It seems that the mantra of most of the people in my circle of friends sounds something like, “I'm so tired.” 

Everybody seems to be feeling just a tad worn out from all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, and some are feeling less than excited about big, noisy New Year's Eve celebrations. 

A lovely alternative is a New Year's Day brunch or even an old fashioned Sunday dinner in the early afternoon. 

We enjoying entertaining in on New Year's Eve and this week's column offers recipes for each course of an elegant (but not difficult) five course dinner. Cheers and happy 2013!

Appetizer: Ceviche-style shrimp with avocado dip

• 1-1/2 lbs. uncooked large shrimp, shelled (tails left on) and deveined
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 Serrano chile, seeded, ribs removed and minced
• 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
• Avocado dip (recipe follows)

Cook shrimp in a large pot of boiling salted water 2-3 minutes or until pink; drain. (Shortcut: buy pre-cooked.) In a large bowl, combine lime juice, onion, cilantro, garlic, chile, olive oil, salt, pepper and oregano and whisk to blend. 

Add shrimp, tossing to coat and refrigerate for 1 hour, and no longer than 1-1/2 hours. (Shrimp will “cook” in the lime juice and will become tough if left to marinate too long.) 

Stir shrimp every 20 minutes or so while in the fridge. To serve, drain shrimp and arrange on a platter with avocado sauce. Yield: about eight servings.

Avocado sauce

• 1 ripe avocado, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Process all ingredients in food processor until creamy and smooth. Yield: about 3/4 cup.

Soup course: Asparagus bisque

• 10 cups reduced sodium chicken stock 
• 2 bay leaves 
• 3 lbs. fresh asparagus, tough ends removed and asparagus cut into 1-inch pieces 
• 8 Tbsp. butter 
• 3 medium onions, peeled and chopped 
• 5 stalks celery, chopped 
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped 
• 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1 pint heavy cream
• Salt and white pepper to taste

Place stock and bay leaves in large pot or Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Add asparagus pieces and cook until tender. Set aside. 

Melt butter in another saucepan set over medium low heat; add onions, celery, and carrots. Sauté until soft, stirring occasionally. 

Sprinkle mixture with the flour and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Transfer to the Dutch oven and stir to blend. Cook at a low simmer for 45 minutes, stirring often. 

Remove bay leaves from soup and discard. Puree soup in batches and return to clean pan; add cream. 

Reheat gently; season to taste with salt and white pepper. Yield: 10-12 servings.

Salad course: Spinach salad with goat cheese and pomegranate

For the dressing:

• 1 small shallot, peeled and minced
• 3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• FOR THE SALAD:
• 10 oz. baby spinach (10-12 cups)
• 1 pomegranate, seeded
• 1/2 cup pecan halves, lightly toasted
• 1 cup crumbled goat cheese with herbs

To prepare dressing: Combine shallot, vinegar, Dijon, salt and black pepper in a small bowl and whisk to blend. Whisking constantly, slowly add oil. Set aside.

To prepare salad: Combine spinach, pomegranate seeds and pecans in a large bowl. Add dressing, tossing to coat. Top salad with goat cheese. Yield: eight servings.

ENTRÉE: Holiday paella

• 1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 6 chicken thighs
• 1/4 cup safflower oil
• 3 chorizo sausage links, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 medium yellow onions, peeled and chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 (14.5-oz.) cans petite diced tomatoes
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 (10-oz.) packages saffron-flavored yellow rice
• 1/4 tsp. crushed saffron threads
• 1 (32-oz.) container plus 1 (14-oz.) can low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 (8-oz.) bottle clam juice
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 lb. large uncooked shrimp, peeled (tails left on)
• 3/4 cup frozen green peas, thawed

Combine paprika, salt, and pepper and rub mixture evenly over chicken thighs. Heat oil in a large, deep skillet set over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown. 

Add chorizo, and cook for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove chicken and sausage from pan; drain on paper towels and reserve.

Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, and garlic; cook 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until vegetables are tender. 

Add rice and saffron, stirring to combine. Add stock, clam juice, parsley, and lemon juice, and mix well. 

Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add reserved chicken, chorizo, and the shrimp, stirring gently to combine. 

Cook for 12-15 minutes or until rice is tender and shrimp are cooked, adding the peas during the last 5 minutes of cooking time. Yield: six to eight servings.

Dessert: upside-down lemon pudding cake

• 2 large room temperature eggs, separated
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened 
• 2/3 cup sugar 
• 2 Tbsp. all purpose flour 
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon zest 
• 1/8 tsp. salt 
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (2 lemons) 
• 1 cup whole milk 

Place egg whites in a medium bowl and beat to soft peaks with electric mixer on medium high speed. 

In another bowl, combine butter and sugar and beat on medium high speed for 2 minutes or until fluffy. 

Reduce to medium speed; add egg yolks, mixing until incorporated. Add flour, lemon zest, and salt and beat until combined. 

Add lemon juice and milk and beat until incorporated. Gently fold in the egg whites and pour batter into six (6 oz. each) ramekins coated with non-stick spray. 

Place the ramekins in a large baking pan and add enough boiling water to the pan so that it reaches halfway up the sides of ramekins. 

Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 25-35 minute or until the top is golden and the center springs back when gently pressed. 

Transfer ramekins to a rack to cool completely, at least 1-1/2 hours. (The pudding cakes can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. 

Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.) To serve, run a paring knife around the edges of the dish and invert onto a plate. Yield: six servings.

Paula Anderson is a freelance journalist specializing in food, entertaining and nutrition. She writes for several newspapers, as well as Maine Food & Lifestyle Magazine. She divides her time between Scarborough and Big Pine Key, Fla., where she lives with her husband Peter. Correspondence can be addressed to her at the Boothbay Register, P.O. Box 357, Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538 or the Wiscasset Newspaper, P.O. Box 429, Wiscasset, ME 04578. You can also write to her directly via email at pander@maine.rr.com.