Favorite Recipes of 2008
It's time for the 2008 installment in the Favorites Recipes series. (Here are the previous years' installments: 2007, 2006.) For some reason we didn't seem to do as much experimentation with new recipes this year as in previous years, but we did manage to come up with some real winners.
#1: Pork Burros
Source: Ilvedson family recipe
We learned this first one from Corinne's Mom last January. She originally got it from a friend of hers when she was living in Los Angeles around 1970, and it was a recipe that she formulated as a recreation of a favorite local restaurant dish. Corinne was served this dish often as a kid. We made this one a lot this year, and it is a great "make lots and freeze" dish, particularly since you start with a 5lb pork shoulder. Tasty, tasty.
Source: Ilvedson family recipe
We learned this first one from Corinne's Mom last January. She originally got it from a friend of hers when she was living in Los Angeles around 1970, and it was a recipe that she formulated as a recreation of a favorite local restaurant dish. Corinne was served this dish often as a kid. We made this one a lot this year, and it is a great "make lots and freeze" dish, particularly since you start with a 5lb pork shoulder. Tasty, tasty.
#2: Roasted Garlic Herb Oil
Source: Ilvedson family recipe
This one is a cheat - we've had this recipe for some time. But we did make it quite a bit this year, including making it as gifts. Have some on hand and you have a really easy way to quickly season roasted veggies.
Source: Ilvedson family recipe
This one is a cheat - we've had this recipe for some time. But we did make it quite a bit this year, including making it as gifts. Have some on hand and you have a really easy way to quickly season roasted veggies.
#3: Enchiladas Lasagna
Source: Alton Brown
Alton is our hero. This is some really good stuff, and easy. I suggest making a large batch of the enchilada sauce at one time, then freezing in appropriate sizes. The original recipe didn't call for spinach in the filling, but I had some lying around the first time I made it and figured that I could bump up the nutrition. Worked great, and I've used it ever since.
Source: Alton Brown
Alton is our hero. This is some really good stuff, and easy. I suggest making a large batch of the enchilada sauce at one time, then freezing in appropriate sizes. The original recipe didn't call for spinach in the filling, but I had some lying around the first time I made it and figured that I could bump up the nutrition. Worked great, and I've used it ever since.
#4: Quick Bean Cassoulet
Source: Sunset Magazine (by way of The Oregonian)
Our friends Jamie and Torsten introduced us to this one. Beans, chicken and sausage make this casserole a heart-warming meal. We almost never have leftover chicken, but even if you have to cook chicken it's still quick and easy. And delicious. A good comfort food for those colder days.
Source: Sunset Magazine (by way of The Oregonian)
Our friends Jamie and Torsten introduced us to this one. Beans, chicken and sausage make this casserole a heart-warming meal. We almost never have leftover chicken, but even if you have to cook chicken it's still quick and easy. And delicious. A good comfort food for those colder days.
#5: Brown Sugar Cookies
Source: Cooks Illustrated, Mar 2007
These cookies are sort like chocolate chip cookies, but with a richer flavor (and no chips). Use "real" brown sugar with these for the best flavor; most grocery store brown sugars are simply white sugar with molasses sprayed on them.
Source: Cooks Illustrated, Mar 2007
These cookies are sort like chocolate chip cookies, but with a richer flavor (and no chips). Use "real" brown sugar with these for the best flavor; most grocery store brown sugars are simply white sugar with molasses sprayed on them.
#6: Chewy Chocolate Cookies
Source: Cook's Illustrated, Jan 2009
These are some seriously good chocolate cookies. Use good chocolate (Callebaut, Valrhona, etc.) The chocolate chunks might seem like they are too big, but they bake up perfectly, leaving nice sized chocolate goodness in each cookie. I think they taste better after a day or so - but who can wait? The recipe makes 16 large cookies, so consider forming the balls slightly smaller and/or making a double batch.
Source: Cook's Illustrated, Jan 2009
These are some seriously good chocolate cookies. Use good chocolate (Callebaut, Valrhona, etc.) The chocolate chunks might seem like they are too big, but they bake up perfectly, leaving nice sized chocolate goodness in each cookie. I think they taste better after a day or so - but who can wait? The recipe makes 16 large cookies, so consider forming the balls slightly smaller and/or making a double batch.
What were your favorite recipes this year? Send them to us!
- Mike, Corinne, and Anders Rocket
I don't think this counts as a recipe, but I NEVER throw away leftover vegtables or the water they were cooked in. Vegtables usually taste bad reheated, and since there are just the two of us we often have leftovers. Freeze them in one 2 quart container. When it's full - time to make soup!
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