Occasions

Dinner

This December at Kitchen Stories is all about feel-good festive food! No matter what you’re celebrating or with whom, our December recipes have something for every one and for every occasion. Best of all, they’re fun and unfussy, so you can focus on winding down for the year. Stay tuned throughout the month by bookmarking <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/introducing-our-feel-good-festive-issue">this article</a>, where we’ll collect all our recipes and articles. Don’t forget to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kitchenstories_official/" rel="nofollow">follow us on Instagram</a> for even more. Happy December!

Wrapping up any year just wouldn’t be complete without a look back at what has been, and one of our favorite ways is to take a peek at our most-cooked, most-loved recipes. We all remember <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/2020-at-least-the-food-was-good">2020 as an out-of-the ordinary, exhausting year</a>, and 2021 seemed to kick it up another notch. My undisputed favorite way to get a dose of self care is to cook up and eat <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/38-comforting-recipes-for-when-its-cold-outside">a delicious, comforting meal</a>. The preparation itself becomes a welcome hands-on distraction, and by the first bite I’ve usually been able to forget the wild tumult of these times, at least for a moment, and be grateful for the little things.

Over the past year at Kitchen Stories, in an effort to get both us, and you, through the difficult year, we dedicated ourselves to an exciting new theme every month. Let&#x27;s review it together and go on a little culinary journey through 2021!

In <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/letter-from-the-editor-new-takes-on-familiar-favorites">January</a>, we started by revitalizing our favorite recipes with a new twist. In <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/february-at-kitchen-stories-is-all-about-breakfast">February</a>, we focused on breakfast and offered sometimes sweet, sometimes savory, but always delicious ways to start the day. We took a closer look at what inspires and motivates us to expand our culinary horizons in <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/this-month-were-taking-a-closer-look-at-all-that-inspires">our March issue, All That Inspires</a>.

<a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/were-dedicating-an-entire-month-to-everyones-favorite-food-pizza">April</a> was a highlight for us all, as we spent the month exploring a universal favorite food—none other than pizza—which made us (and you!) into real <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/how-to-make-the-perfect-pizza-dough">pizza dough</a> pros. We also dedicated the entire month of <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/from-local-to-global-introducing-our-community-issue">May</a> to you, our fabulous community. We took a trip to “flavortown” in <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/welcome-to-flavortown-a-month-of-tips-tricks-and-recipes-to-savor">June</a> and celebrated our <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/the-big-veggie-summer-issue">Big Veggie Summer</a> issue with you in July. Although it was not quite <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/everything-we-want-to-eat-when-its-just-too-hot-to-cook">Too Hot To Cook</a> this past August, we kept our kitchen almost entirely cold with no-cook recipes. By <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/slurp-the-everything-pasta-and-noodles-issue">September</a>, we happily slurped up all the noodles and pasta we could.

With our <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/big-taste-low-budget-one-month-of-thrifty-tasty-recipes">Big Taste, Low Budget</a> issue in October, we proved that you don’t need to suffer in taste to save on cost, and then in <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/the-comfort-food-issue-recipes-that-are-there-for-you">November</a>, we turned to timeless comfort foods. Finally, we found ourselves here in <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/introducing-our-feel-good-festive-issue">December</a>: This year, we wanted to celebrate in the spirit of feel-good self-care, with great food to wind down with for the year.

Without further ado, here are our, and your, favorite recipes from 2021!

