Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - January 8, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM ● C3 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2025 Zucchini Lentil Stew 1 large zucchini or squash (any kind) 1 onion, finely chopped 500 ml (2 cups) dried red lentils 375 ml (1 1/2 cups) beef broth 45 ml (3 tbsp) garlic, chopped 30 ml (2 tbsp) ginger, chopped 22.5 ml (1 1/2 tbsp) curry 400 ml (1 can) coconut milk Salt, to taste PREHEAT oven to 350 F. Cut zucchini or squash in half and remove seeds. Bake zucchini or squash for 40 to 50 minutes until soft. Fry onion in a stock pot. Rinse red lentils well and add to onions. When zucchini is done, scoop out flesh, discard the skin. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot and cook for 25 minutes on medium until every- thing is soft. Blend until smooth using an immer- sion or regular blender. Adjust spices to your taste and serve. “If you want to make this vegan you can use vegetable instead of beef broth.” — Debbie Stern Hash Brown Shepherd’s Pie 454 g (1 lb) ground beef 1 onion, chopped 250 ml (1 cup) water 250 ml (1 cup) peas and carrots 15 ml (1 tbsp) flour Salt and pepper, to taste 750 ml (3 cups) frozen hash browns 250 ml (1 cup) shredded cheese 1 egg, beaten Salt and pepper, to taste PREHEAT oven to 400 F. Brown the ground beef and onion together in a pan over medium heat. Add flour and mix to coat the beef and onions. Stir in water, vegetables, salt and pepper. Simmer until thick- ened. Pour mixture into a greased 9x9-inch pan or similar sized casserole dish. In a bowl, combine hash browns, beaten egg, cheese, salt and pepper and spread on top of the beef mixture. Bake for 30 minutes and broil briefly to brown the topping. “Easy to prepare, and tastes great!” — Cheryl Tufts HOMEMADE ● FROM C1 Weeknight chicken dinner a go-to for any occasion Have a try of air-fried thighs I ’VE had my air fryer for about 18 months now. When I was first getting acquainted with the appliance, I used it to make all sorts of things: beautifully browned vegetables, fluffy baked potatoes, extra-crispy chicken wings and even apple hand pies for dessert. But since then, I’ve mostly used it to reheat leftovers and prepare frozen convenience foods, such as French bread pizzas and tater tots. Recently, I decided it was time to use my air fryer to do some actual cooking again — and this complete dinner with chicken thighs, potatoes and brussels sprouts was born. It’s a riff on one of my go-to dinners of bone-in, skin-on chicken and vege- tables seasoned with whatever spices I feel like having that evening. Except instead of a sheet pan, everything goes into an air fryer basket. While the sheet pan version is good, the air fryer iteration is even better because the appliance yields browner, crisper food. This recipe features chicken thighs, baby or fingerling potatoes, and brus- sels sprouts seasoned with herbes de Provence and garlic powder. (Herbes de Provence is a blend of dried herbs that traditionally includes rosemary, summer savoury, oregano and thyme.) It takes just a few minutes to toss it all together with a touch of olive oil, then just pop it in the air fryer. For the best results, cook the chicken thighs to an internal temperature of at least 175 F (80 C). A squeeze of lemon juice as you’re about to chow down adds the right amount of brightness to make the plate that much more exciting. The result is a dinner for two that punches above its weight in deliciousness compared to how little effort it requires. It’s simple enough for a regular weeknight, but is also special enough for a date night. — The Washington Post PEGGY CORMARY / THE WASHINGTON POST Air fryer chicken thighs with potatoes and brussels sprouts. This air fryer meal for two with chicken thighs, potatoes and brussels sprouts is suitable for any occasion, including a casual weeknight or a small-scale holiday dinner. Servings: 2 Active time: 10 minutes. Total time: 40 minutes. 2 to 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs 360 g (12 oz) fingerling or baby pota- toes, halved, or quartered if large 240 g (8 oz) brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved, or quartered if large 30 ml (2 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil 15 ml (1 tbsp) herbes de Provence 5 ml (1 tsp) garlic powder 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) fine salt 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) freshly ground black pepper Lemon wedges, for serving On the air fryer, select the air fry mode, set to 205 C (400 F) and preheat until the appliance signals it’s ready. In a large bowl, toss the chicken, potatoes, brussels sprouts, olive oil, herbes de Pro- vence, garlic powder, salt and pepper until evenly coated. Add the brussels sprouts and potatoes to the air fryer in an even layer. Top with the chicken, skin side down, and air fry for 