At the Table

Before the year's end, I couldn't resist posting one more collection of recipes we've tried over the last couple of months. One of the pluses of this pandemic time (and there aren't many!) has been my renewed interest in trying new recipes. All of those I'm sharing here we'd definitely enjoy again.

Half Baked Harvest

• Easy Ginger Chicken and Spinach Ramen - After trying grown-up ramen for the first time at a nearby noodle shop, we decided to try our hand at making our own. Some yummy ingredients (like curry roasted squash!) are hiding under all those noodles and chicken, but this was fun to make and super tasty.

• Crispy Salt and Vinegar Smashed Potatoes - oh goodness. A little effort due to both boiling the potatoes and roasting them, but the 'salt and vinegar' flavor was realllly good, and we're fans of crispy. A couple bites in, hubby after me to make these again.

Smitten Kitchen

• Apple Cider Caramels - We had actually made these before, but it had been a while. And if you haven't, you should.... SO good with such intense cider flavor.

• Dark Chocolate Tart with Gingersnap Crust - Just tried this last weekend, and not only was it way simpler than I anticipated, but it was really delish. We topped with some lightly sweetened whipped cream, and enjoyed every bite.

• Cider-Glazed Bacon-Wrapped Dates - Another one we've made several times, but they're so simple and irresistible, I had to share. For obvious reasons, we only make these when we can share them with guests.

• Broccoli Cheddar Soup - oh yeah. Not a whole lot to say about this except we finished one batch, and the next day, made another. I think I'll make it again for lunch today, in fact.

Ina Garten

• Fried Chicken Sandwiches - Just had to include these. Yeah, they're fried, but the flavor is just delightful. Definitely a treat now and then.

Molly Baz' Cook This Book! 

I bought Molly's book last summer after enjoying some of her cooking videos, and later, her podcast, The Sandwich Universe. An interesting (and helpful!) feature, especially for newer cooks, are the QR codes that access videos on the Molly's site. I think that's brilliant!

• The Minimalist Wedge - About the simplest wedge ever, it's the dressing that makes this dish. SO fresh-tasting.

• Master Beans - Seriously, with Molly's recipe, I've made the best beans I've ever made. I've started with dried Rancho Gordo heirloom beans both times, and am happy to finally have a go-to bean recipe.

SO yeah, I'm actually kind of pleased that we're still trying a new recipe or two every week. Most of the above can be found online, but I wanted to share the recipes from Molly's book just for the record, and you can find many of her recipes online just by searching, as she used to work at Bon Appetit. Anyway, enjoy! Let us know in the comments if you have any new favorite recipes you've tried, too!