Seasonal Sundays (Week 2) Juicing Up on Vitamin C

Seven January-perfect recipes to hop us up with Vitamin C. And lest you think that bushels of oranges are the best source? Instead, think a bunch of obscure foods plus readily available kale, broccoli and Brussels sprouts and okay, sure, some juicy oranges. How many keepers in this collection? A bunch, I hope!

~ Skip Straight to the Good Stuff ~

~ PIN This ~

Welcome to Seasonal Sundays ...

THANK YOU for stopping in today ... and last week and next week too. "I appreciate you." I do ... and always love hearing from many of you throughout the week. Don't be a stranger!

Anyone noticing? Everybody's sick. Well, not everybody but so many that the largest hospital system here in my hometown of St. Louis returned to mask requirements last month; so many that the St. Louis County health people just recommended people return to masking in all public environments.

Common wisdom also recommends rest, staying hydrated, chicken noodle soup and bulking up on Vitamin C.

Does Vitamin C really ward off colds and other illnesses? Research says "no" at least the supplements. Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine & Harvard University.

That's actually good news since it turns out, that many of the foods with the highest levels of Vitamin C are difficult if not impossible to find and all that orange juice we're drinking and tangerines we're snacking on? Their contributions to Vitamin C intake are way more limited than I bet most of us (me, included) might realize. I've highlighted in bold the foods that seem most accessible though really, who's going to eat or even drink an entire lemon? and who buys paltry strawberries in January?

• Acerola cherries (1/2 cup) 916% of daily value
• Kakadu plums (1 plum) 484% of daily value
• Rose hips (6 pieces) 473% of daily value
• Sweet yellow peppers (1 pepper) 380% of daily value
• Mustard spinach (search "what is mustard spinach" for images) (1 cup) 217% of daily value


• Lychees (1 cup) 151% of daily value
• Guavas (one fruit) 138% of daily value
• Green chilis (one pepper) 121% of daily value
• Black currants (1/2 cup) 113% of daily value
• Strawberries (1 cup) 108% of daily value
• Raw Kale (1 cup) 103% of daily value


• Papayas (1 cup) 98% of daily value
• Kiwi (one fruit) 62% of daily value
• Broccoli (1/2 cup steamed) 57% of daily value
• Brussels sprouts (1/2 cup steamed) 54% of daily value
• Lemons (1 medium) 50% of daily value


• Oranges (1 medium) 27% of daily value
• Steamed Kale (1 cup) 23% of daily value
• Cantaloupe (1 cup) 19% of daily value
• American persimmons (1 fruit) 18% of daily value
• Parsley (2 tablespoons) 11% of daily value

SOURCE Healthline

So for this week's Seasonal Seven, I'm focusing on kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and sure, oranges, just because they just taste so dang refreshing!

The Words of Wise Women

• The "comic" female empowerment illustrations of Lainey Molnar are mind-bending and thought-provoking. Here's a bunch on Comic Stadium. See what I mean?!
• Then look for her on Instagram (where her real action is), Facebook, YouTube and TikTok.

Made Me Think ...

This 90/90/1 concept is fascinating, not unlike the "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step". And it may well suit everyone who's opposed to resolutions.

The premise is to use your most productive/creative/focused time of your day to work on something big.

But even more interesting is the concept of setting aside 90 minutes a day for 90 days on that one big thing.

Ninety minutes is apparently a magical length of time but the concept can be downsized too.

How about one thing, just one thing, for 15 minutes a day for 15 days? Imagine what you can get done in almost four hours, even if you can't carve out four hours in the foreseeable future. (Hello, basement storage room. Hello, office bookshelves.)

Here's more info! Experts Claim the 90/90/1 Morning Routine Is the Key to You Achieving Your Biggest Goals

Useful Links This Month

Let me just presume that if you're reading this, well, you're both a cook and a recipe collector. Don't the two kinda go together? And that means you tuck aside interesting recipe ideas all over the place and then, dang, where is that chicken recipe that looked so good anyway? Here's an idea. Start a folder on your phone, call it "Kitchen Parade" or "Alanna" or whatever makes best sense to you. Then save the recipes you're most interested in right there in one place. Easy Peasy.

JANUARY: A Food "Reset" with Vegetables

Doesn't it just feel good to get back to real food? That first trip to the grocery after the holidays? Stock up on vegetables!

