Resolution Time
Thinking, planning, and changing New Year’s Resolutions consumes my Januarys. It just seems like a perfect opportunity to start over, backtrack, improve, and change my changes. I came across “75 Resolutions to Improve Your 2026.” Every suggestion was positive and doable. My favorites involved joyful leisure, reading, books, and book clubs, although using any of those as a resolution would be cheating. Starting a book club is on my tentative list. My favorite was “Call your parents and grandparents more!” I passing that one on to my grandchildren, and I’m sure they will be grateful.
Is your resolution to eat healthy? Or is your resolution to lose a few pounds?
Is thinking of winter weather making even your thoughts cold? Winter is not my favorite season, so a warm soup is often our meal.
Here are several soup recipes that are healthy, fat-burning, body warming, and heart warming to share with family and/or friends.
MEATBALL SOUP
Simplicity
Versatility
Novelty
INGREDIENTS
-2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes with onion and garlic, undrained
-2 (14 oz) cans beef broth
-3 cups water
-1 tsp Italian seasoning, a staple in my kitchen
-1 (16 oz) package small frozen cooked Italian-style meatballs*
-2 cups frozen vegetables, Mediterranean blend or any combination of your choice
-1 cup small dried pasta, such as orzo or star-shaped
-1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
MISE EN PLACE
-Combine tomatoes, beef broth, water, and Italian seasoning in a large pot. If you don’t have beef broth on hand, 4 cups of water will suffice.
-Bring to a boil.
-Add frozen meatballs, frozen vegetables, and pasta.
-Bring to a boil again.
-Then reduce heat to medium-low.
-Cook until meatballs are heated through and pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.
-Garnish each serving with Parmesan.
*If you don’t find Italian-style meatballs, regular frozen meatballs can be used. You may want to add a little more Italian seasoning.
ASPARAGUS SOUP
INGREDIENTS
-1 1/2 lbs asparagus, cut in 1 inch lengths
-1 to 2 tbsp olive oil
-1 onion chopped
-2 potatoes, cut in small cubes
-2 vegetable bouillon cubes, or 2 cups vegetable broth
-1 pint half-and-half or milk*
-1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
-4 cups water plus water as needed for desired consistency
MISE EN PLACE
-Heat olive oil.
-Add onions.
-Stir until brown.
-Add potatoes, asparagus, vegetable broth, and half and half.
-Bring to a boil over high heat.
-Add seasoning as desired.
-Reduce heat.
-Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
For a thicker soup, allow to simmer until potatoes soften enough to thicken soup.
*Use half-and-half for richer, creamier, more stable soups, less likely to curdle.
Milk creates a lighter, lower-fat soup but risks curdling if boiled vigorously. My suggestion is to use 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of half-and-half.
Suggestion # 2: If you are counting carbs, use 1 potato and thicken your soup with a tablespoon of corn starch whisked with 1/2 cup of water. Stir this into your soup a few minutes before serving. Repeat if more thickening is desired.
For a side dish or a treat, try these mushrooms cooked easily in the air fryer.
AIR-FRYER MUSHROOMS
INGREDIENTS
-16 oz sliced mushrooms
-2 tbsp olive oil
-2 tbsp soy sauce
-3 tbsp grated Parmesan
-1 tsp garlic powder
-1 tsp minced fresh thyme*
-1/2 tsp salt, optional
-1/4 tsp black pepper
MISE EN PLACE
-Add all ingredients to a medium bowl.
-Toss well to coat evenly.
-Air fry at 280 degrees for 5 minutes.
-Shake basket well.
-Air fry for another 5 to 7 minutes, or until desired tenderness.
My suggestion: You can use a combination of the bottom six ingredients. Soy sauce is the star of the ingredients, but it is very salty. If you like less salt, or your diet requires less salt, you may want to cut back slightly by using 1 tablespoon of water and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. Suggestion # 2: 3 tablespoons of Parmesan has quite a bit of salt and strong flavor, so you may want to cut back a little on the cheese also.
Suggestion # 3: The seasoning is absolutely to your taste. These mushrooms are delicious as the recipe is listed, but you can make this dish your own for your required diet or personal preferences.
Suggestion # 4: Keep your mushrooms from getting soggy by wiping them clean with a damp paper towel instead of rinsing. If they do get wet, just dry them thoroughly. You do not want them to absorb extra water.
Reheat the mushrooms in the air fryer at 365 degrees for 3 to 5 degrees until heated thoroughly and crispy again.
I have a list of resolutions on my night table and one on the arm of my desk (since my desk is my favorite armchair), so that I can change or add thoughts anytime.
I will keep sharing good ones. It’s never too late to resolve to resolve.
Jusqu’a la semaine prochaine!