Let's play: Three, four or five ingredient side dishes

[unsinkable]

The rules (loosely, bc I know you gals! Boundary pushers, you are!):

Salt and Pepper DO NOT count.

MAY use convenience items.

Please try to be specific with ingredients since there are so few being used ( so avoid the "oh, just toss in anything from the veggie drawer!" But if it is something like, "can substitute blank for blank", go for it) .

 

[PeterPan]

Trader Joe's Quinoia Melange. Freezer section. Dump in hot pan, add water, boom. Amazing.

Wild rice cooked in instant pot with broth and onions. Goes with almost anything (stir fry, meat balls, etc.).

Green beans with bacon.

Cucumber and tomato salad with olive oil and spice dressing (I use Krogers, anything) and feta and red onion if you want to get wild

refried beans with added sauted onion and a dab of cheese on top. Guac with onion (you already had it out), lime juice, garlic, salt. 

spinach dip with artichoke hearts. I just saw this at Sam's Club. You would heat and serve with bread.

Kale/spinach yogurt dip from Trader Joes. Serve with plantain chips.

Baked beans from a can, preferably Trader Joes. Open and heat if you must.

Coleslaw-shred the cabbage in the food processor and dump on Marzetti's or whatever slaw dressing you can find on the shelf at the store. If you're getting wild add shredded carrot or bits of chopped red bell pepper.

A bag of the miniature bell peppers from the organic section. My ds LOVES these and you can just put them out.

Ice cream. For those nights when you didn't make enough food. Buy 3 or 4 flavors and everyone gets a 1/2 gallon.

[cjzimmer1]

pesto on noodles (orzo, curly, bowties are my kids favorite)

roasted potatoes(works for regular or sweet potatoes), olive oil, potatoes, seasonings of your choice (we usually use coarse salt and pepper).

Crashed potatoes (pioneer Woman recipe)

tortillini salad - cooked tortillini, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and italian dressing

 

 

 

[unsinkable]

Butter steamed potatoes.

2 lbs baby potatoes, peel off a band of skin around middle of each potato. Or cut in half or quarters if big.

Melt one stick of butter and 1/4 cup water in pan large enough so potatoes are in single layer. Add potatoes, S&P to taste, bring to boil then cover with tight lid and reduce heat to very low. Steam 20-25 minutes til tender. Try not to lift the lid!

When done, add 1-2 teaspoons of dried parsley and serve.

[Liz CA]

Precook rice on a day when you have time. Like 2 cups of brown rice to 4 cups of water. Cool and store in fridge. This also works with quinoa but quinoa seems to not last quite as long as rice.

Now you have several options...

Rice with any kind of steamed, baked or sauteed veggie, mix with amino acid or tamari sauce, a little mustard, some apple cider vinegar, perhaps a little olive oil with some dried or fresh herbs. Mix and pour this like dressing over the rice and veggies.

Bake the rice in a pan with a scrambled egg and vegetables of your choice. Season with sea salt / pepper/ soy/tamari sauce or a healthy blob of mayo.  :)

Rice with anything really - you get the picture.

Potatoes au Gratin: Peel taters, mix with milk, flour and season liberally with salt & pepper. Bake at F350 for about an hour or until crispy on top.

Edited September 12, 2018 by Liz CA

[HomeAgain]

Sweet potato rounds:
-sliced sweet potatoes (1/2in thick rounds)
-olive oil
-salt
-shredded cheese
-pickled jalapenos, chopped

Preheat oven to 425.  Toss the rounds with the olive oil and salt until coated.  Spread on a cooky sheet and bake for 10 minutes, then flip.  Bake for another 10min or until tender.  Remove from oven, top with the jalapenos and shredded cheese.  Put back in the oven until cheese is melted (a minute or two).

