It can be so easy to get into a dinner rut. You find yourself making the same things over and over again and the internet and pinterest are no help. Instead of trying to make some crazy fancy dish on a Wednesday night, simply give one of those tried and true recipes a little freshening up.
Here are 3 super simple ways to liven up any worn out dinner recipe.
1. Fresh herbs.
Fresh herbs are one of the easiest ways to breathe life into an old recipe. Dried herbs are great in a pinch but fresh herbs bring brightness and bold flavor to a dish. Fresh herbs have more depth of flavor than dried herbs. You know that jar of dried rosemary in your spice cabinet, its great, oh so convenient and lasts forever. Which means it has probably lost a lot of flavor. Fresh rosemary has complex flavor; its warm and almost peppery, a little floral and a touch citrusy. Yes, you have to remember to add it to the grocery list but if you wrap it up in a damp paper towel when you get home and store it in the vegetable drawer it will last you the whole week. Often, my fresh herbs last me two weeks.
2. Change up the spices
One of my family's favorite dishes is the Everyday Orzo. Most of the time I use thyme and sage, a little lemon and some parmesan as the main spices and flavor in the dish. While that is delicious it can get a little boring after a while so I'll change up the spices. This is so simple, instead of having to think up a whole new recipe to make I just rummage in the spice cabinet and peek in the fridge to see what other flavors this dish could have. My hunt left me with some basil pesto, fresh cherry tomatoes and ricotta cheese. Perfect! Everyday Orzo became Italian Orzo! Instead of the regular herbs with the onion I tossed in extra garlic then when I would normally add the parmesan I stirred in some ricotta and the pesto and topped our bowls with chopped cherry tomatoes! An old dish with new flavors looks and tastes totally new!
3. The heat
The method cooking you use can really change a dish. For example making pizza in the oven verses making pizza on the grill. Or even adding a simple step like searing beef before adding it to beef and vegetable soup or beef bourguignon, adds so much depth of flavor to the dish. Say you normally make tomato soup with canned tomatoes. That is totally fine but in the summer when fresh tomatoes are at their most delicious I like to make a big pan of roasted tomatoes, shallots and garlic to puree for tomato soup. Roasting the fresh tomatoes intensifies their already rich flavor into something extra special. One of the easiest ways to change up the weeknight dinner routine is to try cooking veggies a different way. If you normally boil things like carrots, or broccoli try roasting them instead. The intense heat of the oven concentrates all of the delicious flavors so the vegetables can really shine. Instead of boiling or steaming green beans try blanching them in boiling water for a few minutes, giving them an ice bath and then sauteing them in a little oil and garlic on the stove.
If you look at your favorite recipes and are starting to find them lacking, just rethink a few of the steps, change up the way you cook a veggie or piece of meat, change what kind of meat you use, or try out some new spices and you'll find that fresh new recipes are hidden right there inside the old ones. Delicious, coming back of seconds, dinners are within your grasp!
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