With a new year comes a fresh start and the opportunity to learn new skills in the kitchen.
We've got you covered, whether you're a seasoned at-home chef seeking for new recipes to try or you're just learning to cook and feeling a bit frightened.
Here are 5 recipes you must try in 2022, ranging from basic, tried-and-true dishes to creative twists on classics.
1. Banana-Nutella Crepe
Is there a more delectable spread than Nutella? (Of course, that's a rhetorical question.) These crepes are quite simple to make, and if you don't like bananas, you can easily swap them out for strawberries or blueberries.Get our Banana-Nutella Crepes recipe.
It seems that crepes were invented for the sole purpose of housing fresh banana slices and hazelnut chocolate—at least, that's what will be on your mind as your knife and fork your way through one of these simple but oh-so-decadent sweet treats.
The truth is, dessert crepes of all stripes are special stuff, but nothing quite makes sense like this combination. Nutella, the Italian chocolate-hazelnut spread you might already be obsessed with, is widely available in supermarkets stateside, even though it's more of a European treat, but even standard chocolate sauce will evoke fits of uncontrollable pleasure here.
Let's be real though: Nothing compares to Nutella, so get yourself a jar and get to cooking up these ooey-gooey crepes!NUTRITION: 260 calories, 12 g fat (5 g saturated), 18 g sugar
YOU'LL NEEDButter for the crepes1⁄4 cup Nutella2 bananas, peeled and slicedConfectioners' sugar (optional)
For the crepe batter 1/2 cup flour1 large egg1 Tbsp melted butterPinch of salt6 Tbsp low-fat milk1/4 cup water
HOW TO MAKE ITHeat a 10" nonstick pan over medium heat. Add enough butter to coat, then add 2 tablespoons of the crepe batter and swirl the pan to cover it in a thin, even film (use a rubber spatula to help, if needed).Cook on the first side for 3 to 4 minutes, until the bottom takes on a deep golden brown color. Flip and slather a tablespoon of the Nutella down the middle of the crepe, then top with a scant quarter of the banana slices.Cook for 3 to 4 minutes longer, until the bottom, is golden brown.Fold the crepe sides over the filling and slip them onto a plate.Top with a few slices of banana and a shake of confectioners' sugar if you like.Repeat to make three more crepes.Eat This TipWe can all agree that Nutella is delicious. Bananas are a great go-to pairing, but that shouldn't stop you from trying a few new mix-ins. Here are a few recommendations to mix and match as you like. Don't be afraid to get creative!
BlueberriesStrawberriesKiwisBlackberriesWalnuts (for a little extra crunch)Brie
Is there a more delectable spread than Nutella? (Of course, that's a rhetorical question.) These crepes are quite simple to make, and if you don't like bananas, you can easily swap them out for strawberries or blueberries.
Get our Banana-Nutella Crepes recipe.
It seems that crepes were invented for the sole purpose of housing fresh banana slices and hazelnut chocolate—at least, that's what will be on your mind as your knife and fork your way through one of these simple but oh-so-decadent sweet treats.
The truth is, dessert crepes of all stripes are special stuff, but nothing quite makes sense like this combination. Nutella, the Italian chocolate-hazelnut spread you might already be obsessed with, is widely available in supermarkets stateside, even though it's more of a European treat, but even standard chocolate sauce will evoke fits of uncontrollable pleasure here.
Let's be real though: Nothing compares to Nutella, so get yourself a jar and get to cooking up these ooey-gooey crepes!
NUTRITION: 260 calories, 12 g fat (5 g saturated), 18 g sugar
YOU'LL NEED
Butter for the crepes
1⁄4 cup Nutella
2 bananas, peeled and sliced
Confectioners' sugar (optional)
For the crepe batter
1/2 cup flour
1 large egg
1 Tbsp melted butter
Pinch of salt
6 Tbsp low-fat milk
1/4 cup water
HOW TO MAKE IT
Heat a 10" nonstick pan over medium heat. Add enough butter to coat, then add 2 tablespoons of the crepe batter and swirl the pan to cover it in a thin, even film (use a rubber spatula to help, if needed).
Cook on the first side for 3 to 4 minutes, until the bottom takes on a deep golden brown color. Flip and slather a tablespoon of the Nutella down the middle of the crepe, then top with a scant quarter of the banana slices.
Cook for 3 to 4 minutes longer, until the bottom, is golden brown.
Fold the crepe sides over the filling and slip them onto a plate.
Top with a few slices of banana and a shake of confectioners' sugar if you like.
Repeat to make three more crepes.
