14 Standout Recipes I've Made Recently That I'll Be Making On Repeat

Shake up your home-cooking routine with some new and exciting recipes.

This past year, I've spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I've been cooking at home much more than ever before, but I've come to love the routine. Cooking has become a sort of stress reliever at the end of the day when I can try new recipes and experiment in the kitchen. Here are some of the absolute best dishes I've made lately, that you might love, too.

1. Air Fryer Trader Joe's Kung Pao Cauliflower Tempura

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Everyone has those nights when you just don't feel like cooking...which is why I always keep a bag of Trader Joe's Kung Pao Cauliflower Tempura in my freezer. I cook it in the air fryer so the tempura batter gets light and airy and golden and crispy. Paired with some pickled or steamed veggies and rice, it's such an easy yet satisfying meal.

2. Spring Vegetable Fried Rice

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Fried rice is a weeknight dinner godsend. Use whatever protein and vegetables are left over in your fridge and call it dinner. This Bon Appetit recipe calls for a bunch of spring vegetables like ramps, asparagus, and peas. Top it with a fried egg and plenty of chili onion crunch.

Recipe: Fried Rice With Spring Vegetables and Fried Egg

3. Ginger Scallion Salmon

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When you want a little break from your plain old roast salmon, this dish feels just a little more unique, but it's still so simple to make. You basically just roast salmon and then serve it in a mixture of scallions, ginger, soy sauce, oil, sherry, and fish sauce. I love slow-roasting the salmon at around 275°F so it gets super buttery and fall-apart tender. Try serving it with soba noodles, sushi rice, or spicy cucumbers for a complete (and outrageously good) weeknight meal.

Recipe: Ginger Scallion Salmon

4. Greek Salad (Horiatiki) With Lemon Shrimp

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Greek salad (aka horiatiki) is probably one of my favorite meals of all-time. And to make it at home, all you need is a few high quality ingredients: ripe, juicy tomatoes, seedless cucumber, red onion, green bell pepper, kalamata olives, and creamy Feta cheese. I just dress it in extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar with a good pinch of salt and pepper and it always hits the spot. When I want a more filling dinner, I add some lemon garlic shrimp or chicken skewers.

Recipe: Traditional Greek Salad (Horiatiki)

5. Braised Ginger Meatballs in Coconut Broth

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These Thai-inspired meatballs in coconut broth is sort of like a soup-curry hybrid. I love eating this with rice or pad Thai noodles to sop up all the creamy, coconut-y goodness. You can make the meatballs with pork, as the recipe suggests, or use ground turkey, chicken, or even your favorite vegetarian meatball recipe. The combination of garlic, ginger, and red chiles is so delicious.

Recipe: Braised Ginger Meatballs in Coconut Broth

6. Mushroom Bourguignon

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For the past year I've been making more of an effort to incorporate more plant-based meals into my dinner routine. This mushroom Bourguignon has been one of the best meatless recipes I've tried. It's hearty and rich and the texture of the mushrooms and veggies stewed in the tomato and red wine broth is amazing. I love using a mix of different mushrooms (cremini, oyster, baby bella, shiitakes, etc...) for the best flavor and texture. Serve this over noodles or mashed potatoes for a really comforting meal.

Recipe: Mushroom Bourguignon

7. Spanish-Style Gambas al Ajillo

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Unable to travel this past year, cooking has been one way that I can experience different cuisines and cultures without leaving home. Spain is one of my favorite places in the world, and I adore tapas. My husband and I often try to re-create our favorite Spanish tapas meals at home — grilled mushrooms and brothy clams and patatas bravas — but gambas al ajillo (aka shrimp in garlic) and pan con tomate are by far my favorite tapas to make at home. You can get this meal on the table in about 20 minutes flat, and it's so satisfying.

Recipe: Gambas al Ajillo and Pan Con Tomate

8. Crispy Grilled Fish Tacos

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Tacos might just be my favorite food group of all. You can fill them with literally whatever is in your kitchen, from grilled veggies or leftover chicken to scrambled eggs. But these fish tacos are an all-time favorite. They're baked from start to finish and never fried in oil, but they still manage to get nice and crispy on the outside. The easy chipotle, lime, and greek yogurt sauce is the icing on the cake — or in this case, the garnish on the tacos 🤪.

Recipe: Crispy Baked Fish Tacos

9. Skate Wing Schnitzel

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I love fish, but I used to be intimidated to make it at home. Recently I've been experimenting with fish recipes that are a bit more exciting than your basic baked salmon or cod, and this is one of my absolute favorites. I love using skate wing to make this Schnitzel-style, breaded and pan-fried fish, but you can use anything from fluke to sole. Because it's breaded and crispy and very mild, it's a great dish for people who don't usually love fish.

Recipe: Skate Wing Schnitzel

10. Butter Cauliflower

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This one-pot butter chicken is one of my favorite weeknight meals, but recently I've been swapping out the chicken and replacing it with cauliflower. I just roast cauliflower on a baking sheet until it's golden brown and crispy, then I add it to the tomato-based cream sauce. I also often use whole fat Greek yogurt in place of half-and-half to make this meal a bit lighter. Serve it with some naan (Trader Joe's frozen garlic naan, FTW) and a side of rice for an Indian-inspired meal at home.

Recipe: 20-Minute Butter Chicken

11. Coconut Shrimp With Rice Noodles

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As much as I love eating this meal piping hot, it tastes just as good chilled, leftover the next day. Topped with chopped fragrant peanuts, scallions, cilantro, and some Thai chile, it smells almost as heavenly as it tastes. Of course, you can use any protein here in place of shrimp, or you can load it up with vegetables.

Recipe: Rice Noodles with Shrimp and Coconut-Lime Dressing

12. Vegetarian Mapo Tofu

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Szechuan food is one of those cuisines I'd never tried to make at home until recently because it does require a few ingredients that can be hard to come by, like Sichuan peppercorns and fermented black beans. But if you can gather the ingredients, this vegetarian-friendly meal (made with silken tofu and mushrooms instead of ground pork) is worth it. For those who like a little heat, this dish is delightfully spicy. Plus it's surprisingly easy to make and ready in about 30 minutes.

Recipe: Vegan Mapo Tofu

13. Caprese Spaghetti Squash

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I've tried a dozen different ways to make spaghetti squash, and this Caprese version is my absolute favorite. You just roast the squash in the oven as you normally would, then you remove the spaghetti-like strands and place them in a bowl. Mix the squash with a mixture of cooked cherry tomatoes, then stuff it all back into the skin of the squash topped with mozzarella and basil, and bake some more until the cheese is melted. It's a low-carb alternative to pasta that still tastes totally decadent.

Recipe: Caprese Spaghetti Squash

14. Whole Roasted Red Snapper With Thai Spices

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One of my biggest accomplishments in the kitchen over the past year has been becoming comfortable with cooking a whole fish. Before trying it, I was always so intimidated by the idea, but truthfully it's so easy. I love this Thai-inspired recipe, which calls for red snapper but you can really use anything from Branzino to Sea Bass. Have your fishmonger scale and de-bone the fish for you, and the rest is easy. I like stuffing the fish with lime slices, garlic, lemongrass, and some fresh herbs like cilantro and mint, then cooking it on the grill or in the oven. This seriously feels like a restaurant-quality dinner that anyone can make at home.

Recipe: Whole Roasted Red Snapper With Thai Spices

Do you have a recipe you've tried and loved recently? Tell us in the comments below!