World's Simplest Recipes

[andiesenji]

Pork chops, salt, pepper, bacon drippings, water.

Requires cast iron skillet with tight cover.

[rebecca]

shakshuka: tomato sauce of chopped tinned or fresh tomato, onion, peppers, paprika, with eggs either cooked in the sauce or steamed soft in the shell ~5.5 mins. mmm... (i seem to be talking about this dish a lot recently! ... oops couldn't figure out how to link to the post without a long url making this one uglier.) of course it can be done with more ingredients, but it can also be done with less.

Edited March 1, 2011 by rebecca (log)

[Pierogi]

Pasta sauce with chopped, dead-ripe summer tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, fresh mozzarella and the herb of your choice. I've used both cilantro and basil successfully (...but not together !). Some minced jalapeno maybe if you're using cilantro. Salt and pepper. Let sit at room temp for about half an hour. Pour in hot, cooked pasta of your choice, cover and let sit a bit to soften the mozzarella. Sprinkle Parmesan and eat. One of my favorite summer dinners.

[ChrisTaylor]

Poule au pot.

Roast chicken, roast duck, roast lamb, roast pork belly, et al--plain and simple. There's something great about how it's possible to be blown away after taking a piece of animal, seasoning it and sliding it in the oven for a hour or two.

Edited March 1, 2011 by ChrisTaylor (log)

[Shalmanese]

Take peach

Eat peach

[Paul Bacino]

Take peach

Eat peach

I thought the " Allman Brothers " said that

[BadRabbit]

Fried cornbread

Fine ground corn meal (must be fine or extra fine ground)

Water

Salt

Oil for frying

Mix 1 tsp kosher salt per cup of corn meal. Add water until batter is considerably wetter than pancake batter about 125-150% of meal by volume.

Note: I've never actually measured the water so this is just a guess. You really just want it wet enough to spread out where there is an edge that is really thin and crispy.

Pour into just enough hot oil to cover the bottom of a cast iron pan. Use spatula to spread out so the edges are thinner than the middle (you still want the middle to be about 1/4 in). Fry until golden brown on both sides.

This sounds suspiciously like a thin jonnycake to me. Which, yes, is perfection. Although you use water, like we use for thick ones.

I've had johnny cakes before when I was in New England and although the taste is nearly the same, the execution seems to result in a different product texturally. I remember the johnnycakes being fairly uniform in texture while southern fried cornbread usually has a very crunchy and dark brown rim and the innner part of the circle is very moist and soft.

[llc45]

Pasta sauce with chopped, dead-ripe summer tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, fresh mozzarella and the herb of your choice. I've used both cilantro and basil successfully (...but not together !). Some minced jalapeno maybe if you're using cilantro. Salt and pepper. Let sit at room temp for about half an hour. Pour in hot, cooked pasta of your choice, cover and let sit a bit to soften the mozzarella. Sprinkle Parmesan and eat. One of my favorite summer dinners.

That is absolutely my favorite simple dish. Or leave out the mozzarella and serve over pan fried breaded cutlets (chicken or fish) served over arugula with some shaved parmesan.

[kayb]

French toast. 2 eggs, a half-cup heavy cream, challah. From the bakery, so it passes the simplicity test. Oh, and butter to fry it in.

[Beebs]

Cheese omelette.

[Toliver]

Take peach

Eat peach

Alice Waters...is that you?

How about Spaghetti Carbonarra? Pasta, bacon, eggs, and cheese (parm or romano). Simple and delicious.

[Chef Jonny]

Like the peach reply... I'm the same with pears.

Roast rib - I use pickling salt, rosemary, as much cracked pepper as I dare. Double down the salt, roast till done, scrape(some) salt off, enjoy with fingers.

[BadRabbit]

Speaking of peaches, I like to spray them with a little olive oil, sprinkle with salt and grill. Delicious.

