Cooking with Books – The Best 3-Ingredient Recipes
Books are compendiums of knowledge, and with them, you can learn to cook. The important thing is to start learning the basics of cooking, put it into practice, and enjoy it.
With books you can learn to cook and not only that, you can go far in the professional world. Many of our best chefs, recognized internationally, with stars, suns, and most importantly, by their customers, have started learning cooking from books, to which they have added practice, talent, and passion. At home, you have to do the same, but for a smaller audience.
It is possible to cook healthy dishes at home without complicating our lives, so we have made a selection of light and delicious recipes that only need three ingredients.
1. Ham, Cheese and Zucchini Pikelets
A speedy dish that doesn’t even need salt. The zucchini pancake is the base, and you can add some good ham, prioritizing the lean side, cheese, and there you have a nutritionally complete and full of flavor dish that will leave you well satiated.
