CordialTec Recipes Plugin

📖 Welcome to Cordial Recipes!

The Complete Recipe Management System for Your Website.

Imagine having your own beautiful digital recipe book on your website—where every recipe looks professional, prints perfectly, and even shows nutrition facts. That’s exactly what Cordial Recipes does!

Whether you’re a food blogger, restaurant owner, cooking instructor, or just someone who loves sharing recipes, this plugin makes it simple and beautiful.

🎯 What This Plugin Does For You

Think of it as your kitchen assistant that:

📝 Creates beautiful recipe pages
🏷️ Organizes recipes into categories (like “Italian,” “Desserts,” or “Healthy”)
🖨️ Lets visitors print recipes easily
📊 Shows professional nutrition labels
📱 Looks great on phones, tablets, and computers
🔍 Helps people find recipes by ingredients, cooking time, or difficulty.

✨ Key Features (In Simple Terms)

1. Recipe Creation Made Easy

Fill in simple forms—no coding needed
Add ingredients with pictures
Write step-by-step instructions
Set cooking times (prep, cook, rest)
Choose difficulty level: Easy, Intermediate, or Tasking

2. Smart Organization System

Health/Diet Categories: Gluten-free, Vegan, Low-carb, etc.
Cuisines: Italian, Mexican, Asian, etc.
Meal Types: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
Seasons: Spring, Summer, Holiday recipes
Tags: Quick, Family-friendly, Party food, etc.

3. Professional Nutrition Facts

Just like you see on food packages! Shows:

Calories per serving
Protein, carbs, and fats
Vitamins and minerals
In two styles: USDA (official) or simple list

4. Print-Ready Recipes

One-click printing
Clean, easy-to-read format
Perfect for kitchen use
Saves paper and ink

5. Flexible Display Options

Place recipe parts anywhere on your site:

Show just ingredients
Display cooking times
Feature nutrition facts
Add print buttons

🚀 Getting Started (5 Simple Steps)

Step 1: Install the Plugin

Go to your WordPress dashboard
Click “Plugins” → “Add New”
Upload the Cordial Recipes ZIP file
Click “Install Now” then “Activate”

Done! ✅ The plugin is now ready to use.

Step 2: Set Up Your Recipe Categories

Think of this as creating drawers for your recipe box:

Go to “Recipes” in your menu
Click each category type (Cuisines, Courses, etc.)
Add your categories:
- Example: Under “Cuisines” add: Italian, Mexican, Chinese
- Example: Under “Courses” add: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Step 3: Create Your First Recipe

Click “Recipes” → “Add New”
Give it a title: “My Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies”
Add a beautiful photo (this becomes the recipe image)

Step 4: Fill in Recipe Details

You’ll see several boxes—fill them like this:

Box 1: Cooking Times

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Rest: 5 minutes

Box 2: Serving Info

Servings: 24 cookies
Calories: 150 per cookie
Best Season: All year

Box 3: Difficulty & Cooking Method

Difficulty: Easy
Cooking Method: Baking

Box 4: Ingredients (This is fun!)
Click “Add Ingredient” and enter:

Ingredient: 2 cups flour
Status: (optional, leave blank if required)

Box 5: Instructions
Click “Add Instruction” and write:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F
Step 2: Mix dry ingredients
(Add as many steps as needed)

Box 6: Equipment Needed

Upload pictures of: Mixing bowl, measuring cups, baking sheet

Box 7: Recipe Notes

Add tips: “For chewier cookies, chill dough for 1 hour”

Box 8: Nutrition Facts (Optional but impressive!)
Fill in the numbers—the plugin calculates percentages automatically!

Step 5: Publish & See Your Recipe

Click the blue “Publish” button
Visit your site to see the beautiful recipe
Try the print button—it works perfectly!

🎨 Making It Your Own

Customizing How Recipes Look

You can change colors, sizes, and layouts using simple settings in the shortcodes. Don’t worry—”shortcodes” are just little codes you copy and paste.

Example changes you can make:

Change ingredient image size
Adjust instruction number colors
Modify spacing between items
Show/hide titles

Adding Recipes Anywhere

Want a recipe in your sidebar? On your homepage? In a blog post? Easy!

Go to the page where you want the recipe
Add this simple code: [cordial-recipe-ingredients]
Save and view—your ingredients appear!

