Seasonal Recipe Round Up: January – February
*This post was updated for January/February 2022.
What better way to start a new year than by stocking up on the freshest fruit and veg the season has to offer? Not only is seasonal veg more readily available, it’s also packed with nutritious goodness.
Shopping seasonally also takes care of the environment, as it limits the amount of time fruit and veg has to travel. Oh, and it supports local farmers too…winner!
From warming pies to fruity crumbles, we’ve got plenty of slimming friendly dishes inspired by the freshest fruit and veg the season has to offer – so you can build your week around them!
Speaking of meal planning, have you picked up a copy of our latest planner yet? From losing weight to simply being more organised with your weekly shop, it’s the perfect companion to set yourself some goals for January!
This post contains affiliate links. Find out what this means.
Potatoes and carrots
Potatoes and carrots are staple ingredients in any household kitchen. They’re root vegetables, so they’re readily available as fresh local produce all-year-round, and they’re also some of the most popular choices to grow at home.
There’s nothing more filling and satisfying than a bowl of Creamy Mashed Potatoes, and our version manages to keep the traditionally indulgent recipe nice and light. Instead of using additional calorie-laden dairy products, we’ve got our creamy potato texture from using a stick blender (trust us, it really works)!
They provide the perfect gravy-soaking accompaniment to a stew or roast dinner.
You can always use them as a topping for a hearty pie too. Our Cottage Pie recipe makes the most of both potatoes and carrots, with its signature mashed potato topping and an oniony, carrot and meat filling. By using lean mince without a gram of flour in sight, you can serve up this indulgent dish for just 465 calories per serving!
Bake this family favourite in the oven until the juicy filling is piping hot and the topping is golden and crisp – delish!
Fresh root veggies aren’t just for dinner – fancy trying them for breakfast? Our Carrot Cake Baked Oats recipe gives you a nutritious boost of fresh carrots first thing in the morning, leaving you full and ready to attack the day.
Carrots are sweet flavoured and full of vitamin A, and you’ll get plenty of goodness from the freshly grated carrot in this warming breakfast bake.
The more fresh veg you have in, the more options you have to make easy, nutritious lunches. Our Carrot, Orange and Thyme soup is simple to make and bursting with sweet flavours that’ll give your day a boost.
Even better, you can prepare this recipe by the batch-load and store any leftovers in the fridge or freezer for a grab-and-go lunch. Ideal!
Parsnips and turnips
Any parsnips and turnips that have been planted in the autumn of last year will be full of flavour in late January. As root vegetables, they’re durable even in harsh weather conditions, and they can actually taste even better if they’re picked after exposure to mild frost (yes, really)!
Even if the Christmas period is over, the season of sweetened, oven-roasted veggies doesn’t have to be. Recipes like our Honey Glazed Roast Parsnips are just as good plated up as part of a Sunday roast, Yorkshire Puddings and all!
Delicious year-round, our Christmas Pie recipe also works especially well with vitamin-filled, roasted root veggies like parsnips or turnips.
You can use up any combination of veggies left lurking at the back of the fridge to make this cheesy recipe, so it’s super budget-friendly too!
Spring greens and spring onions
Spring greens are young, tender plant veggies that differ from full-grown plants like cabbages, as they don’t have as much of a crunchy heart in the centre. They’re much softer and sweeter than the stodgy, hard veggies we tend to live off over the festive period, and they’re packed with healthy vitamins.
Fancy a New Year’s dose of fresh, fibrous goodness? The nutritious spring greens in our Chicken and Spring Vegetable Risotto recipe soften really nicely, so it’s packed with veggies without sacrificing any creamy indulgence. In fact, this dish is so rich, you won’t believe it’s dairy free too!
Feeling a little under the weather? It’s good to have spring onions at the ready for when the cold makes us want to get cosy with a bowlful of something hot. They’re nice and easy to prepare, so you can add a quick burst of savoury flavour to any dish.
They work really well in aromatic dishes like our Chicken Shiitake Mushroom and Chilli Broth. A hearty bowl of broth is just what the doctor ordered, especially when it’s packed with nutritious veggies and only 301 calories per serving!
An Instant Potmakes this dish so easy to prepare. All you have to do is pop the ingredients into the pot and wait for the flavours to mingle.
When it’s ready, serve the fiery broth over fluffy rice or noodles.
Leeks and kale
To start off the new year better than ever, you need plenty of vitamins and minerals. Superfood veggies like leeks and kale are a rich, leafy source of nutrients and fibre that’ll leave you full and satisfied.
They’re also a sustainable option throughout January and February, as they’re both in season in the UK. Why not try chopped leeks in our homely and filling Homity Pie recipe? It’s massively budget-friendly, and you can make use of your seasonal potatoes and onions too.
For a lighter dinner option, you could even serve a smaller portion of pie with a yummy Very Green Zingy Kale Salad side dish.
Our popular Chicken Bacon and Leek Cottage Pie recipe proves that pies don’t need pastry to be warming and delicious. The creamy filling combines tender chicken pieces with seasonal leeks and root veg, so it’s the perfect time of year to pop it in the oven. A glug of gravy would finish it off nicely!
Mushrooms
Whether you prefer them stuffed, coated in breadcrumbs or buried under bolognese, mushrooms carry plenty of vitamins and minerals and they’re low in calories! They’re the perfect ingredient to make slimming friendly cold-weather staples, like our Chicken and Mushroom Pie recipe.
By using filo pastry for the crispy topping instead of buttery shortcrust, you can satisfy your comfort food cravings for only 247 calories per pot pie. Steamed veggies on the side, anyone?
If you like the sound of creamy mushrooms smothered in garlic, you’ll be obsessed with our Creamy Garlic Chicken recipe. It’s no surprise that it’s one of our most popular recipes ever!
Combining garlicky mushrooms with low fat cream cheese, this indulgent dish is full of flavour and ready to go in half an hour – perfect if you’re cooking on a busy weeknight.
Don’t forget to round off those flavours with a sprinkling of paprika!
In the mood for risotto? With mushrooms, peas, garlic and zesty lemon flavours, our Garlic Mushroom Risotto recipe is bound to leave the whole family wanting seconds.
Apples and pears
From pies and salads to crumbles and chutneys, apples and pears can be used to cook a variety of delicious dishes. Super juicy and irresistibly sweet, it’s no wonder they’re a harvest favourite from autumn right through to the new year.
Fancy a cuppa? Our Apple Pie Cookies go so well with a brew, and they’re a great way to use up any uneaten apples from the fruit bowl. You can enjoy them fresh from the oven in less than 20 minutes! The cinnamon and vanilla flavours are the perfect pick-me-up on a frosty morning…
Thanks to their comforting, fruity sweetness, apples and pears are the ideal ingredient to make a cosy weeknight pudding. Our Pear and Ginger Crumble recipe turns fresh pears into an irresistible, oven-baked treat the whole family will love.
We’ve used brown granulated sweetener instead of sugar so that the crumble topping has all the signature sweetness, without the calories. Don’t forget to add a glug of custard!
Get started with seasonal cooking
Hopefully you’re now feeling a lot more inspired to make the most of this season’s fresh fruit and veg!
How will you be making the most out of January and February’s fresh produce? Tell us over on our Facebook Group, where there are almost 1 million members sharing support and inspiration.