Your favourite "magic" few-ingredient recipes

[loukoumades]

I love finding recipes that use very few ingredients but transform them into something special. My favourite is Marcella Hazan's pork braised in milk, you'd never guess it only contains fat, milk and pork. Another is a chocolate mousse that is just dark chocolate melted with boiling water, chilled and then whipped up into a mousse.
Have you got any to recommend?

[lilgi]

One that I forgot to mention, broccoli di rape sauteed in olive oil and lots of garlic (can never have enough garlic with this) and crumbled, browned Italian sausage, preferably hot and removed from its casing. I usually cut this vegetable in 3 segments, rinse and throw it in a large skillet with garlic; once it steams with the lid (about 10 minutes) , add just enough chicken stock to cook for 10 minutes longer with the cooked Italian sausage. There should be enough sauce at the bottom to toss with some pasta, but I prefer it as is.

[HillJ]

now you're talking! I love love love broccoli di rape sauteed in olive oil and lots of garlic smothered on homemade italian bread oh my goodness, good!

[lilgi]

It really is deelish!

[loukoumades]

Yeah, love this. We use to eat it in Naples - salsicce e friarielli

[dingey]

I just posted this in the "what's for dinner?" thread, too, but I'll cross reference. I've started making roasted/braised cabbage, which is so much more delicious than it sounds. The long browning and cooking and braising brings out the sweetness and piquancy of the humble cabbage.

Take a green cabbage, core it, slice it, place it in an oiled or buttered baking dish, brush some evoo on top, salt and pepper, herbs of your choice (I like caraway and thyme), roast at 350 to 425 (depending on what you're cooking it with), turning a few times till everything's browning, then pour in some stock and braise it until almost all the juice is soaked up. It's ridiculously easy and flexible; other veggies like carrots, onions, and/or apples are delicious roasted and braised in the pan as well. I strongly suspect that this could easily become a one dish meal by searing and tossing in a pork chop or chicken thighs to braise along with the whole shebang. I intend to test that theory as soon as possible.

[lilgi]

One of my favorite things to eat: finely shredded cabbage, rinsed and sauteed in a pan on medium/high with a few tablespoons of butter until it starts to brown. Flavored with salt pepper and lots of nutmeg. It tastes even better if you cook with thinly sliced onions, but it's good either way.

[Val]

I totally agree with you lilgi...a simple braise of onions and cabbage=total delight, for me anyway.

[lilgi]

I had a head of cabbage in the fridge from earlier this week; as soon as I posted, I went ahead and made some. I lacked motivation this week, but just thinking about it made me move :)

[loukoumades]

I'm going to make this, sounds great. I bet sausages would be good too.

[dingey]

I can't believe I didn't think of that. The ancestors are slapping their foreheads in embarrassment right now! ;)

[Wtg2Retire]

My mom always told me to leave the core of the cabbage intact because it enhances the sweetness of cabbage. Until I started doing that my cabbage never tasted as good as hers. Of course, the core is not eaten.

[dingey]

What I love about chowhound: ya learn something new every day! So think of cabbage like meat--always better on the "bone."

Thanks for the tip--I'll leave it in next time for sure.

[Wtg2Retire]

Great analogy, dingey.

[NanH]

While pasta is cooking, grate lots of parm and snip some parsley. Put butter and pine nuts in a pan and brown. When pasta is done, combine.

[magnolia]

I like a turkey meat loaf recipe that I found:
1.25 lbs. ground turkey
5/8 cup cornbread stuffing cubes
5/8 cup ranch dressing
1/3 cup water
Crush the stuffing cubes and soak in a bowl with water and ranch dressing. Knead in the turkey with your hands and season to taste. Shape on a rimmed pan and bake at 375 degrees for about 1 hour.
Leftovers make a great cold meatloaf sandwich the next day.

[dkennedy]

I think I will be using this thread as the basis for next weeks shopping list. Thanks everyone for all the fabulous ideas!

Buttermilk mashed potatoes:

A variation of regular mashed potatoes, use a yellow fleshed variety of potatoes, buttermilk, butter and heavy cream - to taste, and s & p.

[lilmomma]

which things are you going to make?

[dkennedy]

Lilmomma,

Thanks for asking. It gave the excuse I needed to get organized. Here is my short list:

1. Mujadarra

2. Miso glaze for vegetables or fish (most notably eggplant & cod):
½ cup white miso paste
¼ cup sake
¼ cup Mirin
2 Tbsp brown sugar
combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat until slightly reduced & thickened. brush over vegetable slices or fish, and grill or broil, applying additional glaze to each side about halfway through cooking. *you can even skip the sake & mirin, and just use rice vinegar, lemon juice & a little extra sugar (and a splash of white wine if you have it on hand).

3. Roasted mashed cauliflower. toss florets in olive oil, add salt, garlic, and smoked paprika. Roast at 400 for about 20 minutes. Throw in a food processor with a little butter and a touch of chicken broth til smooth

4. GHG’S SWEET & TANGY SOY MARINADE
Makes enough to marinate 2 – 3 lbs fish fillets, poultry or meat

¼ cup Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce (or tamari)
¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
2 Tbsp honey, brown sugar or palm sugar*
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp finely chopped green onion
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 -2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 tsp dry mustard (or 1 Tbsp prepared Dijon mustard)
1 tsp crushed red chili flakes (optional)

*if using sugar instead of honey, add 1 Tbsp water.

