70 new recipes recorded in 2021, thanks to so many new cookbook acquisitions. My most used cookbooks this year included 100 Cookies by Sarah Kieffer and both of Half Baked Harvest's Cookbook and Super Simple Cookbook. I loved cooking out of all of these, and most, if not all, recipes I made from them were super successful.
I love the challenge of making new foods or mixing and matching ingredients together to make something slightly more fun and unique. I find cooking, baking, and food presentation so fulfilling, so I'll definitely keep tracking all the fun foods I make and gift away in 2022 as well!
See below for some highlights, head back into the archives for some 2021 recipe round-ups, or read about my cooking and baking journey in 2018, 2019, and 2020. 200 new recipes in the last five years ain't bad! Bon appétit!
#03: Baked Ratatouille
Recipe Inspiration: A dear friend's recipe given to me at my bridal shower, but similar recipe here)
Date Made: 01/11/21
Thoughts: One of my bridesmaids gave me this recipe at my bridal shower last year - she knows my hatred of cheese so she made sure to pick a dinner recipe that didn’t include it! Win! This recipe used a 10-inch skillet, and held 1-2 yellow squash, 1 zucchini, 3-4 Roma tomatoes, and 1 Japanese eggplant, which was the perfect size to slice into coins. You could serve this on its own, or serve with your choice of meat and crusty bread to dip into the tomato sauce!
#12: Jalapeño Simple Syrup
Recipe Inspiration: Take Two Tapas Chili Pepper Simply Syrup
Date Made: 02/03/21
Thoughts: I received a giant bag of jalapeños in one of my Hungry Harvest hauls (which you can read about here), so we decided to make jalapeño simple syrup! Making the simple syrup was so easy - just boiling the water and sugar, letting the peppers steep, blending and straining. I left the seeds in because we like the spice in this house. We made three different cocktails with the simple syrup: a jalapeño margarita, a spicy paloma, and a kiwi mojito. All three were delicious!
#14: Lamb Pitas
Recipe Inspiration: Donna Hay Lamb Pitas
Date Made: 02/11/21
Thoughts: I chose to include this simple pita in this round-up because it was truly a work of "What can I make with leftovers in my fridge?" This dinner came together so well random ingredients we had leftover from the week before. I also really enjoy this lamb meatball recipe, and have made it several times since. It includes ground lamb, shredded carrots, chopped mint, honey, garlic, and cumin. Spiced so nice!
#17: Chocolate Babka
Recipe Inspiration: NYT Cooking Chocolate Babka
Date Made: 02/14/21
Thoughts: This is one of the most time consuming bakes I’ve ever made - lots of dough refrigeration and many twists and turns along the way. Make sure to read through the recipe before starting and leave yourself two days to make it. The best tips are to prepare each ingredient ahead of time and to freeze the coil for ten minutes before slicing and braiding. This bake was inspired by my friends in the #BrokenOvenBakers monthly collab group, hosted by @brokenovenbaking on Instagram! So much fun participating in bake challenges each month with fellow foodies!
#25: Sweet and Spicy Pineapple Pizza
Recipe Inspiration: Half Baked Harvest Sweet and Spice Pineapple Pizza (from the Super Simple Cookbook)
Date Made: 03/19/21
Thoughts: We have a tradition of Friday Night Pizza Nights and this was one of our more exotic pizzas! I followed the No-Knead Pizza Dough recipe from the cookbook which is similar to beer bread. The star of the pizza was the Chipotle Salsa sauce recipe which includes fire-roasted tomatoes, adobo peppers, and sesame seeds. We topped with pineapple, green onions, fontina cheese, and added some spicy sausage as well. A fun pizza - and yes pineapple does belong on pizza!
