5 Tips to get you out of a food rut

Recently I did a radio interview discussing how many of us as stuck in a food rut and a study showing that 51% of people rotate between 5 meals or less for their weekly menu. I had to agree with the survey as I have found that many of us are all excited about the cooking shows and slightly addicted but when it comes to actually getting into the kitchen and putting some of this into practice we shy away and stick to the staples. Now there is nothing wrong with roast on Sundays, Bolognese on Tuesday and steak and veg on Wednesday with a quick stir fry for Friday, but folks there is more to your food life than 4-5 family specials. Here are 5 tips to get you out of a food rut and easy ideas to get the gourmet going in your kitchen:

1. I know we are all time poor and that you all have shelves of cook books that are being used as dust catchers more than they are being used for
   

   Dominique’s Cook Book

   cooking. So to ease you into the game, pick up the first 3 books you lay your hands on, grab the family or housemates and flick through the pages choosing 2 meals that everyone likes from each cook book, try and choose recipes that you have never tried before. Jot down the ingredients and on the next shop make it a point to include the new recipe, even better get the family or all members of the house in on the cooking.

2. If recipe books are a little scarce, key in an ingredient or recipe that you have always wanted to try into good old google and let your fingers do the searching. If you start small by integrating one different dish per week you will soon be cooking up a collection of wonderful creations.
3. We as Australians are such a wonderful melting pot of cultures so if you are even stuck for an ingredient that you haven’t tried, try looking for a cuisine that you have always wanted to taste. When shopping we often go on automatic pilot filling the trolly with the same staples every week. I understand that the husband may only like 2 vegetables and the kids will only eat potato, it may be that they have tried everything else and not liked anything or maybe that they have never tasted any other vegetables so get creative and incorporate one or two new items of food into the trolley per week.
4. If you are really in a corner with fussy eaters then use what you normally get and pick up some different spices, seasonings, herbs and alternate some different cooking methods to bring a little pizzazz back onto the plate.
5. A wonderful basic recipe can be found everywhere and we are surrounded by fresh produce and many professionals such as butchers, fruit vendors, deli operators who are more than happy to not only give you advice on what to buy and the best deals, they will even give you a taste and also a couple of recipes to take home.

All you need is some simple planning, an hour a week… which is nothing and you could be sizzling up your kitchen with the best of us using these 5 tips to get you out of a food rut.