Make meals simple by limiting ingredients

 

It’s spring, and that means life often seems to be moving faster.

One way to deal with this is to prepare meals that require few ingredients and relatively little time.

After all, the fewer the ingredients, the simpler the recipe generally is to prepare, leaving you with more time to enjoy the food and other activities.

As a bonus, they may keep you out of the grocery store since there’s less to buy and many of these dishes use pantry ingredients.

And, of course, these are generally healthy foods that range from pastas and salads to stir-fries.

They don’t require a boatload of kitchen skill, and they tend to follow a few rules.

Build these simple meals around pantry staples that pair well with a variety of ingredients and create a solid foundation for your dish.

For example, combine spaghetti, olive oil and garlic, then top it with red pepper flakes and Parmesan for a quick Italian dish or toss canned black beans with rice, salsa, diced avocado and shredded cheese for a quick burrito bowl.

Use multi-use ingredients for meals. For example, a rotisserie chicken can be shredded for tacos, tossed into a salad or mixed into a casserole. Potatoes can be turned into mashed potatoes, French fries or potato soups.

Embrace prepped and packaged items, everything from pre-cut vegetables to frozen fruits and jars of sauces.

Pair frozen stir-fry veggies with soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic and cooked shrimp for a quick meal, or a packaged sauce with pasta or rice.

Focus on flavor, and become the master of one-pan meals. They keep things simple and reduce cleanup, making them ideal for busy nights.

This type of cooking also allows flavors to meld together as the meal cooks. 

And get creative with leftovers. Take last night’s roasted vegetables and combine them with eggs and cheese for a quick frittata, or use leftover rice to create a fried rice meal with soy sauce, scrambled eggs and frozen peas.

Following are a few ideas for five-ingredient meals — not counting simple things like water, salt, pepper and cooking oil, which people generally have on hand — from www.foodnetwork.com.

 

Two-Ingredient Bagels

1-1/2 cups self-rising flour

1-1/2 cups plain, full-fat whole milk Greek yogurt

1 large egg, lightly beaten, optional

Topping, such as everything spice, sesame seeds or poppy seeds, optional

Stir flour and yogurt together in the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer using a spoon until the dough just becomes crumbly. Use hands to mix the dough to form a smooth ball; the dough will feel slightly sticky.

Attach the bowl to the mixer and beat with a dough hook on medium speed five minutes, until dough pulls away from the sides of bowl and forms a smooth ball. Be sure not to overmix as the dough will become sticky again.

Divide dough into six balls. Roll each ball into a 3/4-inch-thick rope, then pinch the ends together to form a circle. Place on two parchment-lined baking sheets. If desired, brush the top of each bagel with egg wash and sprinkle on the desired topping.

Bake in a 400-degree oven 18 to 20  minutes, until bagels are golden brown on the outside. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

 

 

Salmon and Broccoli Stir-Fry

1 large bunch broccoli, florets cut bite-size, long stems sliced

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 medium orange

2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, plus more for serving

1 pound salmon, skinned, patted dry and cut into bite-size pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced

Serving: rice or noodles

Put 1/2-inch water in a large wok or saute pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Add broccoli, cover loosely to allow steam to escape and cook four minutes, until bright green and nearly fork-tender. Drain and transfer broccoli to a plate. Wipe remaining broccoli debris out of the pan.

Combine orange zest, juice and soy sauce in a small bowl. Season salmon with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Place pan over medium-high heat and add one tablespoon high-heat cooking oil, such as rice bran, canola or grapeseed. Tilt pan to thoroughly coat the surface, then carefully add salmon, reduce heat to medium and sprinkle in garlic. Cook three minutes, undisturbed until browned on the bottoms and the sides of the salmon turn opaque. Add  orange and soy sauce and turn the salmon. Add broccoli and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook three minutes, until salmon is cooked through and juice thickens a bit. Spoon sauce over salmon and broccoli and serve with rice or noodles and additional soy sauce.

If you prefer a sweeter and more orangey taste, prepare with the zest and juice of two oranges.

 

 

Shrimp Risotto

1 pound large shell-on shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped into 1-inch pieces, shells and tails reserved

6 cloves garlic

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1-1/2 cups arborio rice

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 cup packed baby arugula, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon lemon zest

Put shrimp shells and tails, three cloves garlic, one teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a medium saucepan. Cover with seven cups water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes.

Strain shrimp broth into a large liquid measuring cup. Discard shells and garlic. You should have six cups broth. If not, add water to equal six cups. Place broth back into the saucepan and keep warm over low heat.

Heat a large, straight-sided skillet or braiser over medium-high heat. Heat one tablespoon oil until shimmering. Add chopped shrimp and sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook five minutes, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are pink. Transfer cooked shrimp to a plate and set aside.

Thinly slice remaining garlic and set aside. Reduce heat to medium low, add one tablespoon oil to skillet, then add sliced garlic. Cook one minute, stirring frequently, until fragrant and just starting to soften. Stir in arborio rice until coated with oil. Add lemon juice and cook two minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is mostly absorbed.

Ladle one cup warm stock into the rice and cook two to three minutes, stirring gently without stopping, until rice has absorbed the liquid. Repeat process, adding more stock a ladleful at a time, until rice is al dente and creamy, 20 to 25 minutes. If you run out of broth before the risotto is at its desired doneness, add some water.

Stir in arugula, shrimp and half the lemon zest and cook until arugula wilts slightly.

