Resolutions, revived: Five nutritious weeknight dishes

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It’s Jan. 20. Do you know where your New Year’s resolutions are? If you’re still eating more bulgur and going to sleep at 9 p.m., I salute you.

Here are some quick and cozy weeknight meals to help you stick to (or revive) your healthy eating goals.

1. Sticky Miso Salmon Bowl

Miso salmon is an easy meal for any night of the week, but it gets taken to a whole other level here with the additions of grapefruit and honey. Combining the zest and juice from the grapefruit with honey, miso and a bit of ginger gives the fish a sticky-tangy finish when broiled. The sushi rice is mixed with a humble pat of butter and some sliced scallions, making it a comforting counterpart to this simple fish for an elegant weeknight dinner.

By Andy Baraghani

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 cups sushi rice

3 tablespoons white miso

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

2 teaspoons fresh grapefruit zest plus 1 tablespoon juice

4 (6- to 8-ounce) skinless salmon fillets, patted dry

Salt and pepper

4 scallions, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cubed

Any combination of kimchi, chile crisp, toasted nori sheets, and sliced cucumber, avocado or radish, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Put the rice in a medium bowl and fill with cool tap water. Run your fingers through the rice, gently swooshing the grains around to loosen the starch. Dump out as much water as you can and repeat until the water runs slightly more clear, another two to three rinses.

2. Drain the rice and transfer to a small or medium saucepan that has a tight-fitting lid. Pour in 2 1/4 cups cool water and bring to a boil over medium-high. Give the rice a stir to help keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot, then cover and decrease heat to low. Cook without lifting the lid for 18 minutes. (Set your timer!)

3. While the rice is cooking, place a rack about 5 inches from the broiler heat source and set the broiler to high. Whisk the miso, honey, oil, ginger and grapefruit zest and juice in a large bowl. Season the salmon lightly with salt and add to the bowl. Gently toss to coat. Marinate at room temperature until the timer for the rice goes off.

4. Remove the pot of rice from the heat and let steam, covered, for 10 minutes while you cook the salmon.

5. Using tongs, arrange the salmon on a foil-lined rimmed sheet tray. Make sure to leave the marinade on and spread any excess on top of the fillets. (This step will make for better browning.) Broil the salmon until glossy and charred in most spots, about 5 minutes for medium-rare or 7 minutes for medium. Your timing will also depend on whether or not you’d like a little char on top.

6. Uncover the rice and add the scallions and butter. Season with salt and several grinds of pepper. Fluff the rice with a rubber spatula until each grain is coated. Serve the salmon over the rice and add any of the toppings you desire.

2. Soy Sauce and Brown Butter Brussels Sprouts Pasta

Soy sauce and brown butter brussels sprouts pasta. Quick and cozy weeknight meals to help you stick to (or revive) your healthy eating goals. Food Stylist: Kaitlin Wayne. (Nico Schinco/The New York Times)

With cues from wafu pasta, the Japanese-style style of cooking that brings together global and Japanese flavors, this indulgent weeknight dish delivers a powerful umami kick, thanks to the combination of butter and soy sauce. Maximize the potential of butter by browning it to produce a headier sauce with nutty notes; adding soy sauce produces a caramel-like richness. A stainless steel skillet, or one with a light-colored cooking surface, is preferred so you have a visual cue of the milk solids darkening. Slicing the Brussels sprouts helps them cook quickly while also giving more surface area and edges for browning. This is an adaptable recipe, so it is possible to add other or more vegetables to balance the richness of the buttery soy sauce; mushrooms, spinach, kale and broccoli are all good options.

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 pound long pasta, such as spaghetti or bucatini

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch chunks

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced

Grated Parmesan, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high.

2. Heat a 12-inch skillet (preferably stainless steel, or one with a light-colored cooking surface so you can monitor the butter as it browns) on medium-high. When hot, drizzle with olive oil and then add the Brussels sprouts and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the Brussels sprouts are tender and caramelized around the edges, 6 to 7 minutes.

3. Scrape the Brussels sprouts into a bowl, ensuring that the skillet is as clean as possible. (You may need to rinse or wipe it out, but take care, as the pan will be very hot.)

4. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water.

5. Place the skillet back on medium-high heat. Add the butter, swirling the pan to encourage it to melt. Once it has melted, continue swirling gently until the milk solids turn a deep golden brown and smell nutty; this should only take 4 to 6 minutes. Remove immediately from the heat and allow it to cool for 1 minute. Very carefully drizzle in the soy sauce (it may sizzle) and add the white parts of the scallions. Stir to lift any burnt bits stuck to the pan.

6. Add the pasta and the Brussels sprouts to the soy sauce brown butter, along with 2 to 3 tablespoons of pasta cooking water, and place on medium heat, tossing until the strands are well coated, about 2 minutes.

7. To serve, place the pasta into serving bowls and season generously with pepper. Top with grated Parmesan and the green parts of the scallions.

3. Braised Chicken With Cabbage and Lemon

Braised chicken with cabbage and lemon. Quick and cozy weeknight meals to help you stick to (or revive) your healthy eating goals. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. (Mark Weinberg/The New York Times.)

Cabbage is the vegetable that keeps on giving: Cheap, accessible and available year-round, it can be roasted; fermented; stuffed; and turned into salads, soups and more. This one-pot recipe is all about keeping things simple and letting the schmaltzy cabbage shine as it gets tender and sweet in this bright lemon and white wine sauce. First, you’ll sear chicken thighs, then add a tumble of cabbage, white wine and sliced lemon to the pot and gently simmer the mixture. To complement those tangy notes, the dish is drizzled with honey and broiled until the chicken browns, crisps and caramelizes. To soak up all those flavorful juices, pair the dish with crusty bread or egg noodles.

By Carolina Gelen

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (4 to 6 thighs)

Salt

2 small lemons, preferably smooth (not very porous) ones that feel juicy when squeezed

1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as avocado or vegetable oil

1 medium cabbage head (about 2 1/3 pounds), quartered, cored and coarsely chopped into 1 1/2-inch pieces

1 cup pinot grigio

1/4 cup honey

DIRECTIONS

1. Pat the chicken dry using a paper towel and season with salt on all sides.

2. Slice 1 lemon as thinly as possible (ideally about 1/8-inch thick) and remove the seeds.

3. In a large (12-inch) skillet with high sides or a standard large pot, heat the oil over medium-high. Place the chicken in the pan, skin-side down, and sear for 7 to 9 minutes, until the chicken skin is deeply golden and easily releases from the bottom of the pan. Flip the chicken and cook for 4 minutes; transfer to a plate.

4. Carefully add the sliced lemon to the pan in an even layer. Adjust heat to medium and cook, undisturbed, for 1 to 2 minutes, until some dark caramelized spots start developing on the bottom of the pan. Add the cabbage, a generous pinch of salt and toss everything to combine. Pour in the wine and scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.

5. Bring the liquid to a simmer, tuck the chicken in between cabbage leaves, skin side up. Zest the whole remaining lemon over the top and squeeze the juice all over the cabbage (about 3 tablespoons juice). Partly cover the pan with a lid and simmer over medium heat for 8 minutes.

6. Remove the lid and drizzle the honey all over the cabbage and chicken. Continue simmering, uncovered, for 2 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, place an oven rack as close to the broiler as possible and set the oven to broil.

8. Place the skillet under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, until the chicken skin is slightly charred in places and crispy. Serve right away.

4. Sheet-Pan Shrimp Tikka

Sheet-pan shrimp tikka. Quick and cozy weeknight meals to help you stick to (or revive) your healthy eating goals. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. (David Malosh/The New York Times)

This quick, flavor-packed meal brings the smoky, tangy essence of tandoori-style cooking into the kitchen with minimal effort. The shrimp are marinated in spiced yogurt to infuse them with bold flavor before being roasted over a bed of vegetables in just minutes. Bell peppers and onions add sweetness and a bit of crunch, while a final blast under the broiler gives everything a slight char. Serve with warm naan, roti or fluffy basmati rice and a cooling raita for a complete meal.

