Weekday dinners needn’t be a chore. Lean how to make healthy, filling meals the speedy way with Absolutey’s round-up of the best recipes with five ingredients or less
Baby Bok Choi With Shrimp
INGREDIENTS
4 oz. bok choy mui/baby bok choi (cleaned and rinsed)
1/8 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 cup peeled baby shrimps
3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
METHOD
Heat up a wok with the cooking oil and saute the chopped garlic until light brown or aromatic. Add the baby shrimps and stir-fry until the shrimps are half-cooked. Add in a pinch of salt to the shrimp, and then follow by the baby bok choy. Quickly stir-fry the vegetables, dish out and serve hot.
COOKS NOTES
1. Do not overcook your vegetables. They should retain the vitality and crunchiness.
2. Please check out my Chinese greens with oyster sauce recipe.
Recipe from rasamalaysia.com
5 Ingredient Pea and Mint Soup Dinner
Serves 4
A thick, creamy soup you won’t believe is made with only 5 ingredients! Frozen peas will totally suffice for this recipe, so if you’ve got a bag lying around, this easy recipe is perfect to have up your sleeve!
INGREDIENTS
1 Baking Potato (approximately 350g),
1 White Onion,
500g (4.5 cups) Frozen Peas,
750ml (3 1/4 cups) Vegetable Stock,
1 Tablespoon Fresh Mint.
TOPPINGS
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil,
Salt and Pepper to taste.
STEPS
Heat 1 Tablespoon of Olive oil in a large stock pot on a low/medium heat. Saute the onion for 2-3 minutes until it just begins to soften.
Peel and dice the potatoes and add them to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes.
Add the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer for 12-15 minutes.
Add the peas and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
Add the fresh mint leaves and then blend the soup thoroughly until it is completely smooth. If the soup is too thick for you, you can add some more vegetable stock to thin it out until you have a consistency you like.
If you want your soup more minty, simply add more mint leaves!
Great on its own, but I love eating it with some croutons, a swirl of coconut cream and some fresh sliced spring onions.
Recipe from laurencariscooks.com
Pesto-Chicken Stuffed Peppers
INGREDIENTS
6 red, orange, or yellow bell peppers
2 chicken breast, cooked and shredded (You could also use a whole rotisserie chicken.)
1 1⁄2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided and shredded
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 (6.25 oz) jar of pesto
METHOD
Turn on broiler to high. Place bell peppers under broiler and broil from 5 minutes on each side until skin blisters and begins to turn black.
Remove peppers from oven, set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium size mixing bowl combine the shredded chicken with 1 cup shredded cheese, the pesto and the quinoa and toss to coat.
Once peppers are cool enough to handle, slice in half and remove membranes and seeds.
Add a heaping 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture to each pepper and top with cheese.
Bake for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
Recipe from layersofhappiness.com
Lemon Chicken With Asparagus Dinner
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
¼ cup flour
½ teaspoon salt, pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
1-2 cups chopped asparagus
2 lemons, sliced
2 tablespoons honey + 2 tablespoons butter (optional)
parsley for topping (optional)
METHOD
Chicken: Cover the chicken breasts with plastic wrap and pound until each pieces is about a ¾ of an inch thick. (NOTE: If your chicken breasts are really thick,you can just cut them in half horizontally to make thinner pieces rather than pounding. Works like a charm.) Place the flour and salt and pepper in a shallow dish and gently toss each chicken breast in the dish to coat. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat; add the chicken and saute for 3-5 minutes on each side, until golden brown, sprinkling each side with the lemon pepper directly in the pan. When the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, transfer to a plate.
Asparagus and Lemons: Add the chopped asparagus to the pan. Saute for a few minutes until bright green and tender crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside. Lay the lemon slices flat on the bottom of the pan and cook for a few minutes on each side without stirring so that they caramelize and pick up the browned bits left in the pan from the chicken and butter. (NOTE: adding a tiny pat of butter in with the lemons also helps prevent sticking and promote browning.) Remove the lemons from the pan and set aside.
