A well-written recipe is the cornerstone of every successful dish. Or is it?
Complex recipes may follow a traditional format, where all of the measured ingredients are listed in order of use, including very detailed instructions on everything from the type of pot or pan for cooking to the platter for serving the food.
But there are also dishes that can be made using measurement or weight ratios. For example, you don’t need a traditional recipe to make a simple spice blend or vinaigrette. Those can be prepared using a ratio of ingredients. And some cakes can be baked based on weight ratios.
Cooking without a traditional recipe can be very liberating! You are able to cook by memory instead of being bogged down by a cookbook or stuck to a digital screen. And, in many instances, you’re able to customize the dish by adopting the ingredients you like, and getting rid of those you don’t.
Spice Blends
Having both classic and customized spice blends on hand saves time and is instrumental to adding great flavor to meals you cook at home. Use a ratio of 1-to-1 for all the dry herbs and spices in your blends. If adding salt and any crushed or ground hot peppers, there is generally 3 parts salt and ¼ part hot peppers.
The key to a quality spice blend is using ingredients that are fragrant and full of flavor, so avoid old spices. Store spice blends in airtight containers and discard after 6 months. Ratios for two popular spice blends follow. Both yield about 1/2 cup.
All-Purpose Seasoning Blend: This can be used in recipes that call for a variety of individually measured herbs and spices. It is made with 1 tablespoon each of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme and black pepper, plus 3 tablespoons salt and 1 1/4 teaspoons red pepper flakes, if desired.
Italian Spice Blend: Make your own for vinaigrettes and pasta sauces by combining 1 tablespoon each dried basil, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, parsley, garlic powder and oregano. An optional 1 1/4 teaspoons red pepper flakes will kick up the heat.
Credit: CHRIS HUNT
Credit: CHRIS HUNT
Vinaigrettes
A classic vinaigrette comes together with an easy-to-remember ratio of 3-to-1, or three parts oil to one part acid. Olive oil and vegetable oils are the usual bases. Your acid, often either vinegar or citrus juice, adds brightness. Optional herbs and spices deliver additional delicious flavors.
Lemon Vinaigrette: Super bright and tart, this vinaigrette only uses five ingredients and starts with the 3-to-1 ratio. To make 1 cup of lemon vinaigrette, add ¾ cups olive oil, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard and 1 teaspoon All-Purpose Seasoning Blend to a jar or carafe. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously until well combined. Chill and shake again before serving on your salad.
Italian Vinaigrette: The better the olive oil and red wine vinegar you use, the better this vinaigrette will be. The 3-to-1 oil-to-vinegar ratio still applies to this vinaigrette. I also add Italian Spice Blend and grated Parmesan cheese. For salty umami, I replace the classic Dijon mustard with a minced anchovy. To prepare this vinaigrette: Using a fork, smash a salt-cured anchovy in a small bowl. Mix ¼ cup red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon Italian Spice Blend and ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese with the anchovy. Whisk in ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil until creamy. Store in an airtight container and chill. Whisk again before serving.
White Rice
Rice is a staple in our house. It’s versatile, quick and easy to make, and with so many varieties, it never gets old. A simple ratio of rice to water, that varies depending on the type of rice you’re cooking, is the only recipe you’ll ever need. For stovetop cooking, short-grain and medium-grain rice, like Valencia or Arborio, use a 1-to-1 ¼ rice-to-water ratio. Long grain and jasmine rice prefer a 1-to-1 ½ rice-to-water ratio. Basmati rice uses the most water, with a 1-to-1 ¾ rice-to-water ratio.
For six servings of medium-grain rice, no rinsing is necessary and adding salt is a personal preference. Pour 2 cups rice and 2 ½ cups water into a saucepan, bring to a boil, stir and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes without removing the lid. Remove from heat. Let rest for 10 minutes with the lid on and fluff the rice with a fork before serving.
