What ingredient do you double or halve if you see it in a recipe?

[Anne in CA]

I was looking at the Asian dressing recipe to make a Buddha Bowl and saw that it had sesame oil and right away I thought, I'm doubling that, even though I have never made this recipe before. I now always double sesame oil because it never seems like enough. I also double red chili flakes in any recipe. I also double any amount of breading for any recipe that needs breading, because I never have enough, even if I double it, lol. Clearly I am not responsible enough to make my own onion rings, but I do it anyway. But I halve any onion in any recipe even though I love onions. My kids don't always appreciate onion the way I do, lol. I also halve any amount of canned tomatoes in anything. Enough is enough.

[Farrar]

I always add more garlic to recipes. They all call for too little for some reason.

 

I usually add more vanilla when baking anything. And more salt when baking cookies.

[Slartibartfast]

I tend to double garlic and sesame oil as well.

 

I also usually use more cumin than what the recipe says to use and more pepper. 

[Anne in CA]

I, also, do discriminantly add extra vanilla when I deem it necessary. 

[Sk8ermaiden]

Not an ingredient, but the sauce. Teriyaki chicken? Double the sauce. Cheater chicken curry? Double the sauce. Chicken Tikka? Double sauce. We really like sauce...

Edited December 15, 2016 by Sk8ermaiden

[purplejackmama]

Double the butter. :)

[Ali in OR]

Garlic. I have a 3-clove minimum. What's with recipes that call for 1 clove of garlic?

[umsami]

I always double vanilla extract.... and usually garlic is double or triple. :)

 

I may cut down sugar a little, but never 1/2... maybe 3/4 or even 5/6.  Sometimes i'll do half sugar, half stevia.

[lmrich]

Can we have the recipe for the Buddha Bowl - with the extra sesame oil? 

 

I cannot teach my kids to cook because I read a recipe and shake my head and do it differently every time... which means we rarely eat the same thing twice. 

[Miss Tick]

All those sound delicious. I always halve the cardamom. Turns out that is the mysterious 5th spice that I have a very fine tolerance for in Chinese Five Spice.

[Um_2_4]

Double:

Sauce for many recipes, especially if eaten over rice.

Raisins and nuts in baked goods.

Bell peppers, carmelized onions in fajitas or for topping steak.

 

1/2:

Rice vinegar

Vinegar

Sugar in savory dishes (esp. Asian recipes)

Mushrooms, or omit them completley

[Guest]

I double salt in most cases, butter, onions and garlic, cumin, and pretty much any other aromatic. There are just a few chefs I can rely on to season as much as I like in their recipes, most are way too bland.

 

I double wine in a lot of cases too.

[Laurel]

I definitely add in more cumin than recipes call for, and ginger too. And with sweet spiced apple and pumpkin things (breads, pies...) I usually double the spices. I don't ever measure vanilla, I just dump a bunch in. And like others, I often add more garlic than called for.

 

I will cut back on sugar in a lot of recipes. I would halve it if I thought I could get away with it.

[Sk8ermaiden]

Oh yes, bell peppers, always double or triple, especially if being sauteed, marinated, or grilled! And we also cut back sugar in cooking.

Edited December 15, 2016 by Sk8ermaiden

[Kassia]

Double the butter. :)

 

 

LOL, I usually halve it.

[Cinder]

Definitely add more garlic and onions. And like sk8ermaiden I often double the sauce.

 

I never double sesame oil. I like the flavor but usually what's called for is plenty for us. I also often cut sugar in muffins/breads but never in cookies. I usually reduce the cheese in recipes. For mac&cheese I add maybe 1/2 cup of cheese to the cream sauce, then sprinkle about 1 cup on top before baking.

 

My SIL says a good lemon bar uses double the juice but I've never made them so I'll just take her word for it.

Edited December 15, 2016 by Cinder

[Anne in CA]

Can we have the recipe for the Buddha Bowl - with the extra sesame oil? 

 

I cannot teach my kids to cook because I read a recipe and shake my head and do it differently every time... which means we rarely eat the same thing twice. 

Sadly, I am a link dork. Google Wilda's Grille Buddha Bowl Recipes, and pick the one that suits you, lol. BTW, people wait in line at least a half an hour for a Wild's Grille Buddha Bowl. But I live too far away...

[The Girls' Mom]

Garlic.  Always more garlic.  

 

Onions.  

 

Vanilla.

 

Salt (although I don't really double, just usually add a little more than called for)

[ikslo]

I halve the salt. My husband doubles the salt.