[rarerollingobject]

Watermelon, sprinkled with salt, lime juice and ground chilli. Addictively sweet, hot, sour, salty and cooling.

[nickrey]

Slice Ciabatta. Toast. Top with freshly sliced sun-ripened warm tomato. Add shredded basil, a bit of sea salt, drizzle on a bit of olive oil. Eat.

To get fancy, add buffalo mozzarella in the mix.

Summer delight.

[Paul Bacino]

Watermelon, sprinkled with salt, lime juice and ground chilli. Addictively sweet, hot, sour, salty and cooling.

Now fresh mango with squeeze of lime comes to mind.

[Jeffery C]

Cream biscuits out of the Fanny Farmer, a recipe taught in classes held by Marion Cunningham & James Beard, where they used it as the shortcake with strawberries.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons sugar

1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled

melted butter for brushing tops of biscuits

sugar for sprinkling over

Preheat oven to 425 F Mix first four ingredients and sift. Make a well in center and pour in cream. Mix until dough comes together and knead just two turns. Press or roll out to 3/4-1" thick and cut into desired shapes. Place on cookie sheet either touching (if you want soft sides) or 1 inch apart (if you want crusty sides) and brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar if desired. Bake until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes if small individual, 18-20 if baking biscuits that are touching.

I like to take the raw biscuits and use them as the crust for pot pies. One spectacular version has goat cheese chunks and chives gently tossed in right before adding the cream.

[Jeffery C]

Badrabbit, try wrapping the peaches with thinly sliced pancetta before grilling!

Edited March 4, 2011 by Jeffery C (log)

[merstar]

Steamed Mussels with sauteed garlic and shallots in butter with dry white wine.

Broiled salmon with marinade of garlic, chopped cilantro, lime juice, and olive oil.

Penne with sauteed garlic in extra virgin olive oil, julienned bell peppers added, along with dry white wine, simmered until peppers are meltingly soft.

Pan-fried Trout in butter/oil with glaze of caramelized scallions and white wine.

Baked or Roasted tomatoes stuffed with blue cheese and/or Parmigiano Reggiano, topped with melted butter or extra virgin olive oil, breadcrumbs and herbs.

Bruschetta with garlic, tomatoes, basil, extra virgin olive oil.

Edited March 5, 2011 by merstar (log)

[Pierogi]

Good, rustic FLAVORFUL bread, drizzled with good olive oil, and toasted under the broiler, or in a really hot oven. Rub with the cut side of a garlic clove, and then take a ripe tomato, cut in half, and smear the flesh over the bread. Sprinkle with coarse salt.

Best. Bruschetta. Ever.

[Dave Hatfield]

I'm surprised given the attention its had that nobody has mentioned Dorie Greenspan's mustard batons.

One sheet flaky pastry. Cover half with Dijon mustard. Fold, cut into strips, bake, eat.

Delicious.

Gourmet version: Brush with beaten egg & sprinkle on sesame or cumin or poppy seeds prior to baking.

[FoodMuse]

My lazy night dinner recipe is fish fillet.

Spread salmon or bluefish fillet with a mix of 2 tablespoons Mayo and 1 Tablespoon Dijon and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Roast at 350 til done. Sometimes I'll finish it under the broiler to brown the cheese. The mayo really locks in the moisture.

@Dave thanks for posting about Dorie's baton recipe. I hadn't seen it. Will definitely use this for my next cocktail party.

[Cass]

Bagna Cauda with a Rustic Italian bread.

[Kouign Aman]

Take Peach. Slice. Add raspberries. Eat peach and raspberries.

Alfredo: pasta, cream, cheese, butter.

[rarerollingobject]

Fresh chevre, a head of garlic roasted till it's gooey and caramelised, and a crusty baguette. Schmear torn chunks bread with cheese, squeeze garlic cloves out on top, repeat. Heaven.

Cold silken tofu dressed with a smear of wasabi or yuzu koshou and some soy sauce.