We’re halfway through January, which means I’m halfway through another monthlong cooking challenge.

For about five years now, I’ve been participating in #30atHome, an idea my friend Martha came up with to kickstart the year with a month of cooking at home, or at least eating home-cooked foods.

It’s a great excuse to clean out the pantry, dig deep into the freezer, use up (or toss out) those condiments and pickles and sauces and dried beans that don’t need to sit around and wait to be used any longer.

It’s also a nifty way to save money during the post-holiday season, and an unintended consequence is that I’m typically eating better this month. It’s not that I’m making salads every day, but cooking at home means I’m usually eating portion sizes that are more reasonable and I’m finding ways to use up leftovers.

I wanted to share a handful of health-conscious recipes for dishes that are full of flavor and are interesting enough to make me forget I’m not eating out this month.

Red Bean and Coconut Rice

The sweetness of the onion and the coconut milk complements the saltiness of the rice, so ensure you season this dish well. You can use red onion if you want a sweeter flavor and add a couple of finely diced fresh green chiles along with the onion, if you’d like more heat. The rice gets a beautiful pink color from the red kidney beans that looks pretty served in a wrap, alongside grilled or roasted meat or tofu or with a mixed green salad.