Popular codes to use:

[cordial-total-time] – Shows total cooking time
[cordial-recipe-difficulty] – Shows Easy/Intermediate/Tasking
[cordial-recipe-print-button] – Adds print button
[cordial-recipe-nutrition] – Shows nutrition facts

📱 Display Options Gallery

Option A: Full Recipe Display

[Recipe Title & Photo]
[Cooking Times & Difficulty]
[Ingredients List with Images]
[Step-by-Step Instructions]
[Equipment Needed]
[Recipe Notes]
[Nutrition Facts]
[Print Button]

Option B: Simple Sidebar Version

[Recipe Title]
[Prep Time: 15 min]
[Difficulty: Easy]
[Print Recipe Button]

Option C: Category Gallery

Show all your Italian recipes or Desserts in a beautiful grid.

🏗️ Organizing Your Recipe Collection

Smart Tips for Organization:

Create main categories first (like setting up folders)
Be consistent with names (always “Italian” not “Italian Food” sometimes)
Use multiple categories (a recipe can be both “Italian” and “Dinner”)
Add seasonal tags (“Summer,” “Holiday,” “Party”)

Example Organization Structure:

📁 Cuisines
  ├── Italian
  ├── Mexican
  ├── Asian
  └── American

📁 Courses
  ├── Breakfast
  ├── Lunch
  ├── Dinner
  └── Desserts

📁 Healthwise
  ├── Vegetarian
  ├── Gluten-Free
  ├── Low-Carb
  └── Dairy-Free

💡 Pro Tips for Success

1. Photo Quality Matters

Use good lighting
Show finished dish clearly
Consider step-by-step photos

2. Recipe Testing

Test cooking times yourself
Verify ingredient amounts
Have someone else follow your instructions

3. SEO (Getting Found on Google)

Use descriptive titles: “Easy 30-Minute Chicken Parmesan”
Add detailed descriptions
Use all relevant categories
Enable the print feature (users love this!)

4. Engaging Your Audience

Ask for ratings (in recipe notes)
Share recipe variations
Create seasonal collections
Feature “Recipe of the Week”

🛠️ Common Tasks Made Simple

How to Add a Print Button to All Recipes

Go to Appearance → Widgets
Add a “Text” widget to your sidebar
Paste: [cordial-recipe-print-button]
Save—now every recipe page has a print button!

How to Show Cooking Time in Posts

When writing a blog post about your recipe:

In the post editor, add: [cordial-prep-time]
That automatically shows the prep time
No need to remember or update times manually!

How to Create a Recipe Index Page

Create a new page called “All Recipes”
Add this code: [cordial-recipe-taxonomies]
Save—visitors can now browse all categories

🔍 Finding & Managing Recipes

Quick Search Tips:

By ingredient: Use the search bar in Recipes
By time: Sort by cooking duration
By difficulty: Filter by Easy/Intermediate/Tasking
By season: Use the Periods category

Bulk Actions:

Select multiple recipes
Add to categories in bulk
Update serving sizes
Duplicate recipes for variations

📊 Understanding Nutrition Facts

Why Include Nutrition Info?

Helpful for health-conscious visitors
Professional appearance
Required for some audiences (fitness sites, diet plans)
Builds trust with accurate information

Easy Ways to Get Nutrition Data:

Use a kitchen scale for accuracy
Online calculators (free tools available)
Package information for store-bought ingredients
Start simple—just calories and macros at first

The Two Display Styles:

USDA Style: Looks like official food labels
Inline Style: Simple expandable list

Recommendation: Start with Inline style—it’s simpler and cleaner!

🖨️ The Print Feature (Why Users Love It)

Benefits:

No ads or navigation on printed pages
Clean, readable format
Saves ink with efficient layout
Perfect for kitchen use

How Visitors Use It:

Click the print button
Get a printer-friendly version
Take to kitchen or share with friends
Add to personal recipe binder

Tip: Mention in your recipes “Click print for kitchen-friendly version!”

📱 Mobile-Friendly Features

Automatically Works On:

✅ Phones (vertical and horizontal)
✅ Tablets
✅ Desktop computers
✅ Printers

What Adjusts Automatically:

Image sizes get smaller on phones
Text remains readable
Buttons stay tappable
Layout stacks neatly

🔄 Updating & Maintenance

Regular Tasks:

Update plugin when notifications appear
Back up recipes (they’re part of your regular site backup)
Review categories every few months
Check print functionality occasionally

When You Get Updates:

You’ll see a notification in WordPress
Click “Update Now”
The plugin updates automatically
Test one recipe to confirm everything works

Note: Updates usually add new features or fix small issues—they won’t change your recipes!

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need to know how to code?

A: Absolutely not! Everything is done through simple forms and checkboxes.

Q: Can I move my recipes from another site?

A: Yes! We can help you transfer recipes. Contact support for assistance.

Q: How many recipes can I create?

