Easy ways to modify a favorite recipe

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I’m constantly trying to encourage people that recipes—any recipes—should really be considered more like guidelines. If you have different ingredients on hand, or if you’re hankering for a different taste, give yourself permission to tweak as necessary! 

This definitely goes for Delicious Living recipes as well. Just last weekend, our beauty and digital editor, Jessica Rubino, made our favorite recipe for Chocolate Mousse Parfaits (with its secret superhealthy ingredient: avocado).

But because she was hosting a Mexican-themed party, she had the bright idea to add cinnamon and cayenne pepper to the mix, thus lending the mixture a south-of-the-border kick. She also topped it with mango instead of raspberries. Love it!

Likewise:

• If you want to make tabblouleh but can’t eat wheat or gluten, make the same recipe with quinoa or millet.
• If you don’t have pine nuts for classic basil pesto, use almonds, pistachios, or cashews.
• If you don’t have spinach for a salad, substitute any finely chopped leafy green, such as kale, chard, or even beet greens. 
• No olives? Try capers or sliced sun-dried tomatoes.

A caveat: The one exception to this "substitute at will" approach is baking, where measurements actually matter. (That's why I'm not very fond of baking.)

How have you modified your favorite Delicious Living recipes? Let us know in the comments below.