Baked Apples Baklava is an example of “Switching Courses”, one of the creativity strategies named in this article. This recipe is a switch from Dessert to Breakfast, as a sweet nutty filling is tucked inside the depression left when the apple core was removed, and then the stuffed apple half is wrapped in phyllo and baked before being drizzled with an apple cider reduction.

What do aerobic instruction and vegan cooking have to do with each other?  Quite a lot as it turns out. 

When I was in graduate school, I became an aerobics instructor to help pay the bills while staying fit. I was fortunate to teach for a woman who was a progressive business owner and, as part of our ongoing professional development, she organized for our team of instructors a master class taught by a visiting celebrity instructor in the field.

What this woman had to sell, besides her book, wasn’t the latest and greatest in new aerobics moves, but a method that would allow anyone to create a near-endless stream of combinations of his or her own.  Essentially, she taught us that, by understanding the body as a series of levers and by understanding all of the ways those levers could move, the options were virtually limitless.  I still remember her saying that, sure, she could teach us the latest routines to the greatest new music, but after a few classes, we’d be back in the same boat:  in need of something fresh and different.

What she offered was the aerobics equivalent of “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.”  I suppose we need a vegan version of that adage, but, in the meantime, it is in that spirit that I am delighted to share with Vegan Mainstream’s community members my simple method for creating never-ending variety in the kitchen.

I love new recipes as much as the next guy or gal.  But even more I love being able to maximize their pleasure by creating endless riffs on them.  Following are four simple strategies I use to do that, and how you can to:

Color Substitution

A spectrum of delicious dishes can be created simply by substituting one similarly colored ingredient for another.  The taste and texture may be different but, as long as all are compatible, the results can be stunning, as my crowd-pleasing Beet Muhummara will attest.  This week, I am delighted to share my take on this traditional Turkish spread in which I substitute fresh raw beets for the typical roasted red peppers.

Crossing Cultures

Of the four strategies, I may have the most fun with this one, just based on the names of dishes alone.  To cross cultures, simply incorporate the flavors of one cuisine into favorite forms of another.  Two of the many tempting examples on my blog are Tunisian Tostatos with Lemon-Chili Cream and Middle Eastern Migas.

Switching Courses

The other two recipes I am pleased to share this week were created using this strategy in which I simply incorporate the ingredients and flavors of one course, say dessert, into another, such as a side dish.  My Burgundy Poached Pears with Rosemary Scented Onions are an example of exactly that, while my Thai Seitan Lettuce Wraps are an example of incorporating favorite flavors from an entrée, namely Thai curries, into a wrap or sandwich filling.     

Trading Textures

Trading textures is merely a matter of substituting one similarly-textured ingredient for another in a recipe.  We have all seen this commonly and deliciously done with hummus.  The riff on guacamole in my cookbook is a texture trade.  Called “Knock-offamole,” I substitute mashed fresh cooked green peas for avocado in traditional guacamole.  The result is super-tasty even though the impetus was, sadly, my avocado allergy.

Hopefully, with these four strategies and a handful of examples, you can substitute, cross, switch and trade your way to a lifetime of culinary innovation.

Betsy DiJulio, MA, EdS, is a vegan foodie with deeply southern–but not deep-fried!–roots. She is also a full-time award-winning National Board Certified high school art teacher, artist, cookbook author, blogger, and freelance writer on topics of vegan food, art and art education, home and garden design, travel, small business, and eco-issues.  This longtime vegetarian-turned-vegan is a life-time cooking enthusiast, one-time caterer, sometimes cooking instructor, and all-the-time animal lover.  DiJulio and her husband, Joe, share their VA Beach home with a pair of beloved canines. When she isn’t teaching, drawing and painting, cooking, writing, or walking their dogs, Betsy can be found in downward dog on her yoga mat.

For more about Betsy DiJulio check out her blog, cookbook, Facebook page, Pinterest page, find her on Twitter, or find her on Twitter.