The Secret to Serving Something Different for Dinner is Simpler Than You Think

Late afternoon is here and it’s that time again – time to figure out what to eat for dinner.

If you’re looking for something different to serve for dinner tonight, then you’ve come to the right place!

My suggestion is simple, and you can take it in so many different directions. In fact, the basic elements of your meal can be prepared simply, ahead of time if you want, with minimal seasoning.

Novelty is the spice of life

The key to serving something different for dinner is flavor. This can be achieved by coating, drizzling, sprinkling or otherwise topping plain pasta, rice, beans, veggies, chicken, turkey, tofu, shrimp or fish with a condiment. It’s as simple as that.

No, I don’t mean ketchup. I mean something that’s different from the same old-same old that you’re used to.

Here’s what you need to do to get out of the rut that you’re in, and it’ll help you to plan a variety of quick and simple meals:

Change it up with sauces, salsas, chutneys, dressings, gremolatas, pestos, and other flavor-enhancing agents.

Bland food + flavor = different and amazing!

Sure, plain chicken or fish or pasta gets boring night after night, but providing a much-needed dose of variety is simple when you’ve got a great flavor enhancing element at your disposal.

You can choose to go spicy or savory, herbal or earthy, rich or light. A good sauce or topping or coating is all you need to take your meal to the next level.

Tastes great and it’s good for you, too!

Better yet, flavor enhancing sauces, condiments and toppings can be a great source of nutrients.

Sure, many classic sauces are enriched with butter or cheese.

Cooking with flavorful fresh vegetables, fruit and herbs, plus nuts and spices, is a great way to cut down on the salt and fat content of your meals while adding interesting flavors that dance on the palate.

Travel the world with your kids at the dinner table

This method of spicing up (or sweetening up, or umami-ing up…) your dinner plan is a wonderful way to introduce new foods and different styles of cuisine to your kids as well.

Especially if you share a dining table with picky eaters, try preparing a few basic foods that you know they like (such as poached chicken, plain pasta or carrot sticks) and serve them with a more adventurous sauce in its own small dish on the side.

This way, kids can dip or pour on as much or as little as they choose. Sauces, condiments or other “flavor enhancers” served on the side allow kids to experiment, making meals their own by adding what they wish, while maintaining the visual integrity of the blander foods that they know and trust.

A little cup for dipping keeps the new flavor element from “ruining” or “contaminating” a child’s whole meal if she decides the garlic-lemon vinaigrette or fish sauce just isn’t for her.

Still wondering what to make?

To get you started, give a few of these recipes a try:

Spanish Romesco

Greek-Inspired Pesto

Indian Mango Chutney

Italian Gremolata

Mexican Green Tomatillo Salsa Verde

Egyptian Dukkah

Quick, simple, different and delicious

Focusing on a simple protein and a starch served with a few vegetables, plus a flavorful sauce or topping, is a great way to set your family up for quick and easy meals on busy evenings.

Just grill some extra chicken or fish, boil a big pot of al dente pasta or rice, and prep some vegetables at the beginning of the week. Next comes the fun part: make a few new sauce or condiment recipes ahead of time too, so they’ll be ready to go. You’ll have everything you need to whip up something different for dinner every night.

For more ideas that will help you to figure out what’s for dinner tonight, search for recipes here at rememberstuff.me.