One-pot creamy Cajun chicken pasta

— <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/quick-creamy-tortellini-alla-panna">Quick, creamy Tortellini alla Panna</a> — <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/tiktoks-viral-baked-feta-pasta">TikTok’s viral baked feta pasta</a> — <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/5-ingredient-creamy-orecchiette-with-peas-and-crispy-parma-ham">5-ingredient creamy orecchiette with peas and crispy Parma ham</a> — <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/burst-cherry-tomato-and-miso-pasta-with-sesame-crunch">Burst cherry tomato and miso pasta with sesame crunch</a> — <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/5-ingredient-stovetop-mac-and-cheese">5-ingredient stovetop mac and cheese</a>

Neapolitan-style pizza with Lisa

— <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/lentil-moussaka">Red lentil and eggplant moussaka</a> — <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/butternut-squash-and-mushroom-lasagna">Butternut squash and mushroom lasagna</a> — <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/5-ingredient-sticky-hoisin-roasted-broccoli-wedges">5-ingredient sticky hoisin-roasted broccoli wedges</a>

Chicken cordon bleu with creamy white asparagus

— <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/make-chicken-tikka-masala-with-steven">Chicken tikka masala</a> — <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/japanese-chicken-tarragon">Japanese chicken tarragon</a> — <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/sweet-and-sour-tofu">Sweet and sour tofu</a> — <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/5-ingredient-balsamic-roasted-tofu-and-vegetables">5-ingredient balsamic roasted tofu and vegetables</a>

Feel good vegetarian miso ramen

— <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/easy-chicken-udon-soup">Easy chicken udon soup</a> — <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/weeknight-chicken-laksa-malaysian-curry-noodle-soup">Weeknight chicken laksa (Malaysian curry noodle soup)</a> — <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/tomato-and-egg-noodle-soup">Tomato and egg noodle soup</a> — <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/creamy-chicken-and-vegetable-soup">Creamy chicken and vegetable soup</a>

Antipasto salad

— <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/tangy-marinated-lentil-salad-with-feta">Tangy marinated lentil salad with feta</a> — <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/veggie-burrito-bowl">Veggie burrito bowl</a> — <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/spring-potato-and-asparagus-salad">Spring potato and asparagus salad</a>

Make banana bread granola with Lisa

— <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/make-the-perfect-breakfast-burger-with-ruby">The perfect breakfast burger</a> — <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/german-style-pancakes">German-style pancakes</a>

Baked popcorn cauliflower with hot honey

— <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/cheesy-pizza-rolls">Cheesy pizza rolls</a> — <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/apple-and-cinnamon-french-toast-roll-ups">Apple and cinnamon French toast roll-ups</a>

*As a final note, although you can usually find various vegetables all year-round, you can swap vegetables with a similar taste and consistency for recipes using <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/how-to-eat-seasonally-all-year-round">seasonal ingredients</a>. Instead of <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/categories/asparagus-recipes">asparagus</a>, you can use vegetables like <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/now-in-season-buying-storing-and-preparing-black-salsify-properly">salsify</a>, zucchini, or kohlrabi; instead of <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/categories/pumpkin-squash">pumpkin</a>, sweet potato, carrot, or <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/everything-you-need-to-know-about-preparing-and-storing-in-season-parsnip">parsnip</a> are good alternatives.

Which Kitchen Stories recipe was your personal highlight from 2021? Let us know in the comments below!

If you haven’t yet, it’s time to make these most cooked recipes

The 25+ Recipes You Loved Most in 2021

The last thing we feel like doing in peak summer? Spending time over a hot stove. So you can maximize your time in the sun (or the shade), our August issue is dedicated to the (nearly) no-cook recipes we turn to when it’s just “Too Hot to Cook”. To stay up to date, <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/everything-we-want-to-eat-when-its-just-too-hot-to-cook">check back here</a> for a full list of our latest recipes and articles, and don’t forget to follow us on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kitchenstories_official/" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a> for more!

Cold dinners (known as <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/time-for-bread-7-new-and-traditional-ideas-for-germanys-beloved-cold-dinner">Abendbrot</a> in German) were extremely common in Germany when I was growing up, and I have to admit, they were never my favorite way to end a day. Somehow, I always found it much more exciting when there were some leftovers from the day before we could reheat or even just a small bowl of <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/the-noodle-soup-that-saves-any-weeknight">warm soup</a> or <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/how-to-master-the-basics-of-stews-braises-and-casseroles">stew</a> for dinner. While my opinion on Abendbrot has changed over the years (what can I say, it’s grown on me), I find summer is really the place where cold or no-cook dinners always win out.

