Happy new year!

For the first Hearth and Soul Blog Hop of the year, I decided to compile a list of the 11 Earthling’s Handbook recipes that were most popular last year–some of which have been online much longer than one year.  Just in case you missed them…

11. Improved Pasta Salad is a nutritious complete meal that is great for potluck dinners because it is vegan, it tastes good hot or cold, and most people like it.  Even a large amount takes only about half an hour to make.  This extremely versatile recipe can use almost any array of vegetables (fresh or frozen) that you have handy.  It even can be a way to use up random leftover cooked vegetables and pasta.

10. Spaghetti Sauce is never the same twice in my kitchen!  Although one particular variation was my tenth most popular recipe, the link goes to my list of all Spaghetti Sauce recipes, including two with unusual proteins.

9. Pumpkin Cornbread is a delicious side dish for autumn and winter meals.  It’s also great for breakfast.  You can make it with baked squash or sweet potato instead, if that’s what you have.

8. Speedy Sushi is our amateur, good-enough version of vegetable maki rolls.  The recipe is at the end of an article about how I successfully involved my son (then six years old) in menu planning and cooking.

7. Apricot Lentil Soup is wonderful on a cold evening.  (In fact, it’s what we’re having for dinner tonight!)  This is a thrifty recipe that’s easy to make on short notice, ready to eat in 45 minutes, and delicious left over.

6. Lentil Rice is one basic recipe with several flavor variations and plenty of flexibility.  It’s ideal for new mothers because the cooking can be paused as needed.  Recipe includes bonus silly musings about the names of frozen vegetable blends. 🙂

5. Masoor Dal is our version of an Indian lentil dish–we added carrots.  This easy recipe takes just 15 minutes to cook, and it’s delicious!  The flavor is complex enough to please adults but not too spicy for little children, and of course you can adjust the spices.

4. Skizzled Vegetables, Tofu, and Ramen is quick and easy to make.  The article includes a handy 4-step process to rejuvenate not-so-fresh tofu.

3. Roasted Cauliflower Leaves were a serendipitous discovery for my family when my six-year-old son announced his assumption that I would make them!  Turns out they are delicious!  The article includes instructions for making roasted vegetables in general.

2. Homemade Electrolyte Replenisher is an excellent beverage if you are recovering from dehydration (ah, flu season!), are hot and sweaty, or just have low blood pressure like I sometimes do.  The combination of ingredients sounds strange, but when you need it, it tastes really good.

1. Honey Baked Lentils is a wonderful, life-changing recipe that deserves its #1 slot!  Simply mix together some shelf-stable ingredients in a casserole dish, put it in the oven, spend an hour doing anything you like, and come back to a warm and satisfying main dish!  Delicious, nutritious, and not too ambitious, it even wins over the lentil-suspicious!

The chefs of The Purple Tulip have several recipes in development for publication in 2012.  Stay tuned!