The gateway vegetable? A vegetable you already like, roasted. You don't need a recipe, just a few tips to get started.

Maybe you'll even pick up a vegetable you don't really know what to do with, confident that A Veggie Venture's Alphabet of Vegetables will yield several options and ideas.

Maybe you are thinking about eating less meat, inspired by Meatless Monday, or by working vegetables into breakfasts.

• How to Roast Vegetables, 22 Tips & a Master Recipe
• Alphabet of Vegetables, from A-Z, Asparagus to Zucchini and every vegetable in between!
• Vegan Done Real, a collection of "real food" vegan recipes from food blogger friends.
• Favorite Seasonal Vegetable Stews, 10 recipes plus 10 tips & techniques, winter vegetables stews too!
• Vegetable Recipes by Course

January: Reader Favorites

• THE RECIPE Mediterranean Eggplant Skillet Quick, easy & tasty vegetarian supper. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Moroccan Chicken A one-pot stew simmered with eggplant and tomato perfumed with Moroccan spices. (PIN This)

January: Lost Recipes

• THE RECIPE Italian Lemon Chicken Italian-style baked chicken, lemon-y and garlick-y. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Spiced Yogurt Chicken Now supper's a slam dunk.

---

---

SEASONAL INSPIRATION: Juicing Up on Vitamin C

• THE RECIPE Festive Kale Salad with Apple & Pomegranate A burst of color, texture and flavor for holiday meals. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Kale Salad To-Go with Avocado & Apple Make it ahead of time, then take to work or activities. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Green Rice with Spinach & Kale Hello, gateway greens. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Quinoa Pilaf with Kale & Corn A side or supper cooked in one pot, tossed w lemon vinaigrette.

• THE RECIPE Split-Pea Soup with Sausage & Kale A classic split pea soup recipe made extra-hearty. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Chicken Stew with Chickpeas & Kale A hearty, one-pot supper with warm spices and fresh vegetables. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Broccoli Potato Cheddar Soup Substantial enough for supper, light enough for lunch. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Quick Cauliflower Soup or Quick Broccoli Soup Healthful veggie soups on the table in minutes.

• THE RECIPE Mighty Perfect Cabbage & Broccoli Coleslaw Cooked a little, just a little.
• ANOTHER TAKE Perfect Pan-Fried Broccoli Heat + Technique = All the Difference (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Easy Brussels Sprouts Bites Grab the toothpicks! Surprisingly popular at parties! (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Fast Pan-Roasted Brussels Sprouts Glazed with garlicky butter. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Orange & Cumin Vinaigrette Bright and vibrant with earthy spice.
• ANOTHER TAKE Winter Greens Salad with Oranges, Avocado, Olives, Feta & Orange-Cumin Vinaigrette Bitter greens plus juicy oranges tossed with a long-time favorite no-oil salad dressing.

What's New?!

Wondering about a recipe from the last while? Check Recent Recipes from Kitchen Parade and Recent Vegetable Recipes from A Veggie Venture.

• THE RECIPE Eggs Poached in Milk Comfort food and nourishment for upset stomachs. (PIN This)

Compliments!

• A KEEPER! "I've been making this for many years, often once a month and always with lots of mushrooms. It is so good!" ~ Katie
• THE RECIPE Turkey Florentine, an easy turkey casserole, layers of frozen spinach and leftover turkey topped with a cheesy sauce.

The Kitchen Parade Almanac: Looking Ahead ...

• Jan 7th (yikes, that's today!) - Alanna's Take Down Christmas (or Else) Day
• Jan 15th (Monday) - MLK Day
• February 10th (Wednesday) - Lunar New Year
• February 11th (duh, Sunday) - Superbowl Sunday
• February 13th (Tuesday) - Mardi Gras / Shrove Tuesday / Pancake Night
• February 14th (Wednesday) - Valentine's
• February 14th (Wednesday) - Ash Wednesday / Beginning of Lent
• Fridays During Lent - Friday Fish
• February 19th (Monday) - President's Day
• February 29th (Thursday) - Leap Day 2024
• March 1st - Alanna's Unofficial First Day of Spring
• March 10th - "spring forward" time change
• March 14th (Thursday) - Pi Day
• March 16th (Saturday) - St. Urho's Day
• March 17th (Sunday) - St. Patrick's Day
• March 19th (Tuesday) - First Official Day of Spring
• March 28th (Thursday) - Baseball Opening Day!
• March 31st - Easter (yikes! soooo early!)

