Best Healthy Recipes of 2014

Happy New Year! I can’t believe it’s 2015 already…I’m not even used to writing 2014 yet!

I have a bunch of awesome new recipes up my sleeve but I wanted to be sure to take one last look back on the past year. 2014 was a really productive year! I continued working with Jones Dairy Farm and Marzetti, plus started creating recipes for GO Veggie! I travelled to Minneapolis, Miami, and hung out with my blogging friends at the Big Harvest Potluck in Pennsylvania. I had this site completely redesigned and I wrote an ebook!

But as fantastic as 2014 was, I’m impatient for 2015 to start. I have a lot of fun things in the works, but the biggest is that I’m going to culinary school! As a Christmas gift to myself I signed up for one of the professional certification classes through Rouxbe. It starts next month and I can’t wait! I’m so excited about the program and I can’t wait to share more about it here.

Before we get started on that, here’s a look back on the 20 best healthy recipes I posted in 2014. Did you favorite make the list? If not, I’d love to hear what it was!

(I ranked these based on the number of views each recipe received. Naturally, recipes that I posted earlier in the year had a little bit of an unfair advantage since there was more time for them to take off. I also limited this list to recipes that I posted in 2013… some of my most popular recipes were from previous years, but I wanted to keep the focus on the last 12 months.)

Oatmeal Cookie Smoothie: I was really surprised by how popular this recipe was, but I guess I shouldn’t be since it’s really delicious. A lot of you said that your kids love it. I love that! And I have a few more healthy smoothie/juice recipes up my sleeves for the coming weeks.

 Chicken Enchiladas with Poblano Sauce: Mexican food is always my favorite and it’s usually pretty popular around here too. These chicken enchiladas are really good, and easy enough to make on a weeknight which is always a huge plus!

Baked Margarita Chicken Wings: I made these so many times last winter and it seems like you all liked them too. They’re super crispy and I love the stick-sweet citrusy glaze.

Green Goddess Pasta: This pasta is basically Spring on a plate, and I love everything about it. The creamy avocado-based sauce is so tasty!

 Roasted Tomato Soup with Goat Cheese: This tomato soup is one of our favorites. It’s really thick and rich, almost like pasta sauce, and the melted goat cheese gives it an incredible flavor.

Sweet Potato Quinoa Patties with Curry Sauce: This was another recipe that surprised me. I wasn’t sure how it would come out when I was making it, but it was so good that I couldn’t stop eating them. It seems like you all agree!

Spiced Banana Donut Holes:  These are pretty much the perfect snack or dessert.

Lemon Chicken with Olives and Potatoes: This is a simple weeknight meal that’s perfect for getting back on track after the holidays. I love the bright lemon flavor and the saltiness of the olives.

Whole Wheat Crumpets with Strawberry-Balsamic Jam: This two-part recipe was part of our virtual Downton Abby party last winter (is anyone else counting down the days until it comes back again?). The crumpets are 100% whole wheat and super delicious. I paired them with a simple strawberry-balsamic jam for a breakfast treat worth getting excited about!

Whole Grain Irish Soda Bread: I made this soda bread with whole wheat flour and oats and I love it’s nutty flavor. You might be tempted to save it for St. Patrick’s Day, but I’d recommend making it sooner!

Confetti Crunch Salad: This was my go-to salad last summer. It only takes a few minutes to throw together and I love all of the different textures that it has. You’ll never guess the secret ingredient that keeps it so crunchy!

Vegetarian Poutine with Mushroom Gravy: This recipe had a little bit of a delay in it’s popularity. It seems like people didn’t get very excited about poutine, but the vegetarian gravy recipe was a hit for Thanksgiving!

Sweet Potato and Sausage Quesadillas:  These quesadillas are full of flavor and perfect for a cozy afternoon watching football at home. As good as the recipe is though, I especially love how the photos came out. They’re some of my favorites of 2014!

Provencal Seafood Stew: I love the flavors in this seafood stew. Paired with a plate of garlic bread, it makes an amazing Sunday Supper.

Zucchini Fritters with Tzatziki: You’ll never complain about having too much zucchini again! These fritters are so good – as is the tzatziki sauce that you dip them in.

Chipotle Quinoa Fritters: I made these chipotle quinoa fritters for the Superbowl last year and they were an instant hit!

Smoked Tomato Bacon Vinaigrette: I use this flavorful vinaigrette to make BLT pasta salad. It was another big hit this summer!

Baked Lemon Poppy Donuts: Lemon and Poppyseed is such a classic combination. I paired them together in these baked donuts for my birthday last year.

Meatballs in Homemade Enchilada Sauce: This homemade enchilada sauce is so delicious you’ll never want to buy it again! I love it with pork meatballs served over soft polenta.

Raspberry Oatmeal Pancakes with Hazelnuts: These oat-flour pancakes are super delicate with the crispiest edges. Ever since I made these, no other pancake recipes seem to stack up.