Best recipes: 2017

I tried a bunch of new recipes last year. Some failed terribly but there were plenty of keepers too! Here are my favourite 20 recipes of 2017 :)

Breakfast

Morning smoothie with a kick, which is extra nice in summer.
Bircher muesli with hazelnut crumble. The crumble is key - don't skip it!
Cheese and pickle scrolls, which make great hiking snacks too.
The best cinnamon buns. These can be made ahead and frozen, perfect for cold Sunday mornings or an easy breakfast with friends.

Make-it-quick dinners

Pasta with creme fraiche, lemon and rocket, my number one recipe of the year! It's a favourite Sunday night dinner and it would be easy to make on holidays too.
Portobello mushroom burgers with coriander pesto with sweet potato fries. Don't forget the aioli!
The easiest, cheesiest dinner with veg - orange-roasted asparagus with haloumi and mint.
Curried lentils with coconut milk, my go-to quick dinner that doubles as my haven't-been-shopping meal.
Parmesan soup with kale and beans, or cheese soup :)
One-pot pasta with lemon, asparagus and peas.
Yakisoba noodles that taste just like the real thing.

Worth the effort 

Better-than-takeaway stir-fried udon, which my sister's kids love too!
Sarah and Mark's trusty spinach and feta pie (I make two medium-sized pies from this recipe and stash one in the freezer).
My favourite fried rice with Kewpie mayo and Sriracha.
Lasagne with surprise sausage meatballs, which would be Tony's pick of the year!
Thai beef bowls with fresh veggies and chilli.

Baking and sweet treats

Molly Yeh's coconut mud cake, excellent with fresh berries.
Dark chocolate olive oil cake - it's simple, quick and satisfying.
Whole lemon bars from Smitten Kitchen's first book.
Spelt dark chocolate chunk cookies, because I'm always on the look out for a twist on the classic.
Magic dark chocolate and salted caramel brownies.

Enjoy! I'll keep sharing great recipes as I find them. Two favourites so far - artichoke pizza and a chickpea and parmesan salad, which you probably have the ingredients for right now. One thing I'm really curious to try is the Feel Good Food Plan from Healthyish. I loved following people doing it in real time (the first two weeks of January) but might have a go when the recipes better suit our climate - ie. in winter!

P.S - On the other end of the spectrum, these salted butter and chocolate chunk cookies are meant to be insane.