13 Foolproof Recipes From 2013

I know it’s already 10 days into the New Year, and it may be a little late for a 2013 recipe round-up, but I couldn’t resist. According to the internet, many peeps have resolved to do more cooking this year, and if you think I’m not going to capitalize on this window of domestic opportunity, you are clearly new to this blog. (Welcome!)

In the hope of inspiring you to get busy in the kitchen, I have compiled a list of Domesticate ME!’s top 13 recipes of 2013 using my fancy analytics thingy. I would just like to say that revisiting these recipes and posts was a wonderful and emotional experience that made me feel simultaneously hungry, happy, and nostalgic. In the words of the great Celine Dion, “There were moments gold and there were flashes of light. There were things we’d never do again, but then they always seemed right.” (The latter refers only to some of my life choices, not the food. I would do all of the food again. All of it.) So, without further ado…

The Top 13 Recipes of 2013:

1. Cauliflower Pizza Crust with Roasted Vegetables and Goat Cheese. This ridiculously badass pizza won Domesticate ME!’s internal popularity contest by a landslide, folks. I take this to mean that everyone shares my love/hate relationship with traditional pizza, which gives me some serious warm fuzzies. Way to think outside the Domino’s box.

2. Apple Cinnamon Baked Doughnut Holes. All you need is a mini-muffin tin, 30 minutes, and a dream…

3. Kale Salad with Quinoa, Cranberries and Toasted Almonds. Kale kinda sucks, but this salad made me a believer. (If nothing else, eating it will make you more attractive because kale is magic.)

4. Southwestern Turkey and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers. Ground Turkey, quinoa, beans, veggies, spices and just enough melted cheese to make a dude weep with joy. Dude Diet 4 Lyfe.

5. Brown Rice Jambalaya with Shrimp, Chicken Sausage and Bell Peppers. My favorite creation of 2013. High fiving a million angels!

6. Cauliflower “Fried Rice.” The cauliflower is the rice. So crazy!

7. Grilled Vegetable Quesadillas with Goat Cheese and Pesto. This recipe is very close to my heart. It has gotten me through some dark times (Bonnaroo, football season, Widespread Panic Concerts, etc.), and I only hope it can do the same for you.

8. Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili. As a wise Instagram follower once said, “LET IT EAT.”

9. Mulled Wine. You boozehounds, you.

10. White Bean Chicken Chili. This recipe was the first thing to come out of my Crock-Pot. Memorieeees. (No Crock-Pot? No problem. You can easily make this on the stovetop.)

11. Sweet Potato Gratin with Pancetta, Parmesan and Sage. DAYUM.   

12. Grilled Eggplant with Fresh Mozzarella, Tomatoes and Basil Vinaigrette. Minimal effort, maximum compliments. You should also make the world’s dankest grilled cheese with the leftovers. Trust.

13. Slow-Roasted Beef Tenderloin. Ina is a saucy little minx, and I love her. And this beef. And you. (Not necessarily in that order, but probably.)

There you have it, friends. I hope you’ll add these foolproof favorites to your growing domestic repertoire this year, and please let me know if there is anything you’re itching to see in 2014. I love me some feedback, since my roommate mostly just suggests “more mac and cheese.”