Now You're Cooking With Flist

[the_other_sandy]

So, I got really bored with my usual lunch choices and decided to try something new today. I made a very fake chicken fried rice with chicken, brown rice, and mixed vegetables (corn, peas, carrots, and green beans, thanks to the freezer case at Trader Joe's). It wasn't bad, but it was kind of bland. I don't want to add salt to it so I was thinking maybe an herb or two, but therein lies the problem. The spice rack at my house when I was growing up was purely decorative, so I have no idea what herbs actually taste like. I didn't even use the pepper shaker for the first time until I was almost 30.

I'm looking for something mild that will add a little flavor without making it taste like HERB and some other ingredients, if you know what I mean. What do you say, flist? Any suggestions?

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  ETA: This is the icon referred to in comment 6a.

Comments

[samazon13.livejournal.com]

For the dish you mentioned, I would also suggest garlic powder, a little black pepper, and some sesame seeds. You could also mix in a bit (start with a teaspoon and taste) of sesame oil, which gives it a kick. You could also use a bit of powdered ginger, to extend the Asian spice palate.

Spices are wonderful ways to spruce up dishes. I haven't cooked with salt (nor put it on my food) for years. And there are even some spices, like turmeric, that are genuinely good for you!

[the-other-sandy.livejournal.com]

This dish is so bland that I'm afraid garlic powder would make it taste like nothing but garlic. I was reminded of onions in an earlier comment, which would make sense because every single fried rice I've ever had has had onions in it. Black pepper would not go amiss either. I used to put it on long grain and wild rice to make it edible.

Can you tell I was the world's pickiest eater as a kid? Both my parents would faint if they knew I was voluntarily eating vegetables right now.