7 Ways to Spice up Dinner
Eat a lot of rice? Pasta? Then you know just how bland and repetitive these healthy choices can be. Here’s a few ways to spice them up.
1. Actually use spices. Don’t restrict yourself to the salt and pepper you’re comfortable with. Challenging your taste buds with a new spice will go a long way towards making dinner interesting again. Try something exotic like curry or paprika – even an unusual option like cinnamon in a main dish can be a big hit. Spices generally aren’t sugary or fattening, so you don’t have to hold back. Check out a good Asian store – especially Persian or Indian – for a great selection.
2. Be saucy. Like spices, sauces can be found in a huge variety of flavors, and can bring an engaging flavor to even the most basic dish. It’s very easy to find sauce recipes online if you feel like cooking your own (which is a lot of fun), and they tend to use simple ingredients like water, salt, beef bullion, cooking sherry, mushrooms, etc. Making your own sauce is fun and rewarding, but if you don’t feel up to it, buy a blend of flavors you have never tried.
3. Marinate. If you cook with meat or fish, you’ll find that the distinctive tastes of these foods can become boring as a foundation. By thinking a bit ahead, you can infuse your dish with a powerful, memorable flavor. Get a Ziploc bag, then fill it with the salad dressing, sauce, or spice powder of your choice, then put the meat in there. Letting your food sit overnight – refrigerated, of course – can bring a subtle change or an intense kick. Don’t be afraid to use a very spicy choice here, like a powerful barbeque sauce, because the flavor will be slightly weakened by cooking and by removing the meat from the marinade.
4. Switch sides. If your lineup includes items that are always paired – “meat and potatoes,” “bread and butter” – then you have a lot to gain from switching things up. Think about a savory veggie with your meat instead; onions and asparagus are a good place to start, but the options are endless. If you’re eating bread, try having it with jam or olive oil instead. You could even switch to pita or naan for a tasty surprise.
5. Wrap it up. Instead of serving a cut of meat or fish, or instead of serving beans and veggies in cafeteria-style heaps, serve up a wrap or a roll. Use tortillas, pita, buns, or good sandwich bread to hold your meal. If you can completely get rid of your utensils, you’ve really succeeded here, and eating with your hands will make your food lose the slight metallic twinge it can pick up from silverware.
6. Mix it in. Rather than separating your dishes, combine items. Serve “rice with beef” rather than “beef and rice.” Serve “pasta with tuna” rather than “pasta and tuna.” The foods combined together in your mouth will provide a subtle textural change, making them seem like entirely new foods.
7. Drink up. Instead of milk, water, wine, or your regular dinner drink, try something new. Look to other cultures especially for tastes and textures that complement your dish. If you’re having something spicy, try champurrado or horchata, both sweet milk-based drinks, to offset it. Try an exotic tea variety, especially one that includes a mint. Go to a wine boutique and ask what will complement your dish. Having a strongly contrasting drink that is flavorful on its own adds another dimension to the meal that’s impossible to get elsewhere.
(photo credit: .:. brainsik on Flickr)
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