Okay, so I wanted to see if I could actually make some decent meals using only 10 ingredients. I’m no chef, but I like to eat, and I like to keep things simple. So, I figured, 10 ingredients? How hard could it be? Turns out, it’s both easier and harder than I thought.
The First Attempt: Pasta Disaster (Almost)
My first go was a pasta dish. I grabbed some pasta, obviously. Then some canned tomatoes, garlic, onion, some dried oregano, basil… I was feeling pretty good. I even threw in some chicken for protein. I counted… crap, that is 6 ingredients! ok, I put olive oil, salt, pepper and cheese(for the top). Boom! 10.
I started by dicing the onion and garlic, then I tossed them in a pan with olive oil. I added the chicken, cooked it until it was brown, and then poured in the canned tomatoes. I sprinkled in the oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. While that was simmering, I boiled the pasta.
It looked… okay. The taste? Also okay. It wasn’t going to win any awards, but it was edible. And hey, I did it with 10 ingredients!
Round Two: Chicken and Veggies
Feeling a bit more confident, I decided to try a roasted chicken and vegetable dish. I picked up a whole chicken (does that count as one ingredient? I decided it did), some potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, rosemary, thyme… again reached 7, so I use the same olive oil, salt and pepper this time, that is 10!
I chopped up all the veggies, tossed them in olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme, and spread them out on a baking sheet. I rubbed the chicken with more olive oil, salt, pepper, and some extra rosemary, then placed it on top of the veggies.
I stuck the whole thing in the oven and… waited. This one actually smelled amazing while it was cooking. And the result? Much better than the pasta! The chicken was juicy, the veggies were roasted to perfection… I was pretty proud of myself.
The Takeaway
So, what did I learn from my 10-ingredient experiment? A few things:
- Planning is key. It’s easy to get carried away and grab too many things. Making a list beforehand really helps.
- Simple is good. You don’t need a ton of fancy ingredients to make something tasty.
- Seasoning is your friend. Salt, pepper, and a few herbs can go a long way.
- Counting is also my friend. I don’t want add more than 10 ingredients.
I’m definitely going to keep trying out more 10-ingredient recipes. It’s a fun challenge, and it forces me to be a little more creative in the kitchen. Plus, it makes grocery shopping a lot easier!
