The 25 Most Popular Recipes of 2012

Ever wonder what other SparkPeople members are cooking? We sure do. That's why we rounded up the year's most-viewed recipes. Today we're sharing the top 25 recipes of 2012 from SparkRecipes.com, plus great tips and some of our favorite dishes you should commit to trying in 2013!
 
Most of these recipes were submitted by members like you!
 
1. Easy Zucchini Parmesan
To ensure perfectly crisp zucchini, bake on a metal rack to achieve even browning. Read my blog on faux frying for more details. In the mood for lemon? Try my Zucchini Ribbons with Lemony Bread Crumbs.

How to Throw a Party without Breaking a Sweat

As a chef, I love to entertain in our home--especially around the holidays when the house is decorated and we want to spend time with our family and friends. 
As part of my schooling, we were taught how to entertain as part of our hospitality training. We learned to plan and pull off magnificent events without a drop of sweat.

You don't need to go to culinary school to learn the same skills. Go ahead and set the date--you'll be prepared! Just follow my tips below for a well-planned event, and you'll still be smiling at the end of the night while saying (and believing), "Well, that was fun.  Let's do it again next year."
 
Make a party plan!

8 Useful Kitchen Tools for the Healthy Cook

How many times have you succumbed to takeout because it seemed like too much work to prepare a healthy meal at home? When you have a well-equipped kitchen, cooking nutritious foods doesn't have to be a chore. Whether you're cooking for a big family dinner or just making a meal for one on a Tuesday night, having the right tools makes kitchen time more effiicient. Add these eight tools to your kitchen to make cooking at home less of a hassle and more enjoyable. 

1. Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat (starting at $13.00)


Photo courtesy of Amazon

Non-stick silicone baking mats are great ways to cook items without any added fat. Whether you're baking cookies or roasting veggies, you can be sure your food won't need to be pried off the mat.
     
2. OXO Multi-Purpose Scraper and Chopper (starting at $9.95)


Photo courtesy of Amazon

A scraper is the perfect tool to speed up your prep time and keep your cutting board neat. Every time you grab your knife, collect the scraper as well. The straight edge lets you scoop up your chopped veggies without dulling the edge of your knife. The straight but not sharp edge makes this safe for new cooks and kids, too.
 
3. Tortilla Shell Pans ($24.99)

Photo courtesy of Amazon

You won't need Mexican takeout when you have these tortilla shell pans in your kitchen. No need for deep frying the tortilla in quarts of oil—use these pans to easily cut out the fat found in traditional taco salads. Bake them in the oven with just a mist of non-stick spray. You can also use these pans to bake cookie dough, filo dough or even cut pie crusts into "cups."

4. Cooking/Cooling Racks ($7.95)


Photo courtesy of Amazon

Oven-safe cooking and cooling racks are extremely useful to have in the kitchen. Use them to lift meats off baking or roasting pans to allow fat to drip away from your meat and onto the pan. They're also a must for faux frying foods by keeping the breaded foods elevated so the heat reaches all sides to give a "just fried" appearance without added the fat.

5. KitchenAid Immersion Blender ($47.99)

 
Photo courtesy of Amazon

I love tools that will handle more than one job in the kitchen. This immersion blender does so much more than just puree foods—it also chops fresh herbs to add to salsas, soups or salad dressings. Plus, it's perfect for making quick smoothies for a healthy breakfast or snack. 
 
6. Cuisipro Stainless Steel Measuring Cups and Spoons ($44.90)


Photo courtesy of Amazon 

A recipe that results in a perfect dish is actually a formula with specific ratios. Don't risk upsetting that ratio and risking failure by using warped or inaccurate measuring cups and spoons for your dry ingredients. These stainless steel Cuisipro cups will not change in shape after endless runs through the dishwasher, so your teaspoon of baking soda will remain just that.
 
7. Norpro "Wonder" Measuring Cup ($8.40)


Photo courtesy of Amazon 

In the kitchen, dry and liquid measuring cups are not interchangeable. But what if you're measuring something that's in between—say, something sticky? To ensure perfect results, reach for the "Wonder" measuring cup, which can easily measure sticky ingredients like honey, nut butters or tahini. Because of the tube style, you get the correct amount needed, without all the mess of a traditional measuring cup. Just slide up the measuring cup to push out the food.
  
8. AccuSharp Knife Sharpener ($8.09) 


Photo courtesy of Amazon 

If your go-to knife is dull, you will apply more pressure when cutting and chopping, which can lead to a slip and then a cut. Keep your knives sharp with an affordable and easy-to-store knife sharpener.
 
