Top 13 Reader Favourite Recipes from 2013

Thank 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 recipes you read on my blog last year. I was going to add them to my last post, but I didn’t want to overwhelm you.  Some oldie-but-goodies are in this list, so be sure to check them all out.

1. Apple Strudel (How to Make Authentic German Apfelstrudel)

My most popular recipe is not even vegan, but I am tickled pink that I keep reading everyone’s success with our family recipe for apple strudel. No store-bought phyllo dough here, we have authentic strudel dough. Who does not enjoy seeing step-by-step photos of my Oma making an apple strudel? (Also my top post last year).

2. Ethiopian Lentils in Berbere Sauce (Yemiser W’et)

We have gravitated to Ethiopian w’ets as they are cousins to simple Indian dals. Easy, flavourful and healthy. All good! Ethiopian restos can be hit-or-miss for me, as Ethiopian food tends to be even more spicy than Indian curries. I learned the hard way that Penzey’s berbere is way.too.spicy, but this recipe comes with a delicious blend for even the mild palate.

3. Better Than Nutella Cheesecake (Almost Raw Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake)

You have good taste. This dessert was awesome. An almost raw cheesecake with nutella flavours from chocolate and hazelnuts.

4. Raw Tacos with Walnut Taco Meat, Cashew Sour Cream and a Cherry Tomato Salsa

A raw cuisine classic, and it is no surprise why. Even the most serious meat eaters approved! The walnuts are easily crumbled into a mock ground beef and topped with a simple tomato salsa and cashew sour cream.

5. Spanish Chickpeas and Spinach with Roasted Garlic

If you could not tell, I really like chickpeas and they work well warmed. Here they are dressed up Spanish-style along with smoked paprika, roasted garlic, lemon and spinach for an easy weeknight meal.

6. Almost Guiltless No-Bake Chocolate Mousse Pie 

A hit from last year, this chocolate mousse silk pie acquires its light silkiness from tofu. I promise you can’t taste it. This was so good, I also turned it into a chocolate mint no-churn ice cream.

7. Ethiopian Split Pea Puree (Kik Alicha)

It boggles my mind that kik alicha, a simple Ethiopian split pea puree, is one of my post popular posts of the year. But it shouldn’t. It is a deliciously garlicky, silky dip/spread/thick stew. For those who think Ethiopian food is only hot-and-spicy, this will definitely prove you wrong.

8. Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad with Lime and Cilantro (Whole Foods Detox Salad)

This was a fun cilantro-lime twist on a broccoli and cauliflower rice salad originally popularized by taking the Whole Foods salad bar by storm. Sunflower seeds add crunch and dried currants add sweetness, making a fantastically popular salad.

9. Nut-Free Raw Carrot Cupcakes with Apple-Cashew Frosting

I was going to include this in my list of of favourite recipes from 2013, but I knew it would be repeated here, so I refrained. Coconut flour was revolutionary in my kitchen and this was my gateway dessert. A low-fat, nut-free, raw carrot cupcake made with carrots, topped with an apple-cashew frosting. Ingenious, no?

10. Mango Cupcakes with Mango Buttercream Frosting

Bring on more cupcakes! I made these for Rob’s birthday and they were a hit. A lower oil cupcake made possible by adding mango puree to the cupcake batter. Spiked with vanilla and cardamom, they were topped with a mango-coconut buttercream frosting. The frosting melted by the end of the night, but the cupcakes were a winner.

11. Vegan Okonomiyaki (aka Japanese Vegetable Pancake), As You Like It

I really like that some of my popular posts are quite non-traditional. This a vegan spin on the Japanese cabbage pancake. Instead of flour, tofu and cornstarch/arrowroot are used to bind the baked pancake together. Top with black sesame seeds, shredded nori, as well as okonomi sauce and Japanese-style mayo for the real deal.

12. Savoury Indian Chickpea Pancakes (Besan Chilla)

A staple in our kitchen, these are Indian-flavoured chickpea pancakes that Rob loves to whip together on weekends together. They are very flexible, so fill them with your vegetable odds-and-ends. Our newest favourite version incorporates kimchi into the batter.

13. Quinoa Wraps with Sweet Potato, Tofu Feta and a Sweet Tahini Dipping Sauce

This was a portable spin on an Ottolenghi-inspired salad with sweet potato, quinoa, wild rice and brown basmati rice with tofu feta and a sweet and creamy tahini dipping sauce. Wrap it in rice paper rolls for easier transportation, or leave it a salad in a bowl; it will be delicious either way.

14. Warm Chickpea and Artichoke Salad

A bonus #14 since we had a repeat for #3. Plus this is an oldie-but-goodie and worthwhile revisiting (or visiting if you have not tried it yet). Pan-fried chickpeas and toasted almonds are combined with artichoke hearts in an Italian marinade with lemon, basil and oregano.

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

My 12 Favourite Recipes from 2012

My 13 Favourite Recipes from 2013

My Ongoing List of Favourite Recipes