The Recipes You Should Cook This January 

“When I think of a classic ‘California winter’ salad, this is what comes to mind,” says Sonoma chef Kelly Mariani. “It celebrates how special California is. Our coldest season is still amazing.”

Although this posole tastes like it’s been simmering all day long, it takes less than an hour to cook. For shorter prep time, buy bagged cut squash and sub in coleslaw mix for the garnish.

“We don’t often strive to create analogs for meat, but in some cases where the vegetables are allowed to shine and the flavors are coherent and delicious, we’re happy to bend our own rules,” says chef Bryan Oliver of his Sonoma County vegetarian restaurant, Little Saint. Oliver says pristine collard greens provide the perfect medium to wrap around this beet-forward version of classic spicy merguez sausage.

This curry gets its lively pucker from tamarind paste. If you want another layer of complexity, consider topping the curry with Greek yogurt, cubed paneer, chopped cooked bacon or sausage, or a sunny-side-up egg.

“Even if you don’t like beets, you’ll love this salad,” promises chef Alon Shaya of Safta in Denver. “The nutty flavor from the sesame in the tahini pairs well with the earthiness of the beets.” Shaya suggests adding Aleppo peppers for a spicy kick or substituting orange juice for lemon to add more sweetness.

Cooking with store-bought cubed squash saves time on weeknights. You can sub in almonds or walnuts for the pistachios.

This gutsy North African dish of eggs poached in a super-flavorful tomato-based sauce gets even better with the addition of a mountain of greens. It makes a great brunch or dinner for a crowd.

Colorado chef Michael Johnston sautés the trout individually and bastes with browned butter to finish the cooking. We’ve broiled the trout all at once for an easier but equally tasty dinner.

Think mac ‘n’ cheese—but with vegetables instead of noodles. While this gratin works as a warming winter side dish, it’s so good you can call it dinner.

Chef Vitaly Paley of Portland, Oregon, is known for his eclectic style and interesting twists on comforting favorites. The two-chile combination with this brisket heats up a winter night.

Imagine a classic Asian-style rice bowl, but with a risotto-like blend of millet and amaranth as the base. Denver chef Justin Cucci tops the grains with loads of vegetables and tofu, then drizzles on a silky tahini sauce.

Although not strictly traditional, this pesto provides an excellent, complex backdrop for the additional romanesco florets. Top it off with shards of crisp fried breadcrumbs for deep contrast of texture.

Knobbly celery root (also called celeriac) looks a little wild, but it has a mild, woodsy taste. Here we’ve used it to make the classic French salad céleri rémoulade, but given it an unexpected role as a topping for chicken sandwiches.

Cooked till they’re sweet and mellow, turnips are less fibrous than the daikon traditionally used in this homestyle stew, and they make a good bridge between the beef and salty-sweet braising liquid.

Freezing bananas transforms them into a sorbetlike treat in this easy, healthy dessert. Make sure to use very ripe bananas with lots of brown spots.

In the great tradition of citrus pies like lemon cream and key lime, this pie from Oakland-based bakery Pietisserie is super easy and sure to stand out. The colorful crust requires you to first bake a large cookie that turns into the crumbles that make the crust.

For a lighter, more refreshing take on traditional chocolate lava cake, we subbed in white chocolate for the dark and added creamy lemon curd. The center of the desserts still comes out enticingly molten at serving time. Top with berries for a bright burst of color and flavor.

Hints of cardamom, orange, sesame, and pistachio provide an Eastern Mediterranean flourish to this treat. They’re so small, you can eat them by the handful.

Dessert, cocktail, or both? However you look at this grown-up drink, the answer is yes. The rich, sweet caramel notes found in rum nicely complement the chocolate, but bourbon, whiskey, or stout make good alternatives.