Seven ‘3 Ingredient Recipes’ for Every Occasion
Minimalism is all the rage everywhere, and cooking is no exception. On that note, we’ve got seven different 3 ingredient recipes for whatever you need, whether it’s breakfast, a power snack, or a post-dinner cocktail.
Not everyone has the budget, time, or inclination to hunt down a dozen different items for a simple side soup, right? We’re busy people! We exercise, we work, we raise children and/or animals, we simplify whatever and whenever we can. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean cutting corners. A stool, after all, only needs 3 legs to function, and the same goes for 3 ingredient recipes. Don’t believe you can whip up a tasty dessert or a healthy vegetable side dish with just 3 items? Read on!
Breakfast: Banana Pancakes
Ah, the American breakfast staple! Pancakes are filling to eat and simple to make, but I don’t think you realize how simple. Banana, eggs, baking powder = game, set, match. Have a fantastic breakfast, sans flour or calories.
Lunch: Beef and Tomato Chili
This chili is a great example of 3 ingredient recipes that taste great with the base components, but have tons of room for add-ons. Ground beef, beans, and canned tomatoes are all you need to pull off a satisfying chili, but consider topping with: onions, jalapeno, sour cream, cheese. Instead of ground beef, how about: diced sausage, stewed meat chunks, or turkey breast for a lighter option. The formula is simple, the possibilities are endless.
Power Snack: Peanut Butter Granola Bars
The perfect snack is filling, healthy, energizing, but above all: easy to make. Enter this “non-recipe” consisting of dates, salted peanut butter, and rolled oats, that you can make with nothing more than a mixing bowl. Well, a food processor would help, but isn’t at all a necessity.The result is a salty-sweet treat perfect for a midday pick-me-up.
Side Soup: Chicken and Leek
If you thought 3 ingredient recipes are just culinary training wheels, think again. This hearty soup recipe might be light on parts, but it’s definitely heavy on technique. Following the steps listed here, you’ll learn to roast a chicken the right way, make your own soup stock from odds and ends (a gravy separator is indispensible for this), and how to carmelize without sugar. But to sweeten the pot for you, get this: its entire budget is $5.46! What.
Side Veggies: Avocado Salad
With a minimal salad recipe, we could’ve gone one of two different routes: go with a very simple dressing recipe + greens, or use ingredients that flavor themselves. This avocado salad takes option 2: cherry tomatoes for slight sweetness, avocado for creaminess, and artichokes for substance. No extras necessary.
Dinner: Root Beer Pulled Pork
A great slow cooker is the lazy cook’s secret weapon, and juicy, tender pulled pork is just one of the many dinner miracles you can pull off with it. To add some zing to the sauce, this recipe makes great use of root beer for an unexpected breed of sweetness.
Dessert: Nectarine Galette
Here’s another recipe that’s more of an archetype than a hard and fast rule. Nectarines are the fruit of choice, but you can easily substitute peaches, strawberries, whatever decadence your mouth desires.This delicious mini-pie requires almost no preparation at all, and can bake in the oven while you enjoy your dinner.
