My Favourite Recipes of 2011

On Sunday I shared the most popular recipes of 2011 according to the posts you guys viewed the most, but today I wanted to share some of my own favourite recipes from last year! A lot of my favourites actually made it onto the most popular list, so I decided not to choose anything that was already on that list. Even still, it was incredibly difficult to choose, so I selected by category (with two honourable mentions to round out a top 10).

Here are my favourite recipes, in no particular order:

Breakfast:

Peach blueberry pancakes with warm cinnamon peach sauce

I absolutely loved the combination of peaches and blueberries in these pancakes that made the most of summer's harvest, and the warm cinnamon peach sauce brought them over the top! I can't wait to make these again next summer.

Snack:

Buffalo wing hummus

Of all the hummus recipes I've tried so far, this may be my favourite. If you love buffalo wings then you have to try this dip, which has all the flavour of buffalo wings but in a healthy snack form!

Drink:
Mojitos - classic and peach

This summer I remembered that I still had a bottle of rum leftover from a trip to Cuba and decided it was time to use it! And what better way than in a refreshing mojito - classic and peach, I loved them both!

Bread:
Cranberry brie wreath

This was another original recipe I created for EatInEatOut, and it turned out even better than I'd hoped! Cranberry sauce, brie cheese, and pecans are wrapped in a sweet dough and baked in a wreath shape until warm and oozing with cheese - amazing!

Appetizer or Side:
Italian stuffed mushrooms with goat cheese

Somehow I went all my life without trying stuffed mushrooms, but after these little bites of savory goodness, I am firmly resolved to make up for lost time by trying out many, many more stuffed mushroom recipes!

Soup or Salad:

Mediterranean chickpea salad

This was one of my favourite things to eat in the summer - not only is it refreshing and full of flavour, but it's super easy to make and perfect for those hot summer days when the last thing you want to do is slave over a hot stove!

Main Course:

Butternut squash lasagna with smoky marinara sauce

After many failed attempts at making a flavourful vegetarian squash lasagna, I finally found a winner with this recipe. The homemade smoky marinara sauce really made this lasagna, but the roasted squash, spinach and cheese mixture, and fresh noodles certainly helped! This may have been a lot of work to make, but it was so worth it.

Dessert:

White chocolate candy cane cheesecake

This is not only my favourite holiday recipe but also my favourite cheesecake recipe in general. The holidays may be over, but candy canes are cheaper than ever right now, so go make this cheesecake while you still can, you won't regret it!

Honourable Mentions:

Mojito tilapia bites

This makes for an easy and refreshing dinner to pair perfectly with a mojito in the summer, but I also make it in the winter and love it just as much. I love the combination of avocado, lime, and mint (and replicated it in this vegetarian chickpea salad) and this is one of those meals that I never want to end.

Frozen peanut butter pie

I love anything with peanut butter but had never tried any version of peanut butter pie until this. And I'm not sure I'll ever need another recipe!