[Lori D.]

packaged bag o' salad, with fixings and dressing included (1 self-contained "element")
2 min = cut open bag, dump contents into a bowl; cut open the fixings bag, dump on top; cut open the dressing packet, pour on top; serve

raw veggie plate & dip (5+ ingredients)
20 min = choice of raw veggies cut into "sticks" or "finger food" size (carrots, celery, jicama, bell pepper, snow peas, cherry tomatoes, radishes, cucumber...) + a container of store-bought hummus (or make a fast tsatziki dip: grate cucumber onto several layers of paper towels, folded and roll grated cucumber up tightly and squeeze out excess liquid; meanwhile, stir together equal parts plain yogurt and sour cream, a bit of salt, and a clove of garlic crushed up; still in cucumber and serve

sweet and sour slaw (5 ingredients)
5 min to make (+ 2 hours in fridge) = use a package (3-4 cups?) of shredded broccoli slaw or cabbage slaw and dump into a gallon ziplock bag; in a bowl whisk together 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup apple juice, a clove of garlic crushed, 1/2 tsp. sugar, salt, and pepper to taste; pour over the slaw, zip the bag shut, squish the marinade all around; best if you can let it marinate in the fridge for 2 hours or so, but can serve immediately if you need to

minted lima beans -- or butter beans (4 ingredients)
15 min = put frozen lima beans (or fresh butter beans) in boiling pot of water for 9 minutes; meanwhile, finely chop fresh mint and grate lime peel and all into a bowl, along with a tablespoon or so of thinly sliced butter; drain the beans, put into the bowl and toss; squeeze the grated lime's juice over all; add salt & pepper to taste

succotash (4 ingredients)
10 min = equal parts frozen peas and grated carrots; saute till just warm and soft in butter; add a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper and serve

oven-roasted vegetables (4+ ingredients)
40 min = choice of vegetable(s) [carrots, sweet potatoes, beets, parsnips, turnips, broccoli, cauliflower] sliced/cut to approximately similar thicknesses + slices of shallot or red onion; toss with olive oil; top with snippets of fresh rosemary, salt and pepper; roast on foil on a baking tray for 30-ish minutes at 375-385˚; sprinkle with kosher salt and serve (the bolded ingredients is what makes this recipe!]

brussel sprouts and bacon (2-3 ingredients)
20 min = cook 4-8 slices of bacon in a pan on the stove top; when down, drain and chop bacon; pour off most of the grease, but reserve a little in the pan + the "bits" stuck on the pan; meanwhile, rinse brussel sprouts; remove loose leaves and cut an "x" at the base of each; bring water to a boil; drop in Brussel sprouts to "blanch" for about 3 minutes; remove and drain; heat up pan with bacon drippings, add brussel sprouts, toss to coat; coat till soft; optional: can add a dash of balsamic vinegar; put into a serving bowl, top with bacon bits and kosher salt

oven-roasted "fries" (2 ingredients)
40 min = red potatoes, russet potatoes, or sweet potatoes, cut into "French fries", tossed with olive oil, salt & pepper, laid out on foil on a baking tray and roasted for 30-ish minutes at 375-385˚ -- sprinkle with kosher salt and serve

rice with feta and toasted almond (5 ingredients)
30 min = cook up rice (I use chicken broth from boiled up chicken bones and keep as frozen blocks in the freezer for use as needed); while cooking, chop up almonds and toast in the oven at 350˚ (or in a dry pan on the stovetop) for about 10 min (just turning golden); chop up green onion and crumble some feta; when rice is done, put in a bowl, squeeze a little lemon juice over the rice, top with the feta, gr. onions and almonds; serve

black-eyed peas and spinach (4-5 ingredients)
15 min = chop up 1/2 an onion (yellow or white onion); saute in a pot with olive oil until soft; meanwhile, wash, dry, de-stem, and chop up about 1/2 bunch of spinach; open, rinse, and drain a can of black-eyed peas; when the onions are soft, toss in the spinach and cook/stir until wilted down and bright green (about 1 minute); stir in black-eyed peas; add about 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional: and a pinch of cayenne pepper); season to taste with salt and pepper; cook till warm through and serve

spicy soba noodles & wilted arugula (6 ingredients -- but very fast)
15 min = bring a pot of water to boil; add 6 oz. dried soba (Japanese buckwheat) noodles and cook till soft, about 8 minutes; meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together 2-1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce, 1 tsp Sriracha Chile-garlic sauce, and 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil; drain noodles in a colander; add a spoonful of olive oil to the hot pot and stir in the cleaned arugula, cooking/stirring until wilted and bright green; return noodles to pan, add sauce, stir and toss till well-mixed; serve warm or room temperature

brushetta (4 ingredients)
10 min = take day-old (or older) French bread and slice into very thin 3-4" rounds (or ovals if slicing on the diagonal); very thinly slice (like, paper-thin) butter and place a slice on each piece of bread; sprinkle with shredded Parmesan (pre-shredded, or grate your own); optional: sprinkle with a tiny bit of red pepper flakes; top with a bit of finely chopped fresh basil and cherry tomatoes; broil in toaster oven on a piece of foil until the cheese has turned golden-brown and the bread is getting crispy -- tip: watch like a hawk, because it goes from "cheese just starting to melt" to "carbonized black" in the blink of an eye LOL

Edited September 13, 2018 by Lori D.

