makan

9 Easy Tips To Transform Your Meals From Simple To Spectacular

Making tasty meals is wayyy easier than you think!

Cover image via Healthline & Eat Well With Sar

1. Use simple marinades to turn chicken, beef, and seafood into flavourful, mouth-watering dishes

Image via Eat The Grains

Resealable plastic bags are your BFFs! Use it to divide and marinate batches of meat with different sauces or rubs. Let it soak all the goodness for a few hours in the fridge before cooking. Trust us, you'll be left with the most flavour-packed dish. 

Make this delicious Ayam Percik Caesar Salad that's so yummy with its lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and turmeric marinade.

Image via Nak Makan Apa

2. Make rainbow-coloured meals with vibrant ingredients to get your salivary glands working double-time!

Image via Seismik Makan

It's all about the aesthetics! Colourful meals are not only more visually pleasing, but it will definitely give you a bigger appetite.

Ingredients with vibrant colours are also known to be more nutrient-dense and contain antioxidants that are healthy for your body.

Try out this Roasted Sweet Potato Salad that looks too good to eat.

Image via Nak Makan Apa

3. Use toppings and garnishes to add more texture and depth of flavour to your dishes

Who likes to eat plain bubur and oatmeal, right? Use simple toppings or garnishes like nuts, seeds, bawang goreng, and cili kicap to dramatically elevate the flavour profile of even the blandest of dishes!

This Quinoa Edamame Salad is super filling with quinoa, carrots, edamame, tomatoes, purple cabbage, and baby radish.

Image via Nak Makan Apa

4. Switch up your meals by serving your mains with simple yet tasty side dishes

Image via Oh Sweet Basil

Think roasted potatoes, steamed veggies, or even a side salad! Complementing your entrée with a simple side dish will make your meals tastier and more satisfying. 

Our go-to side dish recipe is this Sesame Pasta Salad that's always a crowd-pleaser. 

Image via Nak Makan Apa

5. Use herbs and spices to bring your dishes to the next level with minimal effort (just the way we like it)

Image via Garden Betty

Herbs and spices are not your enemies, even a pinch of paprika in your omelette can make a world of difference! It's the best way to enhance the flavour profile of your dishes with little to no effort.

Keeping fresh herbs and bottled spices such as fresh basil, coriander, cayenne pepper, and more on hand will ensure you can whip up quick and tasty meals in no time.

This simple Grilled Fish Mango Nachos is perfect to serve as an appetiser for a dinner party.

Image via Nak Makan Apa

6. Season your dish at every stage of cooking to ensure maximum flavour

Salt and pepper can make or break your dish, it's very important that you season every element of your dish so every flavour note come through in the final dish. Be sure to constantly taste and adjust your seasoning throughout the cooking process to get the best outcome for all your hard work.

Try out this Sesame Crusted Salmon recipe, it's so easy yet incredibly tasty!

Image via Nak Masak Apa

7. Make your dish #foodporn worthy by taking a little bit of time to plate your food

Image via Plated

Unleash your inner Gordon Ramsay and express your creativity on the plate. Remember, we eat with our eyes before we eat with our stomachs.

With inspiration from scrolling through Instagram and a little bit of effort, you'll be able to style a plate in no time! 

Try out some plating skills by making this beautiful Broccoli and Shrimp Rice Bowl.

Image via Nak Makan Apa

8. Have fun in the kitchen and experiment with different cooking styles

Image via steemit

What's cooking without some fun? Channel your inner chef and try a variety of different ways you can cook a single ingredient or dish.

It's the best way to broaden your palate as well as gain a few kitchen skills along the way!

Try this Daging Masak Kicap Wrap for a new twist on a classic dish.

Image via Nak Makan Apa

9. Use a vinaigrette or salad dressing to turn your boring salad into a dish you actually look forward to eating

Image via Jillian Harris

Nobody likes grassy-tasting salad. Luckily for us, there are plenty of vinaigrettes and salad dressing around to mask the flavour of the healthy leafy greens. 

If you're always on the go, keep a bottle of yummy dressing in the fridge to motivate you more on eating a bowl of salad. 

Check out this Crispy Calamari Salad that tastes just as delicious as it looks!

Image via Nak Makan Apa

Hellmann’s has recently arrived the Malaysian shores and introduced a range of salad dressings to save you from
eating dull and bland salads!

You can get your Hellmann’s salad dressing in three delicious yet exciting flavours: Roasted Sesame, Smoky Thousand Island and Smoky Caesar at only RM9.00 per bottle, available at major hypermarkets and supermarkets nationwide.

Carefully crafted using REAL ingredients, Hellmann’s salad dressings will definitely be the perfect addition for a flavourful and extraordinary meal. Healthy is now made tasty too!

Get more info on Hellmann’s Malaysia and their products on their official Facebook and Instagram.

Check out our SAYS Makan Guide for more yummy places to eat and like our new SAYS Makan Facebook if you're a big foodie like us!

Image via SAYS

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