Recipe for a Happy New Year
New Year's morning: a day full of promise, begun with resolutions and expectations of a better year to come. My first resolution on New Year's morning is generally some variation of swearing off alcohol for the rest of my life. That resolution lasts exactly 2.4 hours. Brunch and a Bloody Mary bring me to my senses. Resolution revised: next New Year's avoid washing down tequila shots with cheap champagne.
Other resolutions: work out six days a week, read two important novels a month, and manage one meaningful romantic relationship. These, too, will all be deemed hopeless in exactly 2.4 weeks. At that point, I will have only made it to the gym a total of 8 times, I will still be struggling with the first hundred pages of Anna Karenina, and I will have failed to schedule one single date with a man I may be even mildly interested in. These resolutions, too, will inevitably have to be revised.
This, sadly, has been a pattern the last several years. So this year I resolve not to fool myself--I resolve not to make resolutions.
I still firmly believe in the opportunity for a fresh start ushered in with each New Year. And black eyed peas aside, I am a sucker for traditions associated with this day: setting one's sites on the ultimate goals of health, wealth, and happiness. Fortunately, in many cultures it is the foods eaten for the new year that are supposed to help us on the way to becoming new-and-improved versions of ourselves. Eating is an activity I know I can commit to.
Seeing as how I am kinda tired of the same old black eyed peas (Who really likes those anyway? And would you honestly eat them any other time of year?), I put some thought into the New Year's symbolism of various foods. I wanted to see if I could come up with an equally lucky meal that I would be sure to enjoy a lot more than the annual Hoppin' John.
I started with pork, often served in some form along with black eyed peas. Pig in many cultures is considered a symbol of wealth. Money is always good, so I calculated that "Pig" + "Money" would equal "pork loin medallions." These are lean, which is good for those who are still thinking that they are going to stick with a diet resolution. They also are relatively quick cooking, and would be an excellent main protein source for this lucky meal on this hopeful day.
But money isn't everything, and seeing as how New Year's resolutions start with the desire for a new beginning, I think I am going to top that pan seared pork medallion with a fried egg. Just like eggs at Easter are a symbol of new life, I think so too at New Year's should they be eaten with similar intentions. Plus, eggs and ham taste really good together, so you really can't go wrong.
Now since I know I am not making it to the gym as much as I want to and certainly I know that I am not going to diet, any symbolic gesture to help me on the road to a long life would be a good move. For Chinese New Year, bowls of long, unbroken noodles are consumed with a blessing for a long life. I like that idea. It seems simple enough to put together, so my pork and egg will be served atop small piles of buttered fettuccine noodles. And for no particular reason aside from taste, I will serve this all with my version of chimichurri, the pungent green sauce served alongside grilled meats in Brazil.
Thus with a nod to the good Dr. Seuss, "New Year's Green Eggs and Ham" is born. Not only does my new New Year's meal promise health, wealth and a fresh start, it has such a silly name that I am sure it will guarantee super fun in the year to come. Now that is a resolution I know I can stick to.
Made with eggs, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, pork loin medallions, salt and pepper, vegetable oil, fettuccine pasta, butter, parsley
Serves/Makes: 6
- 6 (1 inch thick) pork loin medallions
- salt and pepper
- vegetable oil
- 1 pound fettuccine pasta
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 bunch flat leaf parsley
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic
- 6 eggs
Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling.
Prepare pork loin. If you can only get a whole pork loin, at this point cut into one inch thick rounds. Salt and pepper both sides of the pork.
Meanwhile preheat a large saute pan for the pork over medium high heat with a few tablespoons of vegetable oil.
Place pork medallions in pan and saute on both sides to achieve browning on both sides and a medium well doneness. This should take 5-6 minutes per side.
Meanwhile, begin cooking pasta in boiling water.
While both pork and pasta are cooking, prepare chimichurri sauce: In a blender place 1/2 parsley leaves, roughly chopped, with olive oil, red wine vinegar, peeled garlic, some salt and pepper. Blend on high until mostly smooth and no large chunks of parsley remain. Adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if necessary. Set aside.
When pork medallions are browned on both sides and medium well (your finger should barely sink into the flesh when you touch a medallion in the center) remove to a plate, cover with foil, and let rest while you finish the rest of the meal.
Wipe pork pan out with paper towel to remove brown bits. Add more vegetable oil and return to medium high heat. Add eggs and fry sunny side up until whites are done and yolks are still runny.
When pasta is al dente, drain thoroughly and toss with butter and remaining parsley leaves, finely chopped.
To serve, on each plate place a serving of fettuccine. Nestle a pork medallion topped with a fried egg on the pasta. Drizzle the dish with a few tablespoons of chimichurri sauce.
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1 comments
I love the non-resolution, resolution and look forward to making my very own green eggs and ham. Cheers!
Comment posted by Tina
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