How to create your own recipe

Sometimes people ask me where I come up with recipes. The answer is that I read a lot and try a lot of combinations. I started by following recipes to the T, and then when I became more comfortable in the kitchen, I can sub ingredients, or alter cooking techniques. I still follow recipes, make notes of ideas I have, and read a lot of cookbooks.

This dinner is one instance of how I created a one-pot dish just by looking in my refrigerator and pantry.

Mixed Vegetable Black Quinoa

Ingredients:

• 2 C uncooked spinach
• 1/2 C dry black quinoa
• 1 pear, chopped
• 2 dates, pitted and chopped
• 1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 C mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 C snap peas
• 2 T apple juice
• salt, pepper

Instructions:

The thought process of this dish started with quinoa. I have some leftover dry black quinoa from a dish I had a few weeks ago called Black Quinoa Pudding. It cooks the same way as any quinoa but looks so pretty. I also like cooking with quinoa because it is full of protein but acts like a grain. Kind of like a 2 for 1 special.

Then I went to my refrigerator to see what vegetables I could add. This week I had mushrooms, snap peas, and spinach. I like adding spinach because you can get so much bang for your buck when it wilts down. And the snap peas and mushrooms add nice color and texture. Then I added a bell pepper for color and crunch.

I also like putting an apple or pear in with quinoa, and dates go with those. I always have both of those on hand. And to bring out the fruity sweet flavor, I added a tiny bit of apple juice. I keep little juice boxes in the pantry instead of a large container of apple juice. I still don’t finish the whole juice box, but it takes up less space than a container in my refrigerator.

So here’s how it comes together:

• In a sauce pot, combine 1 C water with 1/2 C quinoa. The proportion is always 2:1, so you can do however much quinoa you want. This whole dish was about 2.5-3 dinner servings, so it lasted a few meals. Bring the quinoa to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes, or until all liquid has dissolved.
• In a separate pan, steam spinach in a shallow layer of water until wilted. Drain the water from the pan, leaving a little bit left. Add other vegetables and cook together until soft. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add pear and dates and apple juice and cook together.
• When quinoa is done, add it to the vegetable pot and toss together.
• It is ready when everything is hot and combined.

You could use any vegetable you have at home, raisins instead of dates, an apple cider instead of juice, rice instead of quinoa, etc. This is just one technique that can be adapted in many ways.

Sorry for the lack of pictures! I wasn’t planning to make a post of this, but it turned out really delicious and flavorful, and then I realized it would be good to share.

What are your favorite meals to throw together? Are you scared to create your own recipes?