Whether served up as more traditional or more practical fridge-clearing variations—with slices of bread and crusty rolls, <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/these-13-salty-condiments-give-any-dish-a-flavor-boost">pickled vegetables and spicy spreads</a>—the classic Abendbrot isn&#x27;t the only option available to us when the temperatures rise and our ambition to turn on the stove (or lack thereof) couldn&#x27;t sink any lower. The saving grace on evenings like these? No-cook dinners that don&#x27;t require you to do much more than assemble, but still feel, taste, and look like well-rounded meals. So here come our best nearly no-cook recipes that will save your summer weeknight.

Eating sandwiches, wraps, and rolls with your hands is great any time of the year, but in summer it’s especially nice since no extra utensils need to be carried along for the ride. These recipes have practical wraps that make them easy to eat in the park while you enjoy the last rays of sunshine.

— <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/green-goddess-sandwich-en">Green goddess sandwich</a> (<a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/5-ingredient-toasted-green-goddess-and-tuna-salad-sandwich">which you can also toast</a>) — <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/id/502077f8-5295-4564-b052-1b9bc63d4e3c?draft=1&amp;v=1628089023">Pan Bagnat (French tuna sandwich)</a> — <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/big-summer-veggie-sandwich">Big summer veggie sandwich</a> — <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/rainbow-summer-rolls">Rainbow summer rolls</a> — <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/greek-inspired-wrap">Greek-inspired wraps</a> — <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/hanna-makes-no-cook-meal-prep-3-ways">Hanna makes no-cook meal prep, 3 ways</a>

Combined with crusty bread from your favorite bakery, spread with butter or drizzled with good olive oil and a pinch of flaky sea salt, these salads make a wonderful, light dinner for lazy summer evenings.

— <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/peach-caprese-salad-with-basil-oil">Peach Caprese salad with basil oil</a> — <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/iceberg-wedge-salad-with-italian-dressing">Iceberg wedge salad with Italian dressing</a> — <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/mango-avocado-salad-with-lime-dressing">Mango-avocado salad with lime dressing</a>

No soup screams summer quite like <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/summer-tomatoes-are-made-for-gazpacho">gazpacho</a>. Lucky for you, we&#x27;ve got three different variations! Depending on what you want to eat with it and how much you serve as a portion, gazpacho can make a complete dinner or a refreshing, sippable snack. For a bigger appetite, I recommend community member <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/grandma-s-spanish-salmorejo-0a37">Borja&#x27;s Salmorejo</a>, which he <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/new-on-kitchen-stories-upload-your-own-recipes">uploaded himself via our app</a> and shared with the Kitchen Stories community.

— <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/classic-gazpacho">Classic gazpacho</a> — <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/sweet-corn-gazpacho">Sweet corn gazpacho</a> — <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/cantaloupe-gazpacho">Cantaloupe gazpacho</a> — <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/love-tomatoes-love-bread-try-andalusian-salmorejo-soup">Spanish salmorejo</a>

Okay, I’ll admit it, I cheated a tiny bit with these recipes. They aren’t no-cook, as you need to cook the noodles in a boiling pot of water. Forgive me!

— <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/spicy-peanut-soba-noodles">5-ingredient spicy peanut soba noodles</a> — <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/glass-noodle-salad-with-lemongrass-dressing">Glass noodle salad with lemongrass dressing</a> — <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/make-no-cook-pasta-puttanesca-with-christian">No-cook pasta Puttanesca</a>

... <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/4-summer-snack-plates-you-can-and-should-eat-for-dinner">Ruby&#x27;s snack plates</a> are always there for you.

