Fab Five - or fewer
Simplicity is key to recipes using just a handful of ingredients
Simplicity is key. Life can be difficult. It can even be daunting. When you come home from a hard day of wrangling penguins, the last thing you want to do is put together a meal with 27 different ingredients.
So you reach into the larder and pull out a handful of ingredients. No more than five. And you make a meal, or at least a dish.
It may not be as complexly flavored as the one with 27 ingredients, but on the other hand, there is less to go wrong, too. It’s clean. Efficient. Simple. Simplicity is key. And from such simplicity can come bold flavors.
WHITE BEANS WITH ROSEMARY AND GARLIC
Yield: 3 servings 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, coarsely chopped 2 cans white beans, rinsed and drained Salt
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan or skillet, heat oil over medium heat and add garlic and rosemary. Cook just until garlic is soft, about 2 minutes. Add the beans, taste for salt and adjust if needed. Let the dish sit for a few minutes before serving to allow the flavors to marry.
PER SERVING: 415 calories; 10 g fat; 2 g saturated fat; no cholesterol; 22 g protein; 62 g carbohydrate; 4 g sugar; 14 g fiber; 570 mg sodium, 159 mg calcium. — Adapted from “The Art of Simple
Food,” by Alice Waters
TERIYAKI CHICKEN WITH BOK CHOY
Yield: 4 servings 1 clove garlic, chopped ¼ cup plus ⅓ cup teriyaki sauce
8 bone-in chicken thighs (2½ pounds) 1 cup long-grain white rice 2 bunches baby bok choy, quartered
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a large bowl, combine the garlic and ¼ cup of the teriyaki sauce. Add the chicken and marinate for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the package directions.
Roast the chicken on the prepared baking sheet, basting with the remaining ⅓ cup of teriyaki sauce , until cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Add the bok choy 10 minutes before the chicken is done. Serve over rice.
PER SERVING: 538 calories; 45 g fat; 6 g saturated fat; 199 mg cholesterol; 45 g protein; 39 g carbohydrate; 12 g sugar; 5 g fiber; 2,233 mg sodium; 477 mg calcium
— Recipe from “Dinner Made Simple,” by the editors of Real Simple magazine