Quick and easy … five-ingredient dinners

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Working from home certainly has its perks, but if somehow the day slipped has right through your fingers and now you’re facing the dinner time rut, we’ve got you covered! Here are three easy, five-ingredient dinner ideas from local chefs ready to swoop in and save the day!

Jean Pierre Le Roux, executive chef Salisbury Café, Westville

Surprise with Sophisticated Simplicity

“During the better part of lockdown, we’ve faced extreme culinary dilemmas … pizza, baked beans or beluga! Our creativity has flourished and made us more aware of our senses, we’ve missed the aroma of freshly baked bagels at our local bakery and, perhaps worst of all, because of financial limitations, we’ve missed the joy of splashing out on expensive treats. This dish takes five minutes to prep, 15 to cook and five to plate and has five main ingredients (with a few additional bits and pieces). It will awaken your taste buds and, with only five ingredients, is also the kind of dish that allows you to show off your culinary skills!”

Ingredients

1 Beef fillet (alternatively you can use game fillet or lean ostrich)

Fresh asparagus spears

Rice ‘angel hair’ noodles

Italian prosciutto or parma ham

Gooseberries

Method

Choose your cut (approximately 250g). Rub with olive oil and garlic, then season with salt, pepper and fresh thyme and let it rest for five minutes. Rinse asparagus spears in salt water and strain excess grime. Get your sneaky vino out the cupboard, pour some into a saucepan with butter, oil and beef stock. Add chives, salt and pepper and boil until the mixture is reduced. Add your gooseberries. In another pan, heat a dollop of butter and virgin oil until it simmers, then sear the meat on both sides until charred. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan for 10 minutes and cook until medium rare on the inside. In another pan, steam your asparagus for 7 minutes, strain the water, then glaze in a dash of butter and lemon juice until golden brown. In a small pan or oil fryer, heat some oil. Drop your noodles in for 10 seconds until crisp. When your meat is cooked, let it rest for 3 minutes while you wrap your asparagus spears with the prosciutto. To plate, make a nest with the noodles (you can add some chopped chives is you like), place your fillet on top, pour the gooseberry reduction. Assemble your spears facing the meat, and drizzle the left over lemon butter (with a little saffron if you dare) over them. Season to your liking and enjoy!

Guy Cluver, founder and owner of Bellevue Cafe and co-founder and owner of Lupa Osteria

Aglio Olio Pepperoncino

“One of my all-time favourite pasta dishes, this meal is really quick and easy and serves four people. I love the combination of the lemon, chilli, firm prawns, al dente pasta and fresh parsley. It’s heaven on a plate! I realise that this is a five-ingredient meal, but in my opinion, the chilli, garlic and lemon are condiments! I prefer my pasta a little looser than the classic version, but you can adjust accordingly to your own preferred taste by adding extra pasta water and /or extra virgin olive oil.”

Ingredients

400g Good quality dried pasta (spaghetti or linguine)

24 Peeled prawns

2 Red chillies, finely chopped

½ Cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Cloves of finely chopped fresh garlic

1 Large fresh lemon

1 Small bunch of finely chopped fresh parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Cook the pasta in lots of rapidly boiling salted water (according to your taste, but I recommend al dente). While the pasta is cooking, quickly fry the garlic and chopped chillies in the extra virgin olive oil. Add the prawns to the pan when the garlic is soft and starting to darken in colour. The prawns will cook really quickly so be careful to not overcook them. Cut the lemon in half and put it in your microwave oven for 30 seconds (this will allow you to extract all of the juice from the lemon). When the pasta is cooked, remove the noodles from the water with a set of tongs and add to the pan with the prawns, chilli and garlic. Make sure that you add some of the starchy pasta water to the pan. This will help the sauce to cling to the noodle. Squeeze the lemon juice and add the chopped parsley to the pan. Toss the pasta in the pan, adding more extra virgin olive oil and pasta water if necessary. Dish into warmed pasta bowls.

Note: An option is to throw in a handful of room temperature halved cherry tomatoes when you add the parsley and stir them through. They will cook in the hot pasta and add some sweetness to the dish. Serve with a crisp green salad with a vinaigrette dressing, crispy ciabatta and lots of ice cold Chenin Blanc!

Chef Musa Mkhize, under the helm of Andrew Calinikos renowned restaurateur and owner of 1904 Bistro Americain and Oscars Café

“Simple, quick and colourful, this dish for one is a hit when I’m looking for something tasty to knock up after a long day or to serve when entertaining friends (you can just adjust the ingredients accordingly) on a beautiful spring evening.”

Vietnamese-inspired Fresh Pan-fried Hake with Apple Salsa

Ingredients

Fillet of fresh hake

Two carrots

150ml Fresh cream

80g Fresh snow peas

1 Apple

1 Tomato

Method

Lightly dust fillet of hake in seasoned flour. Place in a moderately heated non-stick pan and fry for approximately 5 minutes either side, turning the heat down gradually. To make the creamed carrot puree, dice the carrots and simmer in fresh cream at very low heat and continue to stir, until they have softened. Remove from heat and allow to cool, and then blend in a food blender. Once smooth reheat your puree in a pan and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Boil water and add the snow peas and cook for one minute. Remove and strain. For the apple salsa, peel half an apple and dice it into even pieces and keep one side. Blanch one tomato in hot water and peel, try to remove the seeds and dice it up into even pieces. Add to the apple pieces in a bowl, season with salt and fresh chopped coriander stir in and mix. Plate to your preference and enjoy.

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