Looking Back ...

THIS WEEK, YEARS PAST
• 2020 Early January (Week 2)
• 2021 Mid January (Week 2)
• 2023 Winter Plant-Based Dinners (Week 2)

RECENT WEEKS
• January Bucket List (PIN This)
• Best of 2023 (Week 52) (PIN This)
• Taking It Sloooow (Week 49) (PIN This)
• Sweet Potato Season (Week 45) (PIN This)
• Chickpeas (Week 43) (PIN This)
• Soups to Sustain the Spirit (Week 42) (PIN This)

A Quick Peek Into a Real-Life Kitchen

Just so you know, everything's not all pretty pictures around here, in the background is a pile of dirty dishes. And just like many (all?) of us, come five o'clock, I too draw a blank about what to make for supper, despite so many recipes I so dearly love. Here's a quick peek from the last week.

• THIS WEEK Sorry, I know I bring up Jubilee Greens every few weeks. But they're just so useful, not just for cookin' a bunch of greens for being the inspired base for different suppers. This week, I had a yet unopened bag of kale purchased before Christmas. I opened it up, wondering if the greens would still be good so far past the best-by date. With a quick rinse, they were! Here's how, just like that, two people ate a pound of fresh kale in two days, four dinner servings + four lunch servings. With Jubilee Greens, dinner practically makes itself.
• NIGHT #1 I cooked Jubilee Greens with onion, 1/2 pound of kale, apple and leftover wiener bites until done, then tucked in 3 eggs and some cheese cubes. Wow. So good.
• NIGHT #2 I cooked Jubilee Greens with bacon, red onion, mushrooms, a few tomatoes, 1/2 pound of kale, then tossed it all with 8oz pasta cooked separately with a head of broccoli cut into florets, all tossed in fresh dill. It was a kind of pasta carbonara and my rarely complimentary husband was adamant, "Outstanding dinner." I agreed. So good.
• THE RECIPE Jubilee Greens How to sauté leafy greens like spinach, chard, kale & more. (PIN This)

Something to Read

It's been a reading swamp for months, dragged down by the tedium of current fiction, annoyed by the prevalence of breathy narrators. My cousin suggested Jacqueline Winspear's Masie Dobbs murder-mystery series as an antidote. Plot. Character. It should have worked. But it didn't.

Except that it reminded me of Louise Penny's world in Three Pines, Quebec. I've only read the first book and the last book and watched the Three Pines series on Amazon Prime.

Louise Penny is fascinating. She's a living, writing author, my same age, the widow of an older husband, a loving dog mom. She hangs out with Dorie Greenspan!

Her books are full of character detail, seasonal observations, little bits of knowledge (arrows pierce through a body? what about all those ol' cowboy movies?) and so much more. She writes about the food in at Olivier's Bistro and I find myself wanting to pop in for lunch! NOW. A platter of warm muffins? A roasted veggie sandwich in a baquette? My kinda food ...

Anyway. Louise Penny's storytelling captures my mind as well as my appetite. Will I read my way through? Possibly.

• THE BOOK Still Life (affiliate link) by Louise Penny, #1 of 18 in the Chief Inspecter Armand Gamache series


• NO TIME TO READ? How I Read 4X More This Year Than Last What I gave up, how I read so much, what I read.

Don't Be a Stranger ...

I'd love to hear from you. Comment, send me a quick e-mail (my current address is in the FAQs), dot-dash in Morse code, build a fire for smoke signals, launch a message in a bottle, send a Christmas letter, get the dog to yip, toss me a note wrapped in a rubberband, write a message in the sky, scratch a note in the sand, listen to a seashell, tuck a question into a plastic Easter egg, whatever.

• Any ideas for Seasonal Sundays? Share away!
• Who's on Team Resolution? Word of the Year? Just carrying on?
• Who's dieting? Just cutting back? Just staying mindful?
• Who's still writing 2023 on checks? LOL who's still writing checks?
• Anything else? Chime in, chat away.

---

Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail, you'll find my current address in the FAQs. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. When you make my recipes, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below or better still, on the specific recipe's page.

---

© Copyright Kitchen Parade
2024