Each of these dishes only requires 5 ingredients or less – Orange County Register

For more than two decades, I oversaw a popular readers’ column called “Take Five.” Readers submitted recipes with five or fewer ingredients; the limitations did not apply to oil, salt or pepper. Before the Internet, submission letters cluttered my mail. I loved reading the recipes, imagining the flavors of the dishes and revitalizing their appearance, then testing the best of the lot in my kitchen.

Celebrity chef and cookbook author Jamie Oliver adopted five-ingredient recipe formats in his book “5 Ingredients—Quick and Easy Food.” His wife, Jools, encouraged him to write another book on this theme.

“She told me to stop thinking about other things,” he wrote, explaining that she was explaining that people’s lives are busy and parents of school-age children talk about formulas with short ingredients.

He again praised this format, this time using the “hero ingredients” of the Mediterranean. In “Jamie Oliver 5 Mediterranean Ingredients” (Flatiron Books), he assumes that olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper are part of every reader’s pantry, so these components don’t count in the limit.

Big flavor, small grocery lists.

Roast chicken, tender potatoes, herb salsa, roasted garlic

Pot Roast Chicken was inspired by Oliver’s recent trip to Barcelona, ​​Spain. He writes that herb salsas are very popular in Catalan cuisine. It enhances chicken and rich potatoes cooked in broth, with a vibrant nutty salsa.

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 whole chicken (3 pounds)

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes

1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley

1 bulb of garlic

1 1/2 ounce blanched hazelnuts

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub the chicken all over with olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper, then brown it in a large ovenproof casserole dish over high heat, removing it to a plate once it is completely browned (about 5 minutes). Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into 2-inch pieces. Pour 2 3/4 cups of water into the pot, then add the parsley stalks (stalks), garlic bulb (reserving 1 garlic clove for later), and potatoes. Bring to a boil over the heat for 15 minutes, season lightly, then place the chicken on top and place in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through.

2. Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the reserved garlic clove, very finely chop the parsley leaves and roughly chop the hazelnuts. Place in a small serving bowl, stir in 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and 4 tablespoons water and season to perfection.

3. Transfer the chicken and potatoes to a serving platter, spoon over the herb salsa, and serve the roasted garlic bulb alongside, pressing it from its papery skin on top.

Source: “Jamie Oliver 5 Mediterranean Ingredients” (Flatiron Books)

Mushroom soup, sour cream ripple, crispy mushrooms

Oliver writes that this mushroom soup was inspired by Montenegro, where he writes that “cooking is about extracting maximum flavor from fresh local produce.” For this soup, he uses mushrooms in two delicious ways.

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

4 cloves of garlic

10 ounces chopped frozen or fresh mixed onions, carrots and celery; see cook’s notes

1 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1/4 cup sour cream

Cook’s Notes: A mixture of diced onions, carrots and celery is often called mirepoix. Whole Foods often stocks frozen mirepoix under the Cascadian Farm label. If you can’t find it, you can substitute it with Trader Joe’s new version packaged in plastic tubs.

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel and thinly slice the garlic, then place it in a large ovenproof casserole dish over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons olive oil and the vegetable mixture. Fry for a few minutes while you slice 1 pound of mushrooms, then add them to the pan with a good pinch of black pepper. Cook for 10 minutes or until golden brown, then pour in the stock and cook for a further 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cut the remaining 1/2 pound of mushrooms (slice them so you have nice cross sections, tossing the trimmings into the soup as you go), place them on a rimmed baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and pepper and roast for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until nicely browned and crispy.

3. Once time is up, blend soup to desired consistency (divide into batches and puree in a food processor or use an immersion blender to puree), then season to taste. perfection. Divide among warm soup bowls, pour 1 tablespoon of sour cream into each and top with crispy mushrooms and a small drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if desired.

Source: “Jamie Oliver 5 Mediterranean Ingredients” (Flatiron Books)

Charred Brussels Sprouts with Creamy Dressing, Croutons and Parmesan Shavings

Oliver describes this as a “really fun and delicious dish to make.” If desired, use this charring technique with other Mediterranean cruciferous vegetables, such as broccolini, cauliflower or romanesco, adjusting the cooking time as needed. I love the flavor the topping brings; it’s a mixture of yogurt, lemon juice and parmesan. This blend wouldn’t win any beauty awards, but it tastes delicious.

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 pound Brussels sprouts (small to small-medium size)

1 3/4 ounces (about 1/3 cup grated) Parmesan, plus extra for serving, divided use

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 thick slices of sourdough bread