#27: Pulled Pork Mojo Tacos
Recipe Inspiration: Half Baked Harvest Sweet and Spice Pineapple Pizza (from the Half Baked Harvest Cookbook)
Date Made: 03/24/21
Thoughts: Not to be confused with the Super Simple Cookbook I mentioned for the pizza, the original Half Baked Harvest cookbook is filled with more amazing recipes as well. Tacos are a staple in most households but this one was a bit of a monster. I actually attempted this recipe twice this year, and while the first attempt was a major fail (didn't even take a picture!), the second attempt was much better (pictured here) and proves that practice makes perfect. The first time I tried to bread and air-fry my own onions, but it was a big fail. I need to work on that, but in the meantime, store-bought fried onions did the trick! I loved the mojo mango sauce with the pork (and corrected my mistake of not draining the meat before plating it), and we are always a fan of chipotle aioli and a little squeeze of lime!
#31: Naan
Recipe Inspiration: Farah Heron Grilled Naan
Date Made: 04/21/21
Thoughts: This was part of a MAJOR project this year - making a whole meal inspired by one of my favorite books this year, Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron. I highly recommend checking out the book and my book and food review post! Back to the recipe - homemade naan was such a fun little project. I hand kneaded the dough for about five minutes, and ended up the perfect size and consistency (not annoyingly sticky!) to roll out eight little naans. We used a flat cast iron skillet in this recipe, which worked wonders. The bubbles form rather quickly (10-15 seconds), so it's quite fun to observe and flip! The naan tasted soooo good!
#34: Cookie Dough Cupcakes
Recipe Inspiration: Butternut Bakery Cookie Dough Cake
Date Made: 04/30/21
Thoughts: These cupcakes are every cookie dough lover’s dream. A dense vanilla cake batter, with a surprise cookie dough ball inside. The edible cookie dough buttercream frosting was the best part though, in which used heat treated flour and omitted the eggs. Finally I topped the cupcakes with a sprinkling of mini chocolate chips! These were a lot of work (and used an absurd amount of butter) but were so good and a big hit at a friends recent birthday celebration! This recipe was adapted from a cake recipe - I halved the icing portion, and rolled the extra cookie dough into dough balls for snacking on later!
#37: Grilled Corn and Basil Salad
Recipe Inspiration: Half Baked Harvest Sweet and Spice Pineapple Pizza (from the Half Baked Harvest Cookbook)
Date Made: 05/11/21
Thoughts: Need a fresh new appetizer or lunch? This Corn, Basil, Blueberry, and Avocado Dip is so good! Now I know what you’re thinking… blueberries?! But I promise you, this flavor combo really works! Think: avocado purée, charred corn, fresh basil, sweet blueberries, and toasted coconut, all tossed with a few spicy seasonings. The blueberries really add a fresh burst of flavor to this zingy corn dip! I originally made this as an appetizer but it works great for at-home lunch topped on some toast or salad greens!
#38: Graham Cracker Crumble No Churn Ice Cream
Recipe Inspiration: Half Baked Harvest Sweet and Spice Pineapple Pizza (from the Half Baked Harvest Cookbook)
Date Made: 05/14/21
Thoughts: I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! I don’t own an ice cream maker, and I was convinced no-churn ice cream was a ruse. Enter HBH's Graham Cracker Crumble Ice Cream: a few toasty brown-sugared graham crackers crumbled into a super creamy mascarpone vanilla ice cream! The first thing I said when I taste-tested this was “Oh my gosh this actually tastes like ice cream!” I’m not quite sure what I was expecting (Icy? Watery? Yogurt-y?), but this was good. Definitely recommend trying out a no-churn ice cream recipe soon! Good thing Half Baked Harvest has a few other flavors to try out listed in her cookbook!
#44: Pan-Banging Snickerdoodles
Recipe Inspiration: 100 Cookies Pan-Banging Snickerdoodles (from the 100 Cookies Cookbook; similar recipe here)
Date Made: 05/29/21
Thoughts: I acquired the 100 Cookies cookbook last year and it's become one of my favorites. I love the variations on classic cookies like soft snickerdoodles vs. pan-banging snickerdoodles. Much to my neighbors' chagrin, these cookies are made with a pan-banging technique, which requires tapping the pan in the oven every few minutes to create a ripple texture. This creates a MASSIVE cookie with a gooey center and crispy edges. Such a show-stopper. Cookie #87 for those interested!
