January brings a desire to change our diets, start exercise, and simplify our lives. But it's cold outside, so we also crave foods that warm us up. Here are some ideas for what to cook in January.
Winter doesn't offer the same bounty of fruits and vegetables that are in season in warmer months. But there is still a lot of freshness to choose from. Here are some to take advantage of in January.
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📆 Foods to Love in January
Tropical and citrus fruits. Citrus season is here, so it's a great time to use all the kinds of citrus you see in the markets. The variety will never be more than now, and the fruits are a little sweeter since they're in season. My favorites are satsuma oranges, tangelos, clementines, and Meyer lemons.
Mushrooms. are also in season and you'll find so much more than just white and brown cremini mushrooms now. Go for maitake, shiitake, enoki, and oyster mushrooms now.
Cruciferous vegetables. These are some of the most nutritional foods on the planet and include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, and cabbage.
Root vegetables. Think about ways to use carrots, beets, parsnips, turnips, and sweet potatoes for added fiber to your diet.
☃️ Winter salads
Salads aren't just for summer. They're a great way to take advantage of winter produce in either warm or cold salads. Here are some examples.
🍊 Citrus Salads
Citrus Salad with Cauliflower, Cabbage, Olives and Feta
Gluten-free and easily made vegan
This fresh salad is full of nutrition from the oranges, cabbage, and cauliflower, and it's ready in 30 minutes!
Moroccan Citrus Salad with Quinoa
Gluten-free and vegan
You can eliminate the quinoa if using this as a side salad if that's your preference. If using quinoa, use either regular, fluffy cooked quinoa or crispy quinoa in this salad. Or add either French lentils or black lentils if you're not a fan of quinoa for protein.
Gluten-free and easily made vegan
This is another nutrition-packed salad with fabulous seasonal kale, cabbage, and blood oranges. Any oranges will be fine in this salad, and just swap out the honey for maple syrup in the ginger citrus tahini dressing to make it vegan.
🍄 Mushroom Salads
Roasted Cauliflower and Mushroom Salad with Mushroom Vinaigrette
Gluten-free and vegan
Roasted cauliflower florets, mushrooms, and tomatoes are great partners in this salad with spinach greens. And the vinaigrette uses mushroom powder as well as fresh mushrooms for what may become your favorite winter vinaigrette.
Gluten-free and vegan
These flavor-packed mushrooms aren't a salad, but they're great added to them.
🥦 Cruciferous Vegetable Salads
Crunchy Kale and Apple Salad with Thai Peanut Butter Dressing
Easily made gluten-free and vegan
This side salad mixes kale, cabbage, and apples with a Thai peanut butter dressing. And it's finished with a flurry of crushed honey-roasted peanuts.
If you want a vegan salad, use regular roasted peanuts instead of honey-roasted. And use Tamari in place of soy sauce to keep it gluten-free.
Vegan and easily made gluten-free
There's a bit of work to unfurl the Brussels sprouts to free the leaves, but it's completely worth the effort. This warm salad is tossed with caramelized onions and garlic breadcrumbs. It's served with a maple vinaigrette.
(As a note, this was one of the first recipes I created for the Food Network blog several years ago.)
Gluten-free and easily made vegan
Thanks to the beans and rice, this salad is a meal. It uses cranberry beans, but feel free to use cannellini beans instead. The pepitas add a nice extra crunch and savory flavor.
🥕 Root Vegetable Salads
Beet Salad with Lentils and Preserved Lemon
Gluten-free and easily made vegan
Roasted beets, French lentils, parsley, and mint are tossed in a bright lemon vinaigrette (with preserved lemon!) and topped with optional feta cheese.
🧣 Cozy Casseroles
When we're wondering what to cook in January, its cold weather makes us crave warming foods like casseroles. And let's face it, they're great weeknight dinners when life is hectic.
Vegetarian Hamburger Helper Casserole
The pasta cooks in the sauce, there's almost no meal prep required, and it's a guaranteed family favorite.
Vegetarian Baked Spaghetti Casserole
A zesty pasta sauce is cooked with diced tomatoes, plant-based meat, and spaghetti noodles and layered with cheese for a family-friendly weeknight dinner.
Cheesy White Bean and Tomato Bake
Gluten-free
This little casserole is so easy to make. All you need are cannellini beans, garlic, onions, tomatoes, cheese, and some Italian herbs. Use it as a main dish or a side.
Gluten-free (with corn tortillas)
This one-pan dish is seriously a no-fuss dish that is ready in about 30 minutes.
I hope some of these recipes pull you into the kitchen this month! If you try any of them, let me know how it goes, and share a photo on Instagram. Oh, and be sure to tag me @wimpyvegetarian. I'd love to see it!
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