[Rachel]

Vanilla, garlic, cinnamon get extra.

 

Sometimes I reduce the sugar. Sometimes I add extra onion.

[flyingaway]

Like others, I greatly increase garlic and add more vanilla. I halve the salt or even leave it out depending on what it is. I always reduce the sugar. Cinnamon gets halved because it can give me indigestion. My sister leaves it out entirely. And I always, always reduce bell peppers to zero; they shall never touch my food.

[mellifera33]

I double, triple, quadruple the herbs and spices in most recipes. And if it's an old recipe, maybe x20 or so. Seriously, 1/4 tsp of curry powder cannot flavor a meal for 6.  

 

Except for cloves. For some reason they taste soapy to me, so I stick to the recipe. 

 

I usually reduce the sugar a bit, especially if it's a breakfast food. I gradually reduced the sugar to nothing when I make Dutch baby pancake and now it more closely resembles Yorkshire pudding, and my kids haven't noticed. *evil laugh*  I might throw an extra egg in, too. 

 

 

 

 

[Meriwether]

Garlic. I have a 3-clove minimum. What's with recipes that call for 1 clove of garlic?

I use the whole bulb.

[KungFuPanda]

I double or triple garlic or cumin. I usually reduce sugar and salt. I tend to taste and adjust as I go, so m a decent cook but a hesitant baker.

[kiana]

omit: sugar in savory recipes. I like sweets just fine for dessert, not for mainsies. 

 

extra: I usually end up doubling a lot of other spices or just adding extra ones that I think will go with what I'm making. 

[prairiewindmomma]

I halve the sugar, unless it is a euro recipe (generally I know if it's done by weight of sugar in g).

I generally double the onions and garlic.  

 

I often double the vanilla, but that depends on the recipe and whether I am using Mexican vanilla or Madagascar bourbon vanilla.

[Lady Marmalade]

I double or triple the garlic and vanilla, and almost always read a few tablespoons of cilantro to read "the whole bunch".

 

I halve sesame oil, clove and cardamom.  Cayenne is a candidate for halving depending on what I'm making. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

Double vegetables.  Who only adds one carrot? 

 

Double pearled barley.

 

Halve the onions.

 

Double garlic usually.  (Though this can depend on the recipe)

 

Lower sugar by at least 1/4 cup in baking.  Don't use it in cooking.

 

I do a lot of substitutions due to allergies - almond milk instead of cow's milk, canned pumpkin instead of canned tomatoes. 

[Guest]

I just made sweet Chex mix. I'm pretty sure I needed to double every ingredient in here :D

[AK_Mom4]

Double Vanilla, half the salt.

 

Unless it's bread in which case it gets the normal amount of stuff.

[AnnE-girl]

I always increase the cinnamon (unless I'm using the real cinnamon from the Spice House, since it's stronger than the grocery store stuff) and over-pour the vanilla. I usually add at least one more clove of garlic than it calls for. I have a soup recipe that starts with "as much garlic as you can stand." I take that as a personal challenge. :-)

 

I don't technically measure less sugar, but I will do scant cups instead of level cups, or whatever it calls for.

[SproutMamaK]

I usually add more garlic, onions, mushrooms, vanilla, cinnamon/nutmeg/allspice, cheese, tomato sauce, red peppers, soy sauce... I guess I kind of just make things up as I go, lol.

I also usually only do 1/2 of the sugar in any given recipe, but not the first time I try the recipe. I'll make it as written the first time, and then usually think it's too sweet and cut it by a good margin the next time.

[zoobie]

Omit nutmeg entirely

 

Halve sugar in savory recipes (or reduce more) and coriander and cumin. Cumin starts smelling like BO at some point. I like fresh cilantro but not dried coriander. I usually reduce dried oregano too.

 

Double vanilla

[J-rap]

I often half salt and sugar, and double garlic and pepper.

[Rebel Yell]

Double or maybe even quadruple cheese

 

Reduce sugar in most things, almost never add to savory main dishes

 

Reduce all green peppers to zero LOL or substitute any other color pepper

 

Most spices I don't accurately measure because I'm too lazy to get out and wash measure spoons so I have no idea if I'm adding more or less than the recipe calls for

 

Double sauces if served with rice

 

Massively increase curry powder, as in 1/4 cup instead of 1/2 teaspoon (except for curried deviled eggs... one teaspoon is plenty)

[Happy]

Expresso or instant coffee in a chocolate recipe is halved.

 

Less ginger, more garlic, onions...

