jolly good eating in January

Don’t be glum just because the holidays are over. It’s time for crisp, cold January, the first month of the year, and the month of my birthday no less. It’s the month of the diet, as we all agonise over the holiday weight. I myself managed to put on five pounds, which isn’t horrible, but I’m not particularly pleased with either.

I’m full of ideas, too. Where most people look ahead and think of watery tomatoes and an endless parade of root vegetables, I myself am inspired. Sure, there will be a glut of roots on my table – turnips, squash, potatoes, celeriac, swede – but that’s a good thing. They’re nutritious and warming. Come late spring, we’ll trade them in for asparagus and tomatoes, and be happy to do so. But for now, we’re okay, aren’t we?

There are plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables and meat to keep us full and healthy over the next month. I’m working to find new ways to cook them up.

This is by no means an exhaustive list – but hopefully it’s an inspirational one. See you in the kitchen.

Apples and pears
The pears are starting to get a bit harder at this time of year, so they’ll need more time in the fruit bowl to ripen. The problem is, they go soft extremely quickly.

For a snack, instead of throwing a pear in your bag, slice it up in a bowl and squeeze lemon juice over. It will hold for a few hours and they’ll be easier to eat, too.

As for apples, the good ol’ Bramley is still around for cooking. Throw it in your red cabbage for an excellent braised side dish. Other eating and dessert apples are still around, like the Sturmer Pippin, for snacking. This is the fruit that gets me through to Spring – as long as I can get an apple from the UK or France, I’m happy.

Cauliflower and kale
I love both of these vegetables. Cauliflower is a great winter side vegetable – it’s filling and you can eat as much as you like, guilt free:

A Sunday roast chicken with cauliflower and cabbage is fantastic. (Just eat the breast meat)

For a weeknight meal, I like grilled mustard-coated chicken with steamed cauliflower and shallots.

Kale is brilliant in stews – try a lentil stew with a bit of torn Canadian bacon and a spoonful of crème fraiche on top.

Cauliflower and leek soup is a great lunch option. Just boil up the vegetables for a few minutes with some bouillon and whizz with a hand blender. It freezes well too.

Get back to your roots
Mix and match any of these vegetables – potato, celeriac, parsnip, carrot, turnip, swede. Although sweet potatoes aren’t local, they’re a worthwhile exception. They’re fairly low calorie (about 80 calories per 100g) and they’re filling too.

Roast chunks of any of these, except for perhaps potato, in a bit of olive oil and keep refrigerated. They’ll work well in a winter salad to take to work. I love EAT’s superfood salad – sweet potato, beetroot, spinach leaves, bean sprouts, and a bit of goats cheese – why not make one of your own?

I continue to enjoy the recipe from You are What you Eat’s website for sweet potato and squash soup, although I prefer to leave it chunky. Just be sure to chop your vegetables into bite-size pieces.

Swede-celeriac-parsley mash was a star at my dinner table recently, served with roast monkfish from Borough Market and braised celery.

Hugh-Fearnley Whittingstall’s parsnip and apple cakes are one of the most divine creations I’ve had the pleasure of eating.

I like the sound of Delia’s carrot and artichoke soup with saffron. But Nigel Slater’s carrot soup with cayenne is a great choice too.

Shallots
These are the ultimate guiltless flavour addition. Drop them in soups, roast them whole, or fry in a few sprays of olive oil.

This shallot-loving website has loads of ideas should you need a few.

Seafood
Now is the time for some great water treats – scallops, mussels and lobster. A bit pricey, though, so perhaps they’re best for a weekend treat. I’m not about to cook lobster at home though.

Bill Grainger’s recipe for seared scallops with carrot fritters sounds absolutely amazing. I’m keen to try it.

One of my favourite pasta dishes is mussels with garlic and tinned tomatoes over wholewheat spaghetti. A bit of chilli in there doesn’t hurt it a bit. Use cooked mussels or steam them in their shell.

In the new issue of Bon Appetit, there’s a very exciting recipe for scallops with cauliflower, dried cherries and capers. (Which reminds me: dried fruit is an excellent way to make it through the winter months. Just be careful with the sugar content.)

Oranges (not quite English)
Seville oranges will be available soon, and the lovely, yet bitter citrus fruit will help us wait until the berries of late spring.

Chicken with orange, red onion and watercress salad – it’s been done before, but it’s a great way to make a winter salad into a proper dinner.

Forced rhubarb
Now, I’ll admit up front – I’m not really a fan of rhubarb. But maybe I haven’t had it right yet. Evidently, this early bird needs a bit of sugar to make it more palatable.

Delia has come up with a reduced-fat rhubarb dessert to get you (and me) started.

Try a few of the BBC’s recipes for it – and hopefully I’ll have a few recipes for you before long.