#48: Spicy Stir Fried Snap Pea Cauliflower Rice Bowl
Recipe Inspiration: Good Health Gourmet Spicy Stir Fried Mushrooms & Snap Peas with Sesame Cauliflower Rice
Date Made: 06/07/21
Thoughts: The picky eater in me that used to stick only to bell peppers and zucchini found another set of veggies she likes: cauliflower rice and snap peas. I made a few cauliflower rice recipes this year, mostly just as the base for stir fries. For this recipe, I swapped out mushrooms (re: still picky) for chicken, but I think this recipe turned out tasty and healthy with lemon cauliflower rice and packed full of fun veggies like pea shoots and radishes.
#50: S'more Pretzel Bites
Recipe Inspiration: Well Plated Pretzel S'mores Bites
Date Made: 07/05/21
Thoughts: I made these little s'more bites for a Fourth of July BBQ! They turned out sooooo cute! The trick to keeping these manageable is to cut jumbo marshmallows into fourths and to use a little Nutella to glue the marshmallows to the pretzels. They hardened up in the fridge for an hour and lasted all week. Cheers!
#56: Chocolate Basil Brownies
Recipe Inspiration: 100 Cookies Pan-Banging Snickerdoodles (from the 100 Cookies Cookbook)
Date Made: 10/19/21
Thoughts: Basil is such an underrated ingredient in desserts! I made basil whipped cream (AMAZING) and lemon basil sugar cookies (SO GOOD) earlier this year, and these Chocolate Basil Brownies (Cookie #28) to complete my basil dessert trifecta. This recipe builds on Sarah Kieffer's classic Chocolate Brownies recipe (Cookie #19) by adding a basil buttercream and chocolate ganache layer to the top. So delectable.
#60: Mini Pecan Pies
Recipe Inspiration: Live Well Bake Often Mini Pecan Pies
Date Made: 11/05/21
Thoughts: I made these for my husband's birthday hangout in November - and they all were gobbled up in a flash. This recipe is a classic, just made a bit mini! I used a flower cookie cutter to create the little ruffled edges, which turned out adorable. The recipe made a bit too much filling, so I recommend halving the filling, or grabbing some extra pie crust for even more pecan pie goodness. Now to muster up the courage for a real pie!
#63: Turmeric Rice and Street Cart Chicken Bowl
Recipe Inspiration: Ethan Chlebowski Street Cart Chicken & Yellow Rice
Date Made: 11/22/21
Thoughts: Say hello to my favorite dinner of 2021. Everything about this meal was a hit: the turmeric pan-steamed rice, the marinated chicken, the fresh toppings, and the amazing white and red sauces. Pan-steaming the rice made for a perfectly cooked bed of rice that was the perfect amount of crispy on the bottom (just make sure to scoop with stainless steal spatulas so the turmeric doesn't stain any utensils). The chicken is everything you could ever want in chicken thighs. But this chicken and rice dish isn't complete without the sauces. The white sauce is excellent, and the red hot sauce is a star. I've never made my own hot sauce before but I think I need to make a triple batch of this and keep in my fridge for easy access.
#64: Samoas
Recipe Inspiration: Half Baked Harvest Homemade Samoas Cookies
Date Made: 12/03/21
Thoughts: These were a lot of work but totally worth it! The cookie base is a maple whole wheat shortbread, cut into 3 inch donuts thanks to my hand dandy new set of cookie cutters. The caramel topping is a mixture of maple syrup and heavy cream - this was interesting to work with because it dries up very quickly once you stir in toasted coconut. But thankfully with wet hands you can press the mixture on to the cookie and pop them in the freezer to harden. Then the entire cookie is dipped in chocolate with a little drizzle on top! I bought a box of original Samoas for a proper taste test (I bought them for science, okay!) and they actually aren’t a bad dupe!! Plus, mine are double the size - the better size in my opinion!!
