Paul Theroux had it right when he pronounced January “the season of recovery and preparation.”

First, the recovery. I’ll bet you’re just as weary as the rest of us after so many holiday activities. Did you also cook for kids home from school and/or visitors from out of town? Whew! The stress of being on call for weeks on end and under pressure to create meals that make so many different people happy can test even the most seasoned and normally unflappable cook.

As for preparation: With the winter holidays behind us, some have resolved to start fresh and do things a little differently in the new year — maybe eat a little healthier, work more vegetables into the weekly meal plan, or at least choose simpler dishes that make it less of a hassle to get a scrumptious dinner on the table quickly on a weeknight.

These four recipes are a step in that direction, shaking off the winter blues with meals that are as full of flavor as they are easy to pull together.

While they don’t technically meet the criteria for “dump” dinners you can simply toss into a casserole, stock pot or slow cooker without any prep (the cauliflower dish requires roasting the veggies before baking, and the stir-fry involves a lot of chopping), they’re pretty close.

They definitely don’t require much effort or technical skill, providing your post-holiday brain with the bandwidth to get ready for all that 2025 has to offer.

The original recipe calls for frying the cauliflower in oil, but I opted to roast it until it was lightly browned and tender. (It takes longer, but fewer calories!) I also used dried sage and a lot more homemade sauce. A scattering of toasted panko on top of the casserole adds a lovely crunch.

TAG GOES HERE

Cauliflower Parmesan

INGREDIENTS

1 large head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into 2-inch florets

Olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

5-6 cups homemade or jarred marinara sauce

1 cup finely grated or shredded Parmesan

1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, torn into bite-size pieces

2 cups panko or plain unseasoned bread crumbs

Fresh basil leaves, torn if large, for serving

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place cauliflower florets on a cookie sheet and drizzle generously with olive oil. Toss to coat, then season with a generous pinch of kosher salt and a good grind of black pepper. Toss again, then spread into a single layer.
Roast cauliflower in oven for 25-30 minutes, until tender and golden at the edges. Remove from oven.

Spoon a thin layer of tomato sauce over the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Sprinkle one-third of the Parmesan over sauce. Scatter half cauliflower mixture over the Parmesan and top with half the mozzarella pieces.

Top with half the remaining sauce, sprinkle with another third of the Parmesan and repeat layering, ending with a final layer of sauce and Parmesan.

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a small frying pan over medium heat. Add panko and cook, tossing constantly, until brown and toasted, about 90 seconds. Spoon toasted panko over the casserole.

Transfer pan to oven and bake until cheese is golden and casserole is bubbling, about 30-40 minutes. Let cool a few minutes and top with basil, if using, before serving.

— adapted from nytimes.com

This sweet-and-spicy Korean beef stew is flavorful and comes with a relatively short ingredient list. Paired with some crusty bread, it makes a hearty lunch. Add a green salad, and you’ve got a simple dinner. You can eat it right out of the pot or serve it over Korean sweet potato noodles or steamed rice. It reheats well in the microwave for a quick office lunch.

TAG GOES HERE

Beef and Cabbage Stew

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon canola oil

2-pound boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed

1/4 cup dry white wine

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

4 cups unsalted chicken stock

1 yellow onion, halved

2 tablespoons minced garlic (from 6 garlic cloves)

1 jalapeno chili, seeded and chopped

1/2 savoy cabbage, core removed and sliced super thin

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

15-ounce jar kimchi

Handful chopped chives

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef. Cook, turning once, until well browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer beef to a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker.

Add wine, brown sugar and soy sauce to skillet, and bring to boil over medium-high. Pour wine mixture over beef in slow cooker. Stir in stock, onion halves, garlic and jalapeno. Cover and cook on LOW until beef is very tender, 7-8 hours.

Using a slotted spoon, remove onions from slow cooker and discard. Transfer beef to a large bowl and coarsely shred it using 2 forks. (I picked out the fat.) Return beef to slow cooker. Stir in cabbage, salt and pepper and kimchi.