Combine all ingredients in a ziploc bag or glass baking dish, add fish or meat, cover or seal, and marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours.

5. Linguini stir in halved cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced avocado and olive oil.
Salt and pepper.

6. Sausage risotto w/lentils.

Fry 2-4 Italian sausages with their skin removed (original recipe said 200g) in some oil &/or butter in the bottom of a pressure cooker, mashing them up (or use loose sausage meat) adding 1 chopped onion along the way.
When these are cooked to your liking, take 320g arborio rice and 80g red lentils and saute a minute or two with the onion/sausage. Add 1 liter broth of your choice, bring to a boil, close pressure cooker and cook 7 minutes @ 10# pressure. Release by running cool water on p.c.

You can then adjust if the risotto came out too dry or too soupy, by adding water/broth, or reducing a bit. I haven't had to; it always comes out ok for me.

You can get fancy by adding wine to the onion/sausage and boiling it off, or by adding parsley as a finishing touch. DH puts on cheese, but I like it plain.

The red lentils dissolve completely, and add an earthy dimension to the light sauce that develops. I don't know what it would be like with green lentils, but I assume they would stay whole and the dish would come out differently.

Ingredients are: sausage, onion, broth, arb. rice, red lentils, oil/butter.
You don't even have to salt/pepper it as the sausage and broth carry enough seasoning.

7. Saute garlic, red pepper flakes and either pancetta or bacon in evoo, the best canned or jarred tuna you can find in olive oil (water will splatter), add aprox 1 cup dry white wine and some fresh or frozen chopped spinach, if mixture starts to dry, add some liquid from the pasta pot. Mix with linguine.

8. Fromage fort

9. Onion pasta:

Cook 2lbs sliced onions in covered skillet until starting to brown. Add 1/3 c olive oil and cook until nicely browned and carmelized, add salt and pepper, toss with pasta. This is a recipe from "How to cook everything" and you can add capers, olives, tomatoes, etc. with the oil but I like it best with just the onions. I sprinkle some parmesan, my husband likes it plain.

10. Toum dip:
http://chichoskitchen.blogspot.com/20...

[cheesecake17]

when you make the mujadara, definitely serve it with fried onions and cucumber mint yogurt on the side.

[darklyglimmer]

Made this tonight . . . yum. Chicken browned with onions, then simmered in canned tomatos and balsamic vinegar. Add a couple of spices, some pasta, and lo, you have dinner. Frankly, I kind of wanted to roll around in the sauce.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Braised-...

[cheesecake17]

looks delicious.. and ingredients I always have on hand.

did it have a very strong balsamic taste?

[darklyglimmer]

It depends what you mean by strong. It's definitely pronounced, but not too sharp -- at least, I didn't think so. The simmer seems to mellow it a bit.

[twilight goddess]

Roll around in the sauce! Laughing my head off, and I totally totally get that! I have felt that way about a few sauces -- this Mughlai chicken dish (Nigella's recipe) and sometimes Chicken Marbella too, and the sauce for my sesame noodles.

[NanH]

There's a fun book called...uh...Tomato Rhapsody?? that features such a scene. If the history in the book is even a little accurate, it's an interesting look at the start of tomato sauce.

[southernbelly]

This is super cheap and easy to make!

Delicious Fishes

One bag frozen tiliapia filets
Two (or three if they are small) sweet onions sliced thinly
Three or four lemons juiced and zested
about two or threeTBSP butter
Salt
Pepper

Melt butter in a nonstick pan with a lid and add onions and a little salt and pepper and sweat until clear.
Meanwhile rub lemon zest and salt and pepper onto fish
When the onions are clear, place the fish over the top of them in a single layer and put the lid on.
Leave the lid closed until the fish is cooked through, and flakes with a fork.
When the fish is cooked, crank the heat up to high and add a splash of the lemon juice and let the onion carmelize ALMOST burning it.
Dump the entire contents out onto a plate of wild rice and go crazy!

My roommate who was vegetarian would beg me to make extra onions to put on her veggie burgers!

[iL Divo]

They're a spoof on Buffalo wings, easy and only 4 ingredients

"Spoof-a-lo Chicken Wings"

3 lbs chicken wings or small cut up pieces of chicken
equal parts honey/Dave's hot sauce/butter

Preheat oven to 375
Rinse under cool water and pat dry chicken [maybe you don't ever do this but I do]
Foil wrap a cookie sheet
Place chicken on the foiled cookie sheet
Pat dry with paper toweling again
Bake in oven until crisp 35 minutes [about]
Meanwhile put the honey/hot sauce/butter in saucepan, melt butter and heat all
When wings/chicken is done take out drop in large bowl pour sauce over all, toss to coat well
Serve with blue cheese dressing carrots and celery sticks

[the_MU]

Don't think that's too far from original Buffalo recipe, also a model of simplicity: http://www.kitchenproject.com/history... .

They fried instead of baked, and used vinegar instead of honey.

[c oliver]

I also had wondered where the spoof came from. Looks pretty much like the usual to me also.

