Favorite recipes of 2013 and 2 cookbooks

Usually around this time of year, I post on my favorite cookbook find of the year.  I wasn’t planning on doing this post this year, as I find most of my best new recipes on Pinterest these days.  However, I have received quite a few emails from readers who have enjoyed my cookbook recommendations from the past, and have asked if I have any new recommendations for this year.

When I was visiting my sister in Washington, DC this summer, I spent some time looking through her large cookbook collection, and there were two cookbooks that really appealed to me – Gwyneth Paltrow’s recent cookbooks My Father’s Daughter, and It’s All Good.  I was taking so many pictures of the recipes with my iphone that it got to be ridiculous, so I went ahead and ordered both cookbooks.

I must say, I really love both of these cookbooks.  They reflect the way I like to cook now – with fresh, healthy ingredients, and dishes that are simply prepared but are very flavorful. My Father’s Daughter has more of the family friendly recipes that work well when cooking for my kids and husband.  This book also contains many great recipes for soups, which are a staple of my winter meals, and great salad dressing recipes, which are a staple of my summer meals.  I have tried some of the main course dishes with great success, and next on my list is the ten-hour chicken (which pretty much roasts in an oven set at 200 for 10 hours) – this dish receives rave reviews online.   Perhaps my favorite recipes from this book are the side dishes.  There is a recipe for carmelized brussels sprouts that is so good, I make it once a week now, and my kids have become big brussels sprouts fans due to this one recipe! 

I pulled out this cookbook when writing this post (I keep it easily accessible in my kitchen – it can be seen here on my antique Swedish sideboard, along with Colorado Classique, another great cookbook), and have earmarked a dozen recipes that I would like to try when the schedule relaxes over Christmas break.

It’s All Good is the newest Paltrow book, and the food is much more focused on healthy, clean eating.  Most (if not all) of the recipes are gluten free and dairy free.  This might not be the kind of cookbook for everyone, but it the kind of cookbook I was looking for, as I had gained quite a bit of weight in 2012 due to issues with my achilles tendon, and not being able to walk or exercise (and, to be honest, that glass or two of wine every night wasn’t helping!).  I suspected that the extra weight was making my achilles tendonitis and my knee issues worse, so 2013 has been a year of making big changes to our family meals.  It’s All Good has been a tremendous help in inspiring healthy, flavorful recipes that are made with fresh ingredients. For the most part, the preparation of the recipes is quite straightforward – especially when you have access to grocery stores like Whole Foods that have a wide range of fresh vegetables, fish, and poultry.  I have mainly focused on the fish recipes and salad recipes in this cookbook.  My 15 year old daughter uses this cookbook when she makes dinner for the family (which happens every once in a while), and she loves the smoothie and juice recipe chapter. 

As a side note, with a combination of restructuring the way that I eat, and this DVD and this DVD from Ballet Beautiful (which I swear by for their low impact but challenging approach to strengthening  the muscles), I am back to my normal weight and feel great, with no achilles tendonitis issues or knee pain – 2013 has been a good year for healthy living for me.

The cookbook I recommended last year in this post - Slow Cooker Revolution – is still a staple for meals.  As far as online recipes, this recipe for kale salad with pinenuts and parmesan (the key is lacinato kale, which is also called Tuscan kale or dino kale – it’s different than curly kale) is my favorite recipe find of the year that I found online, as is this marinated salmon, which I bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes instead of grilling.  This is the only way I have been able to get 2 of my kids and my husband to eat salmon!

For all of the great recipes I have found on Pinterest, I have also made some that were not very good.  If you have any online recipes  (or cookbooks) you could recommend, please post the link in the comments!  Email subscribers, click here to comment.

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As a reminder, if you would like to order one of the new Melissa Payne Baker paintings, please place your order by 10 am on Wednesday, December 18th in order to get delivery by Christmas!  Click here to see all paintings available.

6”x12” petite landscape, $325, click here to see in store.

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Favorite art and design books of 2013: http://www.thingsthatinspire.net/2013/12/books-from-2013.html
2013 books on my Christmas list: http://www.thingsthatinspire.net/2013/11/books-for-my-christmas-list-2013.html
2012 books on my Christmas list: http://www.thingsthatinspire.net/2012/11/books-for-my-christmas-list.html
2011 books on my Christmas list: http://www.thingsthatinspire.net/2011/12/my-book-list-christmas-2011.html


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The House Beautiful Recipe Experiment

Due to severe technical difficulties this week, I do not have access to all of my great design pictures on my laptop. So, I am doing a different kind of a post.

My favorite magazine at the moment is House Beautiful. I love the the style of the magazine, the homes that they feature, the monthly features on designers favorite paint colors, furniture, and fabrics. I also enjoy skimming through the articles by Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa and Penelope, the cookbook/recipe reviewer. However, I have never made any of these recipes.

From 1080 Recipes by Simone and Inés Ortega, published by Phaidon Press, 2007, phaidon.com. Illustrations by Javier Mariscal. Photography by Jason Lowe.

In the February 2008 House Beautiful, a recipe caught my eye, and this week I decided to conduct the House Beautiful recipe experiment: I made the Beef with Tomatoes and Olives., from the cookbook 1080 Recipes by Simone and Inés Ortega. Here is the recipe:

BEEF WITH TOMATOES AND OLIVES
Serves 6
1 cup sunflower oil (I used 1/2 cup olive oil instead)
3 1/4 pounds stewing beef, such as chuck, flank, rump, or brisket, cut into chunks
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pound 2 ounces very ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped (I used 28 oz can whole tomatoes instead)
Scant 1 cup chopped Serrano ham or prosciutto
3/4 cup white wine
Pinch of mixed dried herbs or 1 bouquet garni (1 sprig fresh parsley, 1 clove garlic, and 1 bay leaf tied in cheesecloth)
Scant 1 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives
Salt

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the beef, in batches if necessary, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until evenly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Drain off most of the oil, leaving about 4 tablespoons to cover the base of the pan, and reheat. Add the onion and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, until beginning to brown. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the tomato and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking it up with the side of the spoon, for 5 minutes more. Return the beef to the pan, add the ham, and pour in the wine. Season with salt, add the dried herbs or bouquet garni, mix well, and cook for about 5 minutes. Pour in water to cover, cover the pan, and simmer over medium heat for about 2 hours, until tender. Meanwhile, put the olives in a pan, add water to cover, and bring to a boil, then lower the heat, and simmer for 1 minute. Drain well and set aside. Uncover the stew, stir in the olives, and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes more. Remove and discard the bouquet garni, if used. Serve in a warm deep dish. I served this over rice.

The result:

Overall impressions: I thought this was a very good winter stew. I served it over brown rice, with crusty bread on the side. It wasn't difficult to make, but it was time consuming as there were a lot of different steps, and the stew needs to simmer for two hours or so.

Conclusion from the experiment: Although this was very good, the amount of time that it takes decreases my interest in making it again any time soon.

So, have you ever made a recipe from a design magazine? How did it turn out?