What are your favorite healthy cooking tools?

You might also like: Chef Meg's Top 10 Tools for a Stress-Free Kitchen

We hope you love these products as much as we do! SparkPeople may collect a small percentage of revenue from the links on this page. 

15 5-Minute Appetizers

This time of year, there's always an occasion where you need to bring a dish to share. But between work, home, and school obligations, not to mention your workouts and healthy meal prep, however will you find time to come up with something delicious and creative to take to the neighborhood gathering?
 
I've compiled a list of appetizers that will take no more than five minutes of hands-on work!
 
Appetizer vs. Hors D'Oeuvres
These days, appetizers and hors d'oeuvres are often used interchangeably (though we tend to use the word appetizer more commonly, probably because it's easier to spell), there is a difference. Appetizers are the first course of a meal, while hors d'oeuvres are bite-size portions of food displayed on a buffet or passed on a tray by the host or, at my house, a teenager trying to make up for tossing baseballs near the Christmas tree.  So really there's no big difference and who in the heck cares what they are called as long as they taste good.  To get started let's look at what make a good single bite of party food.

13 Tips to Ensure Your Cookies Turn Out Perfectly

Thinking back to your childhood, what part of the holidays do you remember the most?  Seeing people kiss under the mistletoe, sipping hot chocolate after an afternoon of sledding, or opening presents under a real tree?  Heck no!  It’s the cookies your mom or grandmother made.  The baked treats were so much a part of the holiday that my siblings actually bickered over who would get my mom’s tins that she stored the baked goods in before the holiday.

Let’s face it. The winter holidays are so stressful and busy. If we make a commitment to bake cookies we want it to be fun, we need the recipes to be simple, and most importantly outcomes to be successful.  When you invest time and money into baking supplies for cookies, you want them to come out perfect, right? 

Stress no more. I've answered all your baking questions below, pondered all the "what-ifs" when it comes to making cookies, and even provided you with a brand-new, healthier, no-fail holiday cookie recipe, too!
Read This before You Bake:

Is Your Kitchen Ready for Holiday Baking and Cooking?

Around the holidays, it seems like the stove and the oven are working overtime. We spend more time in the kitchen, sharing meals or prepping dishes for festive gatherings.  Make sure your kitchen is up for the task with these easy and quick kitchen tips. Consider it the wintertime equivalent of spring cleaning.

1. Take and inventory of your spice cabinet.  Check dates on spices and leavening ingredients, such as baking soda and baking powder.  Most spices don’t go bad but will lose some of their flavoring power.  (The exception: Poppy seeds and sesame seeds will go rancid. Open them up and if they smell oily or off, pitch. )  Incorporate any older spices into your menus over the next few weeks to use them up.  Leavening agents, however, lose their ability to leaven, or make baked goods rise.  If your baking soda has expired, use it to freshen your kitchen sink drain.  Pour the rest of the box into drain or disposal, add 1 cup white vinegar and let it do its stuff.  Rinse with warm water after 3 minutes.

12 Mashed Potato Makeovers

As you start to plan your Thanksgiving menu, think about this historical tidbit: Sarah Josepha Hale, an influential 19th-century editor who also wrote "Mary Had a Little Lamb," is to thank for your traditional Thanksgiving meal. Not only did she pitch the idea of making Thanksgiving a national holiday to President Lincoln but she also suggested that home cooks make food that was popular at the time rather than what the Pilgrims and American Indians ate at their first feast.

While Hale's holiday stuck, her push for us to cook modern food faded. The roast poultry, stuffing/dressing, and yes mashed potatoes stuck around. Why? My guess is that it’s because we know what we like and most people, my dad especially do not like change.  I have news for my family (actually I may not tell them!) that I am taking a stand. I'm going to start with a mashed potato makeover.  I plan to swap out some of the traditional white potatoes with other tubers or vegetables that might boost fiber and add nutrients or flavor. 

Here's how you can make over your mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving Day or any other night they're on the menu.

The Apple Pie You Gotta Wrap Your Hands Around

This Thanksgiving, you can put away the pie server, the pie plate, and even those forks because the pie you'll be serving up is of the grab-and-go variety--though it's so delicious you'll want to sit and linger over it!
 
Just like petite pies in mini muffin tins were popular last year, this year it's all about hand pies. These tasty, versatile treats are perfect as a dessert after a holiday meal, in a lunch box or as after school treat. They're also a great single-serving dessert for all the holiday open house parties. If you remember the personal size fruit pies from your youth, fear not: I've cut more than half the calories and fat. 
 

