Help remove the stress from weekday cooking with a little bit of planning and these easy-to-prepare five-ingredient meals. For Monday to Friday dinners, there’s nothing practical about a recipe with multiple components. However, meals need to be balanced. Keep staples such as rice, couscous and pasta plus dried herbs and spices in the pantry. And add salad greens from the fridge. Salt, pepper and cooking oil are essentials so I haven’t added them to the five ingredients listed in the following recipes.
Frozen vegetables and fruits are also great standbys and often more nutritious than their ‘fresh’ counterparts. Add them to beaten eggs together with frozen seafood such as prawns or mussels, and you have a frittata.
Fewer ingredients does not mean lack of flavour. Commercially prepared Asian sauces are a cook’s best friend. Together with coconut cream, some veggies and chicken, a soup or stew can be on the table in minutes. Team this with steamed rice and you have a well-balanced nourishing dinner.
And don't forget that slow cooker at the bottom of the cupboard. It is a great asset for home chefs: meat, three veg and mixed herbs can be cooking while you’re working. There’s nothing better than arriving home to an aromatic house.
Here are some simple five ingredient meals for inspiration.