Cover and cook on LOW until cabbage is wilted, about 10 minutes. Ladle stew into bowls and sprinkle evenly with chives.

— adapted from “Everyday Slow Cooker” by the Editors of Cooking Light

“Smothering” is a timeless, slow-cooking technique that involves cooking food in a covered pan over low heat with a moderate amount of liquid. It dates back at least to the 14th century, when recipes for “fricassee” appeared in print.

Lettice Bryan was most likely the first American to publish a recipe titled Smothered Chicken in her 1829 cookbook “The Kentucky Housewife.” America’s Test Kitchen version in “When Southern Women Cook” includes a splash of vinegar to brighten the sauce and “help the chicken’s flavor shine.”

I served it with rice but you also could spoon the chicken over potatoes. I used bone-in chicken thighs.

TAG GOES HERE

Smothered Chicken

INGREDIENTS

3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces, trimmed

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided

3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 onions, chopped fine

2 celery ribs, chopped fine

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried sage leaves or 1/4 teaspoon ground sage

2 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS

Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Spread 1/2 cup flour in shallow dish. Working with 1 piece at a time, dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess, and transfer to plate.

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook half the chicken, skin side down, until browned, 5-8 minutes. Flip chicken and brown on second side, about 5 minutes; transfer to plate.

Repeat with remaining chicken.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat and return pot to medium heat. Add onions, celery, remaining 1 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook until softened, about 6-8 minutes.

Stir in garlic, sage and remaining 2 tablespoons flour and cook until vegetables are well coated with flour and garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in broth, scraping up any browned bits.

Nestle chicken in sauce, add any accumulated juices from plate and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until meat registers 160 degrees (for breasts) or 175 degrees (drumsticks, thighs), about 30-40 minutes.

Transfer chicken to serving dish. Stir vinegar into the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over chicken, sprinkle with parsley and serve. Serves 4.

— “When Southern Women Cook” by America’s Test Kitchen

TAG GOES HERE

Stir-fried Tofu with Crispy Garlic Chili

INGREDIENTS

1 14-ounce block extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

12 ounces baby bella or button white mushrooms, stems trimmed, cut into thick slices

3 celery stalks, thinly sliced on a diagonal

2-inch piece ginger, peeled, thinly sliced

1 jalapeño chile, thinly sliced

2 green onions, sliced on the diagonal

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon crunchy garlic with chili oil, or more to taste

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Juice of 1 lime

Handful coarsely chopped cilantro

4 cups cooked short-grain or brown rice, for serving

DIRECTIONS

Cut block of tofu into thirds crosswise, cut each piece crosswise again, and then into 1/2 -inch pieces. Pat dry with paper towels.

Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. When oil is shimmering and easily slides across surface of pan, carefully add tofu in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown underneath, about 4-5 minutes.

Flip each piece over and continue to cook until browned on second side, another 4 minutes. Transfer tofu to a plate, leaving oil in pan.

Pour remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil into skillet and heat over medium-high until shimmering. Add mushrooms to pan and cook, undisturbed, until crisp around the edges and browned underneath, about 5 minutes.

Give mushrooms a toss and continue to cook, tossing often, until browned and crispy in most spots, about 4 minutes longer.

Add fried tofu, celery, ginger, chile, green onion, soy sauce, crunchy garlic and sesame oil to pan. Cook, tossing often, until celery is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and add lime juice. Scatter cilantro over and toss once more.

Serve over or alongside cooked brown or white rice. Serves 4.

— adapted from bonappetit.com

Tribune News Service

Served with rice or potatoes, smothered chicken is a traditional Southern comfort food. (Gretchen McKay/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS)
When the weather turns cold, it’s time to pull out your slow cooker. This Korean-style beef stew is flavored with kimchi and cabbage. (Gretchen McKay/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS)
This quick and easy tofu stir-fry features colorful vegetables and a spicy chili garlic sauce. (Gretchen McKay/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS)