Four Ingredients or Less?

[cowgirlz101]

Anyone got any good recipes, for any meal; that are 4 ingredients or less? I guess I could look at recipe sites but thought I'd ask ya'll. Times are tough sometimes when it comes to food.

[Avian Flight]

Just ideas.. check out allrecipes.com for great recipes.
- stir-fry: chicken, veggie, rice, jarred sauce for stir fry
- pasta: noodles, jarred sauce, meatballs or ground meat, veggie (like onion, pepper, mushrooms)
- english muffin/bagel pizzas: bread, sauce, toppings, toaster oven
- chili: ground meat, chili spice packet, can of beans, can of tomatoes
- sandwiches
- frittata (sp?): eggs, milk, veggies and/or meat
 

[pinsNneedles]

I've got 3 recipes that use storecupboard ingredients for when I haven't been shopping, or am too broke to go shopping.  They're all 'cheat' versions of normal meals, and all have 4 ingredients.

Cheat's Italian Pasta
 - Pasta
 - Pesto
 - Olives
 - Sun dried tomatoes
Cook pasta, toss in pesto, olives and tomatoes.  Heat through and serve.

Easy Egg Fried Rice
 - Eggs (1 per person)
 - Cooked rice
 - Frozen peas and sweetcorn, defrosted
 - Soy sauce
Scramble eggs in a wok, toss in veg and rice and heat through.  Sprinkle with soy sauce and serve.

Not Quite Carbonara
 - Pasta
 - Cooked bacon, chopped up
 - Eggs (1 per person)
 - Cheese, grated
Cook pasta.  Meanwhile, beat eggs and mix with cheese.  Once cooked, toss the pasta with the egg/cheese mix and heat through.  Once the egg has cooked through, add the bacon bits and serve.


These are all really speedy, cheap and only 4 ingredients.  Hope that inspires you!   

[Gwydion]

There's the army standard shit on a shingle.   

1 pack dried chipped beef
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
2 cups milk

You might want to soak the chipped beef in water for a few minutes and drain the water off, unless it's a reduced-salt version.  Drain and chop into small chunks.

Melt butter in large skillet, whisk in flour and allow to brown very slightly.  Whisking constantly, add milk a little at a time.  Once all the milk is in, add beef, bring just to a boil, stirring very frequently, turn down heat and let simmer for a few minutes, still stirring frequently, until the sauce is at your desired level of gooiness.  You can season to taste.  I usually use salt, pepper, curry powder and parsley. 

If you have leftovers (green veggies, potatoes, onions, etc. work well) you can throw those in too.  Also a good way to use up the last little pieces of cheese. 

Serve over toast, or scrambled eggs, or broccoli... actually it goes on just about anything. 

[jessimocha]

i found this really quick and super healthy tomato sauce recipe somewhere once. though i don't really make it anymore.

onion
1 can of crushed tomatoes
1 can of lentil soup
.5 - 1 pack of chopped frozen spinach.

you fry up the onion ( i add garlic too but that would be more than 4 ingredients. but garlic goes in everything in my house!)
add the lentil soup and simmer for a couple minutes
add the tomatoes and simmer for about 10 -20 minutes
stir in the frozen spinach (make sure you get the chopped/diced variety!)
cook all together until you think it's done or you get sick of cooking!

also add any herbs you have on hand. you could also just use a can of lentils but then you dont' get all the other veggies, too.

there was also a quick tomato pasta sauce posted on here that is only onions, garlic, herbs and tomatoes. so it's more of a marinara sauce.

oh and try and use whole wheat pasta. i know it's more expensive, and because of that i would never go for it. but my 6'5" (and never-ending stomach) boyfriend and i find we eat about half as much of the whole wheat kind and it actually fills you up - you don't get hungry again in a few hours the way you do with white pasta.

[cowgirlz101]

Yummmm thanks for all the good ideas to my question! So many possibilities now! Thanks.

[Persephone Hazard]

- english muffin/bagel pizzas: bread, sauce, toppings, toaster oven

Completely off-topic, but this reminded me: you know these days we even call them 'English muffins' over here in England now? You Americans and your overgrown fairy cakes, you've taken over ;-)