By Zainab Shah

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon ginger paste or finely grated ginger (from a 1-inch piece)

1 tablespoon garlic paste or freshly grated garlic (3 to 6 cloves)

2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 1/2 teaspoons garam masala

1 1/2 teaspoons Kashmiri chile powder or other mild red chile powder

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or other neutral oil, divided

Salt

1 1/2 pounds large peeled and deveined shrimp

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 small red onion, cut into 1-inch wedges

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds

Lemon wedges, for serving

Naan, roti or basmati rice, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Arrange one oven rack closest to the broiler and another on the middle position. Heat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. Marinate the shrimp: In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, ginger paste, garlic paste, ground cumin, garam masala, chile powder, coriander, turmeric, 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Set aside to marinate.

3. On a large sheet pan, toss all the bell peppers with the onion, the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, the cumin seeds and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Roast the vegetables until tender and lightly browned, 20 minutes. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and flip over any especially browned vegetables. Arrange a rack 6 inches from the broiler and set the oven to broil on high.

4. Place the marinated shrimp in a single layer on top of the roasted vegetables. Broil until the shrimp start to char, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully remove the sheet pan, flip the shrimp and broil for another 3 minutes.

5. Serve with naan, roti or rice, along with lemon wedges.

5. Brothy Thai Curry With Silken Tofu and Herbs

Brothy Thai curry with silken tofu and herbs. Quick and cozy weeknight meals to help you stick to (or revive) your healthy eating goals. Food Stylist: Roscoe Betsill. Prop Stylist: Maeve Sheridan. (Kelly Marshall/The New York Times)

A jarred red curry paste is the central flavor of this wonderfully restorative and nourishing broth. Coconut milk lends a subtle creaminess, and the cherry tomatoes become bright little jammy bursts. You can use fresh tomatoes when in season, but canned tomatoes do just as well. Ladle the piping-hot broth over seasoned tofu pieces and fresh herbs: The delicate silken tofu used here will absorb big flavors from the surrounding liquid.

By Yewande Komolafe

Yield: 6 servings

Total time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 (14-ounce) packages silken tofu, drained

2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed

2 shallots, peeled and minced

3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

1 (1-inch) piece ginger, scrubbed and grated

3 tablespoons red curry paste

1 (14-ounce) can cherry tomatoes or fresh cherry tomatoes

1 quart vegetable stock

1 (13 1/2-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk

Salt and black pepper

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 1/2 cups mixed fresh herbs, such as cilantro, basil and dill

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 lime, cut into wedges, for squeezing

DIRECTIONS

1. Pat the tofu blocks dry with a clean kitchen or paper towel. Cut each block into 3 slices.

2. Heat a medium Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high. Add the oil and shallots and stir until softened, 2 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and curry paste; stir; and cook until fragrant and the paste turns deep red, 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, stir, and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the tomato juices thicken slightly, 4 minutes.

3. Pour in the vegetable stock, stir, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer to slightly reduce the liquid, 10 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, season to taste with salt, and remove from the heat.

4. While the broth is simmering, divide the soft tofu into 6 bowls. Break each slice into 4 or 5 pieces. Season each bowl of tofu with 2 teaspoons of soy sauce and a few cracks of black pepper, and top with about 1/4 cup of the fresh herb mix.

5. Ladle the hot broth and tomatoes over the bowls of silken tofu. Top with sliced scallions and serve hot, with lime wedges for squeezing.

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Abby McCloskey: Republicans have ideas on affordability — just not conservative ones

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Congressional Republicans are ideating about domestic policy. That’s a good thing. It’s too bad that few of the ideas are actually conservative.

Earlier this month, the Republican Study Committee released its “Reconciliation 2.0” framework, called “Making the American Dream Affordable Again.” The framework included ideas like: creating “The Don” Payment program, a zero-to-low down payment option for creditworthy borrowers; creating new tax-advantaged accounts for housing and healthcare; and establishing a parallel “MAHA” insurance marketplace.

The RSC is a caucus of conservatives, not a formal committee responsible for legislation. But some of these ideas may trickle into a reconciliation package this spring.

It’s clear that Republicans have gotten the message that affordability cannot wither any further on their watch. They aren’t going to wait around until tax returns show some gains this April or until new parents’ Trump Accounts begin to fill.

