How to Seed a Pomegranate

I like things neat and tidy.  I also like pomegranates.  Therein lies the rub.  Dissecting a pomegranate is not so tidy if you either a) cut it in half and bang on it with a wooden spoon until all the seeds come out or b) soak the seeds in water and wait for that membrane stuff to float up and separate.  Both of those methods are too messy or time consuming for me.  I thought I'd share how I seed a pomegranate...

1. Cut the top off the pomegranate until you can see the individual seed sections or pockets inside.
You can see this one has 6 sections of seeds.

2. Like an orange, you can see the membrane that separates the sections.  Cut down the sides of the pomegranate right in between these sections letting your knife go about an inch in.  I let the slits all meet at the top center of the pomegranate.

3. Pull apart the pomegranate into your cut sections.

4. Peel the membrane off.  It usually comes off in one piece.  Nudge the seeds out of the skin into a bowl.  You can turn the peel inside out to make it easier.

Tah Dah!  Minimal cleanup, no pomegranate juice on you or your walls.  Give it a try.  Once you have those beautiful seeds, put them in a salad (great with raw fennel or spinach or in this salad), float them in a glass of champagne, add them to oatmeal or granola or just eat them as a snack.

Cinco De Mayo

 Did you know they don't celebrate Cinco De Mayo in Mexico?  I once knew a group of guys in L.A. who planned a raucous trip to Mexico for Cinco De Mayo.  They packed beer, condoms, they were "TOTALLY STOKED" for the awesome party that awaited them.  They came back dejected cuz "Dude, they don't even celebrate this holiday down there!"  I, of course, thought that was karmically hilarious.

However, any excuse to have Mexican food is one I support.  So this Cinco De Mayo (May 5th for you gringos)  I'll be whipping up some chicken enchiladas & homemade guacamole.  Instead of sharing a recipe today, I thought I'd do a show and tell instead...

My family and I recently took a vacation and spent time in Mexico.  Specifically, about 8 hours in Mexico.  My one goal was to score a molcajete.  In English: a mortar and pestle thingy.  In Spanish: a mortar and pestle thingo.

Yes, I know you can buy these at Sur La Table or other fine cookery stores but I wanted a real one made in Mexico.  And not to toot my own horn but half the fun was using what I remembered of my high school Spanish (Hola, Senora Calderone!) and bargaining down to half of what I would have paid here.  A special shout out to my husband who lovingly lugged this HEAVY thing through a few more countries and an airport to get it home in one piece.

These are made of volcanic rock and often painted or carved to look like a bull or pig.  They last forever and just get better the more you use them.  They are used for making salsa and guacamole but you could use yours to grind any kind of spices as well.

Here is my molcajete before it's "makeover" aka seasoning. Yes, you have to do a little work before you use yours unless you prefer your guacamole with a side of volcanic rock.  And here's how...

 He's been named Senor Pig

Seasoning A Molcajete

 Soak the molcajete in water for a few hours.  Scrub with a stiff or wire brush, rinse and let thoroughly dry.

Take a small handful of rice and grind it with the tejolote (pestle) until the rice is powdery.  Discard and repeat until rice no longer turns gray and remains white.

Add garlic cloves, cumin and kosher salt and grind into a paste.  Mash it into the entire interior of the molcajete.  Rinse out with water and allow to dry.

It should now be ready for your salsa or guacamole making.  If it still seems gritty, repeat the process.

Blackened Fish

Here's an Earth Day fun fact for you via Mario Batali.  The cattle industry produces more greenhouse gas emissions than our transportation vehicles.  His point being, if we all ate a little less meat and a little more vegetables or fish, we could help the Earth as well as ourselves.  Interesting food for thought.

In the spirit of that, I should be bringing you a vegetable dish but alas, I felt like fish.  It's my blog and I can cook what I want to.  I love teaching my clients how to cook fish because I find more than any other food group, people are intimidated by fish.  Most people have one or two fish recipes they can pull off and then they're stuck.

