5-Ingredient Recipes: Simple Dishes to Save Time and Money
These recipes turn just a few simple ingredients into incredibly tasty meals.
Cooking delicious meals at home doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. Whether you’re short on time, cooking on a budget, or are looking for something easy and healthy to make tonight, it’s possible to get cooking at home without the stress.
Here are three healthy recipes to try with only five ingredients or less:
3-Ingredient Pancakes
These pancakes are so delicious, you won’t believe how nutritious they are! Plus, they’re so simple to make.
Servings: 5-6 small pancakes
What you’ll need:
1 ripe banana
½ cup oats
1 egg
1 teaspoon butter or olive oil
Optional: blueberries, raspberries, or dark chocolate chips
Directions:
In a bowl, mash your banana well.
Add your oats and egg, and mix to make a batter.
Lightly coat a non-stick pan or griddle with butter or olive oil and place over medium heat.
Pour small amounts of batter onto the pan to form pancakes. Add any optional toppings you’d like included.
Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until the pancakes are golden brown and cooked through.
Remove from the heat and serve warm.
Simple Cauliflower Rice
This dish is a great substitute for regular rice in bowls, stir fries, and more. You can even mix it with regular rice as a way to add vegetables to your meal!
Servings: 4
What you’ll need:
1 head of cauliflower
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped scallions
Optional: ½ lime or 1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Remove your cauliflower leaves and chop the cauliflower into large pieces.
Fill your blender about halfway with cauliflower pieces (do not overfill) and add cold water to just cover the pieces.
Pulse a few times until the cauliflower feels like rice. (This usually takes a few short bursts - be careful not to overprocess, or it will become mushy.)
Pour the blended mixture through a fine mesh strainer to drain out the water. Press the rice against the sides of the strainer to squeeze out any moisture.
Continue to work in batches until you’ve processed all the cauliflower.
In a large skillet, add the olive oil and place over medium heat. Add in the scallions and cauliflower rice (in batches if necessary).
Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5-8 minutes, or until the cauliflower rice is tender with a slight bite but not mushy.
Season with salt, pepper, and optional lime juice and toss.
Simple Pan-Seared Salmon
Seared to perfection, this quick dinner recipe will make you feel like you're dining out tonight.
Servings: 2
What you’ll need:
2 (4-5 ounce) salmon filets
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
½ lemon
Directions:
Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel on both sides.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil and swirl to cover the entire surface.
When the oil is hot, add the salmon to the pan, flesh side down, and keep it there for about 3-5 minutes.
Flip with a spatula and sear the skin side for 3-5 minutes.
Check and make sure the inside does not look raw or too pink.
Remove the pan from the heat and let the salmon rest in the pan for another 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve warm.
If you're interested in more healthy, simple recipes, check out the Thrive Global Cookbook here.