My Favourite 12 Recipes of 2012

The end of 2012 is almost here and I thought that was a great opportunity to take a look back at the year and collect my favourites recipes. With this being 2012 I figured that it would be appropriate to choose my favourite 12 recipes rather than the normal 10 recipes and that works out perfectly at one for each month. It is interesting to note that some of the recipes that were my favourites are...

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25 Most Pinned Recipes in 2012

In 2012 I discovered and became totally addicted to pinterest.com and with the end of the year here I thought that it might be interesting to see which Closet Cooking recipes were the most popular on pinterest.com. Here are the 25 most popular Closet Cooking recipes on pinterest.com! Most of them you will be familiar with but there were a few surprises in the list that keeps things interesting!If...

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Bacon Jam Breakfast Sandwich with Fried Egg and Avocado

For those readers that got some bacon jam as a gift or for those that made their own, these bacon jam breakfast sandwiches are a great way to enjoy some of it on a lazy holiday morning. (If you don't have any bacon jam, you seriously need to try making some! It is super easy to make and so addictively good!) This breakfast sandwich combines the sweet, salty, smoky and spicy bacon jam with cool...

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Peppermint Candy Cane Popcorn

I have really been into homemade popcorn lately, making it both for snacking and for gift giving and up next is a festive peppermint candy cane popcorn that is perfect for the holiday season! Specialty popcorns like caramel popcorn cost and arm and a leg compared to what you get and it turns out that they can be supper easy to make them at home. This peppermint candy cane popcorn is as easy to make...

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Homemade Microwave Popcorn

To make the cookies and cream popcorn I needed some popcorn which left me with a conundrum since I really don't like most store bought microwave popcorn or making popcorn on the stove top. It never really occurred to me that I could make my own microwave popcorn at home so I was ready to make the popcorn on the stovetop when on a whim I did a search on the internet for homemade microwave popcorn...

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Cookies and Cream Popcorn

I have been seeing some pretty amazing looking homemade gourmet popcorn going around the food blogging sphere for a while now and I have always wanted to try my hands at making some! With the holiday season here I was thinking that specialty popcorn would make for some spectacular gifts, I mean who wouldn't be happy to receive a bag of this as a gift! On the top of my list of popcorns to try was...

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Chocolate and Maraschino Cherry Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread has to be one of my favourite holiday cookies, I mean it is so easy to make and that melt in your mouth buttery goodness is almost impossible to resist! Although plain shortbread is amazing you can fill it with pretty much anything from simple to gourmet and from sweet to savoury even. Taking a queue from my candied orange peel shortbread I had been wanting to try a festive version with...

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Peppermint White Chocolate Chip Cookies

In addition to baking my favourite holiday cookies every year I like to try some new ones and top on my list for this year was some peppermint white chocolate chip cookies. White chocolate chunk and macadamia nut cookies have to be one of my all time favourite cookies and I was thinking that it would be great to take a festive spin on them and use peppermint instead of the macadamia nuts. For the...

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Chorizo Queso Fundido

With all of the cookies and other sweets during the holidays it is always nice to change things up a bit and go with something savoury! You can never go wrong with a hot cheese dip whether you are throwing a party or just wtching the game and I knew exactly which hot cheese dip that I wanted to try at my next party. I came across this chorizo queso fundido on Smells Like Home a while ago and I have...

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Chicken Piccata

After having recently made the chicken marsala, it reminded me of another Italian chicken and pan sauce dish, chicken piccata and I could not resist updating the photos for the recipe. Piccata is an Italian method of preparing meat where the meat is cut thinly, breaded and then fried in oil or butter before a pan sauce is made with the drippings, white wine, lemon juice, capers and butter. Next to...

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Bacon Jam Chicken Club Sandwich with Avocado and Chipotle Mayo

With the holidays quickly approaching I figured that it was about time to start making some gifts and of course the first thing on my list was a couple of batches of bacon jam! I mean you really cannot go wrong giving this super tasty, sweet, salty, smoky and spicy bacon jam as a gift this year! In addition to making the bacon jam as gifts for others I could not resist making some for myself and...

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Pumpkin Pie Quinoa Parfait with Gingersnap Pecan Streusel

I had some leftover pumpkin puree that I wanted to use and after the apple crumble quinoa parfaits earlier in the week, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it; pumpkin pie quinoa parfaits! The idea was simple, mix some pumpkin pie spices and brown sugar into the pumpkin puree and layer it with Greek vanilla yogurt and quinoa spiced with cinnamon. At this point everything sounds nice and healthy...

