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Food for Thought Friday: when you're lost - spice, sauce, or toss!
 

Hello there, friend!

Today I would like to remind you of one of my favorite sayings I've come up with. It's an answer to the question:

"What should I do to make these veggies (or really any dish) more exciting?"

The answer is: SPICE, SAUCE, or TOSS!

Let’s dig in to these three strategies and how I use them most often + a (veggie) example:

1. SPICE - my go-to veggie cooking method is roasting, and that’s where I love to “spice” my veggies. I usually roast in big batches, which means I always roast two trays of veggies at a time. I love to roast one tray plain (just salt, pepper, and olive oil), and one tray “SPICED” with whatever spices seem exciting to me in that moment. This is where I experiment with different spice combos and try new things! I encourage you to experiment with one or more spices!

EXAMPLE: roasted eggplant: one tray plain, one tray SPICED with cinnamon and cumin added before roasting (truly my favorite spice combination). See Instagram highlights here for a video how-to!

2. SAUCE - For plain veggies, I love to have a sauce on hand to dip into. This could be a blended sauce like Romesco, a simple oil+vinegar+emulsifier dressing, or a store-bought sauce. See this email all about sauces (one of my favorite topics). When I have the time, I love to make this homemade mayo and blend some herbs or chili peppers into it for an aioli-type-deal!

EXAMPLE: plain roasted eggplant, topped with romesco sauce!

3. TOSS - An awesome way to make your veggies exciting is to “toss” them with additional flavors and textures, kind of like a salad! If you roasted them and they already have olive oil, just add a dash of acid, something crunchy, something creamy, and maybe some fresh herbs and BAM - super exciting, veggies. See my “Rule of Three Textures” from my salad strategy email (scroll down to Strategy 2) for more advice on tossing.

Lately to mix up my salad/side dish game, I've been keeping it super simple - using just one veg and tossing it up. Last week I riffed on this smashed cucumber salad recipe and loved it!

A TOSS EXAMPLE, keeping with the eggplant theme: plain roasted eggplant, TOSSED with lemon juice, cut diced tomatoes, fresh mint, nuts, and a little yogurt or tahini drizzle - SO GOOD!

That's all I've got for you today!

Next time you open the fridge and need some inspiration, just remember to "spice, sauce, or toss!"

Cheers,
Jess
All photos are taken by me and recipes written by me, unless otherwise noted.

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Hi, I'm Jess! I help health-conscious, busy people transform their cooking from chore to lifestyle through intuitive cooking, which I teach through online classes, free content, coaching and more. This is my newsletter, Food for Thought Fridays, where I share highly actionable tips and inspiration to help you cook more intuitively (which makes cooking feel easier and SO much more fun!). Once a month, I share a recipe that's really worth making, and I only share those with my email subscribers. Sometimes the text above may include affiliate links, meaning (at no additional cost to you) I get a commission if you click through and make a purchase. This helps me to continue to share free content, so I would love it if you buy through my link! Thank you for supporting Garlic Press Jess!

    I currently work + live on land that is the unceded territory of the Ramaytush Ohlone. And I can't wait to eat at Cafe Ohlone! Check out this article about them.


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