Overall I made 32 things in January.

January 2

Rotisserie Chicken (purchased) (Dinner)

With swiss chard

Rotisserie chicken from the farmers market, but the reheat instructions were great so it's worth recording: put the chicken in a cold oven, set to 350, time for 20 minutes. The skin came out nice and crisp.

I managed to get the chard nice and crisp as well, just medium heat for a good long while.

January 3

Herbed Chicken and Spinach Meatballs (Dinner)

Everyone (except one exhausted kid) liked the meatballs fine. I thought they were good, nice and crisp with a nice flavor. I'd make them again.

Roasted Broccoli (Side)

January 4

Greek Lentil Soup (Lunch)

My daughter and I watched the video, and she got excited to make it. Great recipe for a kid (she's 5) - easy to assemble, some chances to practice using a knife on easy things (carrots, celery), and pretty delicious. The addition of vinegar and olive oil at the end was good.

Roasted Cauliflower With Pancetta, Olives and Crisp Parmesan (Side)

I got 2 heads of cauliflower, and I think 4 would have been better. Otherwise easy and pretty hearty.

January 5

Spicy Ground Meat Kebabs (Dinner)

From Simply Zov, page 213.

The kebabs kind of fell apart, and I ended up cooking them like a lot of little patties on a grill pan. The flavor was good (I dropped the cayenne because of kids, and it was popular), but made a mess. I might make them as burgers next time?

Sauteed Baby Bok Choy (Side)

January 6

Bread

I had time to do the turns on schedule (for once).

Both loaves were dense, not my favorite. I wonder if the final rise was too long, or if the starter wasn't up to snuff.

Rice Bean Cheese Burrito (Kid's Lunch)

January 7

Scrambled Eggs (Breakfast)

Greek-Style Chicken Kebabs with Lemon and Oregano (Dinner)

Zov's Hummus (Side)

Minced the garlic again before using the food processor, and it did turn out well. More garlic next time - I put in maybe 2 tbsp and I think it could have used more.

January 8

Green Beans with Beef and Tomatoes (Dinner)

With chard

From Simply Zov, page 207.

Three potatoes didn't cook through, but they were easy to pick out. It got surprisingly good reviews from everyone so I guess make it again? I thought it was pretty good. I'd maybe just leave out the potatoes next time.

January 10

Fried Eggs (Breakfast)

January 13

Slow-Cooked Chicken with Crisp Corn Crust (Dinner)

Ottolenghi SIMPLE page 236.

It needed something with it - the second two nights, I made pasta with the leftovers.

I thought it was good, but it got mixed (even night by night) reviews from everyone else.

January 16

Dungeness Crab (Dinner)

With sweet italian sausages

I liked the sausages with the crab.

Kale (Side)

Sauteed in the sausage pan; it was maybe a bit much.

January 18

Super-Simple Friday Night Meatballs (Dinner)

I used my canned pomarola; subbed in 3/4 lb gr pork (I had 1.25 lbs ground beef already), used ready-made breadcrumbs (maybe 1 cup) moistened with buttermilk and left out the adobo. These were pretty great - easier than the fancy meatballs (another serious eats recipe from a few weeks before?), and better received.

January 19

Lentil Soup with Italian Sausage and Escarole (Lunch)

January 21

Bread

January 22

Sheet-Pan Kielbasa With Cabbage and Beans (Dinner)

January 23

Cast Iron Chicken with Roasted Lemon and Rosemary (Dinner)

From the Lost Kitchen cookbook.

The chicken was a hit! We ate more than half of it. Pretty easy, too, although the brine means some planning is required.

Kale (Side)

Sauteed dino & purple kale.

Scrambled Eggs (Breakfast)

January 25

Cal Peternell’s Braised Chicken Legs (Dinner)

Less of a hit this time - didn't turn out quite as well (although I think it was pretty close) and just didn't click with anyone. This was after another chicken dish - maybe just too much chicken?

January 26

Zov's Hummus (Lunch)

Rice Bean Cheese Burrito (Kid's Lunch)

January 29

Hard Shell Tacos (Dinner)

Just regular - taco seasoning from the store, crispy shells, chopped tomato and greens, black olives, grated cheddar. Side of mixed rice & beans from earlier in the week.

January 30

Dungeness Crab (Dinner)

Crab was also good, but it's hard to mess crab up. I used salted butter and that was better (at least with what I have).

Kale (Side)

The kale turned out great. I let it take maybe 15 minutes total - a minute to toss, pour in 1/3 cup of water and cover for 5 minutes, then leave it alone to cook (uncovered) the remaining time and get nice and crispy.

Cook's Illustrated's Best Drop Biscuits (Breakfast)

January 31

Crispy Tofu with Cashews and Blistered Snap Peas (Dinner)

Good as always. Instead of snap peas i used green beans, dry sauteed.