Struggling for dinner ideas? Want to make protein and veg meals a little less boring? Absolutely there will still be meals where food is just food, and you have to make do and eat it.
Although for when you want to add a little somethin’ somethin’ to your lunch or dinner, read on for our 5 tips for tastier meals.
Salt & Pepper
Listen, it’s not revolutionary, I know. But when you make even the simplest food, say steamed broccoli and carrots, if you add some salt and pepper, it already tastes 10 times better. With any recommendation of salt, there is a disclaimer that this is general advice, and if you are managing certain conditions (e.g. high blood pressure), and your medical practitioner has advised to minimise salt, please stick to pepper only by them. For the rest of the population, even if you only season your food at the end of the meal, I promise you, it makes a world of difference.
Even better, try some boujee(fancy) flaked salt. Doesn’t have to be expensive, but a little sprinkle of that as the finishing touch really elevates said steamed broccoli and carrots. For those in Australia, Coles supermarkets has a home brand one here or these Saxa Salt ones.
Spices
My favourite way to change up roasted veggies (think potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, zucchini, eggplant, etc.) is to put a different type of spice on there. Does it take much prep? No. Do they last for ages in your pantry? Yes. Does it instantly elevate your spag bol? Yes. Now you can go for your standard spices like thyme, rosemary, or turmeric in the spice aisle of your supermarket. This is a great start. I would encourage you to go one step further and have a look at the good quality spice blends. Historically these would have been full of filler ingredients (some still are), but theres a couple of good brands that have more flavour and less filler now.
Some of my favourites include:
Mingle Seasoning- Their little shaker of Taco seasoning is always on hand when I want to make a guac or spice to my mince for taco bowls. Available in Coles and Woolworths (if you’re in Australia) and looks like you can order from their website too.
Gewurzhaus - I was introduced to this place by my sister and god-sister down in Melbourne Australia years ago, and they are now a staple in my pantry. If you get a chance to go to their store (SA, Vic, Canberra and NSW), it is hard to leave without at least one spice for yourself, and bonus for the in-store mulled wine that they usually have tasters of. They do offer online shopping, including free shipping when you get to a certain amount (easy to do). They have a variety of flavoured salts, general spice blends (roast vegetable spice) or speciality blends with curated easy recipes. My absolute favourites are the quick butter chicken blend, the bavarian roast chicken spice and Maria’s Pizza and Pasta blend.
Garlic / Garlic Oil
Does it make your breath stink? Yes. Do I care? Not really to be honest. If you can’t be bothered making a certain recipe, it is very likely that if you cook minced garlic before you put your protein (meat/veggie) or vegetable in the pan, that it will taste miles better than just on its own.
Fun fact, garlic has been studied comprehensively over the years for it’s anti-inflammatory and disease-preventing effects. If you crush or smash your garlic and leave it for 10 minutes before cooking, it releases an enzyme called alliinase which catalyses to become allicin, a potent antioxidant.
If you have a sensitive stomach, you may not be able to tolerate raw or cooked whole garlic as it is high in oligosaccharides. You’ll often be safe with garlic infused olive oil instead. However best to go with what works with you or by recommendation by your health professional.
Lemon/Lime juice
Another staple for your fruit bowl is always to have a couple of lemons and limes on hand. They’re very versatile, and you can use the juice, the rind and even the leftover fruit to bake with meats in the oven.
I understand that sometimes these can be expensive, but please try to get the whole fruit when you can afford to in comparison to the ‘Lemon Juice’ alternatives you can find in the grocery store. The taste is 1000 times better, and you can use the whole fruit, whereas the fake juice includes: Reconstituted Lemon Juice (99.9%), Vitamin C (300), Natural Flavour, Preservative (223) (Sulphites). Again, up to you what you would prefer and what you can afford.
Sauces or dips
I love to try and make at least one sauce or dip over the weekend to help add some flavour to dishes over the week with minimal thought. A couple of my current favourites are:
Easy Chilli Oil
Tangy lemon and lime dressing
Green basil & yoghurt sauce
Emergency hummus
These are all available in my Essentials eBook Series - Dips & Sauces ! You can purchase it here!
Hopefully these tips help in providing some ideas on how to make your mid week 'meh’ meals tastier!
Zoë & Bruno