This is simple.  3 ingredients. 1 pan. Done and done.  Blackened fish, it's highly seasoned but not spicy (at least my blend wasn't).  A little Cajun seasoning for flava.  Boo-yah!  You have the spiced crusty outside contrasting with the tender fish inside.  This is an especially good dish for people who are on the fence about fish since the bold spices are the star.  One note, this smokes up the joint so open the windows or you could cook it outside.

Here's a tip of the day:  Fish takes about 8 minutes per inch of thickness to cook. 

Blackened Swordfish
Serves 1-2

1 Swordfish steak
1T unsalted butter, melted
2T Blackened Cajun seasoning (I used Paul Prudhomme's)

1.  Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat for 10 minutes.
2.  Using a pastry brush, brush melted butter on both sides of swordfish.
3.  Coat fish with seasoning.  Pat it on and be generous, you should not see fish peeking through.
4.  Add to hot pan and cook about 4 minutes on each side if steaks are around an inch thick.
 

Comparing Oranges to Oranges

I found a variety of oranges at my local Whole Foods this week.  Have you ever wondered what the side by side difference would be in the different varieties?  Let's investigate, shall we...

 L to R: Cara Cara, Blood Orange, Minneola

Let's peruse their innards...

The Cara Cara has fruit that has a light pink tinge to it.  It has bigger segments than the others or even a navel orange.  The taste leans towards grapefruit, it's not as sweet as the others.  It's a little past Cara Cara season which may have accounted for this one being tougher and less juicy than the other oranges.

Blood Oranges are distinctive by the blush of dark red on their skins.  The inside is a beautiful ruby red color.  I love blood oranges.  They are juicy and sweet but more tart than a navel orange.  They make a striking addition to desserts and salads.  Try making a blood orange mimosa or blood orange margarita!

The Minneolas are sold with the stem and leaves intact which makes them not only a great eating orange but a nice centerpiece too.  The fruit of the minneola was very juicy and sweeter than the other two varieties with a tangerine flavor.

You really can't go wrong with any of these.  Putting the oranges together gives you a nice range of color and flavors.  Cuz as my mama always said,
"When God gives you oranges, make ORANGESALADWITHPARMESANANDALMONDS." Or something like that.

Orange Salad with Parmesan and Almonds


3 oranges, any varieties
2 cups of arugula
1 ounce thinly shaved Parmesan
1 handful of smokehouse almonds
3t olive oil
Juice of the supremed oranges
Coarse Sea Salt & Pepper

1.  Supreme the oranges.  For a video demo of how to do that, click here.  Save the leftover orange carcasses and squeeze their juice into a bowl.
2. In separate bowl, toss the arugula with the olive oil and a tablespoon of the reserved orange juice.
3. Put the dressed arugula on a platter.  Arrange the orange segments, Parmesan shavings and almonds over the arugula. Drizzle on a little extra orange juice if you like.
4. Sprinkle a pinch of coarse sea salt over the salad and a grind of fresh black pepper.

Eating In Week Comes to an End

Day 6 of eating in was...leftovers.  A little of this, a little of that, something for everyone.  We have leftovers about once a week.  But we're fancy people so we call it a "buffet".  On Day 7 I made a sausage lasagna with salad for dinner and BAM-POW the week of Eating In was over. 

What did I get out of this week?  For one, I became more improvisational with my recipes.  If I didn't have an ingredient, I had to substitute something else.  Another attitude shift for me was on restocking items.  In the past if we ran out of cereal, I went to the store that day to buy more.  This week I said, "We're out of cereal but we do have yogurt, oatmeal, pancakes, waffles, eggs...take your pick."  When those things are diminished, then I will spend more money on cereal. All in all the week was painless.

The Pros:
-I spent only $8.36 at the grocery store this week (a gallon of organic milk and some toilet paper).
-I reorganized my pantry and moved things to the front of the shelf that needed to be used up soon.
-No one in the family even realized I was doing anything different this week.
-My refrigerator is no longer overstuffed and I made a small dent in my freezer stash.

The Cons:
-I honestly can't think of any. Unless you count my smug sense of self-satisfaction (but my people are used to that.)

Eating In Week

Many people are currently tightening their belts.  With a wobbly economy, you may be cutting down on extra expenses, boosting your savings in case of emergency or downright trying to scrape by.  Maybe you've reduced your grocery budget or have eliminated eating out? 

My challenge to myself and to you is...could you feed your family for the next week with what is in your house right now?  Could you make do with what you have on hand?  I am confident I can.

I'm going to start by giving you a peek into my pantry.  And no, I didn't clean it out or make all neat and fancy.  After all, it's not like you're company.

 Beans, tomatoes (in every form), soups.  You'd think I was running a taqueria by all the Mexican ingredients I have.  Arriba!

 Canned tuna, sardines & anchovies, tahini.

 Rices, bulgur, quinoa, couscous, barley, farro and pastas.

 Flours-AP, buckwheat, whole wheat, whole wheat pastry flour, semolina, cake flour, bread flour.

Right now my chest freezer contains frozen shrimp, ground turkey, chicken breasts and thighs, pork shoulder, sausages, ground beef, flank steak, salmon, chicken and veal stocks, pie crust dough and puff pastry dough, breads and a few frozen veg and fruits.

I know what you're thinking..."Did this girl live through the Depression? What's with the need for all this food? Didn't I see this on Hoarders?"  Well, it's my job to cook for people and create new recipes, test existing recipes, etc. I also shop for my proteins in bulk and then portion them out and freeze-much more economical!  However,  if you only stocked your shelves with chicken, veg or beef stocks, legumes, grains, pasta and canned tomato products and your freezer with some chicken, fish or protein of choice and vegetables you'd be amazed at the meals you can create. 

Start thinking like a chef who runs a restaurant.  Daily specials are usually made up of the items in the walk-in that are in abundance or need to be used up. Can you incorporate leftovers into new meals? Move the canned goods with the earliest expiration dates to the front of your cupboard and find a way to use them.  See how little you can spend on groceries this week and still eat well. 

I'll start posting my week's meals of eating in tomorrow and I'll also give you my favorite recipes for homemade bread, pizza crust and granola-all staples you can easily make for a fraction of what you'd pay for them at the grocery store.  Good luck and please share any cost cutting meal tips you've discovered in our comments section!

High Fructose Corn Syrup

There has been a lot of information in the past few years on the evils of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and it's contribution to childhood obesity. And you would not believe how many products list HFCS as an ingredient: breads, crackers, cereals, juices, yogurts, even pickles and ketchup! The biggest culprits seem to be the processed snack foods that make your life easier when packing school lunches or throwing something in your purse or diaper bag. Ah, the irony.

DO NOT DESPAIR, I've done some legwork for you and have found some substitute products that are still "convenience foods" but contain no HFCS.

As a general note, products labeled ORGANIC do not contain HFCS. If you have a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's near you, you'll hit the jackpot with HFCS-free products galore, especially snacks and cereals. Not all of their goods are HFCS free, but most are. Products labeled "natural" are often big, fat hairy liars. Check the labels and you may find HFCS. Wah, wah...

Breads:

Thomas' English muffins have taken out the HCFS in their products. Check out Arnold Sandwich Thins (our family favorite) and any organic bread. Try Costco's Kirkland Organic bread. It still has the squishy-ness of fructose laden breads so you don't even notice the difference!

Cereals:

Check the labels. Many cereals have it but many don't!

Crackers:

Who doesn't love Ritz crackers? But yes, they contain HFCS. Alternative brands: Late July Organic brand has the same buttery Ritz flavor without the chemicals. The good news-Cheez-its, Triscuits and Pepperidge Farm Goldfish do not contain HFCS. Also Annie's Naturals line of sweet and savory crackers are HFCS free.

