Ahhh that break was lovely!
I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas, be that surrounded by family and friends or just some time to relax.
I've had a hectic time and after weeks of planning Christmas Day and Boxing Day, they were over in a flash.
At this time of the year I like to look back on which recipes have been popular over the past year. As well as an interesting exercise it lets me see what kind of recipes people are enjoying. Do leave me a comment if you've particularly enjoyed some of my recipes this year. I know some of you just pop by and don't like to leave a comment, but don't be shy, you can use the anonymous option in the comment box if you don't want to use your name.
So here we go, the most popular recipes of 2016 on Tinned Tomatoes.
Top 10 Veggie Recipes 2016
1. Easy Mediterranean Tarts
11,804 views (vegan)
Little did I know when I made these simple tarts how Popular they would be. They are super quick to make and all the ingredients were from Iceland and mostly from their freezers. It's a doddle to make and serve with very little effort. You know that I like easy, especially midweek.
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It only cost me £6.75 to put together this meal for 4 people and I still had tomato puree, some pastry, potato wedges and sweetcorn left. Better still we all really enjoyed it.
2. 10 Minute Spicy Bean Burgers
8898 views (vegan)
Yes, fresh homemade burgers made in 10 minutes. 10 minutes or less and they are ready to cook, chill or freeze for later.
You really couldn't get an easier recipe. The beans are mashed in a bowl with spices and oats. The burgers are tasty, quick and healthy. No oil or egg is added to the mixture. The beans make a great binder and you can make them as spicy as you like. Yes, you must try them!
3. Spiced Carrot, Lentil and Kale Soup
8246 views (vegan)
Not one of my bonniest looking soups, but everyone loves a good hearty soup, especially when winter hits. Although saying that, it has been particularly mild here in Scotland this winter.
This flavoursome soup has lentils added to make it even heartier and is spiced with fresh ginger and ground cumin, coriander and turmeric. Delicious!
4. Malteser Fudge Brownies
7815 views (vegetarian & vegan recipes)
Cooper and I have a tradition. Well we have quite a few, but one of them is making chocolate cake on the first day of the new school year. This year I picked him up from school and we went into town to our favourite books shop for hot chocolate and cake and lots of book browsing. Graham joined us, and we went out for a long dog walk, so we really didn't have time to bake a full layered chocolate cake when we got home.
Instead we made these fudgey Malteser brownies and topped them with the chocolate buttercream that was destined for the cake. They were wonderful and even more fudgey the second day after a night in the fridge.
5. Apple, Beet & Pecan Salad
6669 views (vegan)
Back in March I was already craving salads after a long winter. I get this point every year when the days start to get longer and the sun is shining. It may still be cold, but I need a change from all the soup I have eaten through the winter and a Salad feels so summery and optimistic.
This salad was full of crunch from the apple, spring onion, cucumber and pecan, some tang from the pickled baby beets and finished with the most glorious honey (or agave) mustard dressing.Yum!
6. Scottish Cottage Pie
5976 views (vegan)
Cottage pie is a really traditional Scottish dish. It was originally made from beef, a peasant dish using scraps of cheap meat teamed with onions and carrots (staple Scottish crops) in a rich gravy and topped with mashed potato. I say topped with mashed potato, but before potatoes arrived on the bonnie banks of Scotland, these pies were topped with pastry.
My pie is vegan and uses soya mince, which is a good protein option for vegetarians and vegans as well as a low fat option and fairly cheap. You can use dried soya mince, which health shops stock or frozen veggie mince which you will find in the freezer section of your local supermarket.
I sliced the potatoes this time for a wee change instead of adding mash and it was rather good. It was comforting and delicious and I urge you to try it.
7. Grilled Halloumi and Red Pepper Burgers
5849 views (vegetarian)
You know when you order a halloumi burger in a bar or restaurant and it's not a traditional burger, but layers of grilled halloumi? Yes, this is one of those. The halloumi is the star of the show.
A stacked grilled halloumi and red pepper burger layered in a bun with grilled courgette, salad leaves and salsa. The vegetables and cheese are grilled for extra flavour and texture. Drooling here! Sorry my vegan friends. Look away!
8. Gingerbread Cupcakes with Pineapple Frosting
4964 views (vegan/dairy free)
I wanted to make a seasonal treat for Graham and knowing he isn't keen on Christmas cake, I made these ginger spiced cupcakes. The cupcakes, didn't have the rise of a standard cupcake, but I didn't expect that of gingerbread anyway and they did taste great, so it was all good.
For the frosting, I whizzed up a couple of bags of dried pineapple crisps in my Froothie blender, which turned it into a powder, which I added to icing sugar,with lemon juice and dairy free spread. I piped the frosting on and finished off the cupcakes with a pineapple crisp. The perfect finishing touch.
These were all eaten by my boys in an indecent time, so I can safely say they are a winner.
9. Creamy Chestnut Mushroom and Fresh Herb Pasta Salad
4761 views (vegetarian and vegan recipe)
This is the perfect dish for me a I love mushrooms and I love pasta salad. Pasta salad is great for a buffet or picnic, but it is also great served for dinner at any time of year. It's full of flavour and really hearty too.
I added wine and lots of fresh herbs to this creamy sauce to really ramp up the flavour. So good!
10. Chickpea and Vegetable Hand Pies
4518 views (vegan)
Another easy recipe using frozen vegetables. This time I made pies with puff pastry and filled them with roast vegetables, chickpeas and hummus for the most heavenly hot and flaky pies. Such a superb combination. These can be eaten hot or cold. I say eat them hot for dinner and make sure you have some leftover pies for an easy and self-contained lunch.
I do hope you tried some of these recipes or plan to try them soon. These were the most popular recipes on my blog in 2016. I wonder what will be popular next year?
I wish you all a happy, healthy and delicious 2017.