A: As many as you want! There’s no limit.

Q: Will this slow down my website?

A: No, it’s designed to be lightweight and fast.

Q: Can visitors submit their own recipes?

A: Not at the moment, but we are working on the Pro version that adds this feature.

Q: Is there a mobile app?

A: Your website IS mobile-friendly! Visitors can save it to their home screen like an app.

Nonetheless, we understand the need for a proper Mobile App and are working on its release.

Q: Can I change how recipes look?

A: Yes! Colors, fonts, and layouts can be customized.

Q: What if I make a mistake in a recipe?

A: Simply edit and update—it changes everywhere automatically!

🆘 Getting Help & Support

When You Need Assistance:

1. Check the Built-in Help:

Hover over any field for tooltips
Look for (?) icons for explanations
Use the “Preview” feature to see changes

2. Quick Solutions for Common Issues:

Print not working? Try a different browser
Images not showing? Check file sizes (under 2MB recommended)
Categories missing? Refresh the page

3. Professional Support Available:

Email: info@cordialtec.com.ng
Response time: Usually within 24 hours
What to include: Screenshots and recipe URL

4. Community & Resources:

Video tutorials on our website
Recipe template examples
Seasonal recipe ideas
Food photography tips

🎯 Success Stories

What Users Are Saying:

“My recipe traffic doubled after adding print buttons!”
“The nutrition facts made my site look professional”
“Organizing 200+ recipes is now actually enjoyable”
“Visitors spend 3x longer on my recipe pages”

Real Results You Can Expect:

⬆️ More time spent on your site
⬆️ Higher engagement with recipes
⬆️ Better Google search rankings
⬆️ Increased social shares
⬆️ More return visitors

📈 Growing Your Recipe Site

Phase 1: Foundation (First Month)

Add 10-20 favorite recipes
Set up main categories
Enable print feature
Test on mobile devices

Phase 2: Growth (Months 2-3)

Add nutrition facts to popular recipes
Create seasonal collections
Use shortcodes in blog posts
Promote print feature to visitors

Phase 3: Optimization (Ongoing)

Analyze which recipes are most printed
Add user-requested categories
Create recipe roundups
Share behind-the-scenes creation process

🎁 Bonus: Recipe Marketing Ideas

Social Media Tips:

Share print-friendly versions – “Perfect for your recipe binder!”
Highlight nutrition facts – “Only 250 calories per serving!”
Show cooking times – “Ready in 20 minutes!”
Feature equipment – “All you need is one pot!”

Email Newsletter Content:

“Recipe of the Week” with print link
Seasonal recipe collections
Cooking time challenges (“30-minute meals”)
Nutrition spotlight series

Community Building:

Ask for recipe variations in comments
Create “cook-along” events
Share visitor-printed recipe photos
Feature reader recipe requests

✅ Your Recipe Success Checklist

Before Launching:

10+ recipes added
Categories organized
Print feature tested
Mobile view checked
Nutrition facts added (at least to some)

First Week:

Promote print feature
Share on social media
Ask for feedback
Check analytics

First Month:

Add 20+ more recipes
Create seasonal collection
Optimize based on feedback
Plan next month’s recipes

🌟 Why Cordial Recipes Stands Out

It’s Not Just a Plugin—It’s Your Recipe Assistant

Saves You Time: Fill forms once, display everywhere
Looks Professional: Restaurant-quality presentation
Visitors Love It: Print feature = happy users
Grows With You: From 10 to 10,000 recipes
Always Supported: Help when you need it

The Secret Sauce:

Simplicity: Easy enough for beginners
Power: Feature-rich for professionals
Flexibility: Works with your style
Support: Never feel stuck

🏁 Ready to Start?

Your First 30 Minutes:

Minutes 1-5: Install plugin
Minutes 6-15: Add 3 main categories
Minutes 16-25: Create your first recipe
Minutes 26-30: Test print and mobile view

Remember:

Start simple—add details later
Use the preview feature
Save often
Have fun with it!

Need a Quick Win?

Create your simplest, most-loved recipe first. See how beautiful it looks. Print it out. Smile. 😊

🤝 We’re Here to Help!

Your success is our success. Whether you’re sharing family recipes or building a food business, we want your recipe site to thrive.

When in doubt:

Try the preview button
Save and check how it looks
Reach out if stuck

Welcome to the Cordial Recipes family! We can’t wait to see what delicious creations you’ll share with the world. 🍳🎉

“Good food is all the sweeter when shared with good friends.” – Dele Emilose

Happy cooking and sharing!
The Cordial Recipes Team 🍽️💖