Applesauces/Fruits:

Mott's makes a Natural line as well as Musselman's "Totally Fruit" line of applesauces. Canned fruit-check the label. The "light" versions usually don't contain HFCS while the ones packed in heavy syrup do.

Crunchy, salty snacks:

Regular pretzels or Pretzel Thins, Stacy's Pita Chips, Pirate's Booty, potato chips, popcorn are all HFCS free.

Granola/Breakfast bars:

Try Quaker's Simple Harvest line or Nature Valley granola bars. Trader Joe's makes the softer breakfast bars that are also good. Our whole family is addicted to the Clif Kid Organic Z bars.

Yogurt:

Instead of Dannon or Yoplait, try Stonyfield Farms yogurt Smoothies or Horizon Organic yogurt Tuberz.

Waffles/Pancakes:

Eggo and Aunt Jemima products contain HFCS. Van's Belgian Waffles do not. Alternatively, make a big weekend batch of pancakes from scratch and put them in the freezer. Use them the same way you would the store-bought frozen kind, just microwave for 30-40 seconds! Buy real 100% maple syrup to avoid HFCS.

Jams/Jellies:

Smuckers and Welch's why must you torment me so? Chock full of HFCS. Any jam or jelly labeled 100% fruit is good, i.e. Polaner All-Fruit. The "boutique" brands of jams & preserves are HFCS free too: Stonewall Kitchens, Bonne Maman.

Take a look in your fridge and pantry and see what is full of HFCS that you can live without or substitute. There are more and more alternatives every day that could make a difference in your diet and the future health of your family.

P.S. I won't hate on you if you keep a few. I confess, I'm still doing the walk of shame with my French Vanilla coffee creamer and my Heinz ketchup. A girl's got to have a few vices.

School Lunches

September is not even over and you may already be out of creative lunch ideas for your kids. Or maybe your kids are saying "peanut butter and jelly, AGAIN?"

In the race to be SuperMom, all of our current knowledge is not helping. Will you get the evil eye at the next PTA meeting if you don't have BPA-free plastics only? Will you continue add to landfills with your flagrant excessive use of ziploc bags? Will you continue to poison little Sally & Johnny with high-fructose corn syrup? Organic or conventional fruits and veggies? Processed or unprocessed? HELLLPPP!!!

Here are some ideas that might help you to think out of the box or expand your repertoire.

1.Sandwich Thins/Deli Thins-Made by Arnold, Orowheat, Pepperidge Farm

These are round breads/buns, small enough for little bellies, only 100 calories, no high-fructose corn syrup and NO CRUST for your crust-phobics. I love these.

2. Muffin tins are your friend. If you're making pasta for dinner save some of the cooked pasta and sauce. Combine the sauce and pasta. Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray or oil. Pack the muffin tin with scoops of your pasta (sneak in some veggies) and top with cheese. Bake at 350 until bubbly (about 10 minutes). Put these in the lunch box, they will be delicious at room temperature.

3. Do the same thing using eggs, leftover veggies and cheese and make mini-frittatas. Use cupcake papers in the muffin tins for these.

4. I recently used these little pie crusts and made mini-quiches using all sorts of leftovers: sun-dried tomatoes, salami, feta cheese, veggies, etc. I used the following egg custard recipe to make 12 mini-tarts:

3/4 cup whole milk

3/4 cup heavy cream

3 whole large eggs

1 large egg yolk

3/4t salt

1/2 t pepper

Then I pre-baked the shells at 375 F for 15 minutes. I let the shells cool, added my ingredients and poured the egg custard into the shells. I lowered the oven to 350F and baked until the eggs were set, about 20 minutes.

These are great at room temp too. And what kid doesn't want their own "pie"?!

5. Finger foods or appetizers. Kids will eat almost anything if it comes with a "dip", skewer or is individually sized. We're kickin' it old school lately with deviled eggs. If you your kids like egg salad, try deviled eggs. When I pack these in a lunch, my kids are swarmed by other kids and teachers saying "oooh, deviled eggs!" Also cucumbers, grape tomatoes, carrot sticks, snow peas with salad dressing on the side.