Credit: CHRIS HUNT
Credit: CHRIS HUNT
Classic Pound Cake
This cake’s name comes from the fact that the original pound cake, or butter cake, contains one pound each of butter, sugar, eggs and flour. There were no flavored extracts or leaveners used. These cakes got their flavor and rise from the butter that was whipped with the sugar until light and fluffy, which helps add air to the batter. Both the butter and eggs should be room temperature. Use salted butter, since no additional salt is added to the recipe. Weigh eggs without their shell; it takes about 6 large cracked eggs to equal 1 pound. Either granulated or light brown sugar can be used. Granulated sugar creates a lighter cake batter, while light brown sugar gives the batter a more golden color. All-purpose flour is the best choice for this classic pound cake recipe.
To make a classic pound cake, whisk the sugar and butter together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each egg. Mix in the flour, one cup at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl to make sure the flour is well-incorporated. Pour the batter into an oiled 9-inch Bundt pan and place in a preheated 350-degree oven. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Place the Bundt pan on a wire rack and cool for 20 minutes. Then place the wire rack over the top of the Bundt pan, flip the cake, tapping the top and sides of the pan to help release the cake. Cool completely before slicing.
Credit: CHRIS HUNT
Credit: CHRIS HUNT
Pasta Meat Sauce
This recipe is simple to make and easy to adjust. You can change the flavor and look of the dish by changing the type of ground meat and pasta.
For this recipe, add 1 pound of ground meat, 1 diced small onion, 1 diced small green bell pepper and 1 tablespoon Italian Spice Blend to a large saucepan. On medium heat, cook until the ground meat browns and the onion and bell pepper are soft. Add 1 (32-ounce) jar of your favorite pasta sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Toss with 1 pound of cooked pasta. Serve hot. Bonus: Make a double batch of meat sauce and freeze half for a future meal.
Chopped Salad
A chopped salad means that all the ingredients, including the lettuce, are chopped into equally sized small pieces. Unlike a tossed salad, a forkful of which may contain just two or three ingredients, a well-made chopped salad delivers all of the flavors in every bite. The legendary La Scala Chopped Salad contains just five ingredients: lettuce, mozzarella cheese, red onions, chickpeas and salami, tossed with a tart Italian Vinaigrette. Feel free to switch the ingredients up, so long as you use sturdy lettuce like iceberg or romaine and all of the ingredients are chopped and mixed together.
This robust chopped salad recipe is easy to remember because it uses same numeric amount of each ingredient. In a large salad bowl, add 1 head of chopped iceberg lettuce, 1 (15-ounce) can drained chickpeas, 1 cup diced cucumbers, 1 cup chopped Spanish olives, 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes, 1 cup diced deli ham and 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Toss with a vinaigrette and serve immediately.
Basil Pesto
Fresh basil is the star of this classic Italian sauce, traditionally made by crushing all of the ingredients with a mortar and pestle. You can also make pesto in a food processor or blender, or chop the ingredients with a knife. Pesto is delicious on pasta, as a sandwich spread, a garnish for soup and even as a topping on grilled poultry and seafood. All it takes is a 4-to-4-to-1-to-1 ratio and 15 minutes.
Combine 4 cups lightly packed fresh basil, 4 large garlic cloves, 1 cup good-quality olive oil and 1 cup lightly toasted pine nuts in a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and season with salt and an optional pinch of red pepper flakes. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.
You can swap out the pine nuts with any kind of nut you like, including almonds, pistachios, walnuts or pecans. Although Parmesan cheese is used in classic pesto, any hard, salty aged cheese like pecorino or manchego will also work.
Fruit Salad
A fruit salad is delicious as a breakfast staple or an after-dinner treat. The key to a well-balanced fruit salad is to make sure there is a mix of colors and texture, as well as sweet and tart flavors. In the spring, I like a mix of berries, then I switch it up with other fruits as they come into season. You can also use flash-frozen fruit like peaches or mangoes that are thawed before mixing with the fresh ingredients.
This salad consists of 1 pint each ripe strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries, plus 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt. Rinse all the berries, discarding any that are damaged, and blot dry. Remove the stems from the strawberries and cut them into halves or quarters, depending on size. Gently mix all the berries together in a large bowl, stir in yogurt and chill 2 hours or overnight. Serve alone, over a slice of cake or topped with 1 tablespoon of your favorite chopped nuts or granola.
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