[iL Divo]

I like a sweet contrast to the kick of the heat and baked other than fried still gives a good outer crunch

[c oliver]

That's interesting that at that relatively low temp you still get "crunch."

[Cinnamon]

Chicken stock with a raw egg dropped in, taken off burner as it gently cooks, toss in a little radicchio, salt and lots of pepper.

[CoconutMilk]

There are tons of tasty, simple things that involve few ingredients. But when I think of a dish that "transforms" a handful ingredients into something special it's got to be mujadarra. The whole time you're eating it you're thinking, "how could onions, rice, and lentils taste this amazing?" Onions slow-cooked-then-fried-and-caramelized in copious amounts of oil, thats how.

[HillJ]

How about lebanese toum garlic dip. It's amazing cheap and fast in your blender or food processor and transforms chicken or beef, vegetables or sandwiches into something light and wonderful.

Toum dip:
http://chichoskitchen.blogspot.com/20...

[iL Divo]

that looks to die for

[HillJ]

iL Divo, my first taste of toum was at the home of a friend in CA. BBQ in the back yard, she served toum like it was going out of style with grilled chicken and pork. Then it appeared as the base of salad dressing, then as a dip with fresh veggies. When I left I was hooked and came home making my own. I don't have lebanese markets at the ready like she does but the home made blender version (linked above) nails it. So light and delicious.

[iL Divo]

"So light and delicious." and seemingly so easy to make, thanks again.
but will I get kisses after the meal? < I think not :(

[HillJ]

If you serve it to all your guests, no issue!

[JungMann]

Mix strained yogurt with minced garlic and set aside. Brown ground lamb with a little onion and drain. Serve atop cooked spaghetti with yogurt mixture, brown butter and mint chiffonade. Sprinkle with a chili pepper of your choice if you'd like some heat.

[buttertart]

Must make.

[c oliver]

Plus one.

[goodhealthgourmet]

ooh, a little Turkish baharat spice blend mixed into the ground lamb would be verrry tasty.

[ChristinaMason]

Reminds me of Turkish manti!

[JungMann]

That's what I was trying to fake, but I think this is traditionally called yoğurtlu kiymali makarna in Turkish. If you use something like farfalle or penne, you get a little more of the doughy chew without the effort of stuffing manti.

[cheesecake17]

I buy the frozen artichokes from Trader Joe's and roast them with salt. No oil necessary. They're addicting!

[ChristinaMason]

This is cool. I'll look for them next time I'm at TJ's. Harris Teeter charges an arm and a leg for them.

[cheesecake17]

can't beat $2.29/bag! I buy 10 bags at a time...

[islandbear]

HAWAIIAN PORK- Fill your crock pot with your favorite stewing pork cut in chunks, Add the following: One cup each of....Soy Sauce, Chopped tomatoes in puree, Sugar. Add a heaping TBSP of your favorite mustard, OPTIONAL-lotsa' minced ginger and garlic (neither in the original recipe) and DONE. Turn the slow cooker on and forget about it. Cook a huge rice-cooker full of short or medium grain (read: "sticky") rice, and serve. My personal addition is any chopped hot peppers. (Lots, the heat is offset by the sugar) Also- Don't worry about that whole CUP of sugar, believe me "it all balances out" AMAZING Flavor from one of my favorite Hawaiian Home Cooks/Friends.

[buttertart]

You know what? That sounds terrific. Especially with the hot peppers.

[islandbear]

Never fails butter, in fact, with a rice cooker you can be on the couch drinking Pina-Coladas for hours before and with your guests! That's entertaining! :-) Aloha!

[darklyglimmer]

Sounds fabulous. Do you think it would work with chicken thighs, islandbear?

[islandbear]

Totally...although I hate the extra step, I would brown them first, but if you get bone-in no skins....Throw them in!! No browning! A Big YES to your question! BTW, as a nutrition conscious ex Weight Watcher's Group Leader, this dish may be high in calories because of the sugar, but LOW in fat if you trim the pork, or use skinless thighs. I think most cooks would agree no breasts, would for sure come out too dry and stringy. Thighs....Daym! You got me thinking now!!

[buttertart]

HI pork + rice + pina coladas - what was the old Lynn Redgrave WW slogan - "now that's living" ???

[twilight goddess]

Deborah Madison's Little Nut Cookie. I have been making these with walnuts. I can post the recipe if anyone would like. Not too sweet, perfect little bites with coffee or hot chocolate.

[loukoumades]

Recipe, yes please...

[buttertart]

pleasepleaseplease...

[goodhealthgourmet]

LOVE this recipe.

A Little Nut Cookie
From "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone" by Deborah Madison

1/4 pound (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon roasted nut oil-walnut, hazelnut, macadamia-optional
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed or a mixture of white and brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup finely chopped nuts-walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans
Powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 375F. If you’re using the nut oil, take away a tablespoon of the butte. Cream the butter, oil, and sugar until smooth and light. Beat in the egg, then add the vanilla and salt. With the mixer on low, stir in the flour, then stir in the nuts.

Drop the dough by teaspoons onto cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. Or, for a more evenly shaped cookie, roll the dough between your palms. Bake until lightly browned on top and slightly browned on the bottom, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on rack, then dust with powdered sugar.

[buttertart]

Looks wunderbar.