It’s also clear that there isn’t some singular driving vision for how to address voters’ concerns — adios to the limited government approach of the past. Thus the grab-bag approach of anything that might sniff of cost-reduction, including price controls and market meddling.

This isn’t the type of GOP policy I remember crafting. I called up some friends who led economic policy in Republican White Houses and presidential campaigns for their take. Many applauded the focus. Others doubted that the ideas would make it to the president’s desk. All questioned the impact on affordability.

Getting into the specifics, it’s easy to see why. For example, encouraging savings has its merits. So too do tax-advantaged savings accounts, such as HSAs and 401(k)s. But there can be too much of a good thing. Tax-advantaged savings accounts are still a form of government spending, albeit a hidden one. The result is lost government revenue (instead of increased government spending) which increases the deficit.

Not to mention that savers are already drowning in various types of savings accounts, with the Trump Accounts being the latest addition on the block. The new GOP plan floats adding Home Savings Accounts, Jumpstart Accounts and Health Freedom Accounts to the mix. How is a normal person supposed to divvy up cash between all of these? And anyway, if Americans are in an affordability crunch, they are unlikely to have much extra cash to set aside to begin with.

The GOP housing proposals are a mess. “The answer to rising home prices is not to further goose demand without expanding housing supply,” said Jessica Riedl, a senior economist in the Rubio (2016) and Romney (2012) presidential campaigns, and a long-time Republican Senate staffer. The single worst financial event the U.S. has experienced since the Great Depression was the Great Recession, the underpinnings of which were mortgages being extended where they never should have been. Removing down payments moves the country back in that direction.

Targeted financial assistance to low-income families has been shown to improve economic opportunity; but that’s different than broad stimulus and demanding lower interest rates. The plan’s proposal to tax foreign nationals who buy U.S. property as an investment is sound, but that’s hardly cutting to the heart of housing affordability in flyover country. The bigger reason housing is expensive is because of local regulations governing land use.

I am perhaps most intrigued and confused by the health care section. Doug Holtz-Eakin, former Director of the Congressional Budget Office and head of George W. Bush’s Council of Economic Advisers, described it to me as a “nothingburger.” The main proposal is essentially shifting from Obamacare subsidies (which directly reduce insurance premiums) to credits deposited in separate savings accounts. Those credits could then be used to bring consumers’ premium costs down. But the end-cost to consumers would be the same.

The ideas don’t get better from here. The big revenue generators — like eliminating the death tax and selling federal land — have hung around town for a while. They are popular, but never seem to go anywhere.

The plan also spills a lot of ink about reducing services to immigrants in the U.S. illegally. That’s red meat for the base and it must poll well, but the reality is that such immigrants are already excluded from most government programs. (And they really do contribute more to the government coffers than they take out of them.) Enough is enough.

There are some good ideas here. I like the plan’s focus on expanding access to paid parental leave. That’s long been a gaping hole in the U.S. federal safety net. It’s also cost-effective and a good fit for a pro-family party. I also like much of the energy-boosting and regulation-reducing efforts, though it’s hard to tell what’s actually new.

Other proposals feel mobbish, such as establishing a “Safe Cities Fund” to provide grants to cities and municipalities working with the Trump Administration to reduce crime (and of course, to expedite deportations).

The bottom line is that Reconciliation 2.0 is only nipping at pieces of the affordability challenge. And there’s not a driving conservative ideology behind it. Maybe voters will be glad for the GOP’s attention to affordability, but it’s my sense that what they really want is results.

We’d be better off if Republicans took their hands off the economy’s wheel rather than trying to grip it tighter. Reduce policy uncertainty, back off the tariffs, stop changing the rules, address the supply side and pay more attention to why wages have stalled out.

Abby McCloskey is a columnist, podcast host, and consultant. She directed domestic policy on two presidential campaigns and was director of economic policy at the American Enterprise Institute.

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Ukraine is bracing for brutal weather as Trump says Putin agreed to halt power grid attacks

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By SUSIE BLANN, Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine waited for signs on Friday that Russia is abiding by a commitment that U.S. President Donald Trump said it made to temporarily halt attacks on Ukraine’s power grid, as Kyiv and other regions are gripped by one of the most bitter winters in years.