Serve topped with remaining lemon zest.

 

 

Marinated Flank Steak With Coconut Curry Rice

1 2-pound flank steak

14-ounces full-fat coconut milk

3 tablespoons red curry paste

1 bunch cilantro, stems separated, leaves reserved for garnish

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1-1/2 cups long-grain white rice

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Pat flank steak dry and place in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Set aside.

Blend coconut milk, red curry paste and cilantro stems in a blender on high until fully incorporated and cilantro stems are very finely chopped. Pour one cup coconut curry mixture into a large liquid measuring cup and set aside. Pour remaining mixture over the steak and coat on both sides. Cover steak and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Stir 1-1/2 cups water into the reserved coconut curry mixture and transfer to a medium saucepan. Season with one teaspoon salt and cook over medium-high heat until boiling. Stir in rice, then bring to a boil again. Stir the rice, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook 15 minutes.

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Remove steak from the marinade and drain well on a paper towel-lined sheet pan. Pat steak with paper towels to remove any excess marinade. Drizzle one side of the steak with one tablespoon oil and use a silicone brush to spread it evenly over the steak. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer steak to a grill pan, seasoned-side down. Coat top with one tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. For medium rare, grill steak six minutes per side. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and let rest 10 minutes.

Chop 1/2 cup reserved cilantro leaves. Remove lid from the rice, add chopped cilantro and fluff with a fork.

Slice steak against the grain and serve with rice. Garnish with more chopped cilantro.

 

 

Speedy Teriyaki Salmon

4 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets

2 cups teriyaki sauce

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 limes

1 8.5-ounce pouch microwave jasmine rice

1/3 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

Place salmon in a shallow dish and pour teriyaki sauce over the fillets. Using tongs, flip fillets to coat them in the sauce.

In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add fillets and cook five  minutes, being careful not to let them burn. Flip fillets and cook another two minutes. Place on a plate and set aside.

Pour remaining teriyaki sauce from the shallow dish into the hot skillet. Grate in the zest of 1/2 lime and allow mixture to bubble and reduce for a few minutes. Once reduced, nestle salmon back into the skillet and spoon sauce over top.

Microwave the rice according to package directions. Pour rice onto a serving platter. Transfer salmon to the bed of rice. Spoon sauce over salmon and rice. Garnish with cilantro leaves. Cut remaining lime into wedges and arrange along the edge of the platter for serving.

 

 

Spicy Sausage Carbonara

8 ounces egg pappardelle noodles

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 links spicy Italian sausage, casings removed, crumbled

Kosher salt

Coarsely ground black pepper

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 large eggs, beaten

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Cook pasta in a pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain, reserving some cooking water.

Set a large pan with straight sides over medium-high heat and add olive oil and sausage. Cook five minutes, breaking up the sausage, until browned, then season with salt and coarse black pepper.

In a small bowl, whisk together Parmesan cheese and eggs. Add drained pasta to sausage and swirl until mostly coated with the fat of the sausage. Remove                                                                                                                                          pan from the heat and add a spoonful or so of the pasta water along with the egg and cheese mixture. Toss rapidly to coat the pasta. Continue to toss until the water evaporates a bit and creates a bit of a sauce. Add parsley and toss again. Serve immediately.

 

 

Chicken Pesto Soup

2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

6 cups chicken broth

2 cups tightly packed spinach

1/2 cup pesto

Kosher salt

Put chicken in a large pot and cover with broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat to low and simmer 40 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a cutting board. Skim surface of the broth with a slotted spoon to remove any skin on the surface. Remove meat from the bones and shred with two forks, discarding skin. Add meat back to the pot along with spinach.

Turn heat to medium for one minute, until spinach wilts. Swirl pesto into the soup and season with salt.

 

 

Sausage and Pea Pasta

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed

6 to 8-ounce Parmesan wedge with rind

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

Kosher salt

1 pound rigatoni

1 cup frozen peas

Heat oil in a large straight-sided skillet or braiser over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook five minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and mostly cooked through.

Remove rind from the Parmesan wedge and set aside. Grate one cup of cheese and set aside.

Place tomatoes and Parmesan rind in skillet with sausage. Fill empty tomato can with 1/2 cup water, swirl and stir liquid into the skillet. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook 12 minutes, until al dente. Turn off heat, stir in frozen peas and let sit about 1 minute. Reserve one cup pasta water, then drain the pasta and peas.

Turn off heat, remove the Parmesan rind and discard. Transfer pasta and peas to the sauce. Top pasta with the reserved grated Parmesan and toss until pasta is coated in sauce. If the sauce feels dry, stir in pasta water in 1/4 cup increments until sauce is silky and sticks to the pasta.

Serve pasta topped with extra grated Parmesan.

 

 

 

Baked Pork Chops

1-1/2 cups panko

5 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 3/4-inch bone-in pork chops

Lemon wedges, for serving, optional

Combine panko, oil, Parmesan, Italian seasoning and 3/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large resealable plastic bag. Put pork chops in a large bowl and toss to coat with one tablespoon water. Place pork chops in the bag and shake well to coat, pressing breadcrumb mixture firmly into the meat.

Place pork chops on a wire rack set on a baking sheet and top evenly with any breadcrumbs remaining in the bag. Bake in a 450-degree oven 15 to 20  minutes, until breadcrumbs are dark golden and the internal temperature registers 145 degrees.

Serve immediately with lemon wedges, if using.