The results have come in and the headliners for all-time favourites are a combination of easy desserts, cookies and hearty comfort food. Some recipes are quick and easy (Jamie Oliver’s Easy Apple Tart), some only have five ingredients (Jamie Oliver’s Easy Roasted Cauliflower) some are just plain decadent (Steak Frites with Whisky Peppercorn Sauce). Whatever you’re cooking from ELLE Gourmet, we’d love to hear about it. Email us at hello@ellegourmet.ca This article is reviewed and updated annually.
1. Crispy Duck Salad
Chef David Hawksworth’s duck salad recipe traces its roots back to London’s Chinatown. Crispy duck is tossed in a sweet and tangy dressing made with ketchup, soy sauce and honey, with a spicy, crunchy salad of watercress, carrot and daikon.
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2. Best Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
It’s hard not to love ginger molasses cookies, no matter what time of year. The same goes for Deb Perelman, whose big, chewy ginger cookie recipe is one of the best we’ve ever tried. Perelman says she had been looking for “thick, soft-but-not-too cakey, deeply spiced, and a little kicky dark-molasses cookie for a long time.” Perelman says: “These cookies are my winter obsession.”
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3. Steak Frites With Whisky Peppercorn Sauce
“This bistro classic is one you should commit to memory,” says David Prescott, “because it’s a serious flex to be able to make at home something most people only associate with restaurants.”
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4. Jamie Oliver’s Easy Roasted Cauliflower
All you need is five ingredients to make this simple meal. And as Jamie Oliver says: “Life is better with romesco sauce in it! Whether you’re using it to celebrate beautiful vegetables, like this cauliflower, or eating it with fish, poultry or lamb, it’s a joy to make and a pleasure to eat.”
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5. Ginger Garlic Chicken Noodle Soup
This chicken and ramen noodle soup recipe from Deb Perelman was inspired by the flavours of NYC’s Chinatown. “[The soup] works on a night that we’re thinking about getting Chinese food delivered, and we want something that’s a little more homemade.” Deb says. “It’s really just a very simple weeknight way to make chicken noodle soup, and I love that it has a little bit of those wonton soup flavours in it.”
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6. Egg and Halloumi Breakfast Plate
“Egg and halloumi” are trending on Google, which should come as no surprise for food writer Vanessa Perrone. What’s also trending? Healthy breakfast and brunch recipe ideas. That’s why we love Vanessa Perrone’s Mediterranean-inspired breakfast combination of fried halloumi, eggs, za’atar, spinach and ripe tomatoes.
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7. Turkey Meatball Soup
Natasha Kravchuk shares the inspiration behind this soup. “Baba (my mom) regularly makes this soup because it’s as soothing as it is delicious, and the adults are just as excited to smell it simmering on the stove when we walk in the door. You can also use ground chicken, pork or beef for the meatballs. I’ve tested them all for variety because I make this soup ALL THE TIME.”
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8. Jamie Oliver’s Easy 5-Ingredient Apple Tart
This impressive-looking apple tart can be thrown together in less than an hour (as long as you have some puff pastry already thawed) and is the perfect dessert for serving last-minute dinner guests. When describing how easy it is to make, Jamie Oliver says: “Inspired by the classic French tartlets you can find in patisseries, I’m using store-bought pastry for convenience. Topped with vanilla ice cream, this is a lovely little number to have up your sleeve.” We couldn’t agree more.
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9. Ombré Root Vegetable Pavé
Pavé is French for “cobblestone” and chef for flat, rectangular food that’s often composed of many layers,” explains Chef Michael Smith about this recipe. “The elaborate method wonderfully highlights the distinctive flavours of earthy root vegetables.” There’s no cream or cheese in this recipe, which makes it a lighter, and healthier, version of an ombre gratin.
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10. Healthy Oatmeal Cookies With Flax
Danish Home Bakery in Saskatchewan sells 15 different types of cookies, including these Oatmeal Cookies with Flax. The whole flaxseeds add a delightful crunch and nutty flavour to the cookies, which are soft and chewy on the inside with a perfectly crispy outer edge. Pair them with hot coffee or a cold glass of milk, and you’re set for dunking.
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The 5 runner-up recipes
We couldn’t help but include these five recipes that almost made it to the top 10. They also deserve to be put on repeat!
World’s Best Carrot Cake
Did you know that carrot cake tastes better the next day? The extra time allows the spices to deepen and bloom and the pineapple and carrots to moisten the cake to become the most wonderfully tender spiced dessert. When you make our Carrot Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting, it will be impossible to save for the next day – but we promise it’s worth the wait.
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Mary Berg’s French Onion Pot Roast
Mary Berg’s elevated take on pot roast and mashed potatoes is a delicious dinner for winter night. This comfort food recipe is also easy to make a few days ahead. “The sweetness of caramelized onions paired with rich and hearty slow-cooked beef is made all the more indulgent when paired with ultra cheesy, very French-feeling mashed potatoes,” says Berg.
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Whipped Ricotta With Truffle Honey
Ricotta is a cook’s secret weapon. Its mild, tangy flavour and touch of nuttiness pair ideally with anything from salty prosciutto to sweet berries. Whipping it transforms the slightly granular texture into a light, smooth and spreadable result. Kim Kushner’s recipe calls for spreading the whipped ricotta on grilled sourdough bread and then drizzled with truffle honey.
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One-Pot Chicken With Rice, Chorizo and Tomatoes
Spicy chorizo is in this version of a one-pot chicken and rice, but the recipe is versatile and easy to adjust, says Perelman. “You could add more vegetables for sure. You can always add greens to it,” she says. “Actually, it wouldn’t be terrible with a garlicky aioli. A little dab at the end if you’re looking for a little ‘zhuzh,’ put a little swish of that on the plate and then you spoon it on top.” And don’t forget the paella-style socarrat (rice crust) from the bottom of the pan – the layer of crispiness is divine.
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Sweet Potato Vegetarian Protein Balls
These hearty bites take the “meat” out of “meatballs” – but you won’t even notice it’s missing. A creamy curry-yogourt dipping sauce accompanies these satisfying vegetarian balls made with red lentils, sweet potatoes and red onion.
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