Last night I used leftover grilled steak and peppers, plus some Monterey Jack cheese and cilantro, to make fajitas. The smoky flavour made them extra delicious.

This ridiculously easy chicken became a staple for us:
http://rachelschultz.com/2012/.....t-chicken/

A lot of my best meals don't use recipes. For example earlier this week I had a discounted (close to expiry) package of gnocchi and a $1 (discounted because they were getting too ripe) clamshell of cherry tomatoes to use up. I halved and sauteed the tomatoes in olive oil with lots of garlic. Then I added a blob of tomato pasta sauce from an open jar in the fridge, a glug of heavy cream, a couple of tablespoons of pesto, and a few handfuls of baby spinach that I tore into pieces before tossing into the pan, plus salt and pepper. I mixed in the cooked gnocchi, and then topped it with some crumbled feta before serving. It was delicious and took less than 30 minutes.

You had me at "ridiculously easy."

Favoriting now that I'm moving to the 'burbs. I order food everyday.

Just chiming back in to report on a few cooking adventures. I have to say that the chicken with dijon and maple was a huge hit and will become a repeat. Thank you for posting that Adriane! I pounded out the chicken breasts so they would cook more evenly but other than that, I followed the recipe exactly. Everyone loved it. I also made one of the raw shredded brussel sprout salads with cranberries, nuts and dijon dressing. Very good but didn't receive much love from the kids. Alicat's sausage, kale, and bean stew came out great too. The recipe is very similar to the Olive Garden version except doesn't have half and half in it. I will be making that again too. So glad that everyone posted their recipes. It's just the thing I needed to get motivated in the kitchen!

I too discovered raw kale salad in 2013, and much enjoyed it (doubly so since I finally had kale in my own garden. Until the snowplow buried it.)

But my favourite new recipe of the year was Tuscan Turkey Soup, introduced to me by my daughter, as an amazing and new way to use up the leftover turkey. I can dig up and attach a recipe if desired, but it's like your regular (broth based) turkey soup with the addition of: tomatoes (diced, sauce, paste or juice); Italian seasoning such as rosemary or oregano; spinach or kale; and ideally pasta or noodles (though still yummy with rice), Also, some fresh Parmesan grated on top if available.

My latest favorite recipe is Quinoa Pilaf with Herbs and Lemon. It's SO good left over, too. Sadly, you'll need a CI membership to see the recipe...

http://www.cooksillustrated.co.....=MCSCZ00L0

Kale is such a favorite with us, but I've been given the task of finding a new way to SO to prepare it besides what we always do: saute in olive oil, add a sprinkle of shoyu.

There are a zillion fabulous kale recipes, but he needs something extremely easy.

I was thinking about this http://www.marthastewart.com/3.....-and-lemon even though it involves the extra step of zesting a lemon.

My mom makes Kale chips, April. They are delicious although I've never made them. I think I'll pick up an extra bunch to try them. Thanks for the reminder.