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Green Bean, Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Tart

Simple sauteed green beans, mushrooms and onions has to be one of my favourite side dishes but it is always nice to change things up and to use that fabulous combo in other dishes! I recently came across the idea of using the combo in a green bean and mushroom tart on A Spicy Persective and of course I just had to try it. I have been enjoying the ease and simplicity of puff pastry tarts for a while...

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Pizza Quesadillas (aka Pizzadillas)

I was immediately captivated by the idea of topping a quesadilla like a pizza when I first came across it a while ago! I mean you really cannot go wrong combining two great things like quesadillas and pizza! Ever since I made the taco quesadilla pizzas I have been wanting to try making pizza pizza quisadillas and I could not hold off on making them any longer! The basic idea is that you make a pizza...

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Butternut Squash, Mushroom, Kale and Sausage Frittata

I have had the idea of using the flavour combo of butternut squash, mushrooms, kale and possibly Italian turkey sausage in a recipe for a couple of weeks but I could never really decide what to use them in and I never really had the time to think about it. Now that things have calmed down a bit I finally got to thinking about it and although my initial idea to use them in a quinoa salad sounded good...

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Apple Crumble Quinoa Parfait

I have been a fan of quinoa ever since I discovered it and I am always looking for new ways to enjoy it. I recently came across the idea of using it in an apple and quinoa parfait with a crumble topping on Epicureean Mom that sounded so good that I had to try it! I have used quinoa in parfaits before so I knew that it worked well in them and that this apple crumble one would be a winner! This parfait...

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Apple Crisp Pizza with Caramel Sauce

I am a huge fan of apple desserts and I always enjoy fall and early winter with their huge selection of apples to use in them. Some of my favourite apple treats include apple crisps and apple pies so when I came across a recipe that combined the two an served them up in pizza form as an apple crisp pizza on The Girl Who Ate Everything I knew that I would have to try it! The basic idea is that a...

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Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pie Steel Cut Oatmeal

With the cooler weather here I have been getting back into warming bowls of oatmeal for breakfasts and one of my favourites at this time of year has to be pumpkin pie oatmeal with pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spices. I often prefer to go with steel cut oats rather than rolled oats as the have a chewier texture and nuttier flavour. The only problem is that it takes a bit longer to cook and who wants...

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Chicken Marsala

It seems that I have really been into chicken these last few weeks and when I made the pan seared chicken breasts in a mushroom, tarragon and mustard pan sauce the other day it reminded me of another chicken and mushroom dish that I had not made in a long time, chicken marsala. Chicken marsala is a quick and tasty dish where the chicken is sauteed in a pan and then the Marsala, an Italian fortified...

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Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

For my pan seared chicken breasts in a mushroom, tarragon and mustard pan sauce dinner I want to serve it on top of something that could soak up all of that amazingly tasty sauce! One of the first things that normally comes to mind at times like this is mashed potatoes but I have really been into cauliflower lately and I have been wanting to try mashed cauliflower for a while! The mashed cauliflower...

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Pan Seared Chicken Breasts in a Mushroom, Tarragon and Mustard Pan Sauce

With grilling season over we are now forced to cook indoors but that does not really bother me so much as I have always enjoyed cooking meat in a pan over the stove where you can get a good sear and some caramelization. Of course when you caramelize meat in a pan you get those brown bits of flavour stuck to the bottom of the pan and they are just begging to be scraped off with a nice deglazing to...

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Crispy Baked Onion Rings

With all of the experimenting that I have been doing with crispy baked vegetable fries lately, such as the eggplant parmesan fries and the portobello mushroom fries, I cannot believe that I did not think of using one of the most obvious vegetables, onions! I mean onion rings are so addictively good and they are the one upgrade that I pretty much always take if it is available when ordering out. ...

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Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken

The other day when I made the slow cooker bacon wrapped apple BBQ chicken it reminded me of another bacon wrapped chicken dish that I wanted to make, bacon wrapped jalapeno popper stuffed chicken. The basic idea was to stuff the chicken with all of the flavours of jalapeno poppers and then to wrap them in bacon and grill or bake them. Jalapeno poppers are commonly filled with cream cheese and or...

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Prosciutto Wrapped Gorgonzola Stuffed Figs

The other day I came across some nice looking figs at the market and they immediately reminded me of a pin that I had recently made on pinterest for figs with gorgonzola and speck and I could not resist picking some up so that I could try the recipe! Sweet figs and tangy gorgonzola are a fabulous flavour combination that I have used many times and I was immediately taken with the idea of wrapping...

