…and the rest of your body! Most people think (and have been conditioned to think) that really yummy, mmm-mmm good flavor only happens in the presence of cheese, and cream, and a good size vat of frying oil. I couldn’t disagree more!
Although I don’t shy away from a nice creamy sauce or some fish n’ chips now and then, those are definitely not mainstays in my menus. Not because I’m trying to be all “healthy”, but because we just don’t have a raging desire for heavy, fatty cooking methods. When you stop and think about all that’s available, there’s so much more to the flavor story! I believe it’s possible for our tastebuds to fall in love all over again, only this time with delicious, interesting food. It just takes a little experimenting and the willingness to get un-hooked (‘cuz that’s what we are, “hooked”) on that starchy, fatty taste.
Just start to think about all the possible ways to add flavor to a dish and the possibilities are endless:
• Instead of cooking rice in water, use broth. (Also use it to add moisture to any dish you’re cooking instead of plain water)
• Herbs! Dried, and especially fresh herbs, add a burst of bright flavor. Add them to anything you can.
• Spices. This doesn’t mean “spicy” necessarily. If you like spicy, go for it, but it also means sending your dish in any direction you want. Basil, Italian Parsley and Oregano speak Italian. Rosemary, Thyme and Lavender bring you to France. Sage, Marjoram and Parsley are home-y, comforting. Take it further: Cumin & Chili Powder, kind of southwest. Cumin & Allspice, kind of Jamaican. Get the idea? Imagine that grilled chicken breast now, and all the different things you can do with it.
• Fresh lemon juice, lime juice. Pineapple juice!
• Which brings me to fruit: cut a longwise slice into a pork roast and stuff it with peaches. Drizzle a little olive oil, salt & pepper and see what you get! Figs, orange sections (think orange honey roasted chicken), apples, dried cranberries, plum preserves…
• Nuts! Crush some pecans, mix with a little mustard and fresh herbs. Spread it on some salmon and throw it in the oven. Or, slightly toast some sesame seeds and sprinkle them over your stir fry for a nutty crunch.
• And don’t forget…garlic!
Are you getting my drift? For instance, once I had a couple of turkey sausages in the fridge needing to be cooked up. I had used a couple of them a day or two before for an Italian Mac n’ Cheese (search for that one on here, it’s good!). I didn’t want to go with italian flavors again, so I started thinking elsewhere. I ended up with “Loooosiana Rice n’ Beans”, and used spices like cumin, saffron, cayenne pepper and smoked paprika.
I simmered it with tomatoes and beans, cooked up some collard greens and served it all over brown rice. We put on the swamp-kickin’ country tunes and totally enjoyed our little time in the south!
If you’re like me, I tend to get easily bored as a cook and as a “customer”, so by simply switching up my flavors I’m more than happy! Give some flavor a try. Not only will your tastebuds thank you, your heart will too in the long run!
Mama's Cafe 