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The January blahs have set in. It’s been brutally cold and windy. Although the sun makes an appearance once in a blue moon, it has been mostly gray and dreary.
Television commercials have done little to alleviate these blahs. If I see one more ad for a fitness center, diet fad or the best way to lose weight, I’m going to throw the remote at the screen. The one that features food delivered to your door is most annoying.
The best way to stay fit is to exercise and eat smaller portions. Since we are city dwellers, walking in the winter is beneficial and free. Adding more fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet is a surefire way to keep healthy.
Many local chefs have jumped on the buy-fresh-and-local culinary bandwagon. So should we. Since last fall, Whole Foods has featured fruits and vegetables grown on Pennsylvania farms. I purchased organic Yukon Gold potatoes and Gala apples grown in Lancaster County.
Since the days are long and dreary, preparing dishes with colorful ingredients will cheer us up. Sometimes frozen vegetables work better in a recipe because they save time. The protein is up to you.
■ Spinach Casserole ■
Ingredients:
2 1-pound bags of frozen chopped spinach
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 stick of butter
1 shallot, diced
1 pound of mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon of flour
1 cup of half-and-half
Parmesan, freshly grated
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the spinach in a colander and run under cold water. Once defrosted, squeeze out as much of the water as possible.
Melt the oil and butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the shallot and sauté for about five minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté for about eight minutes. Season with the salt and pepper. Add the spinach to the skillet and lower to a simmer.
Mix the flour and half-and-half in a measuring cup. Pour over the spinach mixture and heat through. Place in a casserole dish and top with the Parmesan. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly.
Serves four.
■ Tricolor Salad ■
Ingredients:
1 pound of baby arugula leaves
4 Belgian endive, sliced
1 pint of grape tomatoes, sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup of olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Directions:
Place the vegetables in a large serving bowl. Toss well. Season with the salt and pepper.
Mix the oil and lemon juice together in a separate bowl. Pour over the salad and toss well.
Serves four.
Note from Phyllis: A number of Italian restaurants serve this salad because it represents the colors of Italy’s flag. I found baby plum tomatoes in Trader Joe’s last week. They are sweeter than grape tomatoes.
■ Gala Apples with Walnuts and Pomegranate Seeds ■
Ingredients:
2 Gala apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 pound of walnuts, toasted
Seeds from 1 pomegranate
1/2 stick of butter
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
Directions:
Toss the apples, walnuts and pomegranate seeds in a mixing bowl.
Heat the butter and oil over medium in a large skillet. Add the apples mixture and sauté for about eight minutes.
Serves four.
Note from Phyllis: You can toast the walnuts in the oven or simply heat them through in a dry skillet. This is a tasty side dish for roast chicken or pork. Or, you can add a pound of shrimp to the mix and serve it as an entrée. Pomegranates and pomegranate juice have become popular recently because of the health-benefit claims. My grandmother loved pomegranates and I grew up enjoying them.
■ Baked Acorn Squash ■
Ingredients:
2 acorn squash, halved with seeds removed
4 tablespoons of butter
Sprinkling of brown sugar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the squash on a baking sheet. Place one tablespoon of the butter in the cavity of each squash half. Sprinkle with the brown sugar.
Bake for about 30 minutes. Test for doneness, as you should be able to pierce them easily with a knife.
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