(1/2021) With the New Year just passing, many Americans do their best to make a "New Year’s Resolution." There are many very interesting statistics pertaining to how people make their resolutions, what they pertain to, and how long people keep up with them. But I think it is surprising to no one that many of these well intended resolutions do not last long past their creation date. This year I propose that you choose to make a goal (or goals) instead of a resolution.

According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, a resolution is "the act of resolving or clearing up or dealing with successfully". So that implies that a New Year’s Resolution needs to focus around fixing a problem. Fixing problems is a great thing to do! In fact, I am sure there are never ending problems that can be fixed in each of our lives. But I would venture a guess that if the problems were easy to clear up, it would not need to be the focus of a yearly commitment. Am I right?

A goal instead is defined as "the end toward which effort is directed." This is why the word "goal" is often used in connection with sports or other physical activity. There is a lot of effort put towards winning a soccer game or towards finishing a marathon. And the desired end of that effort is obvious not only to the person working towards the goal, but often obvious to onlookers as well. A person running a marathon does not turn back halfway through or even forget what they are working towards. They will often keep track of their progress during the marathon by tracking how far they have gone. Many runners now use aps that track distance, speed, and time. They also spent many long hours to prepare for this goal by training for the marathon, selecting the perfect gear, and even researching the run route ahead of time.

If you want something to change this year, choose to make a goal. Any change requires effort. And effort is not always fun and pleasant. Sometimes it will rain, and you will have to just head right for those puddles. Or it will be hot and dry, and you will just long for a light shower to cool you down. But you made that goal knowing that it was worth the effort. If you keep putting your effort toward that desired end, by the end of the year, you will have reached the finish line. So here is to a new year and lots of effort to achieve whatever it is you set as your goal!

Recipes:

Egg Stuffed Baked Potato

Ingredients:

• Baked potatoes, slightly cooled
• Melted butter
• Salt and black pepper
• Shredded cheese
• Eggs
• Additional fillings of your choice: sauteed vegetables, bacon or ham, etc.

Preparation Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice a layer off the top of each potato. Use a spoon to gently scoop out insides, leaving a thin layer of potato against the skin and avoiding puncturing the bottom. Reserve scooped potato for another use.

Brush inside of each potato with melted butter and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Sprinkle a layer of shredded cheese into each potato and add fillings as desired (vegetables, diced meat, etc.) Fill each potato about 3/4 full. Crack one egg into each potato. Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper. Top with additional cheese and toppings if desired. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and cook for about 20 minutes. Egg whites should be set and yolks soft.

Coconut Curry Beef

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 2" pieces
• Salt
• 2 large onions, cut into wedges
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 13.6 ounces canned light coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped in chunks
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• optional, fresh cilantro for garnish, chopped

Preparation Instructions: Preheat oven to 275-degrees F. Add oil to a dutch oven or oven safe pot and warm over medium-high heat. Salt beef and brown on all sides. Work in batches if necessary. Remove from pan, set aside, covered. Saute onions in the pan for about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium, add soy, garlic, ginger, curry and cayenne and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Watch, being careful not to burn garlic. Add coconut milk and brown sugar and stir until combined well. Taste and adjust seasonings to taste. Add browned beef back to pan, stir to combine all together well. Cover and cook at 275EF for at least 3 hours (4-5 hours is even better). Add bell pepper and tomatoes for final 15 minutes of cooking. Serve over jasmine rice, or favorite rice or pasta. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro if desired.

Cheesy Cauliflower Nachos

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon olive or avocado oil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 5 cups cauliflower florets, cut into ½-inch slices
• 1/3 cup refried beans
• 3/4 cup shredded Mexican cheddar cheese
• 1 jalapeno, sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped grape/cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 avocado, sliced or chopped (optional)

Preparation Instructions: Preheat oven to 425EF. Spray a large baking sheet with olive oil or avocado oil cooking spray. Slice cauliflower into 1/2-inch slices. In a large bowl, combine oil with garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika, chili powder and sea salt. Add sliced cauliflower and gently toss to coat. Place seasoned cauliflower on baking sheet, spacing out the pieces so that they roast instead of steam. Bake 20 minutes, until cauliflower is tender and starting to brown.

Remove the pan from the oven; push cauliflower together in the center of the pan. Top cauliflower with refried beans, sprinkle with cheese and add jalapeZo slices on top. Return to the oven and bake until the beans are heated through and the cheese has melted, about 6-7 minutes. Top cauliflower with chopped tomato, red onion and cilantro. Add avocado (if using) and serve directly from the sheet pan. You can also transfer to a platter for serving or portion into bowls.

Kielbasa Hash

Ingredients:

• 1 (14 ounce) package turkey kielbasa, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 yellow, red or orange bell pepper, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 small or 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Preparation Instructions: In a heavy-bottomed skillet, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Fry until golden brown and cooked through, around 8-10 minutes, stirring a few times to ensure even browning.

In a separate skillet, brown the sliced kielbasa for around 5 minutes in 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Remove the kielbasa from the pan and set aside. Add the peppers and onions to the skillet and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally. Add the cooked potatoes and kielbasa to the skillet with the onions and peppers and mix everything together.

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