Well, it’s that time of year — time to set goals for the new year and promise ourselves we’ll see them through. We all do it. We often set the bar too high. We promise to eat healthier, exercise more, perhaps read more books or take a class to enhance a skill. New Year’s resolutions have a bad reputation, but they shouldn’t. The new year is a chance to get a fresh start and put the shortcomings of the previous year behind us.
Back in the 1980s, my dearest friend Gail (a fabulous cook) and I lived next door to each other. We were like Trixie and Alice from “The Honeymooners.” We were in our 30s and into the latest fads, fashion, movies, restaurants and theater.
We saw “Flashdance” in 1983 and that did it — we were determined to look and dance like Jennifer Beals. What we didn’t realize was that we already looked pretty darn good! Nonetheless, we signed up for a one-year gym membership at Jack LaLanne.
We would drop the kids at school by 8:30 a.m., then drive to the shore and get some sun for about two hours. We ate healthy and worked out. We had a routine down solid. But by the time warm weather arrived in New Jersey, we were all sitting under the mimosa tree in the backyard on a spring evening, starting dinner with mozzarella in carrozza and a glass of wine. Game over.
The gym became a distant memory, although we did look pretty good as we cut the necks out of all our sweatshirts and let one side drape off one incredibly tanned shoulder.
A year later “Footloose” came out, and in 1987 “Dirty Dancing” hit the screen. The gym, Jazzercise, Jane Fonda workout videos and dance routines all ran their course. Between family and careers, we both realized we were exhausted. We had set the bar too high.
When you set resolutions that are out of reach, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Take baby steps. Set a goal to walk more and ease into more exercise as the weather gets warmer. Focus on eating a bit healthier.
Speaking of which, the following recipe came to me from Tom Mahoney. Tom runs the Harpswell ROMEOs — Retired Older Men Eating Out — program and is the community connector for Harpswell Aging at Home. He chairs HAH’s Resource Team, which meets with residents to figure out what services they need, such as transportation, health care, food and socialization. He’s a wonderful connection to much-needed services for many.
Tom’s delicious recipe for salmon is a favorite of his. It’s fairly simple and fits most health-conscious diets. It’s now part of the regular rotation in our house — it’s that good. Enjoy!
Barbecued salmon with sweet potato mash
Ingredients:
- 2-3 medium sweet potatoes
- 4 skinless salmon fillets, 4-6 ounces each
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1-2 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup good barbecue sauce
Directions:
Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Scrub sweet potatoes thoroughly. Poke with a fork all around. Rub a bit of olive oil in your hands and rub the outside of the cleaned potatoes. Place in a pan and roast for about an hour at 400 degrees until soft. Remove from the oven and let sit.
Pat the salmon dry with paper towels and arrange the salmon fillets on a rimmed sheetpan. (I line with foil to make the cleanup easier.) Brush barbecue sauce liberally all over the salmon pieces.
Bake the salmon for 12-15 minutes, until it easily flakes when pierced with a fork.
While the salmon is baking, take the sweet potatoes and remove some, but not all, of the skin. Cut up the potatoes and place pieces in a bowl. Add the butter and mash with a potato masher. Plate the potatoes with the salmon sitting across the top. Serves 4.