[Chris in VA]

My mom's potato salad

potatos (maybe 5-6, russets)

vinegar and oil and sugar

salt/pepper

1 onion

Peel and cut up potatoes (large dice--I usually cut lengthwise in half, the cut each half lengthwise in half, then cut across about 1/4 inch intervals--lol I don't know how to describe it better)

Boil, roughly 15 mins or until poke-able with a fork (same doneness you'd use for mashies)

Drain. Place in bowl. 

Dice onion  Add to bowl.

In a small bowl or jar with lid, add 4 Tbs canola or veg oil, a large pinch of sugar, and 3 Tbs of vinegar. Mix all together, then pour over onions and potatoes. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Best slightly warm. Don't refrigerate as it ruins the flavor. 

[PeterPan]

5 hours ago, Liz CA said:

Precook rice on a day when you have time. Like 2 cups of brown rice to 4 cups of water. Cool and store in fridge. This also works with quinoa but quinoa seems to not last quite as long as rice.

Are you pre-rinsing your quinoia before you cook? It has a saponin (nasty soap-tasting stuff) that tastes AWFUL after a day or two. So if you rinse before cooking, it gets that off. You need a really fine sieve obviously. Ilove cooking quinoa in my instant pot, but I got spoiled with the TJ frozen precooked melange thing, oh my. I could eat a whole bag of that myself! Now that I'm down to just 2 1/2, we can have splurges like that. 

Anyways, yeah, rinse the quinoa if you're not. 

[thessa516]

Roasted Chickpeas - can of chickpeas, olive oil, and your favorite spice mix (taco seasoning, curry, or even just garlic powder and salt). Rinse and dry chickpeas, toss with a little olive oil, bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Toss with your favorite seasonings.

[Liz CA]

1 hour ago, PeterPan said:

Are you pre-rinsing your quinoia before you cook? It has a saponin (nasty soap-tasting stuff) that tastes AWFUL after a day or two. So if you rinse before cooking, it gets that off. You need a really fine sieve obviously. Ilove cooking quinoa in my instant pot, but I got spoiled with the TJ frozen precooked melange thing, oh my. I could eat a whole bag of that myself! Now that I'm down to just 2 1/2, we can have splurges like that. 

Anyways, yeah, rinse the quinoa if you're not. 

 

I actually soak the quinoa overnight in a slightly acidic solution of water and a little lemon juice. Then I rinse it.  It cooks very fast after soaking, don't walk far from the kitchen. :)

And because of the rising arsenic content in rice, I also soak it overnight.

Edited September 13, 2018 by Liz CA

[Amira]

Cucumbers mixed with plain yogurt (not Greek), salt, and garlic, and cayenne if you like.

Cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, salt. Nothing else, but let it sit a few minutes.

Cucumbers with pomegranate molasses, salt, and garlic.  Mint too, and cayenne if you like. And tomatoes if you want.

Cucumbers dressed with black rice vinegar and sesame oil.  Salt the cucumbers for 10 minutes then drain and rinse and squeeze out the water.  2 T vinegar to 1/2 t oil is a good ratio.  Add salt at the end if needed, but I never do.

Sauté an onion in olive oil, then add four grated tomatoes (just the flesh - cut the tomatoes in half and grate the cut side and you’ll be left with the skin).  Sauté 10 minutes.  Add 1.5 cups bulgur (the coarser the better) and salt to taste (and cayenne if you like) and stir.  Add 2.25 cups chicken broth, bring to a boil, cover, lower the heat all the way and cook 20 minutes.  Serve with tart plain yogurt.

