I got a subscription to Bon Appétit this year for some new dinner ideas. Some of them were immediate favorites and are now in regular rotation. So here are the recipes from the second half of 2024 with notes on modifications and whether the effort is worth it or not – plus a list of the recipes that I liked so much, I made them multiple times!

July

Egg Drop Dumpling Soup (May 2024) I kept the general idea from the original recipe but instead of cornstarch and egg, I used miso paste. You can also add in some frozen vegetables to the soup and bulk it up a bit.

Ginger-Garlic Fire Cod (June/July 2024) This recipe is a keeper! I used gochujang instead of chili paste for a tiny bit less heat, and it matches the flavor profiles of the ginger, garlic, scallions, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. If your fish still has the skin on, crisp that side so the top stays flaky.

Paneer Kathi Rolls (June/July 2024) The filling was easy and delicious but too messy for burritos. I recommend either draining the liquid before rolling them up or serving it with rice or quinoa instead.

One-Pot Pantry Orzo with Chickpeas (Apr. 2024) After making it 4 times, this recipe now has a permanent spot in rotation for dinners or lunch meal prep. This variation uses extra capers and Smoky Chipotle bouillon instead of water.

Chili Crisp Peach Tart (Aug. 2024) Unlike the French onion tart from February, this recipe is totally worth the effort! The fresh peaches, tangy goat cheese, flaky crust, and chili crisp make this a perfect summer appetizer.

One-Pot Salmon and Shiitake Rice (Aug. 2024) I really wanted to like this but it was not good. I recommend making the shiitake rice and the salmon separately since they end up having vastly different cook times.

August

Tofu Meatballs in Burst Tomato Sauce (Aug. 2024) The baked tofu meatballs were surprisingly good, you could pair them with lots of different sauces. And the process is super quick because you don’t need to press all the liquid out of the tofu block, which adds an hour.

Broccoli Spoon Salad with Warm Vinaigrette (May 2024) I made this salad for a lunch meal prep, but it works better as a side dish. Turns out there is such a thing as too much raw broccoli – I should have added quinoa or tofu to fill it out instead.

Samosa-dillas with Cucumber Salad (Aug. 2024) The curry potatoes are flavorful and easy to mash because they’re steamed. It’s much less work to make full tortillas and cut them after cooking instead of folding them in half – just make sure there’s a layer of melted cheese around the edges to seal them together.

Chili Crisp Peach Tart (Aug. 2024) It even tastes good when you accidentally tear the dough and need to roll it out again.

Sulguk (Alcohol Stew) (May 2024) This is super easy to customize. This time I used some homemade shrimp broth to add a subtle flavor to the spicy gochujang, and filled the soup with mushrooms, vegetables, and noodles. It would also be good with some fried tofu on top.

September

Black Bean Smash Burgers (Aug. 2024) Too much work and fell apart immediately. It could maybe work as pan-fried hash for burritos or a breakfast scramble or something.

Divorce Salad (Sep. 2024) I’ll save you the trouble of reading the whole article: the salad is a metaphor that made the author realize she needed to divorce her husband. With that being said, the salad is delicious even though it has an incredibly stupid name.

Black Garlic Caesar Salad (Sep. 2024) This salad dressing is so good, I want to put it on everything. The black garlic adds a really nice umami flavor to the standard anchovies and parmesan.

Weeknight Harissa Eggplant Parm (Sep. 2024) Everything cooks in the pan so you don’t have to bread each individual eggplant slice. The harissa is a good twist, and the eggplant is cubed so it doesn’t get stringy. This recipe only took an hour to make, from starting the prep to serving it up – weeknight approved!

One-Pot Pantry Orzo with Chickpeas (Apr. 2024) This time I made the recipe, I added pan-fried soyrizo pieces with the parmesan at the end. I ran out of tomato paste so I substituted some harissa instead leftover from the eggplant parm.

