Customize Your Favorite Recipes Without Fear

April 20, 2016

Have you ever read a recipe and thought, “gee, that sounds good, but I don’t like...“  Or, “ I really like that recipe but, I can’t eat...” ? Good news!!  You can still make the recipe with this easy to follow method to “make it your own!”

“Make it your own” is a little catch phrase that I began using in my cooking demonstrations. People would feel they could not make a recipe because they could not prepare it exactly as it was written. Often times, the idea of altering a recipe is daunting. With these easy steps, you’ll be customizing any recipes and making them your own creations.

As with any recipe we have an ingredient list:

• Dietary needs
• Flavor desires
• Substitutions
• Cooking basics

Dietary Needs

First, let’s look at the types of limits people typically have.  I often hear people say “just tell me what to eat.” But that is a difficult assessment when there are so many variables. There are a host of informational resources that often give general suggestions but may not apply to your medical and particular needs. For example, a person on certain medications cannot eat dark leafy greens, heart patients and diabetics have important dietary needs as do weight loss surgery patients. There are also many diet books, self-help gurus and fad diets out there to confuse anyone. There are eating plans such as Paleo, Atkins, Dukan, low carb, no carb, high fat, low fat, etc. - the list goes on and on.

While there is no shortage of options and information out there, it is up to each individual to discuss their dietary health with their doctor and nutritional health professional.  Most states have laws that require a doctor, registered dietician or certified nutritionist to decide diet needs.

Once you and your health professional have determined your dietary needs, you are ready for the challenge of preparing tasty and nutritious foods which may be different than you have learned to prepare, or completely new foods and combinations. I encourage you to try new foods and be bold. It can be an adventure discovering new foods and tastes.

Flavor and Taste Preferences

Our palette is developed into what we make it. It is amazing how we can actually turn our taste buds into a more sophisticated or healthy palette. Have you ever noticed as a child you may not have liked eggs, fish or maybe broccoli? Yet now, they may be a favorite food. This is a wonderful adaptation that our magnificent bodies can make. We only need to give it a try.

“Change your palette, change your health!!”

When a diabetic patient is told they can no longer consume sugars or foods that make sugar once eaten, they tend to feel there isn’t anything tasty left to eat. A type of deprivation feeling often sets in. The same can occur with any types of dietary changes. Yet when we try out new foods, our flavor desires begin to change. This is a change in your palette. This can happen when changing our diet for health or weight loss reasons. Even foods that may have made you gag, like fish for me, is now a staple food.

Substitutions to Make a Recipe Your Way

Making the right substitutions is important but can be easy when altering recipes. It isn’t always ounce for ounce or meat for meat. But using the list below, and your own tastes, will ensure that you are making the right substitutions.

First, select a recipe that you like and assess what you like about it.  Next, identify what doesn’t fit in with your tastes, desires or dietary needs. Start off by considering what type of food it is. Let’s break it down.

Protein - If a recipe calls for beef or pork and you want to change it to a leaner meat like chicken or turkey, take into consideration that red meats have a stronger more robust flavor. In order for the dish to capture that same richness, you can add more of the suggested spices. And the reverse if you change the lighter protein for a richer flavor.

As for fish, oily fish has stronger flavors and white fish is mild in taste. Consider the flavor strength of the fish. Most recipes can be altered to trade proteins as you like. Fish typically cooks faster than other animal proteins.

Regarding vegetable protein, depending on what you are changing, and your tastes, most vegetable proteins also need more flavor when you substitute in a recipe. Be free with your spices!

Fats - Many recipes call for some kind of fat or oil. Personally, I like butter because it does well in high heat and baking. Coconut oil is great, but keep in mind the coconut flavor will come through in your food. It adds a nice flavor to baked goods, fish and chicken if you like coconut.  For low-fat options, I like using fruit, it adds moistness and sweetness. Fat substitutes for sweets and baked goods are applesauce, bananas or other fruits. If you use fruit instead of oil, it may be heavy, so I suggest that you add a little more baking powder. For savory foods, I suggest adding veggies, such as shredded zucchini, carrots, and onions. These veggies add moisture and, depending on the recipe, you may need to drain the liquid or add more of the dry ingredients. To pan fry fish, I add lemon juice to the oil and the fish is infused with a delicious flavor and moistness without the oil.

Pasta/ Grains/ Starches/ Flours - One of the big buzzes these days is the use of veggies for pasta. It is a great substitute if you are watching calories and starches. There are great tools to spiralize zucchini into spaghetti strands, also spaghetti squash makes a delicious option. If you want to use pasta, I suggest you find the least processed pasta. Fresh pasta is delicious and using pasta from a reliable brand from Italy, where GMO is nonexistent, may be a better choice that a higher processed flour pasta. There are also multiple choices in grains.

Options for grains as another starch would fall into the potato or bean category, if the recipe calls for rice, for example, you can use potatoes or beans.  If you want to keep the starches and calories down you can use cauliflower. If you opt for the grains, select whole grains. Keep in mind that whole grains take longer to cook, so adjust the recipe as needed.

Flour is a hard category to make your own because it varies from diet to diet. For example, my dad who has trouble keeping weight on at 85 due to his chronic condition, is required to eat high-calorie foods. Foods with flour work for him because flour is a densely concentrated food. On the other hand, my diabetic mother has sugar highs and weight gain from eating the same diet as my dad does. In this situation with my mom, I compensate by using nut flour, particularly almond flour. Keep in mind with all concentrated foods, they are heavy and it is best not to use them excessively. As with any concentrated foods, I suggest to use them sparingly and as treats.

