What’s in season: January

January is the perfect time to get experimental in the kitchen. We’ve all got our New Year’s Resolutions to eat better, eat organic, or eat fresh, and many of us also like to get creative with new recipes for the year too. To give you a helping hand, we’re sharing our top January recipes and the foods in season right now – helping you to dish up a delectable January feast!

Top food picks for January

As the winter months continue, root vegetables take centre stage providing the perfect base for hearty, rustic foods such as soups and stews. Furthermore, with all the over indulgence that the festive period brings, a few extra vegetables might just be in order. Some of our seasonal favourites include beetroot, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, kale, and mushrooms.

It’s not just the veggies we’ll be stocking up on though; it’s also a good idea to increase your fruit intake in the winter months for that immunity boost. In January a few slightly more exotic fruits start to come into season – including pineapple, pomegranate and passion fruit. These are perfect for puddings and fruit salads. However, more traditional favourites include apples, clementines, lemons, oranges and pears.

While it’s tempting to fill up on comforting carbs in the winter months, you shouldn’t forget about that all-important protein. There are a fabulous range of meat, game, and seafood choices in January, the best being duck, goose, grouse, guinea fowl, turkey, langoustine, lobster and oysters. White fish also tastes fantastic at this time of the year, along with oily mackerel, mussels and cockles.

Be inspired by our January menu favourites

Marvellous mains

If you’re looking to wow your family and friend with a scrumptious January main, why not try out one of these seasonal dishes?

Normandy Fish Stew

Perfect for dinner parties and seafood lovers, this yummy fish stew combines mussels with white fish and prawns for a restaurant-style dinner at home. It needs just 50 minutes prep and cooking time and tastes best when cooked on the Bottom Heat setting of your Neff oven.

Mushroom Risotto

Mushrooms taste great at this time of the year – so what better way to enjoy them than in a comforting and warming risotto? Team with your favourite veggies for a micronutrient burst and cook on your Neff hob.

A spicy side

Add a seasonal side to your regular meat dishes to make January’s food a little more interesting…

Spiced Roast Cauliflower

Who said veggies had to be boring? This tasty side dish is perfect for kicking those winter bugs and warming you up on chilly winter evening. Once prepped, pop into your CircoTherm for 25 minutes before enjoying a mild spice sensation. 

Comforting cake

While you may be trying to avoid too many desserts this January, this fruity cake is certainly worth a try…

Clementine and Almond Cake

Featuring the season’s tastiest ingredients of clementine, almonds, and warming spices, this light cake is great for enjoying with a cup of tea, or as a dessert. Prep to perfection in your CircoTherm. 

What new dishes will you be trying out in January 2016? Share your ideas and inspiration in the comments below, or tweet your top January dishes to us @ModernKitchens