My 13 Favourite Recipes from 2013
This has been a year of many changes but equally one with many delights. Moving to another country, almost 3000 km away, was a monumental feat. With support from family, friends, co-workers and strangers, my new home in Houston has a warm, soft spot in my heart. My kitchen has changed, my recipes a bit more simple, but still delicious as ever. Without further adieu, here are my favourite recipes from the last year (no particular order). Tomorrow I will share your top reader favourites from 2013.
1. Jackfruit and Kimchi Sweet Potato Poutine with Tofu
Food seems to taste better when someone else makes it for you, but this was pure gastronomical bliss. Beer-Soaked Sweet Potato Fries + BBQ Jackfruit meat + kimchi + baked tofu, a spin-off of one of our favourite dishes in Toronto.
Pad thai is another dish that is Rob’s culinary creation and I finally snapped photos of the most delicious version yet. Tamarind is the secret to our authentic-tasting pad thai sauce.
3. Dillicious Yellow Tofu Scramble and Mini Arepas
Looks like this may be found as the year Rob fed me, but judging by how often we make arepas, this is definitely a winner in our books. Here it is paired with a dill-intensive tofu and broccoli scramble.
4. Ancho Lentil Taco Salad Wraps
We are loving all.things.taco at the moment and this still stands as one of our favourite fillings. Quick, easy, and tasty. The reason why I keep powdered Ancho chiles in my kitchen.
5. Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Creamy Balsamic Miso Dressing
Roasted brussels sprouts are fantastic but this sweet, creamy and tangy balsamic-miso dressing is a winner with anything.
I had to limit myself to one chip recipe for this round-up. While my raw beet chips are truly addictive despite their simplicity, I like the simplicity of these corn chips which are basically only corn with spices and seasonings.
7. Curried Chickpea Salad with Carrots and Currants (The Best Chickpea Salad Ever)
A winner for potlucks, this simple chickpea and carrot salad is delicious with a medley of curry powder, maple syrup, tahini for a dressing. It can double as a main.
8. Better Than Chicken Soup (Miso Curry Squash and Chickpea Soup)
I never would have thought to combine miso and curry, but trust me, this soup was delicious.
9. Cucumber Hummus Dip (Hummus-Tzatziki Fusion)
Most of the recipes in this list of favourites have been Robbie Repeaters, aka recipes simple and tasty that Rob makes time and time again. This is a refreshing change of pace for a dip: a fusion of hummus with tzatziki. Cucumber meets chickpea. Nice to meet you, too.
10. Better Than Nutella Cheesecake (Almost Raw Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake)
At number 10 only because I lumped my desserts towards the end, this was an epic dessert. Rich and decadent, chocolate meets hazelnut for a nutella-like cheesecake, only better.
11. Rich Vegan Cheesecake with a Pecan Shortbread Crust
This was a year filled with lots of great desserts, and this cheesecake was the dessert that reminded me the most of real cheesecake. The fluffier European-style cheesecake that I adore. Cashews and tofu are combined with great results but almost overshadowed by a crispy pecan shortbread crust.
12. The Best Chocolate Truffles
These were so easy to make and also, to eat, I ran out of cocoa powder after making three batches over the holidays. It is possibly to my benefit that I don’t replenish it. Although on second thought, how will I use up my lecithin before we move? ;)
13. Cardamom, Cinnamon & Ginger Iced Tea
I have long been a fan of tisanes, but little did I know how easy (and cheaper) it would be to make my own. This has been a staple ever since. A cold beverage spiced with kitchen staples: cinnamon, cardamom and ginger.
What were your favourite finds from the year? Did I miss any of your favourites?
Favourite here, previously:
My 10 Favourite Recipes from 2010
My 11 Favourite Recipes from 2011
These look so delicious! Happy New Year!
Thanks, Laura! Here’s to a delicious new year :)
Aaah! These recipe roundups make my “to-make” list grow to unmanageable proportions! What a tasty year you had :)
The ancho lentil taco wraps are especially calling to me- even though I’ve never worked with ancho chili before.
I think Ancho chiles are much more common in the US. I never saw them in Canada, either, although I suspect they are the main ingredient in “chili powder”… I have since found some dried Anchos and wondering what it would be like to make my own powder. :)
We have a great company over here called “cool chile” and they have a good range of products, including ancho. http://www.coolchile.co.uk/categories/view/chillies I know they stock in Whole Foods so I’ll have to pick some up next visit, along with some masa to make your arepas!
Those truffles look so good x
Thank you so much, Deena. :)
Happy New Year Janet !!!!
Thanks for this post. Everything looks sooooooo delicious. I’ll keep in mind lots of your suggestions for the next few weeks :)
Thanks, Jessica! Best wishes for you, too. May it be filled with lots of tasty food. :)
I am so impressed with your sweet treats!! Definitely need to try some of these in the new year.
Yes! Likewise, I look forward to trying more of your recipes. :)
Gorgeous! I’m glad you included those sweet options as they were amongst my favourite of your recipes for the year :)
Kari, you are too kind. I am finding it harder to resist the sweets lately, and I think it is all for a good cause. :)
[…] mashed beans and cauliflower, but this was delicious. It is all about the spices. With a nod to my delicious Ancho lentil tacos, I added copious amounts of Ancho chile powder. I topped it with a simple […]
I loved all of these! And I’d forgotten about the arepas – I still need to make them. Happy New Year!
You are the best, Laura. All the best to you, too. :)
[…] you for all your positive feedback from my top 13 favourite recipes. This is the first year I also looked through my blog stats and decided to share your favourite […]
I love reading your yearly round-ups because I always seem to find more recipes to bookmark that I somehow missed the first time! It must be hard for you to choose favourites though out of so many!
That Kimchi Poutine looks insane!
a belated happy new year – can’t believe I am so late to visit here but how could I resist as you have so many wonderful recipes – I think the nutella cheesecake is the one I really want to try and the arepas is the recipe I loved trying. look forward to another year of yumminess
[…] I thought last year was filled with change, it was nothing compared to 2014. Moving from Houston back to Toronto was […]