Original recipes to surprise

The human mind is conservative by nature. Change often makes us nervous and uncomfortable. When we do something differently, the brain receives contradictory orders, creating a sense of conflict between habit and newness.

This makes for quite a challenge: leaving behind the usual ways of doing things to change a classic breadcrumbed fillet or tomato salad. In other words, converting simple meals to top level recipes, without having to make a great deal of effort.

For example, chicken broth is very good with the arrival of winter. With the wings and carcases baked and then boiled for a couple of hours, you get a rich and creamy broth. And what if we mix it with jasmine flowers? It's about combining innovation and tradition with small touches.

And if you choose to make a soup, why accompany it with the usual noodles? Broths with grains of barley, wheat, rye or spelt, with wild or red rice, quinoa or millet, whole oats or with legumes, can enrich all kinds of dishes.

Eggs are another daily kitchen ingredient to which attention is barely paid to. Getting the most out of this seemingly simple product is easy if you value its versatility when combining it with other foods. Scrambled eggs can be made with butter, cream and a splash of milk, stirring while cooking in a sauce pan. This way you get an incredibly creamy texture.

It is a question of joining innovation and tradition with small touches.

So, what about the classic breadcrumbed fillet? There are surprising alternatives such as replacing the breadcrumbs with nachos, cornflakes, potato flakes, nuts or seeds, creating some very interesting nuances. Or why not mix the bread with cheese, spices or aromatic herbs. The question is how to make a few changes to homemade dishes so that they are little more original.

Similarly, how can we break with the typical lettuce-tomato duo? Giving new life to salads is a breeze, it just takes a little imagination. The contrast between textures and flavours is a good starting point that can be achieved with green beans, avocado, cucumber, broccoli, asparagus, leeks, pumpkin or wheat germ, among other options. And for the final touches, the crispy elements are ideal. Walnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, apple or celery, among others, make an ordinary salad into a 'top' salad.

Dare to go further, to change the order of the factors, to put the rice in the dessert and the chocolate in the salad! There are many elements that we can vary in our diet to go a little beyond the ordinary. Let's look at some examples.