[twilight goddess]

Chicken thighs roasted on a rimmed cookie sheet with lots of grape tomatoes (cut in 1/2 or not), some smashed garlic cloves, a drizzle or two of olive oil, and a Tbsp fresh marjoram or basil. Roast at 450 until crispy. You can use breasts, but this is fabulous with thighs. Extra tomatoes are great for bruschetta. This dish is snazzy enough for company or great just for a cozy family dinner.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

[Vetter]

That is a good one. I like it with thighs too. It's also a nice dish to chuck the odd bit of capers or olives into.

[twilight goddess]

Great ideas, Vetter. I had thought maybe some mushrooms there. Someone on chow once suggested artichokes.

[goodhealthgourmet]

yes on the artichokes *in combination* with the capers or olives Vetter mentioned...add a splash of sherry vinegar and you've got a perfect balance.

[jvanderh]

Squash or potato soup. Saute garlic and onion, add stock or water, cubed whatever, and boil. Add a blob of cream cheese and blend up.

Zucchini: saute onions, scoot them to one side and brown the zucchini, add tomato sauce, cover and cook to desired softness.

[Honestly Good Food]

I second the zucchini here, only I add a can of anchovies in with the onions. OH SWEET LORD YUM!

www.honestlygoodfood.com

[mariacarmen]

that reminds me. peel zucchini, then peel zucchini into ribbons, saute in a lot of sweet butter slowly on low heat, season with s&p.

[Junie D]

Soy sauce chicken: put chicken parts in a 9 x 13 Pyrex dish. Add a good amount of soy sauce - so there is a thin layer on bottom of pan. Turn chicken pieces in soy sauce to cover, ending with skin sides down. Bake uncovered at 375 for 20 to 25 min, turn chicken to skin side up and bake until done, about another 10 to 15 min.

[Cinnamon]

Even better with drummettes fried. Deglaze pan with some water and add almost-done brown rice to finish, after chicken removed.(My dear mom made this perfectly, wonderful dish.)

[Junie D]

Love the deglaze/sauce. If I have more time and am not trying for as few ingredients as possible, I sometimes add pineapple juice, sesame oil, and/or a little brown sugar and garlic. Also nice topped with toasted sesame seeds or toasted peanuts and chopped green onion.

[mattstolz]

I love "ice cream" thats just made out of frozen bananas blended with a tiny bit of milk. yum!!

[magiesmom]

That reminds me of mango ice: frozen mangoes slightly thawed and whizzed with the immersion blender. heaven ! I had forgotten since we are buried under a million feet of snow!

[cheesecake17]

I've made 'sorbet' out of a semi-frozen can of pineapple chunks. Was delicious and had a graet texture.

[cheesemaestro]

Deborah Madison's caramelized onion jam--just onions, butter, thyme, white wine and sherry vinegar (plus salt and pepper to taste). Wonderful with pasta, pancakes and spread on warm bread.

[eLizard]

spaghetti cacio e pepe

[Pia]

No heavy cream in the chocolate mousse recipe? Please share!

[buttertart]

Hey, I missed that too. How on earth is it done? Hmm.

[loukoumades]

No cream, no eggs.
Finely chop 400g of good dark chocolate. Pour over 200g boiling water, leave for a minute, then stir until smooth. Put in fridge for about an hour until it hardens. Beat with a whisk at highest speed for about 5 mins until you get mousse consistency. You add some sugar too if you want, or flavourings. Alternatively, you cool the chocolate quickly over an ice bath and beat it there and then, rather than refrigerating.

[buttertart]

That is really, really interesting. A water ganache. Must try. Thank you!

[loukoumades]

The theory is if you can whip cream into a mousse, you can whip other fats too (eg chocolate). The recipe is originally from a book of Hervé This about Molecular Gastronomy, I think.

[buttertart]

I'm definitely going to try this. How firm does it get/should it get in the fridge?

[loukoumades]

Not rock hard, but like a ganache when you put it in the fridge to be whipped later. If you google "molecular mousse" there are a few recipes out there. The proportions of water and chocolate vary, you have to play around I guess. I saw it on TV once and use the proportions they gave.

[buttertart]

Can't wait to have an excuse to make it. Wonder if it'd work with milk choc.

[magiesmom]

Beans and rice
Anchovy spaghetti
simple old fashioned gingerbread( flour, molasses, boiling water, ginger, baking soda, oil)

[ursalita]

Onion pasta: Cook 2lbs sliced onions in covered skillet until starting to brown. Add 1/3 c olive oil and cook until nicely browned and carmelized, add salt and pepper, toss with pasta. This is a recipe from "How to cook everything" and you can add capers, olives, tomatoes, etc. with the oil but I like it best with just the onions. I sprinkle some parmesan, my husband likes it plain. Yum!

[darklyglimmer]

Many years ago I made something like this (I think I might have cooked the onions past "caramelized" to "breaking down just a bit") and topped it with balsamic vinegar reduced to a syrup. I have no idea where I got the recipe, but I was just out of college and the whole thing seemed quite sophisticated at the time.

[cheesecake17]

I do this all the time- very easy and the onions have a great flavor.

[HillJ]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRlqsv...
Guacamole!

