Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I love adding random things into my bread recipes. I have a really great basic brown (whole wheat) recipe that I often add things to, such as sun-dried tomatoes, olives, even feta cheese. I just try to find something that i have around the house and see if it works.

I also find that if I am in a pinch, adding chocolate chips to pretty much any quick bread or muffin works really well for something just a little different. I have a huge stash of various types of chips, from traditional, to mint to raspberry and caramel. It just depends upon my mood, really.

I add olive oil, minced garlic, minced dill, finely chopped tomatoes and bell peppers (and sometimes, corn) to my couscous - it's really good! In summer, you can just eat it cold as a salad, but it's also wonderful when it's warm. I sometimes add the same mix (sans corn) to small shaped pasta or quinoa. In general, my favourite add-ins are olive oil, minced garlic and freshly chopped herbs (dill, parsley, coriander/cilantro and basil being most used, but I also love tarragon, thyme, rosemary and sage), they can brighten up any savoury dish, and make even the simplest dish colourful and flavourful. I don't make mashed potatoes often, but when I do, I add either roasted garlic or fried onions.