fftf: stuck in a cooking rut? try this!

Hello friends!

I love getting my inspiration from all of YOU, so today’s email is inspired by a reader’s request (how to get out of a cooking rut) and another reader’s feedback (that she likes when I give different levels of cooking advice for when you are feeling lazier versus when you feel like doing "extra credit").

SO - today I’ve got 10 hot tips to try when you’re in a cooking rut, roughly organized in order of easiest/laziest to most ambitious.

10 get-out-of-that-cooking rut HOT TIPS:

Look in the pantry FIRST - When you’re looking to cook something new, start with what you already have! Maybe it’s a spice you only used once. Maybe it’s that specialty rice you bought on a whim. Pick out one or a few things from the pantry that need to get used up, do any necessary googling, and then plan your new cooking (or just invent something!) accordingly.
Cut it differently - if we’re talking about veg, simply cutting it differently is one of my favorite tricks. See a previous email devoted entirely to this topic - which includes a not-a-recipe about cabbage "steaks" instead of cabbage ribbons, total game changer.
Try a different cooking method of the same foods you always eat - if you tend to buy the same core ingredients, that’s ok/totally normal! Just try cooking it using a different method than your usual way. Here are a few examples:

If you usually ROAST your veggies, try sautéing, steaming, or blanching! (If you steam or blanch, you’ll probably need a sauce, see #4). And vice versa: if you usually saute or steam.
If you always eat your kale in a salad, try sautéing or making kale chips, etc.
If you always roast chicken, try braising, or a stew or soup or saute.
If you always overnight-slow-roast pork shoulder, try cutting it into chunks for a fast + hot sauté! (Btw those links are two of my very favorite recipes.)

Cook it the same way you always do but ADD A NEW SAUCE! (Can't stop won't stop on my sauce obsession - seriously the simplest secret to deliciousness.)

*Protip - ^^these first four tips are the most likely to land you with a NEW variation that will STICK in your regular cooking routine. Why? Because you are taking something you already cook/an ingredient you are likely comfortable with and making a *small tweak*... and small changes are the most likely to turn into habits! (Especially if they're delicious!)

Pick Two Unlikely Favs to find a new recipe - if you’re looking for something totally new to make, instead of browsing recipes aimlessly, try strategically googling mash-ups of your favorite things. If you love Thai food and brussel sprouts, google "Thai brussel sprout recipes." The more specific and weird, the better, I would bet! And when looking up recipes, BE PICKY! If it looks too complicated, it probably is! There are A LOT of JUNK RECIPES out there, so keep reading, searching, googling till you find something you’re really excited to try.
Go back to your archives - one of my favorite things in life is remembering and making an old favorite recipe that I was once obsessed with but haven’t made in years. If you have physical files or cookbooks or folders, do a quick page-through. If you post pics of what you eat online, go waaaaayyyyy back and see if you can find any goodies that take you back to a previous time in life (and that you already know how to make!).
Lean in to the season - if you don’t eat super seasonally, LEAN IN! If you do already, lean in harder! Try a new variety of winter squash, or a different hearty green, or combine a few seasonal foods (look to my winter salad guide for examples) - they always go great together.
Buy one new thing you’ve never cooked and come home and figure out what to do with it from what you have. This is how I taught myself to cook intuitively - when I went to my first farmers market in college, each week I would buy one new veggie I had never made and I’d figure out what to do with it when I got home. It’s super simple and oh so effective.
GO BIG AND NEW - When I’m REALLY BORED of what I’m eating, I make something from a cuisine I’ve never tried cooking before, with totally different flavors and techniques. It’s a bit extreme (and can be time consuming), but I’ll pick a few things and GO HARD into new recipe / learning mode. I find that this jolts me out of my rut, excites me with some new tastes, and eventually makes me happy to resume cooking my old favorites that take WAY less time and effort :).
When in doubt, browse the GPJ archives and blog! Here are links to my blog archives and email archives for your browsing-inspiration pleasure!

Cheers!
Jess

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 when they reopen soon! Check out this article about them.