With the festivities al lover, alll of us who enjoyed are carrying a little extra Christmas weight, so time to get healthy. January’s seasonal food is surprisingly fresh and rich.

I like to go down to my local market and buy up any fruit or vegetables where there’s plenty left over this time of year – the grocers are [sometimes!] happy to let you barter them down, especially for the larger bulk buys. I always cook some and freeze the rest for later.

Kale is tops for January seasonal eatin g. It tastes and grows best during the colder months, particularly January. Make sure you discard the large bits of stalk as they take a lot longer to cook than the leaf.
Kale is Perfect for hotting up the goodness in hearty stews and soups like scotch broth.
I use it to dress rice and pasta with a good dash of olive oil, seasoning and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Warming stews and casseroles are guaranteed dinner party pleasers in the colder months, and perfect for best utilising cuts of meat, vegetables and pulses. Its good to get the Le Creuset pots out and slow cook for maxing up the flavour.
My faves are;
Lancashire Hotpot, Coq au vin, and Chicken casserole with dumplings.
These dishes keep me going till February.


Lemons and oranges are coming into season, root veg like parsnips and swedes are in easily available and salmon makes its seasonal appearance.
I also like to get a bundle of sweet rhubarb to brighten up a pie or crumble, serve with a dollop of creme fresh - the perfect antidote to a dark January evening.