Assembly: Layer all the ingredients back into the skillet – asparagus, chicken, and lemon slices on top.
Recipe from pinchofyum.com
Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
INGREDIENTS:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs total)*
2 cups favorite salsa
salt and pepper
(optional: fresh lime wedges for serving)
METHOD
Place chicken breasts in a slow cooker and cover with salsa. Toss until the chicken is covered.
Cover and cook on high for 4 hours (or low for 6-8 hours), or until the chicken shreds easily with a fork. Shred the chicken in the slow cooker and toss with the remaining salsa and juices until well-mixed. Serve immediately, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. (This chicken also freezes well.)
*You can really use just about any cut of chicken for this recipe. For easy shredding though (so that you don’t have to mess with bones), I recommend boneless chicken breasts or thighs. This should be about 2 lbs of chicken total.
Recipe from gimmesomeoven.com
Butternut Squash, Arugula And Goat Cheese Pasta Dinner
INGREDIENTS:
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced into 3/4-inch cubes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or any high-heat oil)
salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
12 ounces whole wheat dried pasta
2 ounces goat cheese
2 big handfuls fresh baby arugula
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
METHOD
Heat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or mist it with cooking spray).
In a large mixing bowl, combine the butternut squash and oil, and toss until the squash is evenly coated. Spread the squash out the prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping the squash at the halfway point then returning them to the oven, until the squash are cooked through and soft on the inside. Remove and set aside.
While the squash is cooking, bring a large stockpot of generously-salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook al dente, according to package instructions. Once it reaches al dente, scoop out about 1 cup of the pasta water and set it aside for later. Then drain the rest of the water and return the pasta to the stockpot.
Immediately add in the goat cheese along with 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water, and toss until the cheese is completely melted and is evenly coating the pasta. (If it seems too thick and you’d like a lighter “sauce”, add in a few more tablespoons of the pasta water at a time until the cheese reaches your desired consistency.) Add in the arugula, pine nuts and roasted butternut squash, and toss until combined.
Serve immediately, garnished with extra black pepper if desired.
Recipe from gimmesomeoven.com
BABY BOK CHOI WITH SHRIMP
INGREDIENTS
4 oz. bok choy mui/baby bok choi (cleaned and rinsed)
1/8 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 cup peeled baby shrimps
3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
METHOD
Heat up a wok with the cooking oil and saute the chopped garlic until light brown or aromatic. Add the baby shrimps and stir-fry until the shrimps are half-cooked. Add in a pinch of salt to the shrimp, and then follow by the baby bok choy. Quickly stir-fry the vegetables, dish out and serve hot.
COOKS NOTES
1. Do not overcook your vegetables. They should retain the vitality and crunchiness.
2. Please check out my Chinese greens with oyster sauce recipe.
Recipe from rasamalaysia.com
5 INGREDIENT PEA AND MINT SOUP
Serves 4
A thick, creamy soup you won’t believe is made with only 5 ingredients! Frozen peas will totally suffice for this recipe, so if you’ve got a bag lying around, this easy recipe is perfect to have up your sleeve!
INGREDIENTS
1 Baking Potato (approximately 350g),
1 White Onion,
500g (4.5 cups) Frozen Peas,
750ml (3 1/4 cups) Vegetable Stock,
1 Tablespoon Fresh Mint.
TOPPINGS
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil,
Salt and Pepper to taste.
STEPS
Heat 1 Tablespoon of Olive oil in a large stock pot on a low/medium heat. Saute the onion for 2-3 minutes until it just begins to soften.
Peel and dice the potatoes and add them to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes.
Add the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer for 12-15 minutes.
Add the peas and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
Add the fresh mint leaves and then blend the soup thoroughly until it is completely smooth. If the soup is too thick for you, you can add some more vegetable stock to thin it out until you have a consistency you like.
If you want your soup more minty, simply add more mint leaves!
Great on it’s own, but I love eating it with some croutons, a swirl of coconut cream and some fresh sliced spring onions.
