Do you follow recipes or do you wing it??
I do both but more times than not I am making stuff up as I go. Just as long as I have food in the kitchen and I have been to the grocery store.
Tips for cooking without a recipe:
Tip #1: Have food in the kitchen
Sounds obvious but have you ever looked in the refrigerator and there was nothing there? (I have) Having food makes life a lot easier.
I like to have cut up veggies on hand, rice or potatoes already prepped. Makes making meals easier.
You can also make a soup without a lot of prep time or make a veggie bowl with some rice or noodles topped with greens, veggies and beans and a simple dressing.
Tip #2: Have some simple dressing on hand.
You can make a quick dressing with balsamic vinegar and dijon mustard or mix together tahini with lemon juice and a little maple syrup or blend in a little date paste. I also like to add in some spice with chili flakes or crushed garlic.
Tip #3: Look online for inspiration.
I look online and see what others are making and see if I can recreate something similar.
I was on facebook this past week and saw this soba noodle bowl and luckily I had similar ingredients. Veggies and the soba noodles and made a quick tahini sauce. And that was dinner. No recipe. The idea from the picture.
Also, the next day for lunch, I tossed the leftovers from the soba noodles and veggies and put them in the pan with the rest of the dressing. So good.
Basically, make sure you have good food on hand in your refrigerator, freezer and in your pantry.
Comment Below if you like some tips on cooking without a recipe.
All the best,
Shelly
P.S. I find working with recipes are a great starting place and you can also bring in your own creativity. Some times you can really surprise yourself with something amazing with some simple ingredients.