Eat This Tip
We can all agree that Nutella is delicious. Bananas are a great go-to pairing, but that shouldn't stop you from trying a few new mix-ins. Here are a few recommendations to mix and match as you like. Don't be afraid to get creative!
Blueberries
Strawberries
Kiwis
Blackberries
Walnuts (for a little extra crunch)
Brie
2. Grilled Calamari Salad
Squid is one of the most abundant forms of seafood in the global market, yet few Americans have ever enjoyed it in any other way than breaded and deep-fried with a marinara chaser. With that type of treatment, it could be a Blooming Onion and you wouldn't know the difference, would you?
This salad has all the trappings of the much-adored appetizer—crunch from the peanuts, tomatoes, a bit of spice—but so much more. We don't want to promise that you'll never go back to the fried stuff after this, but it's a distinct possibility.
Salad with grilled pumpkin
Instead of a heaping mess of fried dough, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the amount of flavor you can actually taste with our calamari version.
NUTRITION: 220 calories, 8 g fat (1.5 g saturated), 590 mg sodium
YOU'LL NEED
1 lb squid, cleaned, tentacles reserved for another use
1⁄2 Tbsp peanut or canola oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lime
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp sugar
1⁄2 Tbsp chili garlic sauce (preferably sambal oelek)
4 cups watercress (Watercress isn't always easy to find. Baby arugula, or even a few handfuls of basil leaves, can easily take its place here.)
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into matchsticks
1 medium tomato, chopped
1⁄2 red onion, very thinly sliced
1⁄4 cup roasted peanuts
HOW TO MAKE IT
Preheat a grill.
Toss the squid bodies with the oil, and generously season with salt and lots of black pepper.
When the grill is very hot, add the squid and grill for about 5 minutes, until lightly charred all over.
Combine the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and chili sauce in a mixing bowl and whisk to blend.
Slice the grilled squid into 1⁄2" rings.
In a salad bowl, toss the squid, watercress, cucumber, tomato, onion, and peanuts with the dressing.
Divide the salad among 4 plates.
Eat This Tip
Grilling squid ranks right up there next to tying your shoes and making your bed in the difficulty category, yet most people are terrified of the prospect. Purchase whole squid bodies (available fully cleaned, fresh or frozen, at any decent fish market or quality grocery store), and either grill them whole over high heat for no more than 5 minutes or cut them into rings and sauté in olive oil for the same amount of time.
It's surprisingly easy, but an impressive skill to have when it comes to whipping up a crowd-pleasing appetizer like this.
3. Sweet Potato Fries
You might have already gathered that here at Eat This, Not That!, we are constantly encouraging healthy eating choices and habits for our readers.
This more often than not means avoiding unhealthy food choices or switching them out for a better, healthier option. When it comes to French fries, it's actually an easier feat than you might think.
Although the French fries you would order at a fast-food chain or diner are high in calories, it has more to do with the way they are prepared than anything else. If you've ever seen fries prepared at McDonald's, you'll see they are deep-fried in fatty oils and loaded with unfathomable amounts of salt.
When making your own fries, it is of course much easier to control how much fat and oil are used, and better yet, instead of using regular potatoes, you can swap in the much more nutritious (and equally delicious) sweet potato.Sweet potatoes have two big nutritional boons that regular potatoes lack: big doses of fiber and vision-strengthening vitamin A. Plus, the natural sugars found within them will intensify and strengthen when baked or roasted, and they pair just as perfectly with the fiery cayenne to make fries every bit as enjoyable as the ones that bathe in oil.NUTRITION: 70 calories, 2 g fat (0 g saturated), 200 mg sodium
YOU'LL NEED2 medium sweet potatoes, each peeled and cut into 12 equal wedges1⁄2 Tbsp olive oilPinch of cayenne pepperSalt and black pepper to taste
HOW TO MAKE IT
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Combine all the ingredients on a large baking sheet and use your hands to mix them thoroughly. Spread in an even layer.Bake until the sweet potatoes are lightly browned on the outside, crisp to the touch, and tender inside.
Eat This Tip
There are many ways to prepare these fries, and like all of our recipes, we encourage you to swap out any of the spices listed in this recipe to make a fry that is most to your liking. Not into spice? Cut the cayenne and add a nice curry. Want to amp up the heat? Keep the cayenne and add in some red pepper flakes, too.
You might have already gathered that here at Eat This, Not That!, we are constantly encouraging healthy eating choices and habits for our readers.
This more often than not means avoiding unhealthy food choices or switching them out for a better, healthier option. When it comes to French fries, it's actually an easier feat than you might think.
