How To Make Your Meals Feel fancy

How to make your meals feel fancy and taste better Something I often do at home is take basic meals like soups, rice bowls, pasta, etc… and make them feel a lot fancier and more delicious by adding some finishing touches and toppings. It’s amazing how such simple additions can really elevate a meal! A […]

How to make your meals feel fancy and taste better

Something I often do at home is taken basic meals like soups, rice bowls, pasta, etc… and make them feel a lot fancier and more delicious by adding some finishing touches and toppings. It’s amazing how such simple additions can really elevate a meal!

A lot of meals can be good, but what makes them great are the garnishes or sides that give a contrast of texture or flavor. Whether it’s a hearty stew that’s topped with fresh herbs and lemon or a hot dog topped with ketchup, mustard, and crunchy/tangy sauerkraut. It’s that contrast that our tastebuds crave!

So how do you elevate your meals at home with simple touches? It’s all about ‘The Magic 5’: Crunchy, Creamy, Bright, Fresh, and Heat.

So when you sit down to eat your next meal, make sure each of those 5 is checked off. If they’re not, refer back to this post for fun ideas and inspiration! I’ll be sending out basic recipes for some of my favorite fancy toppings in the coming weeks! List of what’s to come at the end of the post!

Crunchy

This one is all about texture. Who likes eating a bowl of mush? Oatmeal is so much better when topped with nuts or granola; grain bowls and salads are more satisfying when there are both cooked and raw vegetables for a texture contrast between soft and crunchy. A sandwich is better served with crunchy chips.

Favorite crunch factors:

1. Pickled or raw veg: add raw vegetables to your salads or a pickled vegetable on top of your soup or grain bowl. Think grated carrot, thinly sliced fennel, radish, cucumber, snap peas, pickled onions, etc…Quick ‘pickle’: take thinly sliced raw veg and squeeze lemon (or vinegar) and sprinkle salt all over. Toss to coat. Now you have a ‘quick pickled’ tangy, salty, crunchy topping for bowls, salads, or as a side to serve with hearty meat. My favorite vegetables for this are fennel, carrots, and onions.
2. Toasted nuts + seeds: I always have a mixture of toasted nuts and seeds on hand to top my salads, bowls, pasta, and oatmeal. They add a hard crunch as well as a nutty, earthy flavor. My favorites are toasted almonds, pumpkin seeds, and cashews. Get fancy: roast a combination of nuts and seeds with oil, spices, and salt.
3. Fried garlic, shallots, and/or onionHave you ever shallow-fried garlic, shallots or onion in olive oil until they are golden brown, crispy crunchy? You’re left with these delicious crunchy bits and an infused oil that you can use in dressings or just to dip good bread into. Get fancy: when ‘frying’ your garlic or onion, add in some whole or ground spices towards the end (like turmeric, smoked paprika, cumin, and coriander). The spices will get toasted in the hot oil and add another depth of flavor to both your crispy bits and the infused oil.

Pickled carrots and radish + peanuts add crunch to this Banh Mi Rice Bowl

Recipe for Coconut Ginger Brown Rice + Banh Mi Rice Bowl here!

1. Spiced toasted pumpkin seeds add crunch to this creamy lentil dal.

2. Blanched green beans, peanuts, and raw watermelon radish add crunch to the peanut tempeh veggie bowls!

Creamy

I love the contrast between crunchy and creamy. This can mean adding roasted sweet potato (creamy) and raw fennel (crunchy) to a salad. But it can also mean adding creamy toppings to bowls or stews.

Favorite creamy toppings:

1. Yogurt: a dollop of plain whole milk yogurt mixed with salt and lemon (and water to thin if you want it to be more of a sauce) adds a creamy, tangy element to an otherwise heavier, one-note meal.
2. Avocado: my favorite easy creamy topping that goes with pretty much everything! When you add avocado to a salad or a grain bowl, the creaminess of the avocado almost creates a sauce in your mouth as you chew it with everything else. So good and very little effort is required!
3. Egg yolks + eggs: next time you make a brothy soup (think chicken soup, miso soup), top it with an egg yolk. As you break the yolk and stir it into the soup, it creates a thick, creamy broth that gives the soup a velvety texture. So soothing! OR one of my favorite additions — put an egg on it! Topping bowls, salads, and stews with a fried egg is always a good idea. The runny yolk creates a creamy sauce that coats everything and makes it taste more luxurious.
4. Caramelized onions: if you’ve never tried caramelizing onions, now is the time. When sweet onions are cooked low and slow, they turn soft, creamy, and sweet. They are delicious in sandwiches or on top of bowls or salads.

