Recently I discovered there are various superstitions regarding what you should, or should not, do on New Year’s Day. I have no idea where I must have been when these superstitions came about, but have not ever heard of them before.
Supposedly you should not shower or bathe, clean anything, or any room of the home, and not do any laundry as it will “wash away” all the good luck of the new year. I, on the other hand, showered, did two loads of laundry and cleaned the kitchen. I wanted any residue of lousy 2024 to be washed away, and start off 2025 with a poltergeist moment of, “This house is clean!”. By the way, did you know that the color of your underwear, on New Year’s Day, brings a desired wish? The color I was wearing? Whoa there, TMI.
Depending upon which state you reside in, in the USA, a certain food or grouping of foods, eaten will bring good luck throughout the new year; same for many countries as well. It was always lasagna when I lived in New York; and pork, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes in Pennsylvania. For Utah, it is…nothing special; that is correct, there is no traditional food to be eaten for New Year’s Day. So, each year, Roy and I do our own “tradition” of, “What are you in the mood for?”
2025 called for something easy, pleasing, and full of bright colors to warm every sense. A stir-fry of shrimp, various vegetables and angel hair pasta; oh, not a traditional Asian stir fry, but one using Mediterranean influences. Those influences are olive oil, garlic, parsley and Feta cheese; lemon juice does not have to be used for every recipe of this cuisine. With Feta cheese being used as a topping, using lemon juice would make this dish too tart and tangy, and overwhelm all the other flavors.
Stir-frying is a cooking technique that originated in China about 1500 years ago during the Zhou period (771-256 BCE). Ingredients are fried in a small amount of very hot oil while being stirred or tossed in a wok. A wok is a deep bowl-shaped pan with sloping sides which traps, and evenly distributes, heat for fast and complete cooking of all ingredients. There are many wok sets available for sale with varying prices dependent on “name brand”, metal used, and accessories that come with the set. Otherwise, a deep, 12-inch wide, skillet will do the trick just as well, just make sure to keep the ingredients moving so as to not burn, or have semi-cooked items.
For my dish, the protein used was shrimp, but chicken, pork, beef or tofu will work; all depends on what you enjoy. A mixture of brightly colored vegetables included broccoli, green and red bell peppers, sugar snap peas and carrots. Do you have to use a protein? Only if you want to, this dish can become purely vegetarian or vegan. Instead of ramen or udon noodles, or rice, angel hair pasta was the main carbohydrate. Worried about gluten? There are many varieties of gluten-free pasta products, and carb consumption, in general, is like anything else, ruled by moderation.
While this could be classified as one-pan cooking, sometimes there are stages when cooking with a wok, or a skillet. Many ingredients might need to cook at different temperatures, or need a longer or shorter cooking time. At the end though, after all stages have been completed, the result in the one-pan displays a masterpiece of colors, textures, scents and tastes.
Mediterranean Stir-Fry
Ingredients:
2 lbs. raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb. angel hair pasta, cooked and kept warm
¼ cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. dried parsley leaves
1 tsp. cracked black pepper
¼ tsp. salt
1 (5 oz.) container crumbled Feta cheese
Preparation:
In a wok or large skillet, heat 4 Tbsp. olive oil, medium-high heat. Add in vegetable mix, garlic, parsley, black pepper and salt; mix thoroughly. Cook for 3 minutes, stir to keep from sticking or burning as this will keep vegetables crisp and colorful. Remove to bowl.
Increase heat to high, add 4 Tbsp. olive oil; add in shrimp. Cook for 5 minutes, but keep them moving so they can turn pink, and get a slight sear. Remove to bowl.
Reduce heat to
medium-high, mix 4 Tbsp. into pasta and then place into wok or skillet. Leave pasta alone for one minute; sizzling
sound will be heard.
Add back vegetables and shrimp, combine well and let cook for 3 minutes, mix together once every minute. Remove from heat.
Place serving into large soup/salad bowl; sprinkle crumbed Feta cheese on top.
Makes 8 servings.
No matter how your new year started, try to make the year bright, colorful, and clean of negativity.
Mary Cokenour
