Lots of fresh herbs, I have chives and parsley on hand constantly and add them to everything lol. You'd be surprised how tasty steamed rice is if you add a little lemon juice and a few herbs. I add olive oil or butter too but I'm not scared of adding fat to my food. Fresh garlic adds lots of flavor too. Lots of spices too like cumin, coriander, allspice, nutmeg, chinese 5spice, etc.

Roasting brings out a lot of flavor in vegetables. I like to roast vegetables for everything! Steamed veggies have their place but I choose the roasted ones any day.

I also add frozen peas to just about everyting - salads, stir fries, pasta dishes, rice dishes, and they hardly need any cooking at all, just throw them in at the end and they thaw immediately in the food.

I've learned to crave color in my food - the more colorful it is the more flavorful it is.

Thanks, carter! And thanks everyone else, too! I wish I was better at intuiting (or remembering) which spices go well with what. Your tips will definitely help!

I don't avoid salt. I agree that it can elevate a dish. I tend to like just enough salt that it does that, and not so much salty foods.

Sadly I do not have any Indian (or Asian or anything) grocery stores or markets where I live. The most exotic thing we have (and the smallest) is a Target. :/

nonameslob: I too saute in broth/stock or water often. Mostly because I always manage to damage myself around any hot oil (even a tbsp).

Wannabeskinny: I love fresh herbs! However, I don't buy them much because they're expensive, and I don't grow my own because they ALWAYS DIE. I can't keep a plant alive to save my life. I try sun, fertilizer, new soil, water, rain, etc. etc. when a plant starts to die, and so far nothing has stopped it.

Lianna, I'm like you in that I can't really remember.. I did find this page (and have printed out a few of the info graphics) that helped me out a bit. http://www.cooksmarts.com/cs-blog/20...-guide-spices/

The whole site is actually really awesome for a resource, or at least I've found it to be.

These are both very good points. I should probably use the chicken broth technique more than I do. Acid (as in lemon juice) added late in cooking brightens flavors much the same way salt does. I suggest keeping fresh lemons on hand; packaged lemon juice tends to be bitter. I'm actually not a huge fan of the flavor of lemon juice so I am more likely to use red wine vinegar when I need a splash of acid or a spice from the Indian grocery called amchur, or powdered green mango.

Same here, I'm always looking for tips too

I LOVE Lemon Juice and Chicken broth