Trump said late Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to his request not to target the Ukrainian capital and other places for one week, as the region experiences frigid temperatures that have brought widespread hardship to civilians.

“I personally asked President Putin not to fire on Kyiv and the cities and towns for a week during this … extraordinary cold,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, adding that Putin has “agreed to that.”

Trump didn’t say when the call with Putin took place or when the moratorium would go into effect, and the White House didn’t immediately respond to a query seeking clarity about the scope and timing of any limited pause.

A bitter winter of war

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed Friday that Trump “made a personal request” to Putin to stop targeting Kyiv for a week until Feb. 1 “in order to create favorable conditions for negotiations,” Peskov said.

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Trump says he asked Putin not to target Kyiv for 1 week during brutal cold spell

The mention of Feb. 1 was confusing since that is only two days away — not a week. Also, the cold weather is expected to get worse next week, with temperatures dropping even further.

Asked if Moscow agreed to Trump’s proposal, Peskov said, “Yes, of course.” But he refused to answer further questions about whether the agreement covered only energy infrastructure or all aerial strikes, and when the halt on strikes on Kyiv was supposed to start.

Over the past week Russia has struck Ukrainian energy assets in the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa and northeastern Kharkiv. It also hit the Kyiv region on Jan. 28, killing two people and injuring four.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was skeptical about Putin’s readiness for such a concession as Russia’s all-out invasion, which began on Feb. 24, 2022, approaches its four-year anniversary next month with no signs that Moscow is willing to reach a peace settlement despite a U.S.-led push to end the fighting.

“I do not believe that Russia wants to end the war. There is a great deal of evidence to the contrary,” Zelenskyy said Thursday in comments made public on Friday.

Drone and missile attacks continue

He said that Ukraine is ready to halt its attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure, including oil refineries, if Moscow also stops its bombardment of the Ukrainian power grid and other energy assets.

While there was no official word on whether those conciliatory steps had been taken, the grinding war of attrition dragged on.

Russia fired 111 drones and one ballistic missile at Ukraine overnight, injuring at least three people, the Ukrainian Air Force said. The Russian Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said that its air defenses overnight shot down 18 Ukrainian drones over several Russian regions, as well as the illegally annexed Crimea and the Black Sea.

Bitter cold is forecast for Ukraine

Forecasters say Kyiv, which recently endured severe power shortages, will see a brutally cold stretch starting Friday that is expected to last into next week. Temperatures in some areas will drop to minus 30 degrees Celsius (minus 22 Fahrenheit), the State Emergency Service said.

Russia has sought to deny Ukrainian civilians heat, light and running water over the course of the war, in a strategy that Ukrainian officials describe as “weaponizing winter.”

The possibility of a respite in energy sector attacks was discussed at last weekend’s meeting in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, between envoys of Ukraine, Russia and the United States, Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy said that he had agreed to adhere to a “reciprocal approach” on energy assaults.

“If Russia does not strike us, we will … take corresponding steps,” he told reporters.

Further talks were expected on Sunday in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, but that could change because of a spike in tensions between the United States and Iran.

No agreement on a ceasefire, Zelenskyy says

It was unclear whether and how any partial truce might work amid ongoing wider fighting and mistrust between the two countries.

“There is no ceasefire. There is no official agreement on a ceasefire, as is typically reached during negotiations,” Zelenskyy said. “There has been no direct dialogue and no direct agreements on this matter between us and Russia.”

Ukraine had originally proposed a limited energy ceasefire at talks in Saudi Arabia last year, Zelenskyy said, but it gained no traction.

Disagreement over what happens to occupied Ukrainian territory, and Moscow’s demand for possession of territory it hasn’t captured, are a key issue holding up a peace deal, according to Zelenskyy.

“We have repeatedly said that we are ready for compromises that lead to a real end to the war, but that are in no way related to changes to Ukraine’s territorial integrity,” Zelenskyy said. “The American side understands this and says that there is a compromise solution regarding a free economic zone.”

However, Ukraine demands control over such a zone, he said.