My Top Recipes of 2019

Oh God, I’m becoming old. My Twitter has become a dumping ground for shitty food photography and Epstein memes.

When I first moved in with Digi, I knew how to cook approximately 3 things. Digi’s parents kindly donated to us a handful of pots and pans, and a set of well loved knives. We would frequently dine out or pick up lunch at the Tim Horton’s down the road. For my lunch break, I’d drop in to visit my Dad and scope-out whatever was left in the fridge. I ate a lot of frozen turkey burgers, and soggy stir-frys. 

I was traumatized by the kitchen from a brownie batch gone wrong. When I was 13, my younger sister learned how to make these scrumptious Mexican cinnamon brownies at summer camp. In a desperate struggle to match her genius, I tried my hand at baking. My attempts with the Betty Crocker mixes went over well enough, and I wanted to advance to making them by scratch. I found a simple recipe for fudge brownies online. It called for “1 salt”, so naturally I poured an entire cup of sodium chloride into the batter. The result was a noxious fudgy sludge, which would have offended any decent person. However, this did not stop my sister from trying a heaping spoonful of the brown goop and subsequently hurling her guts out.

To this day, I have not reattempted to make brownies by scratch but overcoming my deep-seated sense of inadequacy in the kitchen has become a source of pride. I get some sick kick out of posting pictures of my creations on social media, I imagine in the same way an e-girl must feel when boasting of her efforts to overcome whatever societal norms kept the rest of us from showing our assholes to the internet. Yes, I messed with the saturation to make the broccoli look greener. Now pay me!

So when I think back to how many food pictures I posted online this year, I can’t help but wince. Taking pictures of transformed carbs and fat with my smartphone and slapping on a filter does not make me any more of a chef. But I do sincerely love cooking. Maybe this blog can become a containment zone for this sort of thing. Anyway, here is a list of the best recipes I’ve made this year. Nothing on this list is too difficult or complicated for novice cooks. Give one a go and let me know how it came out!

• 5.) Instant Pot Ribs – Tastes Better from Scratch

I absolutely love my instant pot. You can make chili, rice, soups, stews, curries, and all sorts of other dishes in way less time. However, my absolute favorite thing to make in this bad boy is ribs. They fall perfectly off the bone. Even Gordon Ramsey agrees. I’ve tried a couple different versions but this recipe is the best. The liquid smoke is a must! I usually serve with baked beans or a salad. Any leftovers I throw in some mac and cheese for the next day’s lunch.

• 4.) Snoop Dogg’s Fried Chicken

I had to try these after watching a couple millennials review them from a Tasty video. There is a lot of prep work here, but I had a blast making these for Christmas dinner. It was my first time ever making fried chicken. After a few overcooked drumsticks, I nailed down the frying. The end result was incredible. Best fried chicken I’ve ever had.

• 3.) Classic Minestrone Soup – Cookie + Kate

I couldn’t leave you vegetarians out! This is one of the first recipes I learned and my favorite thing to eat on a cold night. Depending on which vegetables you use, there can be a decent amount of prep work. I like adding in red potatoes and zucchini, but you can throw in just about anything to this soup. I sometimes add in Italian sausage for a heartier meal. Serve with fresh bread.

• 2.) Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas – SkinnyTaste

The first time I made this I was surprised how light and flavorful the meat came out. Beware, this recipe will make a huge batch. So if you’re only cooking for yourself maybe only use half the roast and freeze the rest. It’s great over tacos or rice. A hundred times better than Chipotle and with significantly less sodium.

• 1.) Lemon Garlic Parmesan Shrimp Pasta – The Recipe Critic

The perfect recipe to impress a date or when you’re just feeling a little extra. Simple, inexpensive, and super flavorful. I know this picture is actually from last year, but it’s such a great recipe. Keep them tails on for that extra dash of pretension.