#65: Bacon Wrapped Dates
Recipe Inspiration: The Cookie Rookie Bacon Wrapped Dates
Date Made: 12/10/21
Thoughts: I made a full tapas spread in 2020 (which you can read about here!) and wanted to try again with a few new recipes added in. For this year's tapas spread, I made the same bruschetta, the lamb meatballs I mentioned earlier in this post, and bacon wrapped dates. The dates were filled with goat cheese and pecans, wrapped with bacon, and sprinkled with a little brown sugar before being baked in the oven. They turned out great and I think they'd make for a great little appetizer for any holiday party or potluck you're attending this winter.
2021 New Recipes - Full List
#01: Citrus Sheet-Pan Salmon
#02: Orange Poppy Seed Bundt Cake
#03: Baked Ratatouille
#04: Turmeric Braised Chicken Curry
#05: Chocolate Truffles
#06: Korean Beef Bowls
#07: Chicken Tinga Tacos
#08: Butter Pecan Bars
#09: Spiced Lamb Hummus Flatbread
#10: Lemon Basil Sugar Cookies
#11: Orange Glazed Golden Beets
#12: Jalapeño Simple Syrup
#13: Cinnamon Roll Cookies
#14: Lamb Pitas
#15: Chocolate Mousse
#16: Grilled Mango-Chipotle Pork Tenderloin
#17: Chocolate Babka
#18: Chocolate Donuts
#19: Oreo S'mores
#20: Mango Pineapple Bruschetta
#21: Coconut Popcorn Chicken
#22: Cuban Steak
#23: Coconut Curry Meatballs
#24: Harissa Chickpea and Chicken Skillet
#25: Sweet and Spicy Pineapple Pizza
#26: Strawberry Basil Eclairs
#27: Pulled Pork Mojo Tacos
#28: Neapolitan Cookies
#29: Pesto Chicken with Whipped Feta
#30: Brownie Cookies
#31: Naan
#32: Air Fryer Chicken Tikka Kebabs
#33: Spanish Sweet Potato Chorizo Hash
#34: Cookie Dough Cupcakes
#35: Lime Bars
#36: Steak Fajita Sweet Potato Fry Salad
#37: Grilled Corn and Basil Salad
#38: Graham Cracker Crumble No Churn Ice Cream
#39: Chocolate Pudding
#40: Blackberry Caprese Skewers
#41: Lemon Snowflake Cookies
#42: Fajita Burgers
#43: Strawberry Broccoli Slaw
#44: Pan-Banging Snickerdoodles
#45: Air Fryer Crispy Chili Lime Chicken Tenders
#46: Chocolate Covered Oranges
#47: Cucumber Mango Slaw
#48: Spicy Stir Fried Snap Pea Cauliflower Rice Bowl
#49: Strawberry Cucumber Snap Pea Salad
#50: S'more Pretzel Bites
#51: Strawberry Wraps
#52: Asparagus Pastry Straws
#53: Tequila Chicken
#54: Guacamole BLT Bites
#55: Chipotle Sweet Potato Zoodles
#56: Chocolate Basil Brownies
#57: Honey-Pepper Figs
#58: Fig and Cider Pork Chops
#59: Cookie Dough Truffles
#60: Mini Pecan Pies
#61: Snickerdoodles with Eggnog Frosting
#62: Cocoa Crunch Cookies
#63: Turmeric Rice and Street Cart Chicken
#64: Samoas
#65: Bacon Wrapped Dates
#66: Pumpkin Roll
#67: Cranberry Chicken
#68: Blondies
#69: Zhoug Sauce
#70: French 75
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