[Seeking Squirrels]

I usually halve:

onions -  because though I like them for flavor, I don't like to actually taste them. 

Spicy seasonings or add-ins - because my stomach can't handle spicy

meat - not always and not always half, but I often include way less than a recipe calls for

 

I double:

veggies, especially carrots, corn, or peas

cheese

 

Really I just add what I want without much measuring unless it's a baked good. I rarely follow recipes as written. I prefer to look up several recipes for what I want to make and read reviews/suggestions on those recipes then use all that info together to make it the way I think we'll like. 

[kitten18]

I always double cumin, cilantro, and ginger.

[Familia]

Vanilla.

[Soror]

Sadly, I am a link dork. Google Wilda's Grille Buddha Bowl Recipes, and pick the one that suits you, lol. BTW, people wait in line at least a half an hour for a Wild's Grille Buddha Bowl. But I live too far away...

thanks for the Rec. I found a copycat recipe to try

[Familia]

Double the vanilla.

 

(Wouldn't let me edit. What's up with that? I'll also add that I double the wine, but the extra is for the cook;)

[Lady Florida.]

Always garlic. Often onions or bell peppers of any color. I don't usually measure spices but I can tell by looking at a recipe if I need to increase or decrease the amount to fit my family's tastes (usually it's increase).

 

If something is meant to be served over rice, I often double the rice. If it doesn't get eaten at that meal, it will be gone in a day or two by using it in other dishes.

 

Sauces often get doubled because I can't convince dh and ds not to drown their food in a sauce. Better to have more than not enough.

 

I can't think of anything I halve. I often leave out allspice and cloves because I don't like either, and most recipes I make that use them are fine without either. 

[Anne in CA]

It is so interesting how so many people do the same things.

[jewellsmommy]

more garlic

more basil

more cheese 

more cinnamon

more peanut butter (not always double, but definitely more)

more choc. chips

more bacon

usually more carrot & celery

 

 

less sugar (not half less but less)

less onion (dh doesn't like it so i chop really fine)

 

I recently made a tomato soup where I just knew that I needed half the butter and half the cream it called for. That was a first. I changed about 75% of that recipe though. :lol:

 

I, too, double sauces and increase broth for soups.

 

ETA In general, I consider cooking an art and add or omit liberally. Baking is a science, and I tend to follow the ratios more closely with the exceptions listed above.

Edited December 15, 2016 by jewellsmommy

[Garga]

Garlic

Sauce

Dried spices

Tortellini in my tortellini soup recipe

 

I add spot on the exact amount of cheese called for so that I don't go overboard.

 

Halve the meat. Well, maybe not halve but I cut down on the meat. I'm a veggie person at heart and don't like a lot of meat.

Halve the spinach

Halve the butter (except in baking--just in cooking.)

Edited December 15, 2016 by Garga

[Pippen]

Halve salt, soy sauce, chili powder, and "large onion."

 

 

[EmilyGF]

I've had a lot of success halving sugar - people say things like, "This is a lot more chocolately than I remember" or "I can't tell what you did, but this is great."

Emily

[cjzimmer1]

First I double or triple the entire recipe and then adjust from there.  My kids are big eaters (my 3 year old eats 3/4 of a pizza and it just goes up from there) so even if a recipe says it serves 8-10 I will at minimum need to double it.

 

I tend to eyeball amounts when cooking (I'm more exact when baking) because how much is 1/2 an onion anyways?  Some of my onions weigh 1 1/2 pounds each and others only an ounce or two.  So yeah things gets lots of onions, sometimes garlic but I often don't feel like peeling it so just shake some dehydrated stuff in.  I'll often add more veggies either increasing what's called for or adding new ones altogether.  Cumin is increased, thyme (one of my favorite spices and I just pour it into things),  I don't care much for nutmeg or cloves so those just get omitted. I also tend to leave out pepper flakes and cayenne because my littles don't like spice, the rest of us sprinkle it liberally onto our plates though. Cheese is always increased.  There is no such thing as too much cheese.

[fraidycat]

Chocolate chips. ALWAYS double (or triple) chocolate chips. That's the rule. :D

[fraidycat]

Garlic

Sauce

Dried spices

Tortellini in my tortellini soup recipe

 

I add spot on the exact amount of cheese called for so that I don't go overboard.

 

Halve the meat. Well, maybe not halve but I cut down on the meat. I'm a veggie person at heart and don't like a lot of meat.

Halve the spinach

Halve the butter (except in baking--just in cooking.)

I see you misspelled Double here. ;)