6. Instead of the same old sandwich, how about sending tuna salad with crackers on the side. They can then dip it themselves. Or make mini-sandwiches on the crackers instead of bread to compete with their Lunch-ables schoolmates. Or make a wrap using tortillas, lavash or flatbreads.

7. Behold, the thermos. Leftovers are your friend. Soup is your savior. A thermos can be filled with last nights stew or pasta, soups, mac and cheese, even mashed potatoes and gravy. I fill the thermos with hot water while I'm heating up the soup. Empty thermos and add your hot food. My kids report that everything is still warm by lunchtime too.

8. Who says lunch=sandwich? Skip the sandwich. Today I packed my munchkin a container of hummus with carrot sticks and pita chips, grape tomatoes, cheese and a plum and yogurt--plenty of food without a sandwich.

9. Get them involved in the planning. If your little gourmand is complaining about their lunch, have them plan the menu. Write out what will be packed for the week so they know what's coming. They are less likely to complain if they have chosen it. Take them grocery shopping to help select their favorite fruits, bread, snack, etc.

10. Try new things. They may refuse to eat 90% of them but they just might find something new to love. Have you tried: almonds & dried cranberries mixed together; edamame; frozen grapes; flavored mini-rice cakes; a banana sliced down the middle (but not all the way) with peanut butter spread inside; mini Baby Bel wrapped cheese rounds; cream cheese and jelly on a mini-bagel; popcorn; dried fruits; yogurt smoothies, etc.

Please add on your inspired ideas in the comments!

Coming next: A shopping list of convenience foods without high fructose corn syrup...

Cantaloupe with Salsa Verde

Look what was in abundance at the Farmer's Market. Cantaloupe. Or do you call it muskmelon?

When I was a girl we used to eat wedges of these with a little salt sprinkled over them--a sweet, slurpy, salty, taste of summer. We ate this a lot and inevitably, by the end of August my stance on cantaloupe was, "OVER IT!

If that sounds like you, it's time to bring in some other ingredients and change it up a little. I had a lot of fresh herbs on hand, my Serrano peppers that finally were ready for picking and some lovely walnut oil. How about a salsa verde? Salsa verde literally means "green sauce" and contains fresh herbs, an acid (usually vinegar), aromatics (shallot, red onion, capers, chili flakes) and oil. It's delicious on grilled meats, fish, bread so why not fruit!

CANTALOUPE WITH SALSA VERDE

Serves 8

1 ripe cantaloupe, seeded and cubed

3 T minced red onion

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, loosely packed

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, tightly packed

1/4 cup Thai basil or regular basil leaves

1/3 cup of walnut oil

3 t grated ginger

1/8 t salt

2 T lime juice

Chop mint, cilantro and basil leaves. Combine with minced onion, ginger, walnut oil, salt and lime juice. Taste and adjust seasonings. Pour over cantaloupe. Chill and serve.

*Variations-add toasted pumpkin seeds and cubed feta cheese

TIP OF THE DAY

Buy a knob of ginger, which is cheap, cheap, cheap, by the way. Peel it with a spoon. Use the edges of the spoon to just scrape that skin off. Then use a microplane or grater on your ginger instead of a knife. The stringy fibers are hard to cut finely. Then put it in a freezer bag and pop it in the freezer. The next time you need ginger, use it frozen. Peel it with the spoon and grate what you need and back in the freezer. Don't let it defrost before using, just use it frozen.

Make What The Good Lord Gave Ya...

I've been reading Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. It's the story of her family's year long experiment of eating locally and seasonally. They ate only what they or their neighbors could grow or raise in their county.

Now given my shaded backyard and my serious lack of a green thumb, my people would starve if we attempted this. But some of her points really hit home. If you eat what is grown near you and you eat it when it naturally grows it will be a food at it's fullest potential. A pale, February grocery store tomato will never compare to the taste of a ripe, juicy August tomato.