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Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa

One of my favourite side dishes has to be cheesy broccoli rice which is a quick and easy dish where with the amazing broccoli and cheddar cheese flavour combo! Ever since I discovered quinoa I have been trying my favourite rice dishes with the rice replaced with the healthier quinoa and it was finally time to try a cheesy broccoli quinoa! This dish is super easy to make and you pretty much just...

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Slow Cooker Bacon Wrapped Apple BBQ Chicken

I have had a slow cooker for a few years now but I find that I hardly ever use it and when I do it is usually for things like pulled pork. I almost feel like I need to justify it taking up space when I have so little so I am always on the lookout for good slow cooker recipes to give it a workout. I recently came across a this tasty looking recipe for slow cooker bacon wrapped apple BBQ chicken on...

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Pumpkin Pie Pancakes (with Caramel Sauce)

I had a bunch of pumpkin puree leftover that needed to be used and I figured that it was the perfect opportunity to make one of my favourite pumpkin dishes, pumpkin pie pancakes, and to update the photos for the recipe! Pumpkin pie pancakes are one of my favourites because they are so nice and light, fluffy, moist and tender and not only do they taste just like pumpkin pie but they are so quick and...

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Vanilla Bourbon Caramel Sauce

I almost forgot to share the vanilla bourbon caramel sauce recipe that I mentioned in the pumpkin Greek yogurt banana bread the other day! This vanilla bourbon caramel sauce is a pretty standard caramel sauce with the seeds from a vanilla bean and a splash of bourbon added to add a depth of flavour and to give it an even more amazing aroma. Caramel sauce can be a bit tricky to make at first but...

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Rolo Cheesecake Bars

I have a friend that is completely addicted to everything Rolo and you really can't blame him with all of that chocolatly and caramelly goodness. One example on this addiction is the fact that if you were to look in his freezer at any given time you would find about a half a dozen containers of Rolo ice cream. When I came across these Rolo cheesecke bars on Bakers Royale a while ago I thought of...

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Pumpkin Greek Yogurt Banana Bread

With Halloween coming up I have been thinking about pumpkins a lot more and when I was wondering what to do for breakfasts this week, a pumpkin bread seemed like a great way to go! Although I already have a recipe for a pumpkin bread that I really like I wanted to try to incorporate some of the ideas from the recently successful strawberry Greek yogurt banana bread into it. The Greek yogurt banana...

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Fried Green Tomato BLT with Pimento Cheese

Sorry about the lack of updates this past week; I had some computer problems which are hopefully resolved now!You can still get green tomatoes at the grocery store and I have been taking full advantage of that by enjoying plenty of fried green tomatoes including more than a few fried green tomato BLTs! Once the field ripened tomatoes disappear in the late fall the green tomatoes show up and once...

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Roast Turkey Club Sandwich with Cranberry Sauce

One of my favourite parts about the Thanksgiving dinner has to be enjoying the leftovers for the rest of the week and in particular the turkey leftovers. Inevitably the first thing that I do with the leftover breast meat is make roast turkey club sandwiches and they always includes a healthy dose of homemade cranberry sauce! There is just something magical about the combo of turkey, cranberry sauce,...

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Tequila and Lime Jalapeno Cranberry Sauce

No holiday turkey dinner is complete without some homemade cranberry sauce and since it is so easy to make at home you really have no excuse not to! Although a basic cranberry sauce is amazing all by itself, you can change things up every once in a while by adding various flavoura and this time I went with a Mexican inspired flavour theme with spicy jalapeno peppers, lime and a hit of tequila. The...

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Beer Mac n Cheese Soup

With the weather getting cooler soups have been on my mind more often and with it being October I have been thinking about recipes that use beer for an Oktoberfest inspired menu. With that in mind it seemed like the perfect opportunity to make a beer mac n cheese soup! I had been planning on making a mac n cheese inspired soup for a while but when I last made the ale and cheddar soup I figured that...

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Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

The final component of my Thanksgiving dinner was perhaps the most important part, the dessert, and this year I wanted to try something a little new, a chocolate pumpkin pie. Pumpkin pie is often the dessert of choice for Thanksgiving and since chocolate and pumpkin go so well together I was thinking that a chocolate pumpkin pie would be amazing! At first I was just planning on simply mixing chocolate...

