We’re at that odd in-between point in the year. It’s not fully winter; it’s not yet spring. The evenings are slowly getting lighter, but the clocks don’t spring forward until next Sunday. It seems like everyone feels rushed and drained at the same time!
A few weeks ago, we wrote a blog on meals you can make in 30 minutes. We want to save you time in the kitchen. Today, we’re focusing on meals that only require five ingredients. We want to simplify your nights. On dark nights, we feel too tired to cook. And once the clocks spring forward, we’re too busy enjoying our extra hour of sunshine to be in the kitchen! All of these meals include a meat and a vegetable to help you get a complete meal on the table without making a huge effort!
When looking for recipes, we quickly realized we had to be flexible. We decided that salt, pepper and fat for cooking don’t count in our ingredients total. Otherwise, this would have been an almost impossible list to curate — or at least a bland one! But we did draw a line in the sand! We saw a recipe that claimed to have only five ingredients but exceeded that by calling for the juice of a lemon and the lemon rind. Not everyone always has a lemon in their kitchen. But we assume everybody has salt, pepper and some sort of cooking fat!
We love this classic dish. Some people serve it with mashed cauliflower, but it’s perfect on its own! It’s delicious and filling and has the rich, earthy flavor from the mushrooms that also boost gut health. While the recipe calls for wine, if you are an alcohol-free house, you can use chicken broth and half a tablespoon of white wine vinegar to add the correct acidity to the dish and balance the flavors. A serving has 325 calories, four grams of carbs, one gram of fiber and 20 grams of fat. Get the recipe.
We love roast chicken and potatoes. Everyone does. The problem is you have to pay attention to the chicken, or it cooks unevenly, and the potatoes can cause problems for blood sugar. Instead of that, this dish has tasty radishes stepping in with the same texture as baked potatoes, and the dish has the ease of cooking of a casserole! That is so much easier! While it takes time in the oven, it’s not something you have to watch, but you get a great meal that your whole family will love, and you won’t feel like you’re missing out on a roast chicken dinner! A serving has 330 calories, five grams of carbs, two grams of fiber and 18 grams of fat. Get the recipe.
This recipe is almost like keto Shake and Bake. So, obviously, it’s delicious. But we think it needs a little tweaking. Unless the asparagus is incredibly thin, it’s not being baked long enough. Our recommendation would be to shake the pork chops in the bag, put them in the dish, then shake the asparagus in the same bag and add them to the dish as well. Then, your asparagus is well seasoned and cooked all the way through. A serving has 302 calories, six grams of carbs, one gram of fiber and 20 grams of fat. Get the recipe.
This meal is delightfully simple. Many people assume that sausages are off the menu if you are careful about carbs. But many sausages are fine. But you must read labels to ensure they aren’t stuffed with fillers! Pairing sausage with brussel sprouts helps you get your veggies in and adds fiber to round out the meals. A serving has 285 calories, 10 grams of carbs, five grams of fiber and 15.2 grams of fat. Get the recipe.
With one of these four dishes, we’re sure you can have a great meal on the table without stressing over a ton of ingredients. Dinner should be a pleasure, not a chore. So enjoy a great meal without a ton of work!