Here we get the creaminess from the egg yolk, avocado, roasted veg, and fresh crunch from the pickled onions and dressed crisp greens!

Runny egg yolks from a soft-boiled egg add a creaminess to this otherwise raw, crunchy salad.

Bright

When I say bright, I mean ACID! It’s my opinion that every meal needs some acid. If you’ve made a soup, stew, salad, or sauce that tastes like it’s missing something — it’s probably either acid or salt. Topping meals with something acidic can bring them to life!

Favorite bright toppings:

1. Citrus: adding a squeeze of fresh citrus to any meal is sure to brighten up the dish. It’s especially useful for bringing leftovers back to life. Think lemons, limes, + oranges
2. Pickled vegetables: thinly slice raw vegetables (fennel, carrot, radish, beets, celery) and toss them in vinegar or lemon juice along with some salt. The result: a tangy, crunchy, salty bright topping or addition to any meal.
3. Yogurt: since yogurt is fermented, it has a natural tangy brightness that can really liven up a meal. Try mixing those thinly sliced veggies with yogurt, lemon, and salt — creamy, tangy, crunchy, and salty magic!

Both a tangy yogurt sauce and pickled red onions add a punch of acid to this comforting spiced lentils and rice.

Make this Spiced Lentils and Rice with Garlicky Yogurt Sauce recipe!

This plate of randomness has it all:
Bright: Pickled onions, garlicky yogurt sauce
Crunchy: fried onions, raw bell pepper, pickled onions
Heat: garlicky yogurt sauce
Fresh: tabbouleh – fresh parsley salad
Creamy: beet hummus, garlicky yogurt sauce, roasted veg

Fresh

Fresh means herbs! Adding fresh herbs to any meal adds a whole new dimension and flavor. Especially meals that are heavier or when you’re reheating/repurposing leftovers. Don’t be shy with herbs, make it rain!

Favorite herbs:

1. Dill: this is definitely my #1 herb. I love adding it to yogurt sauces, green salads, potato salad, chicken soup, eggs…the list goes on!
2. Cilantro: cilantro is super versatile because it goes well with Mexican, Indian, Middle Eastern, and Thai flavors.
3. Mint: mint goes really well with Mediterranean and Thai food.

How to store your herbs:

Nothing worse than slimy, yellow herbs rotting in your fridge before you got a chance to use them.

Trim the stems and put them in a mason jar filled with enough water to cover the stems. Cover loosely with a ziplock bag or plastic wrap or plastic produce bag.

Fresh dill brings this whole Nicoise salad together with its fresh, herbaceous flavor. We also have cooked, creamy potatoes and crunchy green beans + lettuce. Hello Spring!

Fresh dill takes this super creamy, comforting Greek Lemon Chicken Soup to a whole new level of flavor and freshness!

Heat

I love spice — when my nose starts to get runny while I eat, I know the spice is right. Heat doesn’t just come from spicy chilis (capsicum), but also from raw garlic, ginger, peppercorns, horseradish, wasabi, and mustard.

Favorite toppings that bring the heat:

1. Chili oil: this condiment is so incredibly versatile — it’s delicious on pizza, and bread, added to stir-fries, and drizzled over fried eggs. All you do is gently heat oil in a pot with dried hot chilis and salt (you could just use red chili flakes) for about 2 minutes, then let it sit in that oil so the flavor intensifies.
2. Kimchi: This funky, often spicy, Korean condiment I have not attempted to make on my own, but often buy a jar at the store to have on hand to add to bowls, stir-fries or just to eat alongside eggs.
3. Sriracha/hot sauce: it seems that we all have our favorite hot sauces whether it’s sriracha, Cholula, or some local artisanal variety. They pack in both acid and heat!
4. Black pepper: a generous amount of black pepper added to dishes or sauces adds a kick without the fiery heat you get from spicy chilis
5. Garlicky or mustardy or gingery sauce or vinaigrette: garlic, mustard, and ginger are milder forms of heat, especially raw garlic, and ginger. Adding these to sauces or dressings can pack in a punch without being too spicy.

The addition of kimchi and a drizzle of sriracha in this Bibimbap bowl adds a punch of acid and heat! There is lots of crunch from the raw cucumber and radish, creaminess from the egg yolk, and freshness from the scallions.

Recipe sneak peek for fancy toppings!

In the coming weeks, I’ll be sending out how-to and recipes for simple, easy toppings and sauces that will elevate all of your meals! The list includes:

1. Nutty Gremolata
2. Smoked paprika turmeric roasted pumpkin seeds
3. Crunchy peanut + chili oil
4. Herbed yogurt sauce
5. Pickled red onions
6. Fried shallots
7. Caramelized onions
8. Creamy fennel slaw