Minimal Ingredient Awesome Food Ideas

[Pro-pulsion]

I put together a really good food pot the other day. Very simple with minimal prep time and did it ever turn out well. I was thinking I just want something basic but filling. While poking around in the grocery store the idea finally surfaced. I grabbed a small pork roast, couple cans of diced/cubed potatoes and 4 cans of regular Heinz beans in tomato sauce. Got it home and hauled out the medium sized slow cooker, a layer of drained potatoes, a can of beans, mixed it up, the roast on top of that, the other can of drained potatoes poured around the roast and topped up the rest of the pot with the 3 remaining cans of beans. Put it on low and let it cook for 9 hours. The pork fell apart when I tried to get it all out of the pot in that good way that turned it into a pulled pork, so I mixed it all up and it turned into a pulled pork potato and bean stew. It's quite heavy with all the pulled pork through it but the flavor is great, it turned out better than I expected.
What's everyone making these days for simple ingredient quick prep time foods?

 

[generaldisarray]

 

[smoofers]

A great main dish that my wife and I made up is Chicken with tomato basil sauce.

Pound your chicken breasts to thin them out so they cook evenly. Generously season each side of the breasts with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Refrigerate for a minimum of 20 minutes.

Take roughly 16-24 oz of cherry or grape tomatoes and cut them into halves or thirds.
Dice enouh garlic to make about 2 tbsp worth. (we LOVE garlic)
In a frying pan or skillet, add ~1/4 cup -1/2 cup of olive oil on medium heat- this is the main component of the sauce you can start with a little and keep adding to get the consistency you want.
Toss the tomatoes into the oil and add a pinch of kosher salt. Let the tomatoes simmer until they skins are softened and most of the water has evaporated, making the mixutre soupy.
Throw in the diced garlic and let it cook for a couple of minutes to soften. Once the garlic is softened, remove the pan from the heat and throw in ~1/4 cup of chopped up fresh basil leaves and stir to wilt the basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cook the chicken in a cast iron skillet with a splash of oil. I usually have my skillet at about 375-400F. Usually cook for about 3-4 minutes per side.

Top the chicken breast with the tomato sauce and sprinkle on some parmesean cheese (if desired). Quinoa makes a great side dish with this.

Total prep and cook time is like 45 minutes max. Quicker if you have a helper.

 

[Pro-pulsion]

Fun fact, a lot of people are lacking iron in their diets. Cooking anything in a cast iron pan or skillet helps to correct that. Iron deficiency wasn't a very common thing before the industry shifted toward aluminum or stainless cookware

 

[Big Kahuna]

We make a dish we call Cheesy Beefy Noodles, Its just elbo noodles, ground chuck/round, Cheese (This can vary). Basically a homeade version of Hamburger Helper. Also what we call Chicken Funk AKA Poppy Seed Chicken (But without the Poppy Seed). These are quick to make and we can eat on them for a few days.

 

[hornedogg79]

I like the "Mississippi Pot Roast" recipe. I've used it on pork and venison.
Roast, pack of ranch dressing mix, pack of au ju mix, stick of butter, 4-5 pepperoncini peppers. Dump it in the pot and cook on low for about 8hrs.

 

[bird]

I've been living on homemade Ice Cream and coffee the past year. I put a scoop in my coffee each morning. I can essentially skip breakfast and go to 1-2pm before I need lunch.

Cheese, no prep needed. Just open it up and eat it

Bread. I got a bread machine for my birthday(37 years). I've been making fresh bread twice a week. Bread and Ice cream have about 5 ingredients.

 

[Pro-pulsion]

I love bread, cheese and ice cream! lol ...but the I have to limit the ice cream or dairy substantially, cheese included, and the gluten in bread makes me inflate like a balloon. There's so much I have to avoid now because the darn gluten is in everything wheat based and just about everything is wheat based now I remember when condensed soups were whatever their flavor is with salt, sugar and spices and maybe something as a thickener. Now the base thickener is enriched wheat flour or some other form of wheat, or multiple forms of wheat

 

[bird]

I love bread, cheese and ice cream! lol ...but the I have to limit the ice cream or dairy substantially, cheese included, and the gluten in bread makes me inflate like a balloon. There's so much I have to avoid now because the darn gluten is in everything wheat based and just about everything is wheat based now I remember when condensed soups were whatever their flavor is with salt, sugar and spices and maybe something as a thickener. Now the base thickener is enriched wheat flour or some other form of wheat, or multiple forms of wheat

You can control the amount of Gluten when you make the bread yourself. The Ice Cream is so savory rich you can't eat more than two scoops.

I stopped using a coffee pot to brew about 7 years ago. I got an Aero-Press for camping coffee. It makes better coffee than anything I've tasted, yes even pour overs. I now drink way less coffee because I make then one at a time. I used to sit around and drink two pots of coffee on a sunday(12 cups!) I make three cups a day now, spread out. Only Whole bean locally roasted

 

[Pro-pulsion]

Nice! I'm definitely going to look into that coffee maker

 

[bird]

Is it just Bovine Dairy, or any milk products? Goat and Sheep Cheese is great too.

