As the year draws to a close, I thought I’d share my 10 favorite recipes of 2011. I hope you’ll put these into your regular rotation, as I have. When I looked back at the recipes I posted this year, my first thought was:

“Wow, I’ve been busy.”

I had 62 posts this year. Only a little more than one per week, but that’s a big accomplishment when you have a very intense full-time job like mine. I somehow managed to avoid working most weekends (yay!), which allowed me to keep cooking and blogging.

My second thought was:

“Oh my God, I’m almost vegan!”

Out of those 62 posts, only 6 were not vegan (usually baked goods where I threw in an egg.)  While total veganism isn’t something I’m striving toward, I’m pretty happy about this trend, which has just happened naturally.

Anyway, it was hard to whittle my list down to 10 favorites. It pains me to not include my roasted corn and potato chowder, pasta with romesco marinara or vegan banana oat french toast, among others. I hope you’ll go back and try those, too.

Happy New Year!

On a recent trip to Los Angeles, I had the pleasure of dining at Gjelina, with a few friends including Adair from the amazing Lentil Breakdown. Aside from the wonderful conversation, the salad of beets, avocado, citrus and toasted hazelnuts was a highlight of the meal. I’ve recreated it here, with the addition of arugula. This colorful salad makes a stunning addition to your holiday dinner table. It definitely has a festive air about it!

Since having this salad, I have become a little obsessed with hazelnuts. I roast and peel large batches of them, so I have them at hand to throw into all kinds of salads or use in cookies. They have a distinctive flavor and are a nice change of pace from the more common almonds and walnuts. Start with this salad, and you might also find yourself going hazelnut crazy, too!

Recipe Note: You can easily roast the beets, but I admit to cheating and using those vacuum-packed cooked beets in a pinch. They taste great!

 

Spiced nuts are a ubiquitous holiday party nibble. I always get excited to dig in, only to find that the nuts are so sweet they might as well be on the dessert table. Some are made with butter, which is a no-no for my heart-healthy diet. And many aren’t very spicy at all – so why call them spiced nuts?

That’s why I created a vegan spiced nut mix that’s just barely sweet, and has a real kick to it. It took me several tries to get the spice combination just right – we were eating nuts for days on end. It was a worthwhile exercise, because the end result was amazing. The cumin, chili powder and smoked paprika create a smoky and spicy party in your mouth! I hereby pronounce these my new favorite snack.

 

I was eyeing the Chocolate Mint Melties from Dreena Burton’s Eat, Drink & Be Vegan, and simply couldn’t resist making them.

I played around with the proportions of the original recipe a bit, and changed the flour from spelt to whole wheat pastry flour. The resulting cookie is thin and crispy, while still chewy on the inside. With an intense minty aroma, they’re the perfect holiday cookies.

I think these are best the same day they are made, as they tend to lose their crispness over time. So I bake up cookies with part of the batter, then refrigerate the rest for the next day. That also keeps me from eating so many in one sitting!

These will remind you of Girl Scout Thin Mints…minus the icky trans fats. Admittedly, they are super sweet. But they’re also whole grain and vegan. So go ahead, indulge!

This post is linked to The Secret Recipe Club’s Cookie Party.

No Bacon of the Month Club here. Just 10 ideas for delicious gifts that promote heart health. These are my top picks – things I would be happy to get myself (hint, hint, family members!)

1. Organic Satsuma tangerines

During tangerine season, I do a very non-locavore thing: I order 10 pounds of organic satsumas from California. And I don’t regret it for a minute! These things put regular old tangerines to shame. Plus, a recent study revealed that tangerines contain a flavonoid that can help protect against atherosclerosis.

 

2. Grow-Your Own Mushrooms

Mushrooms are a natural source of lovastatin, which can help limit cholesterol production. But the real reason to get this cool-ass mushroom kit is because it’s, well, cool-ass. You just mist this thing every day and amazing oyster mushrooms start growing out of it. You’ll really blow people away with this gift.

 

3. Olio Nuovo

We all know that olive oil is heart healthy. But freshly-harvested olio nuovo – which is released in December – has the highest concentration of heart-healthy antioxidants. It’s also the freshest, most intense olive oil you will ever taste. Lucero is one of many good California producers. Be sure to use it up within 3 or 4 months.

 

4. Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

Every time I open this vegetarian cookbook, I get lost in the truly unusual Mediterranean-influenced recipes and the stunning photography. Love the cool padded cover, too. Some of the recipes include dairy, but I’ve hard good luck using nonfat yogurt, etc. And there are plenty of vegan options.

 

 

5. Artisanal Dark Chocolate

Everybody knows that dark chocolate is heart-healthy. And everybody’s happy when they get amazing dark chocolate for a gift. Lagusta’s Luscious was quite a discovery for me. Where else can you find a “Smoky Corn on the Cob” chocolate bar?  And it’s all vegan. Yay.

 

6. Heirloom Beans

Beans for a gift? Um, yeah, definitely. Rancho Gordo heirloom beans are an addiction for me, and I’m sure my cardiologist is happy about that! This gift box is a must for any budding beanhead.

 

7. Nuts

Nuts are a heart health super food. I eat them every day – they are my favorite cholesterol-lowering medicine. Fastachi nuts are particularly fresh and delicious. Anyone who is used to eating only supermarket nuts – which can be really old and stale – will go crazy for these. I may order some myself, to make my soon-to-be-famous spicy nut mix. (Recipe coming shortly!)

 

8. Smoked Salmon

Wild salmon is the best choice, but it’s not available fresh during the winter months. This smoked salmon gift pack from Vital Choice is a great mid-winter treat. Their smoked wild Alaskan salmon is not only sustainably harvested, it’s also up to 50% lower in sodium than standard brands.

 

9. Molcajete

The unusual make-up of the fat in avocados is said to help lower cholesterol and reduce inflammation. So I always include a bowl of guacamole at my parties, along with baked tortilla chips. And when you make and serve the guacamole in an authentic molcajete, it makes this healthy snack look impressive.

 

10. Homemade Pumpkin Cranberry Bread           

If you want to give a homemade gift of food, I highly recommend my pumpkin cranberry bread. To say it’s one of the best vegan baked goods ever doesn’t do it justice – it’s great even compared to similar, butter-filled breads. Wrap it up pretty and get ready for the raves.

 

Happy healthy holiday shopping,

Cathy