Welcome to my review of 2017 and a countdown of the top 10 recipes here on Searching for Spice.
Firstly thank you to everyone who has been reading my blog this year. 2017 has a been a great year! I've had a little bit more time to focus on blogging and its always exciting to see visitor numbers rising.
I think this is partly thanks to my photos getting better. I've been working on improving my photography skills and this has been the year that I've begun to actually understand and use the manual settings on my camera, mainly thanks to a fantastic one day photography course run by William Reavell. I'm hoping to continue working on my photography this year as I know there's still room for lots of improvement!
It's always interesting to see which posts are the most popular. Sometimes it's the ones you least expect that really take off. A lot of my older posts are still really popular, including some with terrible photography like this Spanish rice stuffed marrow! It's actually the 5th most popular recipe so I know it's one I should try to reshoot when I get the chance.
My Top 10 Recipes of 2017
Now, I know everyone likes a Top 10 so I'd like to share with you my top 10 most popular new recipes of 2017. In reverse order of course!
Recipe Number 10
I've been making these cheesy chorizo pastries for years but only this year decided to write about them. They're simple, moreish and perfect for picnics, buffets and packed lunches.
Recipe number 9
Roasted garlic and beetroot soup
Roasting the garlic as well as the beetroot makes this a truly delicious soup. It's thick, healthy and the leftovers are just as good the next day!
Recipe number 8
I invested in a Nutribullet
Recipe Number 7
Lamb meatball curry with coconut gravy
I love making curries so I was pleased to see few curries in the top 10, including this tasty lamb meatball curry with coconut gravy!
Recipe number 6
Simply gluten free Butternut squash and spinach curry
This tasty vegan curry was from the book, Simply Gluten Free
Recipe number 5
I'm so pleased that this harissa chicken traybake has made it into the top 10 as it has a become a real favourite recipe. I've made it a few times as it's so easy but utterly delicious.
Recipe number 4
Simply dairy free chicken curry
This diary free chicken curry from another book I reviewed, Simply Dairy Free
Recipe number 3
Sugar free sticky date and apple cake
It may not have any added sugar in it, but this cake is still sweet from the dates. Guess what? It is from the book, Simply Sugar Free
Recipe number 2
This lemon garlic butter is really simple to make and so tasty. It's great on vegetables and fish too.
Recipe number 1
Deliciously Ella's Sweet Potato Brownies
With no refined sugar, these vegan sweet potato brownies by Deliciously Ella really are a healthy treat. I made them back in April for bowel cancer awareness month when a number of celebrity chefs shared their baking recipes.
I'm sure their popularity on my site is due to them being a Deliciously Ella recipe but the fact that my third most popular recipe is also a refined sugar free recipe shows how popular healthier bakes are becoming.
In fact, a lot of these recipes would fit into various free-from categories, although I wouldn't consider myself to be a free-from blogger.
What's next for 2018?
Well, I'm already looking forward to sharing some healthy and the occasional not so healthy recipe with you in the coming year. It seems that you love curries and there will definitely be some more this year, especially as I'm looking forward to attending an Indian cookery class soon. I'm sure that will inspire me!
Finally, I'd just like to wish all my readers and happy, healthy and prosperous new year. Thank you for all your comments throughout the year. It really is appreciated.
If there are any recipes you'd love me to make then do let me know!
You can keep up to date by following me here as well as on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest
Margaret
Hello Corina,
I read your whole post and I enjoy it. All these recipes are so much delicious. Mostly I love your chicken curry. Thank you so much for sharing these tasty recipes. I am impressed your post.
cooking classes
Happy New Year and wishing you all the best for 2018.
You really shared So many tasty recipes this year, waiting for the next year recipes. Thanks a lot for sharing with us.
Corina Blum
Thanks so much! I'm looking foward to creating some new recipes too.
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie
Great roundup! I always love your recipes...your tastes seem to be so similar to mine! So I found it especially interesting to see which of yours have performed well. Sounds like 2017 has been a great year for you...and it's been lovely to see how much your photography has improved too - I would definitely say that rephotographing recipes that do well in spite of a bad photo is a worthwhile activity....the ones I have redone have all gone a bit bonkers after I updated the photos!! Really looking forward to seeing what you make in 2018! Eb x
Corina Blum
Yes, I'm planning to really focus on updating old recipes this year. I have so many recipes that need an update though! I always love your recipes too - If I wasn't a food blogger I'd cook a lot more of them! x
Becky
They all look absolutely heavenly!!!
Corina Blum
Thanks So much Becky! I'm so pleased you like the recipes.
Monika Dabrowski
You have clearly had an amazing year of blogging! My personal favourite has got to be the beetroot soup (probably predictable:). Thank you for bringing your yummy collection to #CookBlogShare:)
Corina Blum
Oh I love all your beetroot recipes Monika and I'm certainly not surprised that that's your favourite! I would use it more often but it's one of those vegetables my husband doesn't like so I just eat it at lunchtime.
Mandy
What a wonderful year of food Corina - can't wait to see what you come up with in 2018 x
Corina Blum
Thanks Mandy! I'm a bit behind with actual new recipe posts this year but hope to publish my first one of the year soon x
Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food
Yay! A face to go with the lovely personality! Congratulations on having a great year. I'm a big fan of curries, so I'll definitely be checking out the fruits of your cooking class! Happy New Year, and may this one be even better than the last!
Corina Blum
Thanks Michelle! Happy New year to you too and looking forward to all your delicious recipes this year as well!
Cat
So many tasty recipes, but I am being drawn to those cheesy chorizo pastries!
Corina Blum
Thanks Cat! I'm so pleased you like them as it's a recipe I've made loads of times. We all love them!
Jo @ Jo's Kitchen Larder
All recipes look so tasty! Love the curries and sweet bakes and all of them really! It's so interesting and fascinating to look back on readers' likes isn't it! To fantastically delicious 2018! x
Corina Blum
It is interesting what becomes popular. I was quite surprised that the few free-from recipes I made last year became quite so popular! I'm looking forward to all the delicious recipes to come this year now too x
Kate - gluten free alchemist
Happy New Year Corina and wishing you all the best for 2018.
I find it really interesting seeing what recipes people have gone for.... Lovely round up and looking forward to seeing what you make in the coming year. x
Corina Blum
Happy New Year to you to Kate! I think it's hard to keep up with blogging in December along with all the Christmas preparations x
Nico @ yumsome
Aah, so it's not me just imagining that there wasn't a pic before! Lovely to finally be able to see you on here, Corina, and what a great annual review too.
Wishing you and your family a truly wonderful 2018! xx
Corina
Thanks so much Nico! Wishing you a fantastic 2018 too xxx
Monika Dabrowski
Great recipes Corina, and great to see a photo of you! Happy New Year:)
Corina
Thanks Monika! I've actually been meaning to put a photo on the site for over a year but kept not getting round to it. I decided earlier this year that I had to do it by the end of the year and so finally I forced myself to. Happy New Year as well!