[pamd]

Spaghetti squash! Cut in half & put cut sides down on foiled baking sheet, bake at 350 degrees, 30-45 minutes, or until soft. Remove and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled. While squash is cooking saute onion & garlic in oil until tender. Stir in tomatoes (fresh chopped or a can) and cook until warm. Scoop out squash & toss with tomato mixture, feta cheese, basil & olives.

[blue room]

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/al...

I'm always glad I tried this.

[toveggiegirl]

I've been curious about fromage fort ever since I read that it is a favourite comfort food of Jacques Pepin. Have you tried other herbs?
His similar recipe can be found here:
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/fr...

[Caitlin McGrath]

Here's a thread about fromage fort from a few years ago: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/341500

[toveggiegirl]

Thanks for the link. It sounds great. Only problem is, we never seem to have any leftover cheese. ;-)

[Caitlin McGrath]

A chicken dish for garlic fans: Brown chicken (this works well with boned, skinned thighs) in some oil, then add a lot of garlic, chopped somewhat coarsely, and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add a combination of white or cider vinegar, soy sauce, and honey, and simmer until chicken is cooked through. The sauce is irresistible, so serve with rice or similar to soak it up. This basic concept won the first grand prize at the Gilroy Garlic Festival.

[darklyglimmer]

That sounds almost adobo-ish . . . I love adobo.

[pamlet]

Then there's the classic chicken with 40 cloves of garlic (Claudia Roden's recipe)... 40 unpeeled cloves laid on the bottom of a dutch oven. Place chicken (seasoned as you will) on top, some herbs if you have them, 1/2c of olive oil. Plonk lid on, bake in oven for 1.5hrs at 350 or so. Done.

My husband does a fresh pea soup... saute onions, add frozen peas, cook until tender, whiz w/ an immersion blend plus some mint... Done. Top with olive oil and parmesan and a sprinkle of mint.

[lilmomma]

CM. do you have proportions for the sauce?

[Caitlin McGrath]

Around 2/3 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2-3 T. honey, as much garlic as you want. You want the liquid to cook down into a nice sauce, but not to cook away. Use boneless or bone-in chicken, as you wish. As darklyglimmer notes, it resembles adobo somewhat, but is a quick prep with a slightly thicker, more garlicky sauce (with no bay or peppercorns).

[brooklynkoshereater]

i find flavored oils to add so much - truffle oil, sesame oil - a little goes a long way.

[toveggiegirl]

The same is true with citrus oils in baked goods.

[lilgi]

I had forgotten about this one and remembered just as I made it tonight; this makes a lot and you can cut it down, but it makes great left overs. You need:

4 medium potatoes, peeled, raw, thinly sliced
3 to 4 medium sized onions (any)
9 eggs beaten
olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

Cook raw, sliced potatoes and onions in a heavy skillet for 30 minutes. Meanwhile beat eggs in a large, separate bowl. Remove potato mixture from heat and allow to cool. Add to the eggs and mix gently.

Heat about 4 tablespoons olive oil in a 12-inch heavy bottomed skillet. Gently add egg and potato mixture. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes, turning pan while mixture sets. Run a knife around the sides. Flip over onto a large plate (place plate on top of skillet first). Slide omelet back into pan and cook for another 6 to 7 minutes. Slice into wedges and serve.

[mariacarmen]

I did two batches of black bean soup today, and one was simply water, beans, salt, a crushed garlic clove, oregano, and habanero hot sauce. is that too many??

[operagirl]

Got this flavor combo idea from a Penzey's recipe card and I've made it twice this week. Family can't get enough.

Roasted Winter Vegetables

In a foil-lined roasting pan (mine's about 10" by 14" by 2" high), toss 1" pieces of winter vegetables of your choice with: 3 cloves chopped garlic, 3 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, 1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano and 1 tsp. ground cumin. I used parsnips, carrots, turnips, shallots, yukon gold potatoes, and some cubed butternut squash. Bake at 350F for an hour, or until vegetables are tender and browned to your liking.

[c oliver]

You say "foil-lined." Do you then seal up a packet?

[operagirl]

Nah, it just makes for easy (or I should say lazy) clean-up. An unnecessary step if you don't mind scrubbing the pan afterwards!

[buttertart]

Shortbread: 1 1/4 c flour, 1/4 c rice flour or cornstarch, 1/4 c sugar, 1 stick (4 oz) butter, in FP or squished with hands until dough forms, 25 mins at 350. Can add nuts or mini choc chips, vanilla or other essences, or citrus peel. Easiest cookie in the world.

[bayoucook]

Pressed garlic cooked with butter and a dash of lemon juice, salt and pepper, over pasta.
A can of good tuna sauteed with cherry tomatoes, red onion, and garlic (a little basil or whatever) served over pasta.

[c oliver]

When you say "good tuna," can we assume you mean Italian tuna packed in olive oil? Costco's started carrying it and now that I can keep it on hand I definitely want to fix it the way you describe.

[bayoucook]

That 's the one, c - have used albacore in the past. And I never make the sauce the same way twice: have added hot peppers, dried tomatoes, olives, a mashed anchovy, toasted pine nuts, garlic...whatever I'm in the mood for. It's one of the things I cook when I'm in a hurry or don't want to cook. That's not entirely true; sometimes I crave it! Let me know how it goes with you.