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Twice Baked Sweet Potato Potato Skins with Pecan Streusel (aka Individual Sweet Potato Casserole)

One idea that I had for a new appetizer for Thanksgiving was to make some kind of savoury sweet potato potato skins and the only question that I had was what to fill them with? Every time I thought about sweet potatoes though, I kept thinking about sweet potato casserole so I decided to just go with it and I made some sweet potato casserole potato skins! A sweet potato casserole is a casserole made...

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Roasted Cauliflower and Aged White Cheddar Gratin

The roasted cauliflower and aged white cheddar soup has been on my mind a lot lately and when it came time to think about side dishes for my Thanksgiving dinner one of the first ideas that came to mind was to convert the soup into a side dish. It seemed only natural that the side dish would take the form of a gratin and a roasted cauliflower and aged white cheddar gratin was sounding really good!...

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Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Pancakes with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

This weekend is the Canadian Thanksgiving and that means that it is time to make something special for breakfast and I knew just what I wanted to make. I have been wanting to try the cinnamon swirl pancakes from Recipe Girl ever since I saw them and Thanksgiving seemed like the perfect time to try the pumpkin pie version! I mean you really cannot go wrong combining two amazing things like pancakes...

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Pad Thai Omelette

I am particularly fond of Pad Thai, a Thai fried noodle dish, so when I came across the idea of a pad Thai omelette I was intrigued and had to try it. Pad Thai generally consists of rice noodles, egg, fish sauce, tamarind, palm sugar, chilies, bean sprouts and chicken and/or shrimp and it is garnished with peanuts, cilantro and lime juice. The combination of flavours and textures is quite amazing...

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Bacon and Fried Green Tomato Pimento Grilled Cheese

Another fall treat is green tomatoes which make a brief appearance at the farmers market when the weather threatens to destroy the tomatoes before they ripen. Ever since I first discovered them I eagerly await them each fall and this weekend they made their first appearance. Inevitably the first thing that I do with them is to make some fried green tomatoes which is a Southern dish where slices...

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25 Outstanding Pumpkin Recipes

For me, October is the month of pumpkins and I always enjoy trying new pumpkin recipes. In addition to tasting great pumpkins are very versatile working in both sweet and savoury dishes that can be mains, sides, desserts or even appetizers or breakfasts. Pumpkin is commonly used in two different forms either solid chucks or pureed. Although canned pumpkin puree is pretty convenient it is easy to...

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Grilled Eggplant and Roasted Red Pepper Sandwich with Halloumi

Up next for my homemade roasted red peppers was to use them in a sandwich along with some grilled eggplant and halloumi. Halloumi is a Greek Cypriot cheese that fries well, retaining its shape rather than melting and gets 'squeaky' once fried. Simple fried halloumi with a splash of lemon juice is amazing all by itself but it also makes a great addition to a sandwich such as this one! I am still...

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Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Alfredo Pasta

Another thing that I really like about this time of year is all of the red peppers that are around. Not only are they plentiful but they are also cheap and every year at this time I head down to the farmers market and pick up a large basket full of them. By far my favourite thing to do with red peppers is to roast them and luckily roasted red peppers keep well in the freezer so I roast most of the...

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Recipe Box Feature

A while ago I added the Recipe Box feature, the My Recipe Box link in the menu at the top of Closet Cooking, that allows you to easily save recipes to your recipe box, create meal plans and automatically generate grocery lists. These features are provided by ZipList and they have an app so you can take your recipes, meal plan and grocery list with you on your phone when you go shopping!For those...

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BELT (Bacon Egg Lettuce Tomato) Sandwich

I certainly have been enjoying a lot of BLTs these days with all of the beautiful local, field ripened beefsteak tomatoes around! It can sometimes be difficult to imagine improving on an already amazing sandwich like the BLT but adding an egg is a good place to start! There are a lot of ways to add an egg to a BLT but the first thought that comes to my mind is in the form of a quick and easy egg...

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Chicken and Avocado Enchiladas in Creamy Avocado Sauce

Chicken and avocado enchilada recipes have been making their way around the food logging sphere lately like these spicy avocado chicken enchiladas on the novice chef, these chicken and avocado enchiladas on gimme some oven and these avocado cream and chicken suiza enchiladas on foodie crush and given my obsession with both Mexican cuisine and avocados it was only a matter of time until I made some...

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25 Fabulous Fall Recipes

Fall is here and with it, some cooler weather! When fall rolls around, menus start to change due to the cooling weather, different produce being available and to the fact that we are no longer as concerned with having the oven on. This means that things like roasts, soups, stews and other comfort dishes will be back on the menu! Lets also not forget about all of the great fall produce including...

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