— <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/4-summer-snack-plates-you-can-and-should-eat-for-dinner">Summer snack plates you can (and should) eat for dinner</a>

What&#x27;s your favorite thing to eat during the warmest weeks of the year? Do you have any tips you use to avoid turning on the stove? Tell us in the comments below or <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/new-on-kitchen-stories-upload-your-own-recipes">upload your own recipes</a> via our app.

Recipes to take the pressure off as the weather warms up

16 No-Cook Recipes To Help You Cruise Through Summer

During one of many pre-lockdown lunch conversations at Kitchen Stories (remember those?), our managing editor Devan asked me what I like listening to while cooking. For me, it’s generally a mix of music, funny podcasts or absolutely nothing, depending on the mood. But it got me thinking about how we all have that one artist, podcast or album that keeps us company through our culinary highs and lows. Whether it’s Tool or Taylor Swift, or some obscure podcast about GMO crops, if it inspires you to cook, it’s all good. What do you like listening to in the kitchen? Riffing on the music theme, we want to end the year with a recap of 20 of our greatest hits. These are our most loved, commented, and best rated recipes from the year, all in one place, so that you don’t have to scour the app to find them. These dishes carried us all through a challenging year, but hopefully it was a tastier year for all of us, as well.

5-ingredient sheet pan chicken with leeks, potatoes, and caper butter

Buttery chicken and tomato pasta

Lemony salmon with creamed spinach and mushrooms

Pan fried salmon filets with lamb’s lettuce

Make classic lasagna Bolognese with Hanna

Loaded smashed potatoes

Creamy turkey and bell pepper over rice

Reverse puff pastry veggie pizza

5-ingredient stewed white beans and zucchini

One-skillet steak and asparagus with creamy tarragon sauce

Warm asparagus-potato salad

Roasted white asparagus with spring vegetables

One-pan crispy chicken and eggplant stew

5-ingredient lemony chickpea and tahini tagliatelle

Summer tagliatelle with zucchini and lemony breadcrumbs

Summer salad with grilled peaches and zucchini

Spicy pan-fried chickpeas with beef

Zucchini and rice gratin

Easy stir-fry beef, ginger, and onion under 35 minutes

Christian's one-pot pasta with meatballs

Which recipe will you replay, skip or cook next? Let us know in the comments below!

A collection of 20 recipes you loved the most

Our Greatest Hits of 2020

<a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/were-releasing-a-cookbook-and-you-can-be-a-part-of-it">As you know</a>, we’ve been working on something exciting: our very first cookbook! Anyone Can Cook will be published with Prestel in Spring 2021—<a href="https://amzn.to/3gO9wS6" rel="nofollow">you can preorder it here</a>. The cookbook is for brand new or seasoned home cooks looking to infuse fresh ideas into their weeknight cooking routine, which is why this month, to celebrate its release, we’ll focus on all the different ways to tackle dinner throughout the week, and share tips and tricks from our chefs and editors. <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/letter-from-the-editor-the-best-of-weeknight-cooking">All month long</a>, you’ll get exclusive sneak peeks into <a href="https://amzn.to/3gO9wS6" rel="nofollow">Anyone Can Cook</a>, plus plenty of new, satisfying, and versatile recipe ideas to rely on the whole week through.

Hello from the test kitchen! I’m writing today from an unusual place for me: my desk. Last week I wrote down what my perfect week’s worth of dinners would entail and, like <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/one-plan-lots-of-ways-to-switch-it-up">Lisa</a>, I tried to stick to the plan. Whenever I go grocery shopping, I always make sure that all the basics, such as yeast, pasta, white beans, rice, and canned tomatoes, end up in my shopping cart. Then I add fresh fruit and vegetables as I please, depending on what’s in-season. My current menu is as follows:

I have a soft spot for everything that has to do with bread. That&#x27;s why I usually have a sandwich with homemade bread to start the week off with a good note. My <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/green-goddess-sandwich-en">Green Goddess Sandwich</a> is the perfect treat for that and it’s super adaptable. Simply stack on whichever ingredients you have at home to suit your taste.