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, shake or stir the vegetables, and return the chicken to the air fryer basket, skin side up, arranging the vegetables around, instead of under, the thighs to allow for even cooking and browning. Air fry for 20 minutes more, or until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is brown; an instant-read therm- ometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh away from the bone should register at least 80 C (175 F). Divide the chicken and vegetables between two plates and serve hot, with lemon wedges for squeezing over. Storage: Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Substitutions: Substitute chicken thighs with drumsticks or bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, with an adjustment to the cooking time. Swap fingerling or baby potatoes with any kind of potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces. Switch out brussels sprouts for broc- coli or cauliflower florets. Substitute herbes de Provence with any mix of dried herbs or your favourite seasoning blend. Notes: This recipe was tested in an Instant Pot Vortex Plus 6-quart air fryer and a Cosori 5.8-quart air fryer. Depending on the appliance you use, you may need to adjust the cooking time and/or temperature to achieve the desired results. Air Fryer Chicken Thighs with Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts AARON HUTCHERSON PEGGY CORMARY / THE WASHINGTON POST This chicken dinner for two punches above its weight in the deliciousness department. ARTS ● LIFE I FOOD Drinking coffee may prevent cognitive decline for people with heart disorder DRINKING multiple cups of coffee each day may help prevent cognitive decline in people with a common type of heart rhythm disorder, new re- search suggests. The study, recently published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, adds to a body of research dispelling the belief that people with irregular heart rhythms such as atrial fibrillation, or AFib, should be discouraged from drinking caffeinated beverages, the authors said. “Many myths are around, but our study found no reason to discourage or forbid a patient with AFib from drink- ing coffee,” senior study author Dr. Jürg H. Beer, a professor of medicine and hematology at the University of Zurich in Switzerland, said in a news release. “Instead, say, ‘Enjoy, it may even be good for you!’” AFib affects more than five million people in North America and is the most common type of heart rhythm disorder in adults. People with AFib face a higher risk for cognitive decline, stroke and dementia. Many health professionals have discouraged people with AFib from drinking caffeinated beverages, but in recent years, researchers have found little evidence to support this advice. Guidelines for diagnosing and managing AFib, released jointly in 2023 by the American Heart Associa- tion, American College of Cardiology, American College of Clinical Pharma- cy and the Heart Rhythm Society, re- ported no benefit from avoiding coffee to prevent abnormal heart rhythms in people with AFib. Other studies have shown drinking coffee helps cognition in otherwise healthy people. Federal dietary guide- lines say three to five 225-gram (eight- ounce) cups of black coffee a day can be part of a healthy diet. In the new study, researchers analyzed cognitive assessments for 2,413 people diagnosed with AFib at 14 health centres who enrolled in the Swiss Atrial Fibrillation Cohort Study between 2014 and 2017. Participants, who were an average 73 years old, completed several cognitive tests and reported how many cups of caffeinated coffee they drank during the past 12 months. The researchers did not use a standard cup size, and information was not collected on added sweeteners, creams or flavours. Researchers also analyzed markers of inflammation, which are associated with both Alzheimer’s disease and AFib. Overall, higher coffee consumption was linked to higher cognitive test scores. Study participants who drank more than five cups of coffee a day scored higher on attention, processing speed and visuomotor co-ordination than those who drank less than one cup. The cognitive age among those who drank the most coffee was calculated to be 6.7 years younger compared to those who drank the least. And inflammatory markers were more than 20 per cent lower in people who drank more than five cups of coffee a day compared to people who drank less than one cup daily. Prior studies suggest regular coffee’s protective effect against cognitive decline in older adults may be due to caffeine and other active ingredients, including magnesium and vitamin B3, the researchers said. Or it may be due to coffee’s role in reducing the chemicals that cause inflamma - tion, they suggested. — American Heart Association News DREAMSTIME / TNS Having coffee every day may be good for people with heart rhythm disorders. ;