 

[smokeysevin]

My kiddo who is currently nursing has a dairy/soy intolerance (supposedly they grow out of it 99% of the time) so we have been avoiding dairy/soy to make sure kiddo is happy and healthy. The dairy hasn't been too hard but jesus, soy is in EVERYTHING... we have basically been on a "vegan carnivore" diet.

Surprisingly the quality/flavor of our cooking has not changed at all.

Sean

 

[Pro-pulsion]

Apparently soy contains a different type of estrogen, don't quote me on this but I recall hearing something about this a while back. I didn't know there are different types of it, but the one soy carries is a rather unhealthy one. Here is a little quick search look up result...

"Soy is unique in that it contains a high concentration of isoflavones, a type of plant estrogen (phytoestrogen) that is similar in function to human estrogen but with much weaker effects. Soy isoflavones can bind to estrogen receptors in the body and cause either weak estrogenic or anti-estrogenic activity."

 

[Pro-pulsion]

Is it just Bovine Dairy, or any milk products? Goat and Sheep Cheese is great too.

I tried goat milk once before, didn't like it. Too strong in taste and not a good strong lol. I think it's any milk products because of the bacterial content in it. I tried the goat milk for over a month but still had issues with it. Once I stopped with the milk of any kind, I also stopped getting strep throat, colds, flu etc. I'm pretty sure there's something about the milk that suppressed my immune system. As far as I know, all milk products here are federally regulated and all the animals have to be given certain medicinals like antibiotics and whatever else to pass health..."health" requirements. It only makes sense because I had the same results from different types and brands.

 

[wydopen]

S

Apparently soy contains a different type of estrogen, don't quote me on this but I recall hearing something about this a while back. I didn't know there are different types of it, but the one soy carries is a rather unhealthy one. Here is a little quick search look up result...

"Soy is unique in that it contains a high concentration of isoflavones, a type of plant estrogen (phytoestrogen) that is similar in function to human estrogen but with much weaker effects. Soy isoflavones can bind to estrogen receptors in the body and cause either weak estrogenic or anti-estrogenic activity."

soy and enriched wheat products should be avoided at all costs. Vegetable oil also..I stopped eating anything that has more than one ingredient and feel 100x better. Once you do it for a week it’s easy..you don’t even want to eat that stuff anymore

 

[Pro-pulsion]

S


soy and enriched wheat products should be avoided at all costs. Vegetable oil also..I stopped eating anything that has more than one ingredient and feel 100x better. Once you do it for a week it’s easy..you don’t even want to eat that stuff anymore

I like your thinking! Single ingredient items, I'm down with that. I too avoid vegetable oil and anything that says palm anything, it's basically biodiesel lol. I'd like to know what your single ingredient item list is my friend

 

[wydopen]

I like your thinking! Single ingredient items, I'm down with that. I too avoid vegetable oil and anything that says palm anything, it's basically biodiesel lol. I'd like to know what your single ingredient item list is my friend

basically just meat, eggs, vegetables, fruit and nuts..occasinally some rice or potatoes, organic/non gmo as much as possible..
no sauces or condiments just olive oil, Himalayan pink salt and garlic powder. Makes cooking pretty fast and easy. Only black coffee and water to drink. I guess the only exception is I do use butter if I make corn on the cob
My kids eat only that the majority of the time also..sometimes they get sick of it though and I’ll make them some pasta or I’ll give them toast with their eggs
Every couple weeks I’ll make chicken curry and use a pre made simmer sauce but it’s all healthy ingredients

 

[smokeysevin]

My go-to seasoning is

Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Paprika


If you want to go more latin, use some cumin, cayanne pepper, and a little chile powder.
More "american" add some dried herbs.
Italian, olive oil some lemon and some tomato paste.
BBQ, add some brown sugar, cayanne pepper, and chili powder

Sean

 

[bird]

Did you grow up in a extremely clean environment? Where do your issues arise from, heredity or environment?

I grew up in a house of 4 kids. Went to public schools and grew up swimming in the Mississippi River. I've always had a really good immune system and few digestive issues. Wheat Beer can blur my vision, I stopped drinking it. I think it's a Gluten intolerance. Had the similar feelings from MSG in Chinese. Bread has never caused this issue

 

[mxmark4]

Easy stuff heres a few. Chicken breasts toss em in an 8x8 baking dish. Dump a jar or salsa verde on them and cover in cheese. Bake it 30 minutes or so. Eat. Should go without sayin to salt and pepper it to taste. I add some extra hot sauce to mine. Keto friendly, no prep. Dessert mix a bottle of heavy cream till soft peaks. 3-5 minutes. Add cocoa powder. Mix til stiff. Chocolate mousse. Top with strawberries and boom dinner and dessert in 30 minutes or less.