[WendyLady]

Caprise on a slice of baguette - so yum!  For dd's wedding last summer we stacked pre-sliced mozzarella, smaller sized tomato sliced into a perfect circle, and a basil leaf all on a slice of baguette, then drizzled with reduced balsamic vinegar. Not baked, served cold. Very easy and elegant.

Raspberry Fluffy Fluff is my favorite easy side dish for a potluck.  It's not really a salad, and is probably closer to a dessert, but it usually gets put on the side dish/salad side of things at a potluck.  

https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/raspberry-cheesecake-fluff-salad/

• 1 1/2 boxes (3.4 oz each) packages cheesecake instant pudding mixes
• 1 (32 oz) container vanilla yogurt
• 1 (8 oz) container Cool Whip (thawed)
• 1 (10 oz) package frozen raspberries, slightly thawed

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large bowl, mix together pudding mixes, yogurt, and Cool Whip (you'll have to really beat it to get out all the lumps!).
2. Fold in the berries (the more that you stir them in, the more that they will turn your salad pink).
3. Cover and chill until serving time.

Edited September 13, 2018 by WendyLady

[mathnerd]

13 hours ago, PeterPan said:

Are you pre-rinsing your quinoia before you cook? It has a saponin (nasty soap-tasting stuff) that tastes AWFUL after a day or two. So if you rinse before cooking, it gets that off. You need a really fine sieve obviously. Ilove cooking quinoa in my instant pot, but I got spoiled with the TJ frozen precooked melange thing, oh my. I could eat a whole bag of that myself! Now that I'm down to just 2 1/2, we can have splurges like that. 

Anyways, yeah, rinse the quinoa if you're not. 

Costco sells big bags of pre-washed organic quinoa and that helps a lot.

[unsinkable]

You gals are awesome! (My girlfriend from the mid-west always uses the word gals. Plus fret. And if she says either one, I say "Don't you fret, gals." Then she glares at me).

I thought of 2 more:

sweet potatoes, baked (450 til done, about 45-60 minutes, depending on size). Top with sour cream sweetened with maple syrup. It sounds weird but is good. Or sub butter for sour cream.

Melt some butter (a couple tablespoons) in  a frying pan. Saute a pound or so of sliced or chopped mushrooms until they released their moisture and begin to soften. Add 8 oz cream cheese and cook until melted. Season with S&P.

You can add garlic but it tastes great either way.

serve with a baguette or crackers.

 

[moonflower]

All of mine are two ingredient (according to your rules).

I cut up the vegetable, I coat it in olive oil and salt, and I roast it.  I do this with zucchini, potatoes, turnips, onions, bell peppers, squash, sweet potatoes, etc.

I do do a very simple salad.  Green leaf lettuce, green onions, oil, balsamic.  Then if you want you can add: avocado, tomato, red bell pepper, kalamata olives, feta (haven't found a good nondairy so we don't do the feta ever)).  But as long as you have the onions and the EVOO/balsamic it works well.

[eagleynne]

"Fancy" Green Beans

1 small onion, sliced thin

1 medium tomato, sliced into thin wedges

1 can cut green beans

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Sautee the onion in the olive oil until softened. Add the green beans, tomato, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook until the green beans are heated through and the tomato is just starting to fall apart, about 5 minutes.

[WendyLady]

The green bean recipe above reminded me of one more.  Bacon wrapped green beans.

Buy the bag of ready to go green beans.  Blanch them  (boil for 2-3 minutes, until the green beans look bright green - drain quickly and rinse in cold water)

Grab the green beans by the handful and wrap in a strip of bacon. A bag of green beans makes 8-10 bundles.  If you pull the bacon tight, they won't fall apart and you don't need a toothpick. I prefer a smaller bundle, which ups the bacon to green bean ratio. 

Bake on a cookie sheet with sides so you don't get bacon grease all over your oven at 400 for 15-20 minutes, until the bacon is cooked. It feels like it always needs another 5 min.  The green beans can get a little dark, but they are still good!  

There are various recipes for a glaze for these - brown sugar, or butter/vinegar/onions, but the last few times I've made it, I didn't add anything and they were still great.  

They make are low carb friendly and make a simple dinner look really fancy - steak, potatoes and green bean bundles!  Yum! 

I've never used this recipe, but am posting it here so you can see what I'm talking about:

https://rachelschultz.com/2012/02/23/bacon-wrapped-green-beans-with-brown-sugar-glaze/