Recipe from laurencariscooks.com
BAKED COCONUT CURRY COD
INGREDIENTS
4 individual cod fillets
Salt & pepper
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons curry paste
Chopped fresh cilantro (amount to taste)
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400˚F (200˚C). Season cod fillets with salt & pepper.
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together coconut milk, ginger and curry paste until smooth. Pour a thin layer of sauce into a large baking dish. Place fish on top, and pour remaining sauce into the pan.
Bake for 20 minutes (cod should be fully opaque and flakes easily with a fork).
Top fish with cilantro and serve with a generous portion of sauce.
CAULIFLOWER SOUP
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion (6 ounces), sliced thin
1 head very fresh cauliflower (about 1-1/2 pounds), broken into florets
5 1/2 cups water, divided
Extra virgin olive oil and salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
METHOD
Warm the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Sweat the onion in the olive oil over low heat without letting it brown for 15 minutes.
Add the cauliflower, salt to taste, and 1/2 cup water. Raise the heat slightly, cover the pot tightly and stew the cauliflower for 15 to 18 minutes, or until tender. Then add another 4 1/2 cups hot water, bring to a low simmer and cook an additional 20 minutes uncovered.
Working in batches, purée the soup in a blender to a very smooth, creamy consistency. Let the soup stand for 20 minutes. In this time it will thicken slightly.
Thin the soup with 1/2 cup hot water. Reheat the soup. Serve hot, drizzled with a thin stream of extra-virgin olive oil and freshly ground black pepper.
Recipe from food52.com
THAI SALMON
INGREDIENTS
6 x 6 oz sockeye salmon fillets, skin on or off
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Thai sweet chili sauce, divided
2 – 3 tbsp green onions, chopped
Cooking spray (I use Misto)
METHOD
In a large baking dish, lay down salmon fillets in a row. Each fillet – sprinkle with a pinch of salt and top with 1 tbsp Thai sweet chili sauce. Brush or rub with your fingers to coat fish with sauce evenly on top, bottom and sides. Cover and let marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight is the best (up to 24 hours).
Turn on oven’s broiler on High and position top oven rack 5″ – 6″ below the heat source. Line large baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper, spray with cooking spray and place salmon fillets skin side down (if any). Coat with remaining marinade from the dish (if any).
Broil for 8 minutes, rotating baking sheet once. Remove from the oven and brush top of each fillet with 2 tsp of Thai sweet chili sauce. Return to the oven and broil for another 5 minutes or until salmon has caramelized. Serve hot garnished with green onions, extra sauce (if desired) with brown rice or quinoa on a side.
Recipe from ifoodreal.com
LEMON CHICKEN WITH ASPARAGUS
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
¼ cup flour
½ teaspoon salt, pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
1-2 cups chopped asparagus
2 lemons, sliced
2 tablespoons honey + 2 tablespoons butter (optional)
parsley for topping (optional)
METHOD
Chicken: Cover the chicken breasts with plastic wrap and pound until each pieces is about a ¾ of an inch thick. (NOTE: If your chicken breasts are really thick, you can just cut them in half horizontally to make thinner pieces rather than pounding. Works like a charm.) Place the flour and salt and pepper in a shallow dish and gently toss each chicken breast in the dish to coat. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat; add the chicken and saute for 3-5 minutes on each side, until golden brown, sprinkling each side with the lemon pepper directly in the pan. When the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, transfer to a plate.
Asparagus and Lemons: Add the chopped asparagus to the pan. Saute for a few minutes until bright green and tender crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside. Lay the lemon slices flat on the bottom of the pan and cook for a few minutes on each side without stirring so that they caramelize and pick up the browned bits left in the pan from the chicken and butter. (NOTE: adding a tiny pat of butter in with the lemons also helps prevent sticking and promote browning.) Remove the lemons from the pan and set aside.
Assembly: Layer all the ingredients back into the skillet – asparagus, chicken, and lemon slices on top.
Recipe from pinchofyum.com
PESTO CHICKEN-STUFFED PEPPERS
INGREDIENTS
6 red, orange, or yellow bell peppers
2 chicken breast, cooked and shredded (You could also use a whole rotisserie chicken.)
