These remind me winter won’t last forever and the freezing wind won’t always settle in my bones. Soups, stews, and salads are easy to scale up or down depending on the needs of your family, and you can easily adjust the flavors and ingredients to meet your specific tastes. But not everything this week is about food that’s served in bowls! I tossed in a meal of Korean Beef Skewers with bok choy and yellow peppers to add some variety.

Meal Plan for January Week 2

1 Santa Fe Pork and Black Bean Stew: This stew takes two hours to make (so plan accordingly!) and makes about four servings. Make it as is, or make a double batch and pack up the leftovers for lunch – or freeze half, and know you have dinner covered for a later date. 2 Harvest Salad with Miso Maple Roasted Butternut Squash: This salad is a light meal on its own, but add some chicken if you want to up the protein content. (Poached chicken breasts are quick and easy.) 3 Mediterranean Chicken Salad: Everyone needs a basic recipe that can be adapted. Spoon this healthy Mediterranean mix into avocado halves, toss it with some cooked pasta, or serve it on boats of endive. A thick slice of hearty, whole-grain bread is also nice served alongside. 4 Korean Beef Skewers: For those living the Paleo lifestyle (and even those who aren’t!) beef is what’s for dinner. Serve with kimchi and rice, or a simple side of bok choy and bell peppers. 5 New England Cioppino: Having people over this weekend? Try out this healthy, tomato based seafood stew. It’s ready in about an hour, start to finish, and makes enough for six. Serve it with crusty bread or toasted baguette slices to help sop up all that delicious broth. Or sip the broth and serve it with a mixed green salad.