Chef Meg's Apple Hand Pie	National Brand Apple Hand Pie
161 calories	470 calories
9 grams fat	20 grams fat

Your Stress-Free Thanksgiving Planning Guide

The wheel of "It's your turn to host Thanksgiving" was spun and the arrow stopped on me. Yippee! If you won this year too, check out this list and you will be smiling all day.  No stress, no worries, just holiday spirit, laughter among loved ones and plenty of delicious food.

The Secret to Perfect (Faux) Frying

You might not find discussions of pan frying or deep fat frying in most cookbooks geared to healthy cooking for obvious reasons. I guess that means that if we want to live a healthy lifestyle we will no  longer enjoy the golden breading color on pieces of cooked Dover sole or the crunch we hear when we bite into a chicken leg coated in a crispy breading. Guess again! If you've said goodbye to those crispy cooked foods--say hello again!  Faux frying creates a lighter version of the pan- or deep-fried foods that we all crave.  It's simple, quick, and easy.  Best of all, your home (and your hair) won't smell of a deep fat fryer for days after the meal. 

Tap into the Potential of Taproots This Fall

By definition, a taproot is the single root of a plant that extends deep into the soil to supply the above-ground plant with nutrients. My definition of a taproot is YUM! It is such a shame these vegetables are grown below ground because many are just too pretty to hide. Maybe that's their plan: to hang out underground and develop earthy flavor notes and then when plucked from the earth it's like a walk down the red carpet showing off their textured and colorful skin. Taproots such as parsnips, beets, carrots, and celery root have been around for ages and still shine as cooler weather favorites. 

I love what a little cool weather can do to sweeten up parsnips and how a hot oven will transform the  flesh into to a golden sweet vegetable dish. 
 
Look for different varieties of taproots at your local market and follow the guide below to incorporate them into all your fall and winter meals. 

Simple Sauces for Chicken

Chicken is the go-to protein for a light and healthy meal, but when you announce that you're having grilled chicken breasts for dinner, does anyone applaud or yell "great, I can't wait"?

What if you said you were having Grilled Chicken Breasts… with a Citrus-Infused Sauce?

And the crowd goes wild! 

Organize Your Kitchen to Fall into Healthy Habits

It's the most wonderful time of the year... 

I've been softly singing that tune for the past two weeks in anticipation of my three teenage sons and me going back to school.  Yes, I love my boys and have loads of fun home with them in the summer, but it's time.  I look forward to the weeknights that everyone is home by 9 p.m. (no more late baseball games!) and fast asleep before 11--mom, too.  My days will soon be filled with bright-eyed budding chefs to be learning how to hold a knife properly, fillet a fish, and shop for the best quality foods. 
 
With school just around the corner, my family, much like yours, needs to get its act together.  Early fall is a perfect time of year to get organized for school and home.   Even if you are not sending anyone off to school this list will help you gain control of your home before the holidays are upon us and it really gets crazy.

Easy School (and Work) Lunch Ideas

What kid or adult for that matter doesn't want to be the envy of the cafeteria, thanks to their delicious packed lunch?  In my family, when the kids hop into the car after school the first question or comment of the day usually pertains to the mid-day meal.
Most days I hear: "It was great, everyone wanted to trade with me!"  Of course, I also hear that lunch wasn't so good some days, too.
 
What does make a great lunch?  Is it something new, colorful, warm, hot, or one that comes in a packaged compartment tray?  As a Chef and mother of three boys the answer is yes to all of the above.  The chef in me thinks back to simple culinary training and passion for the seasons.  Warm soups, stews, or savory dishes are perfect for lunch on cool days whereas cold salads or sandwiches with fruit hit the spot of the hot days.  Just mix it up!  Check out these fun and easy ideas for you and your family to pack or even eat in for lunch meals.

16 Ways to Say Yes to Greek Yogurt

It's funny to think that just a few years ago most of us had never heard of Greek yogurt, and now it has taken over the dairy case at most markets. By straining the whey, Greek yogurt (also called strained yogurt) is not only thicker but also provides twice the protein of traditional yogurt. Greek yogurt is tangier than traditional American yogurt and less sweet. 
 
The market is flooded with Greek yogurts these days in so many varieties: full-fat, low-fat, and fat-free; plain or flavored; and traditional Greek or Greek-style, which contains thickeners and stabilizers to give it that thick texture. The thickness and tang make even the fat-free varieties seem rich.
 
Because the whey is drained off, there is slightly less calcium in Greek yogurt.