1 1⁄2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided and shredded
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 (6.25 oz) jar of pesto
METHOD
Turn on broiler to high. Place bell peppers under broiler and broil from 5 minutes on each side until skin blisters and begins to turn black.
Remove peppers from oven, set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium size mixing bowl combine the shredded chicken with 1 cup shredded cheese, the pesto and the quinoa and toss to coat.
Once peppers are cool enough to handle, slice in half and remove membranes and seeds.
Add a heaping 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture to each pepper and top with cheese.
Bake for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
Recipe from layersofhappiness.com
SLOW COOKER SALSA CHICKEN
INGREDIENTS:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs total)*
2 cups favorite salsa
salt and pepper
(optional: fresh lime wedges for serving)
METHOD
Place chicken breasts in a slow cooker and cover with salsa. Toss until the chicken is covered.
Cover and cook on high for 4 hours (or low for 6-8 hours), or until the chicken shreds easily with a fork. Shred the chicken in the slow cooker and toss with the remaining salsa and juices until well-mixed. Serve immediately, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. (This chicken also freezes well.)
*You can really use just about any cut of chicken for this recipe. For easy shredding though (so that you don’t have to mess with bones), I recommend boneless chicken breasts or thighs. This should be about 2 lbs of chicken total.
Recipe from gimmesomeoven.com
Baked Coconut Curry Cod
INGREDIENTS
4 individual cod fillets
Salt & pepper
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons curry paste
Chopped fresh cilantro (amount to taste)
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400˚F (200˚C). Season cod fillets with salt & pepper.
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together coconut milk, ginger and curry paste until smooth. Pour a thin layer of sauce into a large baking dish. Place fish on top, and pour remaining sauce into the pan.
Bake for 20 minutes (cod should be fully opaque and flakes easily with a fork).
Top fish with cilantro and serve with a generous portion of sauce.
Cauliflower Soup
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion (6 ounces), sliced thin
1 head very fresh cauliflower (about 1-1/2 pounds), broken into florets
5 1/2 cups water, divided
Extra virgin olive oil and salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
METHOD
Warm the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Sweat the onion in the olive oil over low heat without letting it brown for 15 minutes.
Add the cauliflower, salt to taste, and 1/2 cup water. Raise the heat slightly, cover the pot tightly and stew the cauliflower for 15 to 18 minutes, or until tender. Then add another 4 1/2 cups hot water, bring to a low simmer and cook an additional 20 minutes uncovered.
Working in batches, purée the soup in a blender to a very smooth, creamy consistency. Let the soup stand for 20 minutes. In this time it will thicken slightly.
Thin the soup with 1/2 cup hot water. Reheat the soup. Serve hot, drizzled with a thin stream of extra-virgin olive oil and freshly ground black pepper.
Recipe from food52.com
BUTTERNUT SQUASH, ARUGULA AND GOAT CHEESE PASTA
INGREDIENTS:
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced into 3/4-inch cubes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or any high-heat oil)
salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
12 ounces whole wheat dried pasta
2 ounces goat cheese
2 big handfuls fresh baby arugula
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
METHOD
Heat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or mist it with cooking spray).
In a large mixing bowl, combine the butternut squash and oil, and toss until the squash is evenly coated. Spread the squash out the prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping the squash at the halfway point then returning them to the oven, until the squash are cooked through and soft on the inside. Remove and set aside.
While the squash is cooking, bring a large stockpot of generously-salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook al dente, according to package instructions. Once it reaches al dente, scoop out about 1 cup of the pasta water and set it aside for later. Then drain the rest of the water and return the pasta to the stockpot.
Immediately add in the goat cheese along with 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water, and toss until the cheese is completely melted and is evenly coating the pasta. (If it seems too thick and you’d like a lighter “sauce”, add in a few more tablespoons of the pasta water at a time until the cheese reaches your desired consistency.) Add in the arugula, pine nuts and roasted butternut squash, and toss until combined.
Serve immediately, garnished with extra black pepper if desired.
Recipe from gimmesomeoven.com
