Cooking without recipes

December 29, 2022

Are you falling into a rut in the kitchen? Getting tired of the same old recipes? Try cooking by formula instead. It’s easy, it’s healthy, it’s creative, and you don’t have to buy a new cookbook.

Some of us from our generation may remember sitting in the kitchen watching our mothers and grandmothers, who often cooked without using recipes. After doing our own cooking for a while, we realize that quite a few dishes follow similar methods or formulas, that the quantities and combinations of ingredients vary substantially, and that there really aren’t very many hard and fast rules. So why not let loose and cook by formula? Then you can use whatever ingredients you like.

A few caveats, though. You need to know how long different ingredients take to cook, so that everything gets finished at the same time. If you’re roasting chicken pieces, for example, you need to know approximately when you have about ten minutes of cooking time left, because that’s when you’ll add in the green beans. You also have to decide the quantities of ingredients to include; that will depend on how many servings you want to make. Check frequently while the food is cooking, to make sure nothing gets underdone or overdone.

This is pretty rough and ready cooking, the kind you’d do if you wanted to use up leftovers. Don’t try it for company. If you like precision, this may not be for you. But if you’re game, go ahead and have fun with it. Here are a few formulas to get you started.

MASTER INGREDIENTS LIST

  • Liquid, eg broth, water, canned tomatoes
  • Protein, slow-cooking, eg bone-in chicken pieces
  • Protein, quick-cooking, eg defrosted fish fillets, boneless chicken breasts, tofu
  • Protein, no-cooking, eg canned fish, canned legumes
  • Vegetables, base, eg onions, celery, carrots
  • Vegetables, slow-cooking, eg potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash
  • Vegetables, quick-cooking, eg spinach, zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms, bok choy
  • Grains, slow-cooking, eg brown rice, barley
  • Grains, quick-cooking, eg white rice, quinoa, couscous, bulgur, pasta
  • Seasonings, eg salt, pepper, herbs, condiments

SOUP
Formula

  1. Soften base vegetables in oil
  2. Add seasonings
  3. Add slow-cooking ingredients
  4. Add liquid
  5. Simmer until everything is almost done
  6. Add quick-cooking ingredients and cook until done

Examples

  • Base vegetables + cubed potatoes + canned tomatoes + water + green beans + zucchini + kidney beans + macaroni
  • Base vegetables + quick-cooking rice + boneless chicken chunks + water or chicken broth + salt, pepper, parsley + white wine or sherry
  • Base vegetables + cubed potatoes + canned tomatoes + water + salt, pepper, bay leaf, garlic powder + canned baby clams

STIR FRY
Formula

  1. Prepare grain separately and set aside
  2. Saute quick-cooking protein until brown on all sides
  3. Add quick-cooking vegetables and sauté until they are softened
  4. Toss with seasonings and condiments
  5. Serve over prepared grain

Examples

  • Rice + boneless chicken chunks + chopped broccoli + thinly sliced carrots + garlic powder, ginger, soy sauce
  • Noodles + cooked medium shrimp, defrosted + chopped green peppers + chopped mushrooms + Worcestershire sauce
  • Rotini + onion + spinach + black-eyed peas + garlic powder, smoked paprika

SHEET PAN
Formula

  1. Preheat oven to 400⁰ F for fish, 350⁰ F for chicken or slow-cooking vegetables
  2. Pour some cooking oil into a cup, mix in seasonings and set aside
  3. Place slow-cooking protein and vegetables in a glass lasagna pan or rimmed cookie sheet
  4. Toss with some of the seasoned oil and cook
  5. In last ten minutes, toss quick-cooking ingredienets with more seasoned oil and add to the pan

Examples

  • Oil, garlic powder, pepper, rosemary, paprika + bone-in chicken thighs + potato chunks + sliced carrots + chopped broccoli
  • Oil, red wine vinegar, mustard powder, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, parsley, thyme + potato chunks + salmon fillets + green beans + grape tomatoes
  • Oil, thyme, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, paprika + sweet potato chunks + chopped bell peppers + chopped rapini + sliced zucchini + chickpeas