During the coldest months of the year, so many of us flock towards meals that are heavy, meaty, and hearty. We all tend to rely on foods that warm us up and warm us through, but sometimes forget to get enough fruits and vegetables onto our plates.

Eating “in season” is one of the most simple and cost effective ways to get more fruits and vegetables to your plate any time of year. When you eat fruits and vegetables that are in season, the flavors will jump out at you, the nutrients found in them shoots through the roof, and the price you’ll pay is significantly cheaper than buying these same ingredients in their off-season.

Some of the produce picks that will soon be making their way to your local market in the next few weeks are: citrus fruits, dark leafy greens, and root vegetables. Here are three recipes that will have you saving money this winter and keeping your nutritional levels high.

Spinach Salad with Clementines, Feta, and Walnuts

Serves four

• 1-10 oz. bag fresh baby spinach leaves
• 2 clementine oranges, peeled and segmented
• ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
• ¼ cup walnuts
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• Juice of 1 clementine orange
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

1. In a large bowl, create the dressing by adding olive oil, vinegar, juice of one clementine orange, salt, and pepper. Whisk together to combine.
2. Next, add fresh baby spinach leaves and toss to evenly coat the leaves with the dressing. Sprinkle on feta cheese and walnuts.
3. Divide evenly among four plates and serve.

Curried Sweet Potato Soup

Serves four

• 2 lbs sweet potatoes
• 1 onion
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 3 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into cubes. Spread into an even layer on a roasting pan or 9 x 13” glass baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then place into the oven to roast for 60 minutes.
2. Within the last few minutes of the sweet potatoes, prepare an onion, by cutting into cubes. Preheat a soup pot over medium high heat and add butter. Sauté onions until translucent, about ten minutes.
3. Once the sweet potatoes are done being roasted, transfer to the soup pot along with the onions. Add the curry powder and stock and bring to a boil. When the soup has reached a boil, lower the heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender or work in batches to create a smooth velvety texture. Adjust the seasonings, then divide among four bowls and serve.

Kale and Tomato Pasta

Serves four

• 1 lb whole wheat pasta
• 1 bunch fresh kale, rinsed
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 ½ cups crushed tomatoes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

1. Heat a large pot of water over medium high heat to prepare for boiling noodles.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the kale by slicing the leafy parts away from the hearty stalk. Tear the leaves into two-inch pieces. Heat a pan over medium high heat with olive oil. Add minced garlic and kale. Sauté the kale leaves, adding one tablespoon water to help steam them. Once the kale has cooked for a few minutes, it will appear bright green and wilted.
3. Drop the pasta into the boiling water and add a pinch of salt to the water to season it. Cook according to package directions. Strain.
4. In the same pan that was used to prepare the kale, add the tomatoes and pasta and heat over medium heat. Add the crushed tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and allow the flavors to mingle about ten minutes.
5. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Divide among four plates and serve.

Eating fresh seasonal produce will benefit you any time of year and these winter recipes will be sure to get you through the cold spell with a full stomach and wallet.

How do you make the most of winter produce?

Rachael is the blogger behind KitchenCourses.com and is the author of How to Cook For Yourself: A Complete Beginner’s Guide. She writes about her passion for food, eating well while saving money, and inspires people to get familiar with their kitchens and cook for themselves.

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You will need:

• 1-1 1/2 pounds of shrimp
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/4 cup of butter
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 16 ounces of cheese filled tortellini
• 1 cup of shredded Mozarella
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Easy directions:

Saute the shrimp in olive oil over medium/low heat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Cook tortellini according to package instructions.

In microwave, melt butter and garlic together to blend flavors.

Drain tortellini. Place in a large bowl.

Pour garlic butter on tortellini. Immediately add cheeses, allowing cheeses to melt.

Add shrimp. Stir. Enjoy.

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You will need:

1 1/2 pounds of ground beef or turkey

3/4 to 1 jar of meatless spaghetti sauce

1/2 chopped onion

1/2 cup water

10-12 oz of mostaccioli

1 1/4 cup of Mozzarella cheese

3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook onion and meat in skillet until meat is brown.  Onion will be soft.

Stir in water and spaghetti sauce.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Mix the meat sauce with drained mostaccioli and place in baking dish.

Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.  Cover with Mozzarella Cheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes at 375 degrees.  Enjoy!

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You will need:

4 Chicken Breasts

3 Cups Uncooked Bow Tie Pasta

For the sauce:

1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/12 cups fresh Parmesan Cheese

1 cup of heavy cream

1/4 cup of butter

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1) Cook pasta according to directions on box

2) Dice chicken, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan.  Cook chicken over medium heat until cooked through

3) For sauce, melt butter over low heat.  Add cream and allow to simmer for 5-6 minutes.  Add pepper, garlic and Parmesan Cheese.  Whisk until smooth.

4) Gently combine pasta with chicken.  Slowly pour sauce over top. Stir.  Enjoy.

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12 Large Manicotti shells

4 cups shredded Mozarella cheese, divided

2 cups Ricotta cheese

6 tablespoons chopped, fresh basil or 2 tablespoons dried basil

1 – 26 ounce jar of spaghetti sauce, divided

1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 13 x 9 inch pan or baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Cook pasta according to directions on package.  Drain.  Rinse with cool water.  Let pasta dry on paper towels.

For filling, combine 3 cups of Mozarella with the ricotta and basil. Using a teaspoon, stuff pasta shells with cheese and basil mixture.

Spoon 2 cups of spaghetti sauce into prepared baking dish.  Put manicotti in dish.  Use remaining sauce to cover manicotti.

Sprinkle the left over mozarella on top.

Bake for 15 minutes.  Sprinkle with Romano or Parmesan cheese and bake for an extra 10 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

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If you want my opinion, though–and I never run out of opinions–I think anything that tastes really good can be classified as holiday fare. The holidays are about celebrating, and we like to celebrate with delicious food. Therefore, in the spirit of the holiday season, I’m offering this recipe. It’s one of my favorites.

Shrimp Linguini

1 lb shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup or more Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 Tbsp chopped garlic
1/8 chopped fresh parsley
1/2 stick butter
1/4 white wine
Lemon juice
Salt and white pepper
8 oz fettucini pasta

Fill a medium saucepan with water and a little salt, and bring to a boil. Add the shrimp and boil for only a couple of minutes. Drain the water and set the shrimp aside.

Melt the butter in a large, deep frying pan. Add the onions and garlic and saute for a few minutes, then add the mushrooms and saute a few minutes longer.  Pour in the shrimp and saute for a couple minutes longer, then add the fresh parsley and white wine, and squeeze in a bit of lemon juice. Add salt and white pepper to taste. Turn the heat down to a low setting and let everything simmer together while you cook the pasta according to package directions.

When the pasta is done, drain it and pour it into a large bowl. Pour the contents of the frying pan over the top of the noodles, sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese, and toss everything together.

Goes great with a good crusty french bread.

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