Yesterday I highlighted the top 10 reader favorite recipes of 2014. Today I’m sharing 20 of my own personal favorites. It may seem like a lot, but I actually had an incredibly hard time narrowing it down that far. Here they are!
I’ve come a long way since the days when I hated all lemon desserts. First I tolerated them, then I started really liking them and then earlier this year I found these creamy lemon crumb bars which, to date, are probably my favorite of all lemon desserts. If you love lemon, you must try these!
January is all about citrus and this blood orange loaf cake was a perfect way to highlight it. So delicious and so beautiful.
For every kitchen experiment that works out, there are probably two more that flopped. I am so glad this raspberry cobbler with dark chocolate biscuits was one that worked out because it is truly fabulous.
These thai veggie burgers with peanut sauce showed me just how great veggie burgers can be. They have become a family favorite and are a fantastic meatless meal.
This salmon salad with honey mustard vinaigrette is another main dish that instantly went into heavy rotation in our house. It is a perfect simple weeknight meal – it’s quick, colorful and healthy. What’s not to love?
What better treat for Caroline’s bunny-themed birthday party than carrot cake whoopie pies? These were a huge hit and became an instant favorite in our family.
Our popsicle molds were working overtime last summer. Sooo many awesome treats came out of them. But these chocolate peanut butter pudding pops were undoubtedly one of the best. I really didn’t like sharing them.
Sometimes the classics are better left alone, but I like to think I improved on the classic seven layer dip with my modernized Mexican seven layer dip. I mean, chorizo, fresh tomatillo salsa and chipotle sour cream? Please anyone give me an excuse to make this right now.
I think I can officially say that Mexican is my favorite type of cuisine, and corn tortillas from scratch totally upped my game this year. Have you made them yet? You need to.
It’s always nice to have a fabulous breakfast in your repertoire and this peach raspberry granola crumble is just that. Light, healthy, pretty and extremely delicious.
Up until now, I have been fairly underwhelmed by zucchini. These zucchini ricotta sandwiches made me for once glad to have a surplus of zucchini from the garden. Can’t wait to make them again next summer!
Some meals are seasonal and some seem to work at almost any time of year. That is how I feel about this tortellini with kale pesto and peas. Our whole family loves it and we have been enjoying it throughout the seasons.
If I were being forced to choose a number one favorite recipe from all of 2014, it would be this sweet corn black raspberry ice cream. It is truly phenomenal. Thank goodness for Jeni and her amazing crew that make such outstanding recipes.
Summer really was all about the popsicles for me, and these peach sangria popsicles were another favorite. Cocktail popsicles are definitely something I’ll continue to explore next summer – should be fun!
I’ve always been a bit iffy on the use of floral flavorings and accents in food, but this summer I decided to step out of my comfort zone and make blueberry lavender honey jam. It certainly became a new favorite jam of mine, and it is still being enjoyed thanks to the wonder of home preserving.
The cocktail Fridays series that I did throughout August and September was such fun. I loved trying new flavor combinations. This nectarine thyme gin fizz was one of my most favorite from the series (though it is hard to choose – I loved them all!) We will definitely make these again when nectarines are back in season.
These black bean chorizo tortas with tomatillo salsa totally wowed me with their simplicity, short prep time and amazing result. Such a great recipe to have on a busy weeknight – no need to sacrifice flavor!
I never thought I would see the day when I actually craved kale smoothies, but that day came this year. I adore this lemony kale mango smoothie and it is a frequent part of my breakfast routine.
As it turns out, a cranberry sorbet champagne fizz (or any kind of sorbet champagne fizz) is basically the easiest cocktail ever. These were a huge hit at our recent holiday party. Because clearly, the only way to improve on a party with lots of champagne is to add sorbet!
Classic flavors of pie are nice, but now that I’ve tried salty honey pie, I’m not sure I can go back. It’s just…so much better than other pies.
