Even though sheltering-in-place has led to some exciting food adventures, there are some days that I just feel uninspired – there is a limited variety at home, we aren’t browsing at the farmer’s market or grocery store, and we aren’t dining out at restaurants and getting new ideas. It’s easy to get into the habit of making the same things over and over again. So one thing we try to do, whether we’re cooking a meal that’s taken hours or heating up leftovers, is to add a garnish or something extra to make our meal feel special.
I look for things that take almost no extra work but are enough to bring me a sense of joy and creativity. My go to options are usually Parmesan cheese or fresh leafy greens, but I’ve used a variety of things and collected a list to share, that will pretty up your plate and maybe add some flavor too:
- Herbs
- Grated/crumbled cheese
- Spices
- Common ones we use are paprika and freshly ground pepper
- Spice mixes can also be fun
- Fresh leafy greens/microgreens
- Salsa
- Guac or avocado slices
- Lemon slices
- Sesame seeds, dried Seaweed
- I put these together because we have a shaker of this combo along with some spices, but we use them individually as well
- Hot sauce, ketchup, or other sauce
- You can try to make this decorative with dots or a pattern
- There are fun sauces you can just buy or make that are usually stored in jars and keep well in the fridge – pesto, chimichurri sauce, aioli, and more
- Tip: For making oil based sauces, add a layer of oil to the top to seal it from oxygen and it will keep longer
Are there any other garnishes or finishing touches that you add to your meal? I would love to hear your ideas too!
Some of our Lazy Go To Meals, transformed with a finishing touch:
