Weeknight Cooking

10 New Year's Cooking Goals (and 20 Recipes to Get You Started)

January  2, 2015

Some resolutions -- flossing every day, regaining the ability to touch your toes, spending less money on fancy salts -- fall in the category of more necessary than fun. But the right cooking resolutions can be both attainable and pleasurable.

So set out to actually use the appliance you got for Christmas three years back and to make friends with your butcher. Soon, you'll be enjoying delicious food while celebrating your accomplishments.

1. Break in the slow cooker.

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Whole Slow Cooker-Poached Chicken and Southern Slow Cooker Choucroute by Nicholas Day

  

 

2. Get over that fear of lard.

Leaf Lard Biscuits by Cara Nicoletti and Welsh Cakes by Donna

  

  

3. Think beyond all-purpose flour.

Buckwheat Thumbprint Cookies with Cherry Preserves by Alice Medrich and Crisp and Tender Almond Flour Pancakes by creamtea

  

 

4. Make soup ahead. Make soup ahead. Make soup ahead. Make soup ahead.

Anna Thomas' Green Soup by Genius Recipes and Red Pepper and Cauliflower Chowder by Kendra Vaculin

  

 

5. Eat some greens that don't start with "k" and end with "ale." (Yep, we heard you.)

Pink Greens by Marissa Grace and Red Chard with Festive Spices by Emily

  

 

6. Order (a little) less take-out.

Multi-Layered Scallion Pancakes by Mandy @ Lady and pups and Joanne Chang's Hot and Sour Soup by Genius Recipes

  

 

7. Bake bread at home.

Maple Oat Breakfast Bread by fiveandspice and Homemade Naan by Carey Nershi

  

 

8. Reduce kitchen waste.

Vegetable Stock by Marian Bull and Chicken Stock by Jestei

  

 

9. Step up your salad game and make dinner-worthy creations.

Roasted Pear and Rainbow Chard Salad by Elizabeth Stark and Quinoa and Mango Salad with Lemony-Ginger Dressing by jenniebgood

  

 

10. Get familiar with unfamiliar cuts and types of meat.

Roasted and Whipped Bone Marrow and Crepinettes with Kale and Shallots by Cara Nicoletti

  

What are your 2015 cooking aspirations? Share with us in the comments below!

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8 Comments

Transcendancing December 30, 2015
Loved this article - some of these are among my goals, others just look good and some of them I've even tried (like the bone marrow butter which is truly truly awesome, do make that!)
 
Engr M. January 31, 2015
Patricia C. Ross
This recipe will be helpful for working women and bachelors.Do try this method and let me know your feedback.If u like without garam masala, try this recipe else follow this way. Nowadays i use my rice cooker for making pongal,pulao & biryani.The best thing i love in rice cooker is the aroma of the food it renders while boiling.
http://ricecooker-hq.com/ [email protected]

 
Jo January 11, 2015
I love love love lard but for some reason have had trouble sourcing it lately! Thanks for the reminder to keep looking.
We probably eat other greens as often as we have kale. Another interesting green to cook? Try iceberg lettuce! It softens quickly and becomes tender and translucent - while still retaining an intriguing crunch. Great in stir fries.
Also thanks for reminding me to make stock - I have in my freezer...a batch of prawn shells, and also a leg of lamb bone!
My salads are invariably dull! Thanks for reminder that there's life after lettuce/cuke/toms...
Unfamiliar cuts of meat - definitely worth exploring. We went through a period of scraping through life on one income and had to explore cheaper (and unfamiliar) cuts of meat - best discovery? Beef cheeks. I've seen it become trendy and can now pay twice the price that I used to, only a few years ago. I get a tonne of great feedback every time I cook it.
So - thanks for giving much to think about and more importantly, DO!
I also want to cook stuff from the cookbooks I own...I think, one recipe per cook book, each week.
Great post, thank you!
 
Kelleil January 4, 2015
It was with great sadness that I learned upon moving to Germany that they don't have slow cookers.
 
Molly January 4, 2015
Yes, they do have slow cookers in Germany- look on amazon.de--- I live in Europe and have inherited one from a friend from there. It is not fancy, but it works! Or order from another EU country (like the UK) and use a plug adapter.
 
Jamie D. January 3, 2015
I have a goal to cook at least two new dishes from all of my cookbooks! And also working on baking more bread.
 
Kat January 2, 2015
I feel the lard love! I refuse to believe anything will result in a more tender and flakey biscuit. Refuse.
 
lastnightsdinner January 2, 2015
That slow cooker poached chicken is fantastic. We made it a week or so ago, and my whole family loved it. The only change I made was that I dashed a little rice vinegar into the broth for brightness when I served it. Really good stuff, and such a great do-ahead for the week.