I used to be afraid of recipes. I was worried that if I didn't have a certain spice or pot or gadget then I wouldn't be able to do it right. So I didn't make it. I missed out on a lot of yummy food because I didn't now how to substitute. As time went on I decided that I surely could figure out how to make some of these recipes work for me. So here are two meals I am preparing this week and changing it up a little.
The first is a Lo Mein recipe. It has several kinds of meat and I am only using pork. In the sauce it calls for Dark Soy sauce and I am going to use regular and omit the hot sauce it calls for. Also some of the spices are supposed to be fresh and I am using dry. This was an item that always scared me. I found that if you use 1/2 as much dried as it calls for in fresh it is about the right amount. Also, some of the veggies we don't like so I added broccoli, carrots, and zucchini in place of the cabbage, chestnuts, and bean sprouts. Also, I will probably double the sauce recipe. Sometimes if you get a recipe online they will have reviews of the recipe. This is a good resource because it gives you the good and the bad of the recipe. Many of the reviews said to make more sauce.
The second recipe I am making is a Chicken Cacciatore! The recipe itself I am keeping the same but I don't have a dutch oven so I am going to change the way I cook the chicken. I will start everything on the stove top but when it is supposed to go in the oven I will transfer the chicken and veggies into a 13x9 inch man and cover it with foil.
So even if you think a recipe isn't going to work for you spend a little time trying to make a few adjustments. It will be worth it when you sit down to dinner!
P.S. If you are looking for the actual recipe on the pioneer woman recipes you have to scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page to find it! Just a little heads up!