There are social and eco-friendly reasons why this is a good thing too-supporting local farmers, not contributing to the fossil fuel consumption it takes to store and ship food nationally and internationally, etc. but those are bigger discussions. The bottom line is this: Food "here and now" will be some of the most delicious food you will experience.

So, if I may be of assistance...here is a list of some of what is

ripe in late July/early August:

Watermelon

Cantaloupe

Blueberries

Plums

Peaches

Apricots

Corn

Eggplant

Summer Squash

Lettuces

Tomatoes

Beans

And here is a source to find a farm or farmer's market in your area: http://www.localharvest.org/

I double-dog dare you to go shopping without a list. See what looks ripe and fresh, buy it and then decide what you're cooking this week. I'll do it too and I'll share my recipes with you, because I'm a giver.

Holy Grains, Batman!

I love buying things at the grocery store that I have no experience with. Ostrich egg, sea beans, dragon fruit, purslane. At a restaurant, I always order the most exotic/unusual thing on the menu. My husband orders the chicken.

For all of the "chicken" people out there let's demystify some of the whole grains that are available in most supermarkets. These little guys rock! They are whole grains which means healthy but they are similar enough to rice, pasta and orzo that your family will probably try these without a revolt.

Whole Wheat Couscous

Think of it as your training bra of whole grains. Why? Because it takes 5 minutes to make and is versatile enough to add any refrigerator or pantry ingredients to it and call it a one dish meal.

Directions:

-Use a 1 to 2 ratio, i.e. 1 cup of couscous to 2 cups of water or stock or fruit juice + 1/2 teaspoon salt = 3 cup yield

Bring liquid to a boil, put in a pinch of salt and add couscous. Stir once, cover and reduce the heat to low and cook for one minute. Turn the heat off and leave covered until all the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Then, FLUFF WITH A FORK. Do not stir with a spoon. Trust me.

TRICK IT OUT...

Add a vinaigrette, broccoli, grape tomatoes & rotisserie chicken

Add olive oil & lemon juice, feta cheese, cucumber & tomatoes

Add walnut oil, orange juice, toasted walnuts, celery & shrimp

Add dried cranberries, orange zest, raisins & pine nuts

Bulgur

A little heartier than couscous, best known for it's appearance in tabbouleh. It comes in 4 different sizes/grinds from fine and medium to coarse. The following directions are for fine and medium bulgur identified on packages as grind #1 or grind #2.

Directions:

-Use a ratio of 1 cup of bulgur to 1 cup + 1 tablespoon of water or stock or fruit juice + 1/2 teaspoon of salt = 3 cup yield

Bring liquid to a boil, put in a pinch of salt and add bulgur. Cover and turn off heat. Let steam for 10 minutes. Fluff up and serve. If serving cold, spread on baking sheet to cool.

TRICK IT OUT...

-Add chopped tomato, red onion, olive oil & lemon juice, mint and parsley

-Molds well using bowls or ramekins for a nifty presentation (yes, I said nifty).

-The course grinds (#3 and #4) make great pilafs but need a grain to liquid ratio of 1 to 2 and need to cook for 10 and 20 minutes, respectively.

Farro

Farro is hot right now. Everyone wants to date her. I've seen a number of farro recipes in food mags in the last 2 months. Why? It's has a nice chew, a nutty taste and it's easy to prepare. Are we sensing a theme here? It also holds in the fridge well without getting hard or gluey.

Directions:

-Use a ratio of 1 cup farro to 1 3/4 cup water + a pinch of salt = 2 1/2 cup yield

Bring water to a boil in a kettle. In a dutch oven or saucepan toast the farro over dry heat for 3 minutes or until toasty and fragrant. Add boiling water gradually, then add salt. Return to a boil. Cover and simmer on low heat 20-30 minutes until tender. Check doneness by cutting a grain in half. It should be one color throughout the grain. Turn off heat and keep covered for 10 minutes. Drain any excess water. Fluff and serve.

