fftf: my most-cooked recipes of '24 👩🍳
5 favs that made it into my regular cooking rotation
Hello and happy 2025,
First off - I totally failed on writing my December newsletter 😭😭😭. I’m sorry and I missed writing to you! I kept thinking about doing it and meaning to do it each week, and then kept *attempting* to go to bed early instead. Truthfully, November & December were maybe the hardest months of my parenting journey so far… I was personally sick for both Thanksgiving AND Christmas; said sicknesses naturally made their way through my little family which meant weeks of extra caregiving, nonstop night wake-ups, and more misery on my part. Throw in all the holiday “extra” to-do’s, sprinkle on a potty regression/toddler poop withholding issue (don’t ask/not resolved yet) and stuff it with the self-imposed but also culturally pervasive idea of “it’s the holidays! this is supposed to be fun!” and you’ve got a very grinchy me!
Alas, leaving that behind in 2024 and riding that new-year-energy (which I adore!) into 2025…
I do love a good end-of-the-calendar-year reflection, and this year that came with the idea for today’s issue, which is to tell you about the recipes I made on repeat in 2024! These are all now in my regular cooking rotation.
Today I’ll give you an overview of the recipes and link the originals; throughout the upcoming year I will likely write up a full “Garlic Press Jess” version of each, since I’ve inevitably made a few changes & notes as I keep cooking them.
We’ve got two breakfasts, two dinners, and one veggie! Let’s get into it!
❣️GPJ Most-Cooked Recipes of 2024❣️
Recipe #1: Dutch Baby Pancake, from The Green Spoon
While it might seem fancy and it’s not quite “quick,” this recipe from The Green Spoon newsletter is now in my regular breakfast rotation. I probably make it twice a month. What I love about it is that it feels special/like a treat, but also healthy enough to make regularly because of a) the high ratio of eggs + cottage cheese (ie, protein) to flour, and b) just the general lightness of it. It’s also SUCH a unique texture, and different from anything else I make, which deems it a perfect add to our usuals. Other things I love about it:
There’s no sugar in the batter. We usually put a little jam, maple syrup or honey on top, but sometimes I eat it as-is, without or with extra salted butter.
The leftovers are great the next day and heat up in a few mins in the toaster oven.
We cut it in slices and it can be eaten with one hand/no utensils (great for toddlers and busy parents alike)!
It feels fun/special to make and share if you have a guest coming over!
Recipe notes:
I usually use Einkorn flour or a white whole wheat flour instead of all purpose.
I’ve used coconut milk instead of dairy milk- no noticeable difference.
I blend it with an immersion blender in a 4-cup pyrex glass measuring cup (more here) - so much easier to clean than a blender!
You can probably skip the lemon zest, but I do think it adds something!
Single recipe cooks great in a 10-inch cast iron pan; it also doubles easily, but then be sure to use a 12-inch cast iron!
Otherwise, I make the recipe as is, except that I usually make it straight from the two screenshots I have saved on my phone, which I am posting here so you can also make it. Again, this recipe comes from The Green Spoon newsletter, which is currently my only paid-subscription food newsletter and which I thoroughly enjoy.
Stay tuned for a future newsletter in which I will write up my own more detailed version of the recipe with notes, but if you want to make now, just follow these instructions and you won’t be disappointed!
Recipe #2: Banana Almond Flour Bread/Muffins from Ambitious Kitchen
Muffins are another regular occurrence in our breakfast rotation - Jazzy (my ~2.5 year old) enjoys eating them and we also love to make them together. I now regularly turn to the Ambitious Kitchen blog when I am looking for a new muffin recipe - she has a lot of different versions of things using all kinds of different flours, and I like to experiment. Jazzy’s biggest food preference is “variety” so I always have to change it up, but this recipe is the one I’ve made the most this year.
The only sweetener is bananas, and it’s a very simple + healthy ingredient list, made in one bowl and bakes in ~30 mins. They also freeze well.
Recipe notes:
I leave out the chocolate chips, only because when I put them in, Jazzy just eats the chocolate chips out of them and ignores the rest of the muffin. The sweetness in these really does depend on the ripeness of the bananas, so if you want to use not-super-ripe bananas, you may want to add 2 T maple syrup (as I did last week with success).
I usually use regular dairy milk or coconut milk, as that’s what we always have, though the original recipe calls for almond milk.
I usually make these as muffins instead of bread, and the recipe makes about 12 muffins. You can fill the cups just about to the top as they only rise a little bit. I bake for about 25-35 mins until browned on top/toothpick comes out clean.
Recipe #3: Kofte Kebabs from Serious Eats
I am always looking for new things to do with ground meat, and this recipe has become a favorite this year. Of course kebabs are not “easy” per se, as you have to chop, mix, AND form them, so these are more like a once-a-month-special, but I will usually make a bunch and have them two nights in a row, or any extras make for great quick lunches the rest of the week. Again, also fun for toddler hands pick up and dip in yogurt. For the adults, this recipe also solidified “5-min Vinegar or Lemon Onions” as a regular fridge addition, see bonus recipe below.
I definitely need to write up my modified version of this recipe since this one’s a bit more complex and also adaptable, but a few quick notes if you decide to try making it from the original:
No need to make the yogurt sauce but DO dip these in yogurt! (We think there’s enough flavor going on in the kebabs; plain yogurt is a perfect dip!)
