What Our Food Staffers Eat in the New Year to Reset

"After weeks of festive holiday meals, you may be craving a return to comforting routines in the kitchen (and more vegetables). Cooking for yourself, with a little care and an eye to some lighter fare, can be the best way to treat yourself. We asked our Food staff to share some of their favorite dishes to make in the new year. These recipes will help you recover, recharge and start fresh in 2026."

"After having made it through to the new year, I may be resolution-ready in my head, yet not necessarily in reality. To bridge that gap, I make nourishing meals that are hearty but not heavy, like this warming dish from Kay Chun that comes together in 25 minutes. It's a chicken soup filled with mushrooms and cabbage, with a kick of ginger and the bracing spice of yuzu kosho to help chase away any lingering holiday sniffles. CATHY LO Recipe: Chicken and Vegetable Donabe"

"I've been making Martha Rose Shulman's slow-baked beans with kale for at least 12 years. I use those big white gigante beans, which become satisfyingly creamy and soul-warming after four hours simmering in the tomato and herbes de Provence base. Her recipe scratches that braising itch I get every bitterly cold January, while being a nice break from all of the meaty holiday roasts and stews I've been enjoying all season long. MARGAUX LASKEY Recipe: Slow-Baked Beans With Kale"

Choose nourishing, lighter meals that are hearty without being heavy to reset after festive eating. Quick warming options include a 25-minute chicken and vegetable donabe with mushrooms, cabbage, ginger and yuzu kosho for a restorative boost. Cold, crunchy no-cook salads such as smashed cucumber with rotisserie chicken offer speedy, bright dinners that require little prep. Slow-baked beans with kale provide creamy, long-simmered comfort when braising cravings strike. Focus on one vegetable, like broccoli, and prepare it many ways—roasted, slawed, glossed with Dijon and vinegar, or added to soups—to simplify cooking and extend enjoyment.

Read at cooking.nytimes.com