Sometimes it’s hard to think about fresh seasonal produce this time of year, but January is actually packed with fresh veggies that are super packed with nutrients and protein, which will fuel your journey as you snuggle in for the winter!!

January seasonal produce that you should stock up on include:

• dark, leafy greens
• broccoli
• cauliflower
• brussels sprouts
• lots of delicious citrus fruits
• potatoes + sweet potatoes
• and plenty of winter squash

Lemon Chicken Kale with Whole Wheat Pasta

Ingredients

• 4-ounce whole wheat pasta
• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 cups curly kale, chopped, ribs removed
• 1 lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• kosher salt, to taste
• ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Boil salted water and cook the pasta for 1 minute less than the time indicated on the package. When the pasta is finished cooking, reserve ¼ cup of pasta water.
2. Meanwhile, heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a cast-iron skillet. Season cubed chicken with salt and pepper, add it to the skillet, and brown it on each side. Once cooked through — about 2 to 4 minutes — remove from skillet and reserve.
3. Heat remaining three tablespoons of olive oil in skillet and add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minutes.
4. Add kale, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and reserved pasta water. Cook until kale is tender, about 3 minutes.
5. Add cooked chicken, and pasta. Stir to coat, and serve immediately.

Serves 2.

Butternut Squash Steaks

Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash with a long and thick neck
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 3 fresh oregano sprigs
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. To make the butternut squash steaks: Cut the neck off of the butternut squash and keep the base for another use. Cut the stem from the end and peel. Cut the squash in four slices lengthwise and trim off the outer rounded sides. You’ll get four butternut steaks, about ½ inch thick.
2. Heat oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Cook the butternut squash steaks, turning every 3 minutes until deeply browned on both sides and fork-tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Add butter, oregano, and garlic to skillet, tilt pan toward you so that butter pools on one side, and use a large spoon to continually baste the squash steaks with the butter sauce. Continue cooking, basting continuously, until butter is no longer bubbling and begins to brown, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.
4. Remove from the skillet, transfer butternut squash steaks to plates and spoon the garlic butter sauce over. Sprinkle with coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper if you like.

Serves 2.

My Favorite Cheesy Crock Pot Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2½ pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 4 ounces cream cheese, cubed
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
• ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese (1½ ounces)
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Directions

1. Coat the insert of a 3- to 5-quart slow cooker with the butter. Add the Brussels sprouts, garlic, cream cheese, salt, and pepper and toss to combine.
2. Cover and cook on the LOW setting until the Brussels sprouts are tender, 2 to 3 hours.
3. Turn the slow cooker off or to the keep warm setting. Stir in the Parmesan, cream, and nutmeg until the cheeses melt and the Brussels sprouts are coated in a creamy sauce. Taste and season with more pepper as needed.

Just like Mom’s Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 pounds beef chuck, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 inch pieces (about 2½ pounds when done)
• Freshly ground salt and pepper
• 1½ cups beef broth (or beef bone broth)
• 1 cup dry red wine (or sub extra beef broth)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Lots of freshly ground black pepper
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large yellow onion, cut into chunks
• 4 large carrots (or 5 medium), peeled and cut into ½-inch diagonal slices
• 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, diced into ½ inch cubes
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour (or sub all-purpose, gluten-free flour)
• 1 cup frozen peas

Directions

1. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large skillet and place over medium-high heat. Add beef, season with salt and pepper and brown in batches, so that you give the meat room for a nice sear. This should take about 5 minutes. Transfer to large 6 or 8-quart slow cooker.
2. Add in beef broth, dry red wine, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, thyme and salt, and pepper. Stir together with the beef until combined, then add in garlic, onion chunks, carrots, and diced potatoes. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. I prefer to cook this slow and low so that the beef become really tender and the flavors have time to meld together.
3. Remove 1 cup of beef broth from the slow cooker and transfer to a medium bowl. Whisk in ¼ cup flour until there aren’t any lumps remaining. Add back to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Add in frozen peas and cook uncovered on HIGH for 10-15 more minutes until beef stew thickens up a bit. Serve immediately with toasted French bread, cornbread, crackers, or biscuits.

Serves 6.

Healthy Winter Ready Chicken Pot Pie

(Adapted from Ambitious Kitchen)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, diced
• Freshly ground salt and pepper
• ½ tablespoon olive oil
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 2 large carrots, sliced
• 2 ½ cups diced Yukon gold potatoes
• 2 ½ cups finely chopped cauliflower florets
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme)
• 2 cups of unsweetened almond milk, cashew milk, skim milk, 2%
• 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
• ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup frozen peas

Directions

1. Place a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add in olive oil. Once olive oil is hot, add in diced chicken breast and generously season with salt and pepper. Cook chicken for 4-6 minutes or until thoroughly cooked and no longer pink. Remove chicken from pot and transfer to a large bowl; set aside for later.
2. In the same pot, add in ½ tablespoon olive oil, chopped onion, sliced carrots, diced gold potatoes, diced cauliflower, and thyme. Sauté for a few minutes until onion begins to soften, then add in milk, chicken broth, and salt and pepper. Allow mixture to simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.
3. Next remove 2½ cups of the mixture from the pot and add to a blender. Blend until completely smooth (be careful while you do this!), then transfer puree back to the pot. Stir in cooked chicken and frozen peas. Allow mixture to simmer for 5-10 more minutes to thicken up a bit. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if necessary. Garnish with extra black pepper and fresh thyme. Great with biscuits or crackers.

Serves 4.