[c oliver]

I just finished lunch and this is making me semi-hungry. I like the hot peppers idea. I made pho last night and had to buy about 20 Thai chili and only used 3. I'm seeing this in our near future.

[nvcook]

one of my absolute favorites - saute garlic, red pepper flakes and either pancetta or bacon in evoo, the best canned or jarred tuna you can find in olive oil (water will splatter), add aprox 1 cup dry white wine and some fresh or frozen chopped spinach, if mixture starts to dry, add some liquid from the pasta pot. Mix with linguine.

[lidia]

Mac and cheese is complicated for me!

Here's my new and current favorite: Sausage risotto w/lentils.

Fry 2-4 Italian sausages with their skin removed (original recipe said 200g) in some oil &/or butter in the bottom of a pressure cooker, mashing them up (or use loose sausage meat) adding 1 chopped onion along the way.
When these are cooked to your liking, take 320g arborio rice and 80g red lentils and saute a minute or two with the onion/sausage. Add 1 liter broth of your choice, bring to a boil, close pressure cooker and cook 7 minutes @ 10# pressure. Release by running cool water on p.c.

You can then adjust if the risotto came out too dry or too soupy, by adding water/broth, or reducing a bit. I haven't had to; it always comes out ok for me.

You can get fancy by adding wine to the onion/sausage and boiling it off, or by adding parsley as a finishing touch. DH puts on cheese, but I like it plain.

The red lentils dissolve completely, and add an earthy dimension to the light sauce that develops. I don't know what it would be like with green lentils, but I assume they would stay whole and the dish would come out differently.

Ingredients are: sausage, onion, broth, arb. rice, red lentils, oil/butter.
You don't even have to salt/pepper it as the sausage and broth carry enough seasoning (for my taste, anyway).

[lilgi]

I love this, I've added 3 more dishes to my everyday cooking: Buttertart's chuck roast, GHG's crash potatoes, and almond tree's carrots with lemon juice and herbs. Trying to expand my vegetable menu since my boys are starting to like them more, the few ingredients is really key.

[gmk1322]

Any kind of frittata or scramble:

Just grab handfuls of veggies (fresh and/or frozen), saute in order of when they will be done. I like spinach, mushroom, bell pepper, broccoli, and zucchini
Scramble 5 eggs (2 whole eggs; 3 whites), couple Tbsp of Milk, Cracked Pepper, Salt and a little cheese; add to pan with veg.
Throw in broiler for frittata or scramble to completeness for a scramble
Top with cheese.

[almond tree]

Carrot Salad/Dip (thinned with cooking liquid becomes Carrot Salad Dressing) - loosely adapted from a recipe by Paula Wolfert

10 carrots, peeled, sliced, & simmered till tender.
Cool and buzz in the food processor with 1-2 cloves garlic, big handful of fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, 2 TBSP olive oil, a little lemon juice & salt.

Easy, healthy, cheap ... & tastes like springtime!

[lilgi]

This sounds absolutely delicious and I will try it very soon!

[twilight goddess]

YUM . I have made a version of this with some smoky paprika, cumin, and Aleppo chili, plus a little bit of Greek yogurt.

[toveggiegirl]

I've got too agree with GHG on the roasted veggies, except I often add sliced garlic cloves. I also love pan-roasted brussels sprouts (with parmesun). kale chips, Asian cucumber ribbon salad, maple-soy glazed salmon, mashed Yukon gold potatoes with caramelized shallots, Nigella's za'atar chicken, Mark Bittman's roast chicken with cumin, honey & orange and his pasta with cauliflower, fish in parchment with asparagus, tarragon & orange, Marcella Hazan's braised carrots with Parmesan, chocolate mousse made with olive oil, peanut butter cookies...

Rozanne Gold has a series of 1-2-3 cookbooks and her recipes work surprisingly well.

[darklyglimmer]

Your Asian cucumber ribbon salad - is it this one, or similar to this one?

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

[toveggiegirl]

That's the one!

[darklyglimmer]

Cool. I've been improvising something like that, but it's good to have real proportions - for some reason it never occurred to me to, uh, look it up. Thanks!

[goodhealthgourmet]

+1 for fish in parchment - i remembered that one after i got into bed last night and forgot to post it this morning :)

[MoxieMarlo]

Linguini stir in halved cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced avocado and olive oil.
Salt and pepper. Perfection!

[nvcook]

even better if you slice the tomatoes in half and then roast. especially in winter when tomatoes aren't at their best

[goodhealthgourmet]

oh yes. melted or roasted tomatoes - one of the greatest ingredient transformations/rescues ever.

[c oliver]

I'm doing that more and more this winter With oo, sliced garlic, s&p - so good. I use the whole "cherry" ones. I've been thinking about adding spinach but can't decide if I should wait til the end of the cooking time.

[goodhealthgourmet]

I've been thinking about adding spinach but can't decide if I should wait til the end of the cooking time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
definitely wait - you don't want the flavor of the spinach to become muddy.

i'm doing a batch tonight since i picked up a container of what turned out to be hard & crunchy grape tomatoes from Costco. i add fresh thyme to mine & finish them with sherry vinegar. mmm, i can taste them already...

