Monday, June 1, 2015

Great Ways To Spice Up Boring Food

Boring food is the worst. You have spent all day at work salivating over what you are going to have for your dinner, and then you end up eating a plain chicken breast with steamed broccoli. It’s okay if you are an athlete, but for most people there isn’t anything wrong in spicing up your food a little bit because a hand full of calories won’t make a difference. But, you can’t go to the other end of the spectrum if you are trying to eat healthily, so you need a balance. To get said balance, try a few of these tips for spicing up boring food.

1. Sauces
There is nothing wrong with a good sauce and don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise! As long as you cook it properly and make it with healthy ingredients, the sauce will be healthy too. It is that basic. The problem is, how do you make a healthy sauce? For starters, stay away from anything that needs to be fried. When you fry oil, it becomes unhealthy. Try wrapping meat up in foil and putting it in a gas or electric oven. Once it has cooked, take the juices and pour them into the pan and heat gently while adding a few herbs. This technique is a fantastic and basic way of making a sauce that is too flavoursome. If you like chicken, try lemon and herbs or mushroom sage with a little bit of white wine. Delicious!

2. Massage It In
Forget the sauce and get your hands stuck in! If you have plain food with no taste, get hold of a few spices and get to work. Chilli powder and Cayenne spice are a great way of giving meats especially an extra kick. But don’t put too much on; they will blow your socks off if you do! All you need to do is massage the spice into the fresh produce and then put it into the oven to cook. Watch out though because it can turn out dry. If you fancy it a bit juicier, add a bit of olive oil before you rub the spice in for a better result.


3. Marinades

There is no easier way of making food exciting. All you do is prepare the marinade, there are even good ones in a packet, add the food and leave it to marinate for a few hours. The best thing about marinades is the fact that they pretty much go with everything, from pork to chicken and even beef if you fancy it. They are that flexible that you don’t have to worry about over thinking your dinner preparations and whack everything in a bowl. Some of the classics include Jamaican jerk or Barbeque, but they can get a little bit sweet and sickly. If you want to try something different, go for a Greek marinade with garlic, oregano, salt, red wine vinegar and lemon juice for good measure.

Your food never has to be boring again, even if you are on a diet. All of these tips are not only incredibly tasty, but they are also good for the body. What more could you want?!

32 delicious comments:

Masshole Mommy said...

I almost always marinate my meat before I cook it - especially when we grill it. It always makes it taste better and usually helps make it a little more moist.

Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle said...

Marinating meat is absolutely the best way to get it ready for cooking. My husband marinates everything he grills. Yum!

Unknown said...

I am always looking for great ways to change up boring old food. I love this list of ways to spice up those boring options. Thanks so much for sharing.

Melissa Pezza said...

My favorite things to do with meat is either marinate them or get a nice dry rub going on. Yummo!

ourfamilyworld said...

Sauces and gravies definitely liven up boring food. And yes, massaging the marinade or dry rub makes the meat tastier.

Christy Maurer said...

I love marinades because they are easy! You can just let your food soak in them and cook them up. Thanks for sharing these yummy ways to make your food better.

Unknown said...

I always tell people this but they never believe me, I keep telling them you can be healthy and still eat a ton of good tasting foods. Its not always salads and whole wheat toast lol, this is a great point though a sauce can make the difference in any dish!

Six Time Mommy TEST said...

Yum! We always marinate everything my hubby usually does it all. That corn looks so good. I miss corn on the cob! I love sauces and marinades they make everything taste so much better - Jeanine

Kisa Johnson said...

I kind of just want whatever that was on the skewer with the mushrooms and meat? It looks delicious! Then again I do love mushrooms... and meat.. Was it beef? O

Echo aka The Mad Mommy said...

Great tips for adding flavor! I love a good marinade or rub! Simple spices and ingredients are best!

Stephanie said...

Tony Chachera's is a cajun seasoning that we put on a ton of things (even eggs). It makes everything good. :)

Soiree Design Studio said...

I LOVE LOVE LOVE sauces! You're so right...the right marinade or sauce takes ordinary foods and make them so much better.

Anonymous said...

Love these tips, there is nothing I hate more than boring food. I'll have to try this the next time I'm in the kitchen.

Unknown said...

I use marinades for just about everything! Not only does is add flavor, but it keeps the meat moist and when I use it to cook vegetables it makes a nice sauce to pour over rice. Thanks for sharing.

Paula Schuck said...

Sauces and marinades are my go to flavor enhancers. The right sauce can make a plain old boring dish something special.

RUSS said...

I love this list that you've put together. I'm all for making food not boring - one of the worst things that anyone could experience is serving food and no one would even touch it. Making food not boring is one of the sure fire ways to make it a blockbuster. Marinades and dips / sauces come in handy all the time, an awesome presentation works too.

Pauline C. said...

Definitely that was not boring. I love your recipe I will try them as well.

Unknown said...

I absolutely love a good marinade! It just makes things so delicious without any real work! lol

Bonnie G said...

So true, eating boring food well just gets boring! I always try to marinate before hand but forget to sometimes. Will have to do that more.

Lynndee said...

I am not much into sauces, but I love marinades especially with meat. It just gives more flavor to it making it so tasty. Yum!

Uplifting Families said...

We love adding different marinades to our chicken. It makes it taste even better and keeps it from drying out.

I add a little bit of garlic salt to my veggies. It doesn't add calories but it adds flavor.

Unknown said...

I hate boring food! lol I love cooking and you simply can't cook if you don't have good spices! I won't eat boring food ever!

spiffykerms said...

Anytime I massage meat or tenderize it, I need to wear gloves. Haha! I'm so easily grossed out.

CourtneyLynne said...

These are some great ideas!!! I'm all about sauces! Whenever I'm trying to post recipes on my blog I always have to keep in mind people aren't all sauce obsessed like myself and to keep things simple lol

Ann B said...

Marinades are a great way to season your meat. I will have to try massaging in my spices with a little olive oil.

Kelly Hutchinson said...

My husband needs to learn the art of a good marinade! His grilled foods are soooo boring!

Dellah said...

I don't do the cooking in our home, but my hubby loves to make sure his food is well flavored. He grew up in a Jamaican household so everything is seasoned.

Unknown said...

We do a lot of rubs and marinades - well, really we use a lot of different seasonings and try to try new combos often!

Yona Williams said...

I love the result of marinated meat…makes things juicy and flavorful. The best couple of years, I've been making my own sauces too – I like to be in control of the ingredients.

Melanie said...

Love these tips. I use a rub for my meats and it adds so much flavor. Sauces are a wonderful idea too!

Mommy Peach said...

I don't like boring food! I've already been doing your tips Mommy Rose and it has made food really tasty.

Unknown said...

I usually marinate everything I cook the day before. It will make the meat taste great.

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