Spices - Spices are like kisses, some are passionate and others are like a motherly peck. Not as robust, but just as important. Determine what is it you want. Heat, savory, flavor enhancers, etc. My suggestion is to be brave and test them out. You really won’t know until you try them and see how they affect you. Here is a little guide of common spices that might help.

COMMON SPICES GUIDE
Allspice:	Ground used in baked goods, ketchup, and beef roasts.
Basil:	Tomato sauces, pesto, and vinaigrettes.
Bay Leaves:	Soups, stocks, sauces, marinades, and slow cooked meats.
Bell Pepper Flakes:	Soups, sauces, salads, and stews.
Capers:	Sauces for fish and seafood. In fish, chicken, and potato dishes. Makes a great picatta.
Cayenne:	Meats, soups, sauces, chili, seafood, Mexican dishes, and Louisiana dishes.
Celery Flakes:	Soups, sauces, salads, dips, and stuffing.
Celery Salt or Seed:	Cole slaw, potato salad and pickles.
Chili Peppers:	Lots of choices and ways to use, sauces, moles, salsa.
Chili Powder:	Is a blend of chili peppers, cumin, garlic oregano, salt, paprika, and other spices. Use in chili, spare ribs, stews, appetizers, etc.
Chives:	I like fresh chopped on just about everything use as a garnish, in soups or sauces, in salads, egg or potato dishes.
Cinnamon:	Ground for baked goods or whole to steep as tea, hot drinks, and preserves.
Cloves:	Baked hams, stocks, desserts, marinades, and spiced drinks.
Cumin:	Great in slow cooked meats for a Mexican flavor, spicy stir fry and chili.
Coriander Seed:	Asian dishes, curried dishes, and meat dishes.
Curry Powder:	A blend of 10 to 30 India spices of varying proportions. Usually containing turmeric, garlic, coriander, cumin, and garlic, make curry sauce; flavors meats, rice, poultry, and seafood.
Fennel Seed:	Delicious in tomato sauces, bean, and lentil soups. Try fresh fennel in place of celery or other root, it’s very flavorful and crisp and yummy!
Garlic:	Any way you like it!! In powder, salt, minced, or chopped, whole or roasted, raw or toasted. Yes, I love garlic… but not too much and be careful not to burn it. Used in almost any type of sauce for meats, seafood, or poultry. Of course for pastas, soups, etc.
Ginger	Tea, pickles, chutney, and preserves. Also used in many Asian dishes.
Lemon Pepper:	Can be used on fish, but can be used on veggies as well.
Mint:	Lamb, albondigas soup and salad dishes.
Nutmeg:	In cream soups, sauces, and a wide variety of desserts especially with pumpkin or sweet potato.
Onion:	Another favorite spice! Use and enjoy the varieties!
Oregano:	In Italian dishes, soups or sauces, meat stews, and in bean dishes.
Paprika:	Seafood, egg dishes, sauces, and salad dressings. But my secret ingredient in fried chicken.
Parsley:	I like to add to almost anything, to season stocks, soups, sauces, salads, egg, and potato dishes.
Pepper:	In most dishes as a little pizzazz in flavor!
Red Pepper:	Anywhere heat is desired; such as in sauces, soups, egg dishes, etc.
Rosemary Leaves:	Delicious flavor in most roasted dishes such as lamb, pork, beef, poultry, and wild game. Also can be used as ground in soup and bread.
Sage:	Used to season stuffing, pork, poultry, and veal dishes. Very pungent, so use sparingly.
Thyme:	Seafood chowders, sauces, stocks, and meat dishes, especially chicken.

Cooking Basics

When I was a young girl, I was surrounded by wonderful cooks. My parents had a restaurant and everyone in the family enjoyed cooking and were excellent cooks - except me. I was so intimidated by food, I let that fear ruin my creativity and made me kitchen shy. I remember my mom exclaiming to my fiancé that I didn’t know how to cook as if that would dissuade him from wanting to marry me.

Many years later, I learned by doing. I tried and failed many times. But to be honest, getting basic cooking skills really helped. Take a few cooking classes to gain more knowledge and improve your skills. I now teach community education classes. My audience isn’t comprised of chefs, it is people like you and me who want to learn to poach an egg, or how to grill a steak without turning it to dry shoe leather. The Internet is a great source for learning cooking basics. Cook with your children to make healthy cooking and eating fun. The art of cooking improves the more you cook. I suggest learning the following basic techniques as you begin your journey of making recipes your own!

• Chop: Because the shape and size of food determine how long it takes to cook, whether it falls apart or stays together, etc. It can also play a part in how it looks.
• Sear: The secret of every juicy steak or roast is to sear in all the flavors before grilling or roasting it.
• Temperature: Know your oven and its temperature. Baking can go awry if your oven is 20 degrees off.  Also, the cooking temperature is critical in protein to make sure you are cooking foods thoroughly.
• Roast: This is one of my very favorite and easiest ways to cook. I will roast just about anything. Learn by doing. My key secret with roasting is to keep an eye on it. Use your eyes and nose to see and smell the flavors and doneness.
• Emulsify: Because every great salad has homemade dressing.

So now you have the recipe with all the ingredients and the liberty to make any recipe your own. Impress friends and family, and best of all, it is your creation for achieving the health you desire.

Try new foods! Try new flavors! Cook and make it your own!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rain Hampton is a board credentialed Health and Wellness coach, certified bariatric support leader and motivational speaker. Rain has facilitated support for patients of Dr. Charles Callery and other bariatric centers fighting obesity. Rain was featured as the cover story of OH magazine, Winter 2012 issue and was a panelist at the 2016 ObesityHelp National Conference in California. Read more articles from Rain!

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