[c oliver]

Sherry vinegar is one of my absolute favorites. Thanks for the advice. I have some leftover pork, a container of spinach and loads of tomatoes (couldn't think of "grape" to save me). Looks like I know what dinner's goingto be.

[shaharidan]

tomato, pick ripe, slice, eat while still in the garden.
add a lil salt if your feelin a bit daffy.

hard to beat. and about as few ingredients you'll find.

[sarahjay]

One of my favorite pasta dishes:

Cook some sausage
roast some zucchini
toss with cooked pasta and plain yogurt
s+p to taste

it's a super quick dish as you can cook all 3 parts at the same time and the sauce is creamy and delicious.

[HillJ]

The pecan pie mini muffins and Nutella bites each had 4-5 ingredient lists and were a big hit with the office crowd.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Pecan-Pie-Mini-Muffins
http://savorysweetlife.com/2010/08/4-...

[goodhealthgourmet]

- crash hot potatoes: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/742088

- sauteed broccoli rabe with garlic, crushed red chili flakes, and a *touch* of anchovy (either prepared paste or a mashed fillet). finish with a splash of red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice & serve with freshly grated Parm.

- miso glaze for vegetables or fish (most notably eggplant & cod):
½ cup white miso paste
¼ cup sake
¼ cup Mirin
2 Tbsp brown sugar
combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat until slightly reduced & thickened. brush over vegetable slices or fish, and grill or broil, applying additional glaze to each side about halfway through cooking. *you can even skip the sake & mirin, and just use rice vinegar, lemon juice & a little extra sugar (and a splash of white wine if you have it on hand).

some other tried-and-trues:
- guacamole
- roasted vegetables - cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, green beans, asparagus - with olive oil, kosher salt & freshly ground pepper.
- spaghetti aglio e olio
- classic spaghetti carbonara

[DaisyM]

Roasted mashed cauliflower. toss florets in olive oil, add salt, garlic, and smoked paprika. Roast at 400 for about 20 minutes. Throw in a food processor with a little butter and a touch of chicken broth. Whirl till smooth.

[lilgi]

Can't agree more with Carbonara; it's such a great dish and I always have the ingredients. My boys always want this, but now they're getting older and I think it's time to be more cautious. When they're young you could feed em everything!

[c oliver]

What's there to be cautious about? For four people, a pretty small amount of pancetta/bacon, a couple of eggs and some grated cheese? Oh wait, is this the 'cream in carbonara' argument again? If so, try Hazan's carbonara.

[lilgi]

I'm not that cautious. I was referring to the fact that they want this constantly and it's an artery clogger; 3 eggs, bacon/pancetta, heavy cream and grated parm, and all on pasta. Trust me the last thing I need is another recipe for carbonara, I do mine in my sleep and they want no other, I've tried :)

[c oliver]

Okey dokey. Hopefully they'll grow out of this. I wish you luck. I wouldn't want to eat that heavy a carbonara on a regular basis either.

[lilgi]

I did one that is way healthier; I liked it MUCH better; they ate it (politely) for a while. The other recipe was with the thickest spaghetti using grated peccorino romano and pasta water as a thickener (the heat would make a cheesy sauce) and pancetta; could eat this cold right out of the fridge.

[Sharoneonta]

I do this too..pasta water, cheese, and egg. I use a lite ham to make it even more heart friendly.

[lilgi]

Such a great recipe too, but I realized that I can no longer try to substitute my dish with another version, just increase my variety of meals. They're getting older, seems to be working :)

[lilmomma]

So your saying that the cheese and the pasta water will make a sauce?

[lilgi]

I used this one because it had much more cheese and pancetta than the traditional "alla Gricia":
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/bu...

[c oliver]

What is "traditoinal alla Gricia"?

[lilgi]

Roman pasta dish with the same ingredients I posted; it's the base for "carbonara". Pancetta is often substituted for guanciale.

[loukoumades]

spaghetti aglio e olio is another favourite of mine

[Displaced California Foodie]

goodhealthgourmet, would the miso glaze work for salmon?
Do you have a recipe for an asian marinade for salmon. I was served a delicious grilled salmon once that had an asian marinade that was delicious, but the person was unwilling to share the recipe. It was sweet and slightly garlicy....
;(

[goodhealthgourmet]

well that was selfish of them! this one always gets raves when i use it:

GHG’S SWEET & TANGY SOY MARINADE
Makes enough to marinate 2 – 3 lbs fish fillets, poultry or meat

¼ cup Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce (or tamari)
¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
2 Tbsp honey, brown sugar or palm sugar*
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp finely chopped green onion
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 -2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 tsp dry mustard (or 1 Tbsp prepared Dijon mustard)
1 tsp crushed red chili flakes (optional)

*if using sugar instead of honey, add 1 Tbsp water.

Combine all ingredients in a ziploc bag or glass baking dish, add fish or meat, cover or seal, and marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours.

[islandbear]

Got every single ingredient in the house! The frozen salmon is going in the marinade and in the refrigerator, and we are all going to sleep! Will let you know how it turns out tomorrow! (Anyone know why "sweet" and "salmon" are such good friends? ) Rhetorical question, but I know a good salmon glaze/marinade when I see one, and I'm trying this. Thanks goodhealth!

[Displaced California Foodie]

Thank you goodhealthgourmet! and islandbear I can't wait until you post your next update ....

