The New Year’s all about fresh starts and new beginnings – a clean slate every first of the year where we convince ourselves eat better, exercise, and be spontaneous. January’s when we denounce unhealthy foods and embrace our leafy greens with vim and vigor, only to find ourselves face down in candy and chocolate-covered strawberries come February. With nearly two years of ‘pandemic cooking’ behind us, it’s about time we enjoy a deliciously well-made meal, even if it isn’t the healthiest. 

If COVID taught us anything, it’s that we must adapt in the kitchen. From frugal prepping practices (like saving vegetable peels and meat carcasses for stock) to shopping locally and seasonally for the least-inflated prices, now is the time to kick up your kitchen game. Despite the savagely spreading Omicron strain, there’s never been a better moment to take full advantage of your own kitchen. This year’s resolution? Be the home cook you’ve always dreamed of!

While you re-evaluate your foodie priorities, consider my 2022 Chef’s Pantry Tips to set the stage for your amateur chef experience and soon-to-be master home cook:

Set your mise en place (AKA: get your act together). Pre-measure ingredients, chop veggies and chiffonade garnishes into separate bowls to speed up the cooking process. It may feel like extra work up front, but you won’t regret it.

Layer flavors. Infuse oils with fresh herbs or peppers for depth. Sear meats on high heat for hard caramelization before braising, and allow your aromatics to time to cook over the heat so they release their full, volatile flavors.

Befriend your freezer! Stock up on gallon bags and freeze veggie scraps, herb stems, and animal bones. You can use them later to make a flavorful, homemade stock or sauce.

Save the fat. You can render excess fat, particularly bacon fat, save it to add optimal flavor and depth to your next dish. Remember, when cooking: Fat is a friend. 

Finish with fresh herbs. Earthy and herbaceous, finishing dishes with freshly chopped parsley, basil, cilantro, or tarragon elevates any home-cooked dish so it tastes like it was prepared in a professional kitchen.

Bonus tip: Invest in a good chef’s knife! Even for the most basic home cook, a quality knife makes all the difference in preparation, presentation, and safety! Sharpen and hone regularly. 

Pandemic cooking doesn’t mean flavorless cooking. Experiment with flavors of elevated comfort foods, like my roasted butternut squash risotto. This simple, straightforward recipe is creamy, comforting and full of warm flavors for those chilly January days.

1 small butternut squash, cubed (or buy precut)

½ cup dry white wine (sauvignon blanc recommended)

4 cups chicken broth (low sodium recommended)

salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400º. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, drizzle cubed squash with olive oil. Bake approximately 20 minutes, until squash is tender. In a medium sauce pot, heat chicken broth. In a separate skillet, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add shallot and cook until tender and translucent. Add garlic, cook 1-2 minutes. Add arborio rice and coat well in the fat. Add white wine and cook 5 minutes. Squeeze in lemon juice.  Add one ladle of hot stock to rice and stir until combined. Repeat until all of the stock is absorbed by the rice. Add cooked butternut squash. Finish with additional butter, mascarpone cheese and grated Parmesan cheese. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. 

If you’re anything like me and use the top of the year to jump start your metabolism, my vegetarian lentil shepherd’s pie offers a healthier alternative to the traditional meat-forward casserole. Prepared in under an hour, this dish is naturally gluten free and you can easily make it vegan by swapping the dairy for vegan-friendly alternatives.

2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed

salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400º and grease an 8×10 oven-safe baking dish. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add olive oil and butter. Sweat onions until soft; add garlic and cook 2-3 minutes. Add thyme, sage, and coriander and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in tomato paste and cook until dark red. Add lentils and stir to coat. Add crushed tomato and vegetable broth, fold in frozen peas/carrots. Cook over medium heat while you prepare the potatoes. Peel, cube and cook potatoes until tender. Mash, add second portion of butter and milk, combine with salt and pepper to taste. Assemble shepherd’s pie in the baking dish by layering the lentil mixture on the bottom and top with mashed potatoes. Cook 20-30 minutes until heated through and potatoes are lightly browned on top. 

For this new year, ditch the detox, forego the fad diets, and instead, make a mouthwatering meal that is simply delicious. 

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Filed Under: Food Tagged With: butternut risotto, butternut squash recipes, lentil recipes, Pantry tips, vegetarian recipes, vegetarian shepherd's pie

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