5-Ingredient Dinners: Quick & Simple Recipes with Minimal Ingredients

Is your schedule jam-packed, leaving you with almost no time to prepare a satisfying dinner? Well, you’re not alone. Most of us have experienced the struggle of finding the time to prepare a decent meal. But worry no more, because I have collected five recipes that only require five ingredients. Not only are these dishes quick and easy to prepare, but they also taste incredible, proving once more that less is indeed more.

1. Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

This Italian classic perfectly captures the essence of minimalism. It infuses simple ingredients to create an irresistibly fragrant and tasty dish. All you need is spaghetti, olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes and fresh parsley.

Begin by cooking your spaghetti according to the instructions on the packet. While that’s boiling, heat some olive oil in a pan and add some finely chopped garlic and a sprinkle of red chilli flakes. As soon as the garlic turns golden, remove from the heat. Toss the drained pasta in this perfumed oil and sprinkle some chopped parsley right before serving.

2. Greek Lemon Chicken Skewers

This dish is proof that fewer ingredients can still lead to bursting flavors. For this recipe, you’ll need chicken breasts, lemon, Greek yogurt, garlic and fresh dill.

Start by cutting the chicken into cubes for skewering. In a bowl, combine the Greek yogurt with minced garlic, dill, and lemon zest and juice. Make enough to marinate your chicken and keep some to serve as a dipping sauce. Skewer the cubes and grill or bake until perfectly golden and serve with the sauce.

3. Caprese Salad

The Caprese salad is one of the most straightforward recipes out there, and it involves tomatoes, Buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil, olive oil and balsamic glaze.

Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella into thick rounds and arrange them on a platter with the basil leaves tucked in between. Drizzle some olive oil and a touch of balsamic glaze, and voila! You have a refreshing salad!

4. Honey Mustard Salmon

This five-ingredient main dish is both healthy and delicious. You will need salmon fillets, honey, mustard, garlic and parsley.

To start, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). In a bowl, combine honey, mustard and minced garlic. Place your salmon fillets on a baking sheet and glaze them generously with the honey mustard mixture. Bake for 12-15 minutes, sprinkle some chopped parsley on top, and dinner is ready!

5. Garlic Butter Shrimp

This sublimely simple recipe requires shrimp, butter, garlic, lemon juice and parsley.

Melt the butter in a hot pan and saute your shrimp until they turn pink. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute. Squeeze in some fresh lemon juice and sprinkle some chopped parsley, and there you have a mouthwatering bowl of garlic butter shrimp.

In conclusion, cooking doesn’t always require a long list of ingredients and oodles of time. Sometimes, a few ingredients and less than half an hour are all you need to whip up palatable and hearty meals. Happy cooking!