5 Recipes I've Saved With cookbook+ and Can't Wait to Try

Finding it hard to keep track of your cooking inspiration from all over the web? Us too. Until now!
We’ve made a handy new feature called cookbook+ to help you save and organize all your favorite recipes in one place. To show you the Kitchen Stories team is using it, plus how we find inspiration online, our editors are sharing a collection of saved recipes with you each week. Follow this link to learn how cookbook+ works and sign up for a 14 day free trial.

Instead of counting sheep to calm my thoughts and help lull me to sleep, I go through the last dish I cooked, step-by-step in my head. The principle is the same and help distracts me from more intricate thoughts. Plus eating, cooking, and baking are generally more interesting to me than sheep–no matter what time of day. Sometimes, when I don't know what my restless thoughts are supposed to "cook" next, I'll either browse through some cookbooks or food blogs and other online publications for an evening dose of inspiration before hitting the sack. And to make sure I don't forget a recipe that catches my eyes, and may make an appearance in my dreams, I diligently save those recipes to try out later.

What's been piquing my interest lately? Here are the 5 recipes I've saved with our newest feature, cookbook+.

1. Beet ravioli from lecker.de

Saved to my "Pasta, Basta!" cookbook

A few months ago I ate at the Russian restaurant Datscha in Berlin-Friedrichshain. Their beet plum dumplings with walnuts and coriander were heavenly, and I knew I had to try and imitate the dish. To recreate them, I'll use this recipe as a place to start.

2. Chickpea tofu from kichererb.se

Saved to my “Ausprobieren! (Must Try!)" cookbook

A few years ago I tried to make chickpea tofu and, unfortunately, it went all wrong. The tofu didn't get solid but was rather crumbly, and it didn't taste all that good either. This recipe however, offers a different technique that I'm interested to try–fingers crossed. I'll consider this a kind of weekend project after my first rather mixed-up attempt, and I'll make sure to stick to the ingredients and steps completely this time. I promise.

3. Hanna's crispy seitan schnitzel from Kitchen Stories

Saved to my cookbook “Deftig! (Hearty!)”

Our chef Hanna walked past me a few weeks ago, on the run. In her hand: a plate with a huge schnitzel. "Come and taste it," she shouted to me as she disappeared into the test kitchen. Turns out, I didn't get up fast enough and just made it to get the very last piece of seitan schnitzel off the plate. It was incredibly crispy, perfectly spiced, and so surprising. I am always fascinated by meatless alternatives like this schnitzel, so the recipe went straight into one of my cookbooks.

4. Watermelon with yogurt, poppy seeds, and rosemary from Epicurious

Saved to my cookbook “Hangry!”

To be so hungry that you yourself become quite unbearable to be around, who doesn’t know this feeling? In this cookbook, I save dishes that are so easy to prepare and so quickly finished that they hardly need a recipe, but have that necessary twist so as not to be boring. This watermelon salad with yogurt, poppy seeds, and fried rosemary fits the bill.

5. Simple sponge cake with strawberries and cream from The Spruce Eats

Saved to my cookbook “Süß! (Sweet!)”

My list of recipes would not be complete if it didn't include cake–I have a sweet tooth. A simple sponge cake base with whipped cream and fresh, juicy strawberries has long been on my list. It's a classic and this creation proves that simple and delicious are definitely not mutually exclusive.