It feels fairly ironic to make such an extreme and speedy transition from rich Christmas food and indulgence to January’s healthy “new year, new you” approach.
After the feeding frenzy of the festive season there will be few who won’t welcome this new realm of eating and its slightly more measured approach. While it might feel like jumping on the bandwagon, the beginning of a new year is the ideal time to reflect and reset, specifically when it comes to the food we eat. At this time of year, the assault of new diet promises and plans will be in full swing but for me, really good eating starts with good cooking.
The obvious rules apply: cooking from scratch, including as much vegetables, grains and pulses where possible, and serious forward planning will make all the difference to the food decisions we make. All well and good but for even for someone who loves to cook it’s difficult to muster up enthusiasm for a sorry tin of chickpeas or dry packet of bulgur wheat lurking at the back of a cupboard.
Winter without the excitement of twinkling lights and promise of a mountain of gifts may look bleak and so to balance it out, the food we eat at this time of year is important. We need sustenance and nourishment but we also need vibrancy and spice. You might not think a stew to be first port of call for these two attributes but one of the two recipes I share here is a vegetarian sweet potato stew injected with heat from panang curry paste and aromatics from lemongrass and fish sauce, and will provide much needed excitement in the kitchen this January.
While you still may hanker for winter comfort food, I’m meeting you in the middle with a lentil ragu which just about matches the belly-rubbing brilliance of its traditional Italian counterpart, though for shock value and novelty I’ve served it with courgetti (courgette spaghetti) just to push any Italians out there over the edge. Both dishes make for ideal light winter eating and even if you have joined the ranks of whatever food guru is doing the rounds this January, I’m sure they will be shaking their quinoa in approval.
