Top 14 Of 2014 – A Recipe Roundup

I posted a picture of our Christmas lunch on Facebook and then disappeared for a while. Not to worry, I was just on a much-needed break. Before I could gather my thoughts, I now find myself at the end of the year. And what a wonderful year it has been, both for me and the blog as well! I made several new blogging buddies, tried many new things and vastly improved my photography and styling skills. Still, there is a long way to go and I am eager to learn.

On the last day of the year, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at some of my favorite recipe posts of 2014, 14 of them to be precise. These 14 posts were huge (in my humble opinion at least) for various reasons. Mind you, some of my blog’s most popular posts ever are from 2013, but I wanted to round-up important posts published this year. Many of these were received extremely well by friends and readers, some were pleasant surprises, some have permanently found a place in our menu rotation and almost all of them are nice to look at and devour, of course!

So here they are, in no particular order.

1. Tomato, Parsley & Cottage Cheese Focaccia

I never knew focaccia bread was so easy to bake at home. This recipe also got published in Huff Post. Yay! I have made focaccia bread many times using this basic recipe, even a fruity version which can be found here.

2. Homemade No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream {With Blackberry Swirls}

The last summer saw me whipping up frozen desserts at a speed faster than you could say “Ice cream”! It all began with trying my mom’s classic no churn, no machine, no eggs vanilla ice cream recipe.

3. Dutch Baby Pancake With Caramelized Strawberries

This is again, a family favorite. It is so easy to put together for a late breakfast on a lazy weekend and so easy to customize. Swap out strawberries for your favorite fruit or toss them into the pan before baking.

4. Baked Mini Samosa Pies

Granted they aren’t the quickest snack, but these mini pies are so worth it. I loved making them and eating them.

5. Wholesome Indian Meal {Aloo-Palak Paratha, Palak Dal & Quick Aam Achar}

The sheer volume of positive response I received for this post was a surprise for me. I never thought a bunch of simple, everyday recipes for a wholesome Indian meal would be so popular. I almost didn’t post it, but am I glad I did!

6. Chicken Kofta Curry (Meatballs In A Delicate Indian Curry)

This was a delightful accident of sorts. I loved how these turned out when I decided to make baked meatballs out of some fresh chicken and spinach sausages and dunk them in a flavorful curry. Again, a family favorite.

7. Naked Chocolate Cake With Chocolate Buttercream Frosting {And A Coffee Surprise}

These were my most treasured recipes of the year. I finally mastered the art of making non-grainy, smooth and delicious buttercream frosting. And nothing needs to be said about the chocolate cake recipe. So good. I used it for celebratory cakes here and here as well.

8. Eggless Vanilla And Chocolate Marble Loaf Cake

I rarely foray into eggless baking, but this beauty convinced me that I should do so more often. Quite a number of readers baked this cake and had many nice things to say about it as well. A great success in many ways.

9. Chocolate And Pear Turnovers

Again, this turnover recipe was a pleasant surprise. I loved the combination, it is something I would have never thought of normally and I still have visions of these babies in my dreams. Note to self: Must make again… Soon!

10. Mutton Biryani {Tamil Nadu Style}

This one is a treasured family recipe and an absolute favorite. I made it as recently as for our Christmas lunch last week.

11. Baked Parmesan Eggplant Fingers With Cilantro Tzatziki Sauce

I was pleasantly surprised at how well the baked mock fries turned out and how pretty they photographed. The tzatziki sauce is a favorite at our place, finding its way to the dinner table in place of raita on countless occasions.

12. Chocolate Pudding Cookie Cups

My five-year old was the inspiration behind this creation. And honestly, I never expected it to work so well. Just trust me when I tell you that you MUST try it. It’s a winner!

13. Paneer Kofta Korma {Indian Cottage Cheese Balls In A Delicate Yogurt Sauce}

Keeping in line with my new-found love for kofta, it was only fitting that  I try a completely vegetarian version. And what better than paneer, the king of cottage cheeses?

14. Chocolate Sugar Cookies

The fact that Boy has been asking for them every single day since I baked the first batch should tell you how good they are. They are sugar cookies with a whole lot of dark chocolate flavor. They are so delightful and sure to become a favorite Christmas tradition.

So, like I mentioned, things have been quiet in this corner since Christmas. I purposely took some time off to unwind, relax and spend time with the boys. I have a couple of posts in the drafts section, all ready to be posted and I will start posting them shortly. As for the new year, I am planning to adopt some healthier eating habits to counter all the gorging that happened over the Christmas break. Let’s see how that goes. I have a few ideas. I am leaning towards Thai and Mediterranean, as they are so flavorful and fresh. Any and all ideas are welcome.

Thanks again for all the love and support you shower me with and I hope you will continue to do so in the coming year.

Let me sign off for the last time in 2014. See y’all on the other side. Have a blessed new year!

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I am taking this collection to Angie’s Fiesta Friday.