Elote-Style Corn Soup (Mar. 2024) It’s finally soup season again so I made this recipe with crispy homemade croutons on top. Super easy and quick, I was able to make it at someone else’s house.

October

Ginger-Garlic Fire Cod (June/July 2024) The recipe says you can substitute the cod for another flaky fish, so I made it with some lump crab meat. And since I still had some harissa from last month, I used that instead of the chili paste or gochujang.

Garlic-Coconut Shrimp and Green Beans (Sept. 2024) The green beans at the store were very sad looking so I used asparagus instead; the toasted coconut and garlic burned so I had to toss it out; and I added some leftover rice. The food was still good, just not super faithful to the recipe.

Lentil Soup with Greens and Rice (Apr. 2024) A great soup for the colder weather. Easy to make and customize, and can hide up to 12 ounces of spinach for extra vitamins and iron. I put half of it in the blender to make it smoother.

Highlight: Sophon (Oct. 2024) Okay, not a recipe but a local Cambodian restaurant that Bon Appetit named one of the 20 best new restaurants of 2024. We tried the green papaya salad, seared mushrooms in spicy tomato relish, grilled Chinese eggplant, and mackerel with curry. The jackfruit limeade is also delicious!

Kung Pao Tempeh (Oct. 2024) Really easy to make and delicious. Simple enough for a weeknight meal, and the cashews combined with the tempeh give it a nice flavor and texture. Customize with your favorite stir fry vegetables.

November

Broccolini and Walnut Pesto Pasta (Feb. 2024) Made a double batch of the pesto so that I could freeze some and give to a friend who is having a baby this month.

Sulguk (Alcohol Stew) (May 2024) I tried a different combination of vegetables this time with scallions, bok choy, lots of mushrooms, and noodles.

Bouillon-Baked Tofu (Nov. 2024) This recipe is a quick way to add protein to a meal, and I usually have at least 3 different open jars of bouillon. It’s much easier to stir the corn starch into the marinate so I don’t have to coat each cube side individually. Works well in a rice bowl with the miso-glazed carrots and scallion gremolata.

Miso-Glazed Carrots with Scallion Gremolata (Nov. 2024) I like the idea of a miso glaze for vegetables, but it was a bit too sweet for carrots, which are already kind of sweet. I did blanche some broccoli for dipping in the leftover glaze, but overall it was just okay.

December

Mushrooms Au Poivre (Dec./Jan. 2025) This recipe is really easy and delicious! It’s pretty rich and decadent, so you need a salad or something else light and fresh to go with it. Serve the mushrooms with some crusty bread to soak up all the sauce.

One-Pot Pantry Orzo with Chickpeas (Apr. 2024) Yes, this recipe again. We got back from a trip and I knew there wasn’t any food in the house, and by now I have these ingredients memorized. I added some chopped sundried tomatoes to cook with the garlic.

Spicy Endive Shrimp Spears (Dec./Jan. 2025) A really easy appetizer to make for New Year’s Eve. The shrimp salad would also probably be good on bread like a lobster roll, but the endive was nice and crunchy.

Top Picks for 2024

This past year, I have tried 37 new recipes from Bon Appetit. Some were winners – both easy to make and delicious – and some were definitely not. Here are the top dishes that I made multiple times that will be incorporated into my regular cooking routine:

• One-Pot Pantry Orzo with Chickpeas (Apr. 2024) – Short list of ingredients that’s easy to remember, makes a lot and the leftovers are good.
• Broccoli Spoon Salad with Warm Vinaigrette (May 2024) – Crunchy, flavorful salad that doesn’t get soggy after a few days.
• Sulguk (Alcohol Stew) (May 2024) – Gochujang ramen that can be customized with whatever vegetables you have on hand.
• Elote-Style Corn Soup (Mar. 2024) – Creamy soup that’s lighter than other chowders.
• Lentil Soup with Greens and Rice (Apr. 2024) – A great way to eat a ton of spinach.