I make the same food-related resolution every year, and it has nothing to do with giving anything up.
It’s about fighting kitchen boredom. Even those of us who work in food media fall into dull ruts. To fight it, I always try to incorporate one new recipe a week into my personal life at the beginning of every year. It sounds easy, but like all resolutions, it gets harder as life gets busier and you retreat to well-worn dishes you can make in your sleep. Committing to trying something new each week from an online source, friend or cookbook forces you to explore new ingredients and techniques. It’ll fuel your creative juices and keep you inspired.
To kick things off, I’ve saved lots of top-rated 2017 recipe lists from sites I like, including, Kitchn, Bon Appetit, The New York Times and others. I also thumbed through some of my favorite cookbooks, because despite how much I profess to using them, I’ve only scratched the surface. There’s still lots to discover.
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To kick things off, I opted for Ina Garten’s Winter Slaw from her Make it Ahead cookbook. It’s perfect for this first week of January because it’s nutrient-dense and is packed with seasonal produce, including fresh kale, Brussels sprouts and fresh lemon juice. It’s easy to assemble, can be made ahead and tastes great the next day.
I served it as a side dish with pot roast, a refreshing foil to something big and bold. It would also be delicious with fresh seafood, grilled pork or chicken or on sandwiches.
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Modify it by adding walnuts or pumpkin seeds, or substituting feta for the Parmesan.
Happy New Year!
Maggie Heyn Richardson is a regular 225 contributor. Reach her at hungryforlouisiana.com.