(Chandler West~Chicago Sun-Times) Photo styling by Judith Dunbar Hines.
Do you feel like I do this morning? The whirlwind of events, plus a rare confluence of multiple holidays in one four-week period, conspired to pressurize the season more than usual. The face peering back at me from the mirror on this New Year’s Day seems, well, less optimistic than usual.
And in the kitchen, the contents of the fridge crisper look like I feel — a little wilted.
Today we need something nutritious without a lot of fuss. What shall I cook for dinner on this first day of a new calendar?
I keep a shelf for staples to get me through just this type of emergency. In winter, it’s well stocked with soup and bean mixes, and it’s there I turn today.
I choose a mix from Spark of the Heart, a South Side Chicago company (www.sparkoftheheart.com) that not only makes tasty soup mixes, but they partner with Gateway to Learning, a social service agency that employs developmentally challenged adults to package the mixes.
Ingredients are organic and all-natural. So my taste-good dinner also will contribute to my New Year’s eat-better and do-more-good resolutions.
Everything I need is in the bag except water or broth, but I check the fridge for possible add-ins. Some chard from the winter farmers market and a link or two of spicy sausage would make the lightly curry-flavored “Sunny Caribbean” mix just that much more hearty and delicious.
Sausage browns quickly to start the flavor layers, then everything else goes into the pot to simmer. The chard, washed and chopped, goes in for the last 30 minutes, adding fresh color and welcome vitamins, both of which should brighten my day and my outlook.
Ahhh. Check doing good and eating well off the to-do list for today. My new year is starting out just right.