather than admonish what needs adjusting. This gentler approach to the well-intended meaning behind resolutions sets the stage for greater success. When we focus on the healthy choices we’re already making, we center our efforts around what comes naturally and matters most to each of us.   

After all, we’re still in winter – the season that calls us to slow down and release what doesn’t serve us. We need only look to nature for the ideal example of this. It is well known that what plants do through the cold months and extended darkness is just as important as the work of spring and summer. Nature needs this period of hunkering down to enable blooming and bearing fruit in the months ahead. 

This January, rather than drastic changes, I will be making simple adjustments to the dinners we so love. These tweaks will embrace both the most abundant veggies at farmers’ markets and the comforting aspects of winter cooking. For instance, I’ll swap butternut squash for beef in our favorite chili recipe. I’ll cover noodles in a pesto packed not just with basil but spinach too. Small adjustments to these comforting foods will nourish body and soul.  

In-season flavors 

We’re just barely past the longest night of the year. The light is slowly eking its way back into the world, and winter recipes can follow nature’s lead. The list of January in-season produce includes broccoli, cabbage, celery, apples, carrots, lemon, oranges, grapefruits, leeks, onions, garlic, kale, root vegetables such as beets, sweet potatoes and rutabagas, and winter squash. 

It’s a bounty of flavors and each of these items is jam-packed with nutrients we most need in the winter – the ones that boost our immune systems and provide complex carbohydrates to fuel us. The time for big bowls of raw vegetables is coming. For now, settle into hearty meals made with small adjustments that honor what’s in season during this restorative time of year. 

Broccoli Carbonara 

The calendar may be inviting us to jumpstart, but the season continues to encourage us to rest and restore. My hearty and deeply flavored broccoli carbonara fits this.   

• 3 cups broccoli florets 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped  
• Pinch of red pepper flakes 
• 3 ounces prosciutto  
• Zest of one lemon 
• 2 tablespoons salted butter 
• 2 leeks, cleaned and chopped 
• 5 ounces crème fraiche  
• 2 egg yolks 
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese 
• Salt and black pepper to taste 
• 1 pound pappardelle pasta 

Set oven to 425º F. On a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, toss broccoli with olive oil, garlic, salt, red and black pepper. Place in oven and roast for 10 minutes. Place prosciutto slices atop broccoli and roast for an additional 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, add butter to large sauté pan and melt over low heat. Add chopped leeks and sauté on low for 10 minutes, then remove from heat. When broccoli is cooked, remove from oven, carefully lift prosciutto off the broccoli and set aside. Toss broccoli with lemon zest and add to sauté pan. Cover with lid. 

Heavily salt a pot of water and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. While boiling, mix crème fraiche, egg yolks and parmesan cheese together and set aside. When pasta is cooked, reserve one cup of water and drain remaining pasta. Drain fully and add to sauté pan. Slowly whisk pasta water into the crème fraiche, egg, cheese mixture. Add mixture to pasta dish and toss through thoroughly. Tear prosciutto into pieces and place atop pasta. Serve immediately. 

Almond meal oven-fried chicken 

Warming spices of turmeric and paprika make this healthier fried chicken recipe a family favorite during winter months. Served beside a winter slaw, this is a flavorful and healthy meal. 

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into thin strips 
• 2 large eggs, beaten 
• 1 cup almond meal 
•  1/4 cup grated parmesan 
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric 
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika 
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay or similar seasoning 
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• 2 teaspoons olive oil 

Heat oven to 375º F. Next, cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a shallow bowl, mix the almond meal and next five ingredients together. Then, dip the chicken pieces into the beaten eggs and dredge thoroughly with almond meal mixture. Place dredged chicken on baking sheet; drizzle small amount of olive oil over each piece of chicken. 

Bake in oven for 25 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before eating. 

Winter Slaw 

• 1/2 head of green cabbage 
• 1/2 head of red cabbage 
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced 
• 2 carrots grated 
• 1 cup cooked and shelled edamame beans 
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 
• 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds 

To a large bowl, add all ingredients and toss lightly. Set aside while you make the dressing. 

Dressing 

• 1/2 cup peanut or olive oil 
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce 
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter 
• 2 teaspoons grated ginger 
• 1 tablespoon honey 
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk until fully incorporated. Pour over slaw and toss. Serve immediately. 

(written for the Los Altos Town Crier)