Happy New Year! The good news is the Mummers are back on Broad Street where they belong. The irksome news is we will be bombarded with TV ads for weight-loss centers, gyms and health spas. January is the month when ad executives figure most people will want to lose weight after enjoying too many holiday meals and treats.
For most of us, losing weight is no easy task. Around this time, we make resolutions to exercise more and eat well-balanced meals. One of the keys can be sitting down to dinner instead of downing high-fat foods on the run.
A recent New York Times story featured several families around the country who cook together and eat dinner together even if a youngster wants sushi and dad craves a steak.
At a time when both parents are working outside the home, young people should be able to pitch in to make preparing and serving dinner a family experience. Setting the table, getting the right pots and pans out of storage and following a simple game plan will not detract from homework, answering e-mail or watching television after school.
Americans are buying more prepared foods, bagged salads and vegetables. These ingredients cut down on prep time. I’ve seen coupons and print ads for retro dishes such as green bean casserole with cream of mushroom soup, meatloaf made with dehydrated onion soup mix, and chicken with honey and mustard. A can of condensed soup can be turned into a sauce using water, milk, cream or wine. You can doctor up a jar of top-quality spaghetti sauce, too.
To me, it doesn’t matter if you cook from scratch or take a few handy shortcuts using canned, frozen or packaged ingredients. The important thing is for families to sit down to dinner and discuss the events of the day.
Here are quick recipes for a weeknight family dinner.
Black Bean Soup
Ingredients:
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans with their liquid
1 (15-ounce) can chicken stock or vegetable stock
2 scallions, sliced, with some green part
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 pint sour cream
1 (8-ounce) bag grated cheddar cheese
Directions:
Place the black beans, chicken or vegetable stock, scallions, kosher salt and pepper in a 3-quart pot. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for a minute or so. Pour the soup into four warm soup bowls and serve. Pass the sour cream and grated cheddar cheese.
Serves four.
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Winter Salad
Ingredients:
1 (12-ounce) bag mixed baby greens
1 (8-ounce) bag baby spinach leaves
1 (8-ounce) bag baby arugula leaves
4 Belgian endives, sliced
1 (8-ounce) package pre-sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Place the salad greens in a large bowl and toss well. Scatter the Belgian endive and mushrooms over the salad greens. Whisk the olive oil and lemon juice together in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad. Add kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss again.
Serves four to six.
Note from Phyllis: This is an easy, freeform recipe. If you have a pint of grape tomatoes on hand, or some radicchio, add them to the salad.
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Baked Chicken Breasts
Ingredients:
6 chicken breast halves, either boneless or on the bone
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Imported sweet Hungarian paprika
Fresh herb of your choice, such as rosemary leaves or tarragon, snipped with a scissors.
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the chicken breasts, skin side up, in a shallow pan. Sprinkle them with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and sweet imported Hungarian paprika. Scatter the herbs over the chicken breasts. Bake the chicken for 45 minutes to one hour, depending on the thickness of the chicken.
Serves four to six.
Note from Phyllis: You also can use dried rosemary or tarragon in this recipe.
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Baby Carrots
Ingredients:
1 (16-ounce) bag washed and peeled baby carrots
1 (7-ounce) can pineapple chunks, in their natural juice
2 tablespoons Cointreau or Grand Marnier, optional
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
Directions:
Place the carrots in a 3-quart saucepan. Cover with water, bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes. The carrots are done when they can be easily pierced with a knife. Drain the carrots and return to the saucepan. Add the pineapple chunks, with their juice, the Cointreau or Grand Marnier, if using, and the butter. Heat through and toss gently.
Serves four to six.
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Long Grain and Wild Rice
Ingredients:
1 (12-ounce) box long grain and wild rice mix
2 scallions, sliced, with some green part
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (7-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, cut into strips
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Cook the rice according to the directions on the package. As the rice cooks, heat the olive oil in a small skillet. Add the scallions and saut� for a minute or so. Lower the heat and add the red pepper strips. Blend well.
Place the cooked rice in a warm serving bowl. Scatter the scallions and red pepper strips over the rice. Add kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Serves four.
Note from Phyllis: This rice takes on an Asian twist if you add a teaspoon of soy sauce or sesame oil.
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Fresh Winter Fruit Salad
Ingredients:
6 clementines, peeled and cut into sections
2 large navel oranges, peeled and cut into sections
2 large mineola oranges, peeled and cut into sections
1 small bunch seedless green grapes
1 small bunch seedless red grapes
1 pint fresh strawberries, rinsed and sliced
1/2 pint fresh blackberries
Directions:
Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and gently toss to blend.
Note from Phyllis: I’ve seen peaches, plums and nectarines from South America in the market. The quality is sometimes hit or miss. Strawberries are grown year-round in California and they are always sweet and juicy. Crates of clementines have been in supermarkets and specialty stores since Thanksgiving. You can find them as low as $3.99 a crate. Clementines grown in Spain are the tastiest. Serve the fruit salad with any leftover Christmas cookies, even though we are trying to watch our weight.
