The Best of 2014: Winter to Spring

2014 Roundup: January, February and March

Favorites from the internets:

- Melissa Clark's Roasted Broccoli with Shrimp as interpreted by the Wednesday Chef is a winner of a sheet pan supper for a busy weeknight

- This Thai baked salmon in a lime-coconut cream sauce from She Simmers is absolutely addictive

- This is the Hungarian Bean and Ham soup of my childhood (Csülkös Bableves)

 and it is soooo good, a perfect winter dinner. Thank you Saveur!

- This spicy pork and mustard green noodle soup from Bon Appetit is the perfect use for farm box mustard greens in the dead of winter: I decrease the soy sauce, increase the fish sauce, and use white pepper in place of Szechuan peppercorns when I'm out of the real stuff.

- Or use your mustard greens in the Hawaiian Ginger-Chicken Stew from Eating Well

- Eating Well also created a hit with this Green Vegetable Minestrone -- even better with a Parm rind simmered in the broth

- Serious Eat's radish salad is a great option with arugula, radicchio, or another chicory

- This Splendid Table recipe for cauliflower or broccoli rabe with sausage and orecchiette is a great skillet dinner

- This Persian Chickpea and Noodle Soup from the LA Times is a great Sunday Soup dinner

- These Ham and Cheese Quinoa Cups from Iowa Girl Eats can be cooked in baking pan and reheated by the slice for an easy, delicious weekday breakfast. I used the whole eg and addd 1/4 c milk for a more solid texture

- Serious Eat's Arugula Pesto* is a great topping for salmon, grilled meats, or steamed vegetables

- Here is the BEST way to make steel cut oats, toasting them adds a nutty flavor -- Orangette adapts this recipe is adapted from Whole Grain Mornings**

From my cookbook collection:

- The Caramel-cooked tofu from Herbivoracious

- For the Best Oatmeal, be sure to toast the oats first, from **Whole Grain Mornings

Recipes to keep track of...

- My shredded collard salad with black-eyed peas and spiced peanuts was a great way to start the year 

- Bake a ham with a glaze of soy sauce, mustard and honey, not too sweet 

- Make a kale salad with thinly sliced radishes and carrots, with dried cherries, toasted pepitas, and a vinaigrette from that *arugula pesto

... and in the Meh category:

- Bon Appetit's Vietnamese Pork chops (serves me right, with so many Vietnamese cookbooks to choose from)

- Eating Well's pinto bean and andouille sausage stew was unexpectedly bland and watery