TRICK IT OUT...

-Try it with apples, dried cranberries, and an apple cider vinaigrette

-Add chickpeas, green peas, salami & a Dijon vinaigrette

Quinoa

Quinoa is the superhero of grains. It is a complete food with twice the protein, less carbs then other cereal grains with a bonus gift of the right amount of healthy fats. Boo-yah!

Directions:

-Ignore what the packages say. Cook quinoa like a pasta, in a large amount of water, i.e. 1 cup of quinoa in 2 1/2 quarts of water = 3 cup yield. Add salt to taste after cooking.

Put quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold water until water runs clear, not cloudy. Quinoa has saponin which can leave a bitter, soapy taste if not rinsed first. Bring water to a boil. Add quinoa to boiling water and boil uncovered until there is no longer a white "dot" in the center of the grains, about 10-15 minutes. Taste for doneness. There should be a little crunch to it. Look to see if the little white comma-like threads have unfurled--a sign of doneness. Drain and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff and serve warm or spread on baking sheet to cool for cold salads.

TRICK IT OUT...

-add dried blueberries, feta, arugula, red onion & almonds with olive oil and lemon juice

-add cilantro, corn, black beans, mango & avocado with lime juice and olive oil

-add currants, roasted butternut squash & pine nuts

Try a new grain this week, let me know if the two of you hit it off and in the comments share your ideas on how to trick them out.

For more recipes and info on whole grains, I highly recommend Lorna Sass' book Whole Grains: Everyday Every Way.

And by the way, all of these grains go with chicken.

Quinoa with pear-braised chicken, scallions & chile

Can This Recipe Be Saved?

I enjoy trying new recipes. I try to make 100-200 new recipes a year in addition to what I create myself. Some are outstanding, many are just "meh" and a few are horrid. I'm not talking about the ones that just aren't my favorite flavor combinations. And I'm not talking about the ones where I've made an error or risked making my own substitutions.

I'm talking about the ones that really crash and burn. You know who you are.

And you know what, that really irritates me.  I'm not a cheapskate but I hate wasting ingredients. I'll pay $20 for a tiny jar with one truffle in it because, geez, it's truffles. I'll pay for the best quality ingredients. But throwing out a recipe that I've invested cream, chicken stock, wine, vegetables, protein, etc.? Grrrr!

So on to Plan B. Can the recipe be saved in any way?

Case in point--a leek and red wine soup. Sautee leeks in wine with saffron. Add chicken stock and torn up toasted bread. Blend until smooth. Add cream. Sounds lovely, yes? It came out gluey, pasty, thick, like a bad bechamel sauce. Seriously, one spoonful was too much.

I tried some fixes. First, I knew something was wrong when I tasted it even before adding the cream. So, I subbed half and half for the heavy cream. Then I tried adding more and more chicken stock to thin it out. A little more wine to cut the overbearing richness. Still inedible, at least as a soup.

Lightbulb! Could I use it as a puree? Add sliced roasted chicken on top with crispy fried leeks to garnish? I really didn't want to let this go. Sadly, this one could not be salvaged and I had to move on and kiss my investment goodbye.

The good news- many recipes can be salvaged in small ways! Try some of these fixes:

Too salty-add some acid like lemon juice, wine, tomato paste. Adding fat can help too: sour cream, creme fraiche, milk. Adding potato to a soup or stew can help soak up some of the salt as well.

Too spicy-add dairy or a little sweetness.

Too thin-keep reducing it, it will thicken the liquid and intensify the flavors. You can also add a slurry of flour/water or cornstarch/water.

Too thick-Add liquid. Stock, water, wine, juice.

Too "meh"-I am a huge fan of adding acid to most recipes. A little squeeze of lemon juice in soups, sauces, over proteins, etc. brightens the flavor and you won't even detect the citrus taste. It's like Botox for food. "Something is different but I just can't put my finger on it..."

And if all else fails, throw the recipe away and order pizza for dinner.