Although the French fries you would order at a fast-food chain or diner are high in calories, it has more to do with the way they are prepared than anything else. If you've ever seen fries prepared at McDonald's, you'll see they are deep-fried in fatty oils and loaded with unfathomable amounts of salt.
When making your own fries, it is of course much easier to control how much fat and oil are used, and better yet, instead of using regular potatoes, you can swap in the much more nutritious (and equally delicious) sweet potato.
Sweet potatoes have two big nutritional boons that regular potatoes lack: big doses of fiber and vision-strengthening vitamin A. Plus, the natural sugars found within them will intensify and strengthen when baked or roasted, and they pair just as perfectly with the fiery cayenne to make fries every bit as enjoyable as the ones that bathe in oil.
NUTRITION: 70 calories, 2 g fat (0 g saturated), 200 mg sodium
YOU'LL NEED
2 medium sweet potatoes, each peeled and cut into 12 equal wedges
1⁄2 Tbsp olive oil
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and black pepper to taste
HOW TO MAKE IT
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Combine all the ingredients on a large baking sheet and use your hands to mix them thoroughly. Spread in an even layer.
Bake until the sweet potatoes are lightly browned on the outside, crisp to the touch, and tender inside.
Eat This Tip
There are many ways to prepare these fries, and like all of our recipes, we encourage you to swap out any of the spices listed in this recipe to make a fry that is most to your liking. Not into spice? Cut the cayenne and add a nice curry. Want to amp up the heat? Keep the cayenne and add in some red pepper flakes, too.
4. Corn on the Cob
Corn on the cob is one of life's true joys. The sweet kernels mix with the butter and salt you've smeared over the cob to make the best possible bite. While nothing beats grilled corn on a hot summer afternoon, you can make perfectly cooked corn on the cob inside, even if you don't own a grill. Grab your trusty cast-iron skillet and follow the steps below. Though corn is typically best, flavor-wise, when it's in season (from late spring to early fall), it's available in most grocery stores year-round.
Once you've cooked your corn on the cob, you could just bite right into it. But cooked corn can go into plenty of other dishes. Slice the kernels off the cob and add them to simple pastas or green salads, or fold them into cornbread or corn muffin batter. For a totally corn-focused moment, make a side dish inspired by the elite: mix the corn kernels with mayo or Greek yogurt, grated parmesan cheese, lime juice, and fresh cilantro.
1 Peel the husks
shucking corn on the cobKiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!Peel back and remove the husks from each ear of corn, and pull off the silk strands, too.
2 Place ears on a hot cast iron skillet
cooking corn on a cast iron grill with oilKiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!Heat a large cast-iron pan over medium-high until very hot, 3 to 5 minutes. Place as many ears of corn as will fit in one layer in the pan.
3 Char the corn
cooked corn on the cob with butter and salt on a plateKiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!Turn the corn every few minutes to ensure it gets charred all over. You want to get some nice brown grill marks in places.
4 Season with butter and salt
rubbing butter on cooked corn on the cobKiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!
When you remove them from the pan, rub the hot ears of corn with softened butter and season with flaky sea salt.
Corn on the cob is one of life's true joys. The sweet kernels mix with the butter and salt you've smeared over the cob to make the best possible bite. While nothing beats grilled corn on a hot summer afternoon, you can make perfectly cooked corn on the cob inside, even if you don't own a grill. Grab your trusty cast-iron skillet and follow the steps below. Though corn is typically best, flavor-wise, when it's in season (from late spring to early fall), it's available in most grocery stores year-round.
Once you've cooked your corn on the cob, you could just bite right into it. But cooked corn can go into plenty of other dishes. Slice the kernels off the cob and add them to simple pastas or green salads, or fold them into cornbread or corn muffin batter. For a totally corn-focused moment, make a side dish inspired by the elite: mix the corn kernels with mayo or Greek yogurt, grated parmesan cheese, lime juice, and fresh cilantro.
1 Peel the husks
shucking corn on the cob
Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!
Peel back and remove the husks from each ear of corn, and pull off the silk strands, too.
2 Place ears on a hot cast iron skillet
cooking corn on a cast iron grill with oil
Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!
Heat a large cast-iron pan over medium-high until very hot, 3 to 5 minutes. Place as many ears of corn as will fit in one layer in the pan.
3 Char the corn
cooked corn on the cob with butter and salt on a plate
Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!
Turn the corn every few minutes to ensure it gets charred all over. You want to get some nice brown grill marks in places.
4 Season with butter and salt
rubbing butter on cooked corn on the cob
Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!
When you remove them from the pan, rub the hot ears of corn with softened butter and season with flaky sea salt.
Source; eat this
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