The harissa or something like it is important for flavor - I don’t have a favorite harissa currently; had been loving using the Brooklyn Delhi hot sauce in these instead, but will need to come up with an alternative since I just discovered it was discontinued! So sad!
I don’t make these with skewers or on the grill, but instead I form them into little football shapes and bake them for 7-10 mins in the oven under the broiler which makes ‘em a little crispy!
The vinegar or lemon red onions (see below) with this are DIVINE! Also serve with arugula & naan/pita (or rice), or turn it into a lettuce cup with the yogurt and onions - SO GOOD!
Bonus recipe: 5-min Vinegar-ed or Lemon-ed Onions
I used to make pickled onions. I no longer have time for that, and have instead discovered that vinegar-ed or lemon-ed onions are just as good and faster! Here’s what you do:
Slice 1 red onion very thinly on the mandolin (OR do it by hand with a super sharp knife, but the mandolin is easier & better at this).
Spread in a wide bowl and douse with a good vinegar you love the taste of (I am now fully devoted to TART vinegar), or squeeze a lemon or lime over top. The amounts here are flexible; the onion slices should seem wet but don’t need to be submerged.
Toss them around quickly. Let sit for a few mins, then add to/serve with whatever you’re eating!
Store leftovers in a jar in the fridge and eat within a few days!
Note: also works with radishes or carrots if you do them on the mandolin. This is still my favorite mandolin bc it’s so small, sharp, and easy to store.
Parent note: I actually find it preferable to use a mandolin vs. chopping with a large knife when I’m cutting things with Jazzy around. She loves to grab things from my cutting board which often scares me, but using the mandolin directly over a bowl means she can’t get near the (much smaller) blade. Granted, you need to keep your eyes on it for your own fingers’ sake, but that’s no different than chopping!
I don’t have a picture of the kebabs, sorry to say, but here’s the recipe again (#kenji) in case you want to try (until I write up my version :).
Recipe #4: Keema Matar from Tea for Turmeric
I wrote more about it here, but in my ongoing project of incorporating more Pakistani/Indian foods into my home cooking, I’m proud to say this Keema Matar, or Ground Beef Curry with Peas is the first recipe that has truly made it into my regular rotation. There’s still a bit of chopping involved, but the spices are minimal compared to other Desi recipes, and yet it still tastes amazing. This also happens to be the dinner meal that Jazzy will most-reliably-eat… out of, like, EVERYTHING I make! I still follow the recipe when I make it, although I roughly triple it so we can eat for 2-3 days. The quantities are a little flexible with what you have!
Once again, I cannot find a photo of this meal, so here’s a cute pic of Jazzy eating my green sauce:
Recipe #5: my own favorite 2024 creation…
(Garlic) Butter Sizzle-Steamed (Green) Veggies
I published the original “recipe” which is really more a method, here, back in October. This is my go-to when it’s dinner time and I realize we haven’t eaten veggies that day and I need to cook some quick! I started doing this method in the summer with green beans, and I continue to use it with more/different veggies and they keep turning out scrumptiously! Made it last night with broccoli and a little ground coriander instead of garlic and it was the best broccoli I’ve tasted in AGES! Made it with green cabbage and garlic + coriander once and that was also a win. Did it with carrot coins a few weeks ago: enjoyable!
My main tips are two: 1) You can’t skimp on the butter, the butter & browning is where all the flavor comes from in this. (I do sometimes do half butter, half oil so you can try subbing oil if vegan/not using butter.) 2) You don’t want to do more than like a 2-4 person portion, because you need all the veg to fit in a single-ish layer in a wide sauté pan, especially so you can put the lid on tightly for the steaming part of it.
See hot tip #1 at link here for the details/recipe.
And that’s all for food content today!
A final note: I was listening to a podcast interview with Elizabeth Gilbert the other day and she said something that I keep thinking about.
She said, “A relaxed woman is revolutionary.”
I have decided this will be my theme (goal?/motto?) for 2025… I would like to be revolutionary and if I can do that by being relaxed…. it sounds pretty great!
{As such, I am still deciding what frequency I want to commit to for this newsletter for 2025... sticking with once/month till further notice… gotta figure out what will keep me relaxed but also inspired.}
I just found the transcript to see what else Elizabeth Gilbert said in that convo, and it was inspiring, so I’ll leave it for you here:
Elizabeth Gilbert: … I always say, “I think we have to be careful because there’s some part of us that thinks it would be irresponsible not to be angry and it would be irresponsible not to be tired.” Because I mean, just look at the world and how much it needs us on the personal level and on the political level, and how much there is to be angry about and how many of us were violated in our bodies at various times. I mean, there’s a million reasons to not be relaxed.
And yet, the question I have is if you were to step in, and this is a question I always ask to women, if you were to think of the biggest shit tornado going on in your life right now, whatever it is, the hardest thing you’re doing, whether it’s your activism or your family, or your work, or a medical issue, or a bankruptcy, or an addiction issue, whatever it is, or a problematic family member. And if you were to go into that same exact shit tornado tomorrow and not one external thing changed, but you were relaxed, would you be more or less effective at handling it? Martial artists know that the most relaxed person in the room wins the fight. Actors know this, artists know this. This is where the flow happens. Athletes know this. I think for me, I’ve narrowed it down to three things that I need for me, for my system to be relaxed. It’s boundaries, priorities, and mysticism. If I don’t have those three things, I’m super stressed. I would say that the mysticism is the most important, but the boundaries protect that.
Until next time. And sending all my love to Los Angeles, especially. 💔❤️
Love,
Jess