My 2015 Cooking Resolutions - how did I do?

At the beginning of 2015, I shared a list of 12 things I wanted to accomplish in the kitchen this year in no particular order. I had a ton of fun experimenting in the kitchen, and some of these “resolutions” have become part of my daily menus. But, as most resolutions go - some were successes, some were fails - and some will roll over for 2016.

So…how did I do?

1. “I will bake an awesome, fully whole grain, sourdough bread”
   • This didn’t happen. This was probably the hardest thing on my list, and since I was gluten free for most of the year and traveling for a lot of it, I didn’t have a lot of time to tend to a sourdough starter “pet”! (See what happened to the sauerkraut in item #2 below). But I really really really want to be a bread baker. So maybe this one will be included in 2016’s list…
2. “I will learn how to make my own sauerkraut”
   • This was attempted twice….and failed (very pungently) twice. I even took a class on Intro to Fermentation! I blame the fact that I traveled pretty much every week for work, and I couldn’t press the cabbage down in the mason jar to stay fermenting in its juices and it dried out. I definitely got a few texts from Nate that were like “there is this FOUL THING growing in our kitchen and I’m THROWING IT OUT”. Sigh. Added to the list for next year.
3. “I will make my own portable larabars or protein bars”
   • Done and done! These Coconut Almond Energy Bars and these Multigrain Protein Bars were fun to whip up, but I actually prefer store-bought when it comes to these snacks.
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4. “I will bake a beautiful challah”
   • This did not happen…but I WILL DO THIS ONE DAY!
5. “I will learn how to whip up some really good whisky cocktails for Nate”
   • Sigh…this also didn’t happen. Maybe when Nate and I move into our new apartment at the end of January I’ll do this in celebration. Nate - pinky promse!
6. “I will learn how to make fresh summer rolls with shrimp and thai basil and a really good dipping sauce”
   • Yes!! I made these for a party last year and boy were they YUM. Check out the recipe and the killer homemade dipping sauce here. Still, these are a lot of time and effort. I’d only make them again if I was really trying to impress…
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7. “I will play around with drying fruit in the oven”
   • Checked that off too! It did take the whole day to dehydrate these things in the oven but they were super deelish. I’d still go for store-bought, however, since so many brands carry no added sugar versions these days.
8. “I will finally bake a spaghetti squash”
   • Why did it take me so long to bake a spaghetti squash in the oven?! Since I finally bit the bullet on these squashes, I’ve made them so many times for me and Nate. I love that you can just pile on whatever sauce and eat in volume. This has been one of the most useful of the accomplishments - one that I’ve been able to integrate into my day to day.
9. “I will learn to make homemade lattes”
   • I went as far as purchasing a frother, only to realize that it took some European batteries so I never used it. Plus, I drink my coffee black in the morning. Welp…
10. “I will learn to recreate stuffed Turkish eggplants that I ate every day in Istanbul”
    • My brother and I cooked up a big batch of these for my parents for their birthday this year, and they were DELICIOUS! So hearty, flavorful and filling. Read all about our trip to Turkey and get the recipe here.
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11. “I will perfect my hummus and baked falafel”
    • This was half accomplished. I did the falafel portion, but not the hummus! My Falafel Collard Wraps with Tahini Coleslaw is one of my favorite recipes from this year. Adding hummus to next year’s - I stole Nate’s cousin’s recipe for hummus that I ate in bulk over Thanksgiving and I can’t wait to recreate.
12. “I will create a couple of ridiculously good homemade salad dressings”
    • This tahini dressing that I made for my Mediterranean Salad with Crispy Chickpeas is THE BOMB and you see variations of throughout my “what I ate Wednesday” posts. One of my best creations through this list! Also recreated in another form as part of my Lemon Garlic Baked Tofu and Kale Salad.

Overall, this was a really fun part of my year, and I love looking back on how I attempted/failed/succeeded with this list. Stay tuned for 2016’s resolutions. Anything I should add to the list? (I know Nate is crossing his fingers for fewer experiments in fermentation..)

It's only fair to share...