I make pasta at least once a week. A pasta dish requires only a few ingredients and can be on the table in just a few minutes. And let&#x27;s be honest: A week without pasta is a sad week. Fresh pasta with salsiccia in all its variations (with Swiss chard, with broccoli or with chanterelles) is my favorite, especially in late summer. This recipe from Ruby is one of my favorites and I almost always have everything for it at home: a pack of peas in the freezer, fennel seeds on the spice rack, and even salsiccia has been wisely prepared and tucked away in the freezer.

Next up is an elevated version of potatoes with quark. I often leave it at just these two ingredients, because, yes, potatoes and quark count as one complete meal! But sometimes it can also be something special. These <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/loaded-smashed-potatoes">crispy baked potatoes</a> take a little longer to prepare, but the time invested is worth it, I promise.

This <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/zucchini-with-lemony-ricotta-and-herby-pesto">recipe</a> is one of my absolute favorites in our app! I like the freshness, the easy preparation, and the wow factor of it. It&#x27;s also super versatile, meaning you can swap in whichever vegetables you have on hand.

Because I prepare this <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/chicken-curry-mit-paprika-und-brokkoli-dd61">curry</a> over and over again, I always have the main ingredients for it in my pantry: curry paste, coconut milk, raisins, almonds, and rice. A delicious <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/for-quick-veg-forward-curries-look-to-the-pantry">curry</a>, like this <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/thai-red-curry">Thai red curry</a> or the <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/rutabaga-curry">rutabaga curry</a> (perfect for cold winter days) can always be spiced up or down depending on what you have and the flavors you like, so to me, it’s always a good option for a quick weeknight dinner.

On Saturdays I often don&#x27;t have much time or the desire to cook. I prefer meeting with friends for dinner, with the intention of finding a new culinary insider tip. But I do dedicate more time than usual to breakfast on the weekends. I love this hearty <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/de/rezepte/asian-breakfast-bowl">breakfast fried rice</a> in the morning, but it can also be prepared in the evening.

I dedicate the last day of the week, again, to my favorite food: bread. Today, it comes in the form of a <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/focaccia">focaccia</a>. Serve it alongside a large green salad and toss in any leftover vegetables from the week in it. There will certainly be a few pieces of focaccia left over, which you can use to make yourself another sandwich the following Monday.

A week with Kitchen Stories’ test kitchen manager and chef Hanna

Notes From a Chef: My Weekly Meal Plan

Food has a special ability to bring people together and it can, like few other things, comfort and calm us in times of uncertainty—so it’s only natural that we turn to it now. As we adjust and move forward day by day, we wanted to put the call out to you, our global community, to share the recipes that have kept you going (even with a dwindling pantry). <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/new-on-kitchen-stories-upload-your-own-recipes">Upload them</a> or share what you&#x27;re cooking with us on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kitchenstories_official/" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a> using the hashtag #stayhomekeepcooking in your chef&#x27;s note or post. Community is more important than ever, and we hope that we&#x27;ll keep you inspired to cook and share with us.

By nature, our <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/stories/13-dinners-with-only-5-ingredients">5-ingredient dinners</a> are an easy win. They require just a handful of ingredients, many that you might already have on hand, and typically rely on pantry staples like pasta, beans, lentils, bread, and rice. Have plenty of tomato paste but no idea how to use it other than by the teaspoonful? We’ve got a recipe for you (hint, it’s Ruby’s <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/5-ingredient-creamy-tomato-and-basil-pasta">5-ingredient creamy tomato and basil pasta</a>). Sick of eating your peanut butter on toast? Swirl it into a spicy sauce for soba noodles as called for in our 5-ingredient <a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/spicy-peanut-soba-noodles">spicy peanut soba noodles</a>. So take stock of all those cans, tubes, jars, or tubs from your pantry and take inspiration from these recipes for your next 5-ingredient dinner.

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