Healthy Endeavors

I’ve always been of the mind that I’m a master at cooking from recipes but when it comes to creating dishes from scratch, that’s where my talent ends. Or does it? Do you think that you have to be a master chef to throw some creativity into your dishes and make them healthy and delicious? Of course not!

The thought came to mind when I was flipping through my April O magazine at the gym and came across an article that totally spoke to me, “The Creative Cook.” Although in the last few years I’ve gotten a lot more creative in the kitchen, it’s still something I’m trying on for size. Yes, I can whip together all kinds of smoothies and fresh vegetable juices based on what I have on hand and what inspires me, but that’s less true say, for a dinner menu.

But I love the premise of the article — we can all find inspiration and learn to trust our intuition in the kitchen. Bingo! Love the concept because I say the same thing about learning to trust our intuition when it comes to tuning into our bodies to notice when something isn’t right.  In this case, it’s all about having fun (I’m all for that), knowing there’s no right or wrong answer and starting the process in simple ways.

For example, the article suggests taking a favorite recipe and just changing one ingredient, perhaps something you’re naturally drawn to that you think will taste good. You have to figure it’s hard to mess up a recipe when you’re just making small tweaks, right? 

Another idea: buy yourself a copy of The Flavor Bible, the quintessential book if you’re serious about a little fun in the kitchen. It fills you in on all the details on how to take a few ingredients in your frig and turn them into a delicious meal. I got so inspired reading about the book that I just ordered it — clearly my next step in the creative process!

What about you, are you naturally intuitive? What inspires you in the kitchen? What do you do to become a more creative cook? Do tell!

Filed under: Cooking, Creativity, Healthy Meals