Readers' Choice Awards: Best Recipes of 2013 - Pinch of Yum
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Readers’ Choice Awards: Best Recipes of 2013

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I keep hearing “2014” and thinking that it’s in like 6 years. Um, no, more like 6 seconds. CAN YOU EVEN BELIEVE IT?!

The year 2013 was a really interesting year for Pinch of Yum, because a) I was cooking from the Philippines for half of the year, b) the blog continued to grow in spite of new challenges faced from running a food blog from abroad – seriously, totally unexpected and thank you for your lovin, and c) you showed me that you reeeeally like healthy family-friendly recipes that use the most tasty and delicious whole foods, and I do too! so I started to focus on those recipes more on Pinch of Yum.

Over the last year, you’ve clicked, shared, pinned, liked, tweeted, sampled, gobbled, and loved. Here are the best of the best of the year 2013, according to the collective y-o-u.

Noodle Lovin

Filipino Pancit:

I have two versions of this recipe, one from the aunties at orphanage that I was working at and one that I did on my own. Can I just say? I love that you love pancit.

Filipino Pancit in a pot.

Hoisin Pork with Rice Noodles:

Inspired by a Thai and Vietnamese restaurant in Cebu. I have dreams about this.

Hoisin Pork with Rice Noodles

Garlic Butter Spaghetti with Herbs:

An ode to very fresh and simple food.

Garlic Butter Spaghetti with a fork.

Oh Yes I Did: Casserole

Chicken and Rice Casserole:

The really basic and cozy food of my childhood.

Chicken and rice casserole on a white plate.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole:

The really basic and cozy food of my present. Like I might go make it right now.

Chicken enchilada casserole.

Southwestern Quinoa and Black Bean Casserole:

For when you’re feeling friendly towards veggies and quinoa dressed up in Southwestern spice.

Quinoa Black Bean Casserole.

Meaty Meat Meat, + Chicken

Carnitas Tamale Pie:

Basically an excuse to eat carnitas on sweet corn bread with melted cheese.

Carnitas Tamale Pie

Baked Mozzarella Chicken Rolls:

Introduced to me by my sister, inspired by the lovely Gina of Skinnytaste. Itsa good one.

Baked mozzarella chicken rolls in a white baking dish.

Crockpot Mexican Chicken:

The easiest thing you’ll ever make. And everyone loves it. And you can make NACHOS.

Crockpot mexican chicken on a tortilla.

I ♥︎ Sweetness

Can’t stop won’t stop.

cookie brownies on parchment paper.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Discovered completely by accident. The basic secret: melt half the butter, let it cool to solid, and get enough flour in there so they stay thick and chewy. MY LIFE.

Chocolate chip cookies on a white plate.

Healthy Maple Glazed Pumpkin Muffins:

A long time fall staple, updated with less sugar and oil. And oh PS the glaaaaaaaze.

Healthy Maple Glazed Pumpkin Muffins on parchment paper.

So Fresh and So Clean

Caramelized Salmon:

I photographed and wrote this post at 5am before going on vacation to the cabin with my family for two weeks. Oh the things you never knew about food blogging. #worthit

Caramelized Salmon

Pomegranate, Kale, and Wild Rice Salad with Walnuts and Feta:

Like many winning recipes, I made it on a total whim just using what I had on hand. I think luck favors the resourceful cook. I luv this one.

Pomegranate, Kale, and Wild Rice Salad with Walnuts and Feta in a bowl with dressing drizzle.

Chopped Thai Chicken Salad:

That stuff that looks like cheddar cheese? It’s PAPAYA. Gorgeous yummy juicy Filipino papaya that’s as big as my head. Promise.

Thai Chicken Salad on a white plate.

Of Course, The Cauliflower

Creamy Cauliflower Garlic Rice:

It’s totes predictable. And so creamy and so cheesy and so wonderful.

Creamy Cauliflower Garlic Rice | pinchofyum.com

Healthy Fettuccine Alfredo:

BAM. You loved this one. Glad to have some fellow fettuccine obsessors in the crowd this year.

Healthy Fettuccine Cauliflower Alfredo in a pan with wooden spoons.

Creamy Cauliflower Sauce:

And the recipe that takes first place in the Reader’s Choice Awards this year is, not surprisingly, this garlic-y cream sauce made from a vegetable. Lots of pins, lots of comments, lots of detailed reviews… WE JUST GET EACH OTHER.

Cauliflower Sauce in a pan.

Much love to you, my awesome readers, commenters, emailers, virtual friends, and recipe try-ers for making 2013 a superfun blog year. I adore you and your food lovingness more than you know. Would it be weird if I said *mwah* now?

…Just did it.

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49 Comments

  1. Pinch of Yum Logo

    All of these look amazing Lindsay! My fav was the chopped Thai chicken salad…fab-u-freaking-lous! You just made planning all me and the hubster’s dinners out for the next 2 months so much easier with this list, thanks girl! So excited to see what you have up your sleeve for 2014!

  2. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Love, LOVE your blog! I have officially decided that I’m going going to slowly work through your recipe archives. I’m doing my student teaching starting January and I’m using you as inspiration to make yummy healthy lunches to take to school with me 😉 P.S. any tips you have on planning ahead (freezing and packing) would be awesome!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Thank you Nina! I rarely freeze stuff, but I almost always keep the recipes in little take-to-work-lunch-boxes and then just eat them as leftovers throughout the week. Good luck with your student teaching!

  3. Pinch of Yum Logo

    So fun to look back at the wonderful recipes and realized I tried many of them! I’m excited to have gotten a rice cooker and a new kitchenAid mixer for Christmas that I’ve been wanting for years! Now I can really bake and cook away! I look forward to what 2014, brings your way!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      How exciting! I just got a KitchenAid mixer as well and I’m actually using it this morning to make some bread! You’ll have to let me know if you have any great mixer recipes in 2014! 🙂

  4. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I love these ‘best of 2013’ roundups to end the year. What a fun way to look back. I of course did mine as well.
    You have an awesome blog and work so hard. I appreciate all you do. Happy New Year Lindsay!

  5. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I love these end of the year round-ups. It is so fun to see what the reader’s favorites were across so many different sites. Plus it is a great opportunity for current readers to try something they may have missed over the course of the year. Like those Hoisin Pork Noodles for example. I can’t wait to try them soon!

    Happy 2014! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience with all of us.

  6. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Happy new year Lindsay! Thanks for all the super delicious recipes this year, I can’t wait to see what you have in store for us for 2014!

  7. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Thanks so much for this great roundup! I like the idea of the salmon because it’s so simple, and the wild rice salad because of the lovely colours and healthiness of it all! Thanks for all the blog inspiration and tips, too. Happy New Year!

  8. Pinch of Yum Logo

    not sure how i missed these earlier this year… but now i’m pregnant and they are ALL sounding good to me! Can’t wait to cook them 🙂