For May I picked a much neglected book from my shelf called "200 Four-Ingredient Recipes". I have no idea when I acquired this book, or where from. It seems familiar, as though it has been in the family for a while and I think I brought it with me when we moved into this house, but it is not very well-used. All of the recipes include a maximum of four ingredients, with the exception of seasoning, although some include suggestions for additions too.
I was intrigued to see, particularly after some of the complex recipes from other months, whether ones with only four ingredients could really compare. The trickiest part was finding recipes that I felt would suffice as a meal, as many were for soups, smoothies and juices. Also, many of the main courses would have needed other side dishes to go with them. I could have made a main and two side dishes and still used less ingredients than some other recipes but I was keen to see if I could make a substantial meal from one recipe.
The first recipe was fettuccine alfredo, and was simply parmesan, cream and butter over fresh pasta. Whilst it didn't win any prizes for colour, or for vegetable content, it was a really lovely dish. I think it was a definite success as the recipe for four people disappeared, with The Husband having a rather large portion of seconds. While I do think it would have benefited from a salad on the side, the simple, classic flavours worked really well.
As I have started to do with the Cookery Calendar Challenge, the second dish was The Husband's choice, and we had a broad bean and pancetta risotto. The ingredients were risotto rice, herb stock, frozen broad beans and smoked pancetta. This included a suggestion to add parmesan shavings, and as I had some leftover from the pasta dish I decided to make it a five ingredient recipe! It was the first time I have used frozen broad beans, having enjoyed cooking with the ones from our vegetable patch last year. We decided to remove the tougher outer shells after cooking them, though I'm not sure that was necessary, and this was a really nice, filling dish. The leftovers made a very hearty lunch portion too, but I was glad to have added the parmesan as I think it made it a slightly richer dish.
Overall, the four-ingredient approach was a success, and I think I may well revisit the book in the future for some simple recipes that are a bit different to what we usually make. The book for June hasn't been chosen yet, so pop back next month to see what I went for. In the meantime do visit Penny's blog (click through the link below) to see how others are getting on with the challenge, and to find out how to join in too!
I've a similar (if not identical) recipe book entitled Best Ever Three & Four Ingredient Cookbook, which I must confess I haven't used very often. I'm more likely to reach for Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's version, Three Good Things. My heart sinks when confronted with a long list of ingredients - or complicated methods!
ReplyDeleteI vaguely remember flicking through Three Good Things at some point, is it a good book? I've discovered through the challenge how offputting I find excessive lists of ingredients! x
DeleteHi Katie, thank you for joining in again this month. I have often wondered what these 'Four Ingredients' type books are like, so this was an interesting read for me. I like the sound of both dishes you made, though agree some salad or veg with the pasta would have been a good idea. Looking forward to your recipes for next month X
ReplyDeleteThanks Penny, it has been a good chance to try a lesser-used recipe book! I'm still really enjoying joining in xx
DeleteI like this kind of simple cooking! I wouldn't limit myself to four ingredients but these recipes make a good starting point. I have never made a risotto without onion and garlic (the Italian in my would not let me do this) and I wonder how the risotto compares with a traditional one? I love to use frozen broad beans. I tend to remove the outer shells, too. Happy cooking.
ReplyDeleteI think using herb stock helped somewhat, though if I hadn't added the parmesan I think it would definitely be lacking in richness. Onion and garlic would have been welcome additions too, and if I were to use the book again outside of the challenge I would definitely use it as inspiration and expand a little! Thanks for visiting x
DeleteSounds as though it is a good book. It shows that you don't necessarily have to use lots of things to make something tasty doesn't it.
ReplyDeleteI think it is definitely one to use a little more often, just as a chance to try something simple but different. Thanks for visiting Amy x
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