[goodhealthgourmet]

you're both very welcome! and islandbear, i'm looking forward to hearing how it turns out :)

[pamd]

I'm trying that too, thanks! Great when I have all the ingredients. This is one I often make-
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/rec...

[Displaced California Foodie]

pamd and island bear- how was the GHG’S SWEET & TANGY SOY MARINADE?
Please share your comments!

[mcel215]

I have two:

Brown chicken thighs, remove from skillet. Add thinly sliced red onion, cook for 5 minutes. Place chicken back in skillet. Add 2 oz. of soy sauce, let simmer 5 min. Add 3 oz. of brown sugar, stir and turn up heat to carmelize and thicken, about 5 min. Turn down to low, add 2 oz. of fish sauce, remove from heat and serve over rice. It's paraphased from Bill Granger. Delish.

Second: Cut up 2 b/s chicken breast halves into 3 pieces. Brown on both sides for about 3 minutes on each side. While waiting, stir together, 1 cup of milk, 1/3 cup Major Grey's Chutney, 2 tablespoons of whole grain mustard and 1 teaspoon cumin and tumeric. Stir into chicken, turn on low and let simmer for another 5 minutes.

[AdamD]

soft scrambled eggs with black truffle paste and a bit of parmesan

[Euonymous]

Baba Ghanoush or Hummus

Eggplant roasted nice and dark (for baba ghanoush), or smashed garbanzo beans (for hummus)
Garlic
Lemon juice
Tahini
Salt & Pepper
Olive oil

[greygarious]

mujadarra
mac&cheese
baked apples
sugar cookies

[Vetter]

mujadarra! mujadarra! rah rah rah! It can be so magnificent!

[dingey]

Pardon the ignorance, but what is mujadarra? With such an enthusiastic response from Vetter, I'm dyin' to know!

[TorontoJo]

Here you go:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/741815#6001474

or

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/744475

:)

[dingey]

AHHHH, thank you! I LOVE lentils, but find that they're a bit of a hard sell at my house, for some reason.

[c oliver]

I discovered Umbrian lentils a couple of years ago. They're pretty expensive but worth it to me cause they stay firm, even when reheating. Maybe it's the texture.

[buttertart]

One from the big green Gourmet cookbook - 3 lbs chuck, in 1 pc or cut up into biggish pieces, 28-oz can of whole tomatoes, buzzed in the FP (or otherwise mushed up), 1 head garlic, separated into cloves but unpeeled. Salt and pepper. Brown beef first if you want. Bake in covered dutch oven at 325 deg F for 3 hours or until tender. Can add herbs and other flavorings if you wish. It's far more than the sum of its parts.

[lilgi]

Perfect!

[buttertart]

It's remarkably good. Even my husband who is not overfond of tomatoes in any form liked it enormously. (I added a squirt or two of fish sauce, a tb or so of dark soy, ditto of Chinese black vinegar, and some oregano.)

[mariacarmen]

well of course you did, BT, and made it way better, i'm sure!

[loukoumades]

Thanks. I'll have to try this, it's exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for.

[buttertart]

I'm sure you'll be pleased.

[loukoumades]

Yup, had it last night, was delicious. Just added some oregano and olive oil. Thanks for the recipe. If you've got any others in the same vein, please share!

[buttertart]

Glad you liked it.
Do you like spicy food? Just posted a nice easy pork curry on another thread:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/756704#6265403
And a Hungarian-ish pork thing I make (not as spicy):
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7336...

[toveggiegirl]

Thanks for sharing the recipe, buttertart. It looks like a fabulous starting point with room for a lot of individual variations. Here's the recipe on epicurious. I like reading the reviews to see what people have done with the recipe.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

[BigE]

Crock pot roast.

Chuck roast, dry onion soup packet, 1 cup water. Certainly not magic, but delish just the same.

[jns7]

When I was a kid, a friend of my mom's made a variation of this - substitute 1 cup of red wine for the cup of water. (It wasn't cooked in a pressure cooker, but assembles in an aluminum foil packet and baked, cooled and sliced for reheating at party time.)

It was the first dish I tasted that was made with wine!!

[topbanana]

Pea soup: Add dried peas to simmerinng stock until soft. Add any spice you like. Sometimes I start with a sauteed onion, but you can get away without it. Easy peasy.

[wineos]

Reminds me of Alton' Brown's curried split pea soup. So. Good.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/al...

[4Snisl]

Turnip hash made with: Chicken sausages (I use Trader Joe's Jalapeno, which are fully cooked), turnips, apple cider, oil, salt and pepper.

Just brown the sausage in a little oil, remove, the add peeled diced turnips to the pan, deglaze with a generous amount of apple cider, add salt and papper. Cover to braise the turnips to tenderness, then uncover to reduce the cider to a glaze. Stir sausage pieces back in for the last 1/3 of cooking to reheat/meld into the dish.

[gansu girl]

wow - this might actually help me *like* turnips! I have a million from my winter CSA share that I've been saving, for, well, this recipe I guess!

GG
http://www.semisweetonline.com

[TorontoJo]

Have you tried Hazan's tomato sauce that is just tomatoes, butter and an onion? Simple and glorious.

[loukoumades]

That's another great example. I love the fact that you don't even need to chop the onion.