2013 was packed with delicious recipes, and narrowing down our favorites was no easy task.
These are the recipes we considered the best of the year. They are the most requested and raved about, the ones that we prepared again and again or the ones that, despite being enjoyed only once or twice, are still with us.
In chronological order: Alley Kats couldn’t get enough of this soup inspired by a favorite now-closed Conway eatery.
Mary D’s Dill Soup
1 can Campbell’s potato soup
1 can Campbell’s cheese soup
1 (15-ounce) can chicken broth, or as needed
1 tablespoon dill, or to taste
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and mix well. Heat until hot. If mixture is too thick, thin with water or additional broth.
From Idea Alley: You say caramel, I say burnt sugar, Feb. 13
These gluten-free pizza bites quickly made their way into our recipe rotation.
Quinoa Pizza Bites
1 cup water ½ cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
¾ teaspoon salt, divided use
2 eggs
¼ cup finely diced onion
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 cup chopped sliced pepperoni
1 teaspoon pizza sauce or marinara
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
Marinara sauce, for serving
In a small saucepan add water, quinoa and ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a mini-muffin tin.
In a medium bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, the eggs, onion, mozzarella cheese, garlic, basil, pepperoni, pizza sauce, the remaining salt and red pepper flakes and mix well.
Fill each muffin cup with a heaping teaspoon of the mixture. Gently pat the mixture down to compact. Bake 15 to20 minutes or until bites are golden brown. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 3 minutes before serving.
Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.
Makes about 36 bites.
Recipe adapted from thewaytohisheartblog.com From Keen on quinoa by Erika Gray, May 1
Strawberries meet tiramisu in this seasonal dessert that was a big hit with newspaper staff members and readers.
Strawberry Tiramisu
1½ pounds fresh strawberries, divided use
1¼ cups strawberry preserves
1/3 cup PLUS ¼ cup orange liqueur such as Gran Gala or Grand Marnier, divided use
1/3 cup orange juice
1 pound mascarpone, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups heavy cream, chilled
1/3 cup granulated sugar
52 ladyfingers
Hull and slice 1 pound of the strawberries; set aside.
In a 2-cup bowl or spouted measure, whisk together the preserves, ◊ cup of the liqueur and the orange juice; set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the mascarpone and 2 tablespoons of the remaining liqueur. Gently fold to blend; set aside.
In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the remaining liqueur, the heavy cream and granulated sugar to soft peaks. Fold ¼ of the cream mixture into the mascarpone mixture to lighten. Fold in the remaining whipped cream mixture.
Spread half of the preserves mixture in the bottom of a 3-quart baking dish. Arrange enough ladyfingers over preserves to cover. Spoon about ¾ cup of the preserves mixture over the ladyfingers, then spread 2 ½ cups of the mascarpone mixture over that.
Arrange sliced strawberries over mascarpone. Repeat layers with the remaining ladyfingers;
preserve mixture; and mascarpone. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Top with remaining strawberries just before serving.
Makes about 8 servings.
Recipe adapted from Albany Times Union From Short but sweet by Kelly Brant, May 8 This recipe originally appeared in a story about grilling, but the dish was so good Kelly Brant adapted it for preparing in the oven so she could cook it no matter the weather.
Pork Tenderloin With Cherry Salsa
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro OR flat-leaf parsley, divided use
2 small shallots OR ½ mild red onion, thinly sliced, divided use
6 tablespoons lime juice, divided use
¼ cup vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
2 pork tenderloins, trimmed
2 cups fresh cherries, stemmed, cut in half and pits removed
1 Fresno chile pepper or other hot red chile, thinly sliced into rings
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper
Heat oven to 425 degrees.
Meanwhile, combine ½ cup of the cilantro, ¼ cup of the shallots, 4 tablespoons of the lime juice and ¼ cup vegetable oil in a zip-close plastic bag.
Add pork and seal bag; turn to coat. Marinate pork at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the remaining cilantro, shallots and lime juice with the cherries, chile pepper and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper; set aside.
Remove tenderloins from marinade (discard marinade) and season pork with salt and pepper.
Heat a ridged grill-pan or cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add a small bit of vegetable oil. Sear pork on all sides. Then transfer pan to oven and cook until pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 to 155 degrees (depending on desired doneness), about 25 minutes. Remove pork to a cutting board; let rest 10 minutes. Cut into thin slices and serve with salsa.
Makes about 6 servings.
Recipe adapted from The Grilling Cookbook: The Definitive Guide From Bon Appetit edited by Adam Rapoport Adapted from All heated up by Kelly Brant, June 12
Freelance writer Rhonda Owen was right on trend when she wrote about cooking with coconut oil. We’re still dreaming about these luscious cupcakes.
Fluffy Coconut Cupcakes
1¾ cups cake flour or all purpose flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut milk
1/3 to ½ cup unrefined coconut oil, liquefied (see note)
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Coconut Frosting (recipe follows)
Shredded coconut, optional
Heat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pans with 12 paper cupcake liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together coconut milk, oil, vanilla and vinegar. Pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture and whisk until just combined. Do not over-mix. Fill the cupcake wells about two-thirds full with batter.
Bake at 350 for 18 to 25 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted near the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Cool cupcakes completely before frosting. If desired, sprinkle frosted cupcakes with shredded coconut.
Makes 12 cupcakes.
Note: To liquefy the oil, heat it for a few seconds or place the jar in a warm area of the kitchen.
Coconut Frosting
½ cup unrefined coconut oil
1 ½ to 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 to 3 tablespoons coconut milk
Using a hand-held mixer, beat the coconut oil until smooth. With the mixer on low, add 1½ cups of the confectioners’ sugar, the vanilla and 1 tablespoon coconut milk at a time and beat until the frosting becomes of a spreading consistency. Adding more milk and/or sugar as necessary to achieve the desired consistency. Beat on high for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
Recipe adapted from chefchloe.com From Nuts about coconut oil by Rhonda Owen, June 26
This cornbread cobbler is so good it makes winter tomatoes yummy.
Savory Tomato Cornbread Cobbler
1 pound mixed-variety sweet cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon hot chile powder
¼ teaspoon celery salt
½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided use
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
Finely grated zest and juice of ½ lime
¼ cup minced green onion, PLUS 2 tablespoons minced green tops for garnish
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup milk
Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven; heat to 350 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes and garlic.
In a small bowl, combine the chile powder, celery salt, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and cumin. Sprinkle mixture over the tomatoes. Stir in the lime zest and juice and ¼ cup of the minced green onion; set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, remaining kosher salt and baking powder. Once the skillet is hot, add the butter. Watch closely; when the butter is melted and bubbling, stir the milk into the flour mixture to form a thin, somewhat lumpy batter. Transfer the skillet to the stove top just long enough to pour in the batter, spreading it evenly. Immediately top with the tomato mixture. Return to the oven and bake 40 to 45 minutes, until the cobbler is crisped on the edges and has started to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cut into wedges; serve hot or at room temperature, garnished with the minced green onion tops.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Variation: Tomato-Bacon Cobbler. Add 8 slices cooked, crumbled bacon to the tomato mixture just before baking. We cooked the bacon in the same iron skillet we used for baking the cobbler and adjusted the amount of butter to incorporate the bacon drippings into the cobbler.
Recipe adapted from Becky Hamil in The Washington Post From Late tomato faves by Kelly Brant, Sept. 4
These Thai-inspired beef and lettuce cups combine all of our favorite Thai flavors - hot, sour, salty and sweet.
Thai Beef Cups
2 teaspoons stir-fry oil, divided use
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 to 2 teaspoons minced garlic
½ pound lean ground beef
1 heaping teaspoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 hot chile pepper, thinly sliced OR crushed red pepper flakes
¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
4 large, sturdy leaves lettuce such as romaine or iceberg OR 4 medium leaves cabbage
1 tablespoon dry-roasted peanuts
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 ½ teaspoons stir-fry oil and swirl to coat. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up, until browned, about 6 minutes. Drain beef, if necessary. Stir the remaining oil, sugar, lime juice and fish sauce into the hot beef. Add the chile pepper, onion and cilantro and toss to combine.
Serve in lettuce or cabbage leaves topped with peanuts.
Makes 2 servings.
Recipe adapted from Good Mood Food from the editors of Cooking Light From Cooking for two: Wraps tie flavorful beef into light, filling meal Sept. 18
It was love at first bite of this grilled cheese sandwich.
Southwest-style Grilled Pimento Cheese With Bacon
2 slices bacon
1½ tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons pimento cheese
1 teaspoon Southwest seasoning
2 slices French bread, potato bread or oatmeal bread
Cook bacon until crispy, drain on paper towel and crumble.
Melt butter in a skillet on medium heat.
Combine pimento cheese, Southwest seasoning and crumbled bacon. Spread mixture on one side of both slices of bread. Cook 3 ½ minutes, flip, cook 2 ½ to 3 minutes more, or until golden brown on both sides.
Makes 1 sandwich.
Grown-up grilled cheese by Sean Clancy, Oct. 16Cornbread waffles topped with chili are always a hit when cold weather moves in.
Chili and Cornbread Waffles
For the chili:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ white onion, diced
½ red or yellow bell pepper, diced
2 hot chile peppers, minced, seeds removed if desired
1 ¼ pounds very lean ground beef
½ envelope Williams chili seasoning
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 (16-ounce) can medium or hot chili beans
1 (14½ -ounce) can Hunt’s Spicy Red Pepper Tomatoes, pureed
For the waffles:
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
1¼ cups buttermilk
Shredded cheese, chopped green onion and/or sour cream for garnish, optional
In deep skillet or saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and peppers and saute until onion is translucent. Add beef and cook, breaking it up into crumbles, until no longer pink. Stir in the chili seasoning, smoked paprika and cumin. Add the beans and tomatoes, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat waffle iron.
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt and mix well.
Using a fork, beat in the butter, egg and buttermilk.
Cook batter in hot waffle iron according to manufacturer’s instructions. To serve, top waffles with hot chili and desired garnishes.
Makes 4 to 6 servings, depending on appetites.
From Front burner: Cornbread waffles, chili fight the chill Nov. 20
Food, Pages 31 on 01/08/2014