My cooking and baking life is on a short hiatus. We’ve decided that we are going to tile our kitchen (it originally had an engineered wood floor surface that we hated) and remove the carpeting in our living room, dining room, den and hallways and put down hardwood floors. I’ve wanted these changes ever since we moved into our condo and am really excited that its finally happening, but the projects have upended our usual way of living. Right now my appliances are in the living room and dining area so that the tile can be laid underneath their footprints in the kitchen.
My beloved stove is smack dab in the middle of the living room. Perched on top is my husband’s knee pads and various other items (see picture below)…
So as you can imagine it will make it challenging to keep up my goal of one new recipe posted every week. But have no fear. Now is a perfect time to do another compilation post.
I love these kinds of posts as they are sort of a one-stop-shop of recipes that over time have proven to be my readers favorites. And quite often recipes that I think will not be very popular surprise me and get tons of hits on my blog. That’s why these days I never second guess my recipes. You just never know what will be a hit and what will only get a lukewarm response.
So here are some of my more recent reader favorites. I’ll write a short blurb about each but just click not he picture and it will take you directly to the post and recipe. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed making them.
- BAKED EGGPLANT FRIES: I knew this one would be a winner right out of the box as people are always looking for that french fry crunch without the french fry fat and calories. I’d never worked with eggplant before and was pleasantly surprised at how easy these were to make and how tasty they were. Even the biggest veggie hater in your household will love these.
2. VEGETABLE PIZZA: I was surprised at how this recipe waxed nostalgic for so many people. I got lots of comments like “Oh I used to make this years ago. I stopped and I don’t remember why.” People also started sharing various iterations of how they used to make this based on their tastes and vegetable preferences. This is such a colorful fun recipe and it’s a great way to clean out the vegetable bin in your refrigerator. I brought this to a community gathering and it was gone in 15 minutes. This recipe may be a blast from the past but it certainly can still be a hit today.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
3. BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP: When I first posted this recipe I had never made this type of homemade soup before. The only soup I ever made was my mother’s chicken soup recipe. I was surprised at how easy this was to make and how good it was. You could make a meal out of this, a salad and some crusty bread. A great dinner for a cool evening. I love this soup and have made it often.
Lithuanian Kugelis
4. LITHUANIAN KUGELIS: No one is happier than me that this recipe is so popular. I am of Lithuanian (and Polish) decent and this was my grandmother’s recipe. She would make kugelis for every holiday meal and it was gobbled up quickly. Be careful, though… it is an artery clogging recipe. But if you eat in moderation this is something you can definitely have every once in a while. In the old days it was a way to fill the bellies of the family without spending a lot of money. Today it’s just something super decadent and delicious.
5. EASY TANGY CUCUMBER SALAD: Sometimes the simplest recipes are the best. This recipe is definitely not rocket science but it’s a great accompaniment to almost any meal. Just a few simple ingredients coupled with a little time to let them all get thoroughly acquainted and you’ve got yourself something delightful and fresh. A former student of mine told me that her kids shy away from salads and vegetables but gobbled this up. This is a great recipe to have in your hip pocket.
6. DELI STYLE TUNA SALAD: If someone would have told me that this recipe would be one of the top 5 recipes searched for on my blog I would’ve laughed at them. But it continues to be a hit even after a couple of years. In this blog I reveal what I believe to be some of the secrets for making deli style tuna fish. Serve with some soup and baked waffle fries and you’ve got a killer meal!
Cheesecake With Fresh Strawberry Sauce
7. CHEESECAKE WITH FRESH STRAWBERRY SAUCE: I’ve made no bones about the fact that when writing this blog early on I was heavily influenced by Food Network shows. I’ve become less enamored with them over the years as they’ve really moved away from the format that I so enjoyed. But I still watch a few of them at times, namely Ina Garten, Ree Drummond and Trisha Yearwood. This particular recipe was included in one of Trisha Yearwood’s shows and it turned out perfectly the first time I made it (how often does that happen). This recipe gets a ton of hits and my stats go through the roof when they replay the segment that includes this recipe on the Food Network. Regardless it is one of my readers favorites and I guarantee it will be one of yours!
8. Â PRIME RIB ROAST: If you were anything like me you dreaded making one of these babies for a special meal because this hunk of roast is just so darn expensive you don’t want to ruin it. But in my blog I de-mystify making prime rib. Just follow a few simple steps and it will turn out perfect first time, every time. This recipe is especially popular around the holidays but gets regular traffic throughout the year – definitely a recipe you should have in your arsenal.
9. HONEY BBQ PULLED CHICKEN SANDWICHES: The first time I made this recipe was for a Super Bowl party. It was a big hit. And a great recipe to make for a party as you make this in the slow cooker. The most work you have to do is remove the chicken in and shred it. The rest is done by the slow cooker. I like recipes like these because they don’t require a lot of work or supervision which gives you more time to spend with your guests. My readers must think so too as this recipe gets a lot of hits. I know you’ll like this one for it’s simplicity as well as its great flavor.
Cheesy Potato and Green Onion Casserole
10. CHEESY POTATO AND GREEN ONION CASSEROLE: I developed this recipe because I was getting tired of the using boxed varieties similar to this. Have you ever read the ingredients on those boxes? After about the fifth ingredient I could not pronounce I decided to create a potato side dish made out of fresh ingredients. With the help of a mandolin slicer this recipe becomes something quick and easy to prepare. And talk about delicious. I’ll never go back to the boxed varieties again.
11. GRILLED ROSEMARY GARLIC LAMB CHOPS:Â And ending this particular compilation is an all time favorite recipe of mine. I just love grilled lamp chops. They are so easy to do on the grill and serve them with a little mint jelly and you’ve got something special. Years ago it was harder to find lamb chops in you local grocery store but now you see them everywhere. We get our lamb chops at Costco. They do nice cuts and the price is the best as well. If you’ve never tried lamb you simply have to. This is one of my favorite summer meals and I hope it will become one of yours too!
Well that’s it – my readers favorites. I’m not sure I will be posting a new recipe next week as construction in the kitchen is taking longer than planned (and having been married to a private contractor I’ve come to expect that). But if not, I might share a few other recipes from my collection that are worth re-blogging. Hope you enjoy these, and if you try any or all of them, let me know what you think.
You Betcha Can Make This! 
Jan,
Good luck with your kitchen remodel….
Thanks for all the yummy recipes.
All the best,
Amy
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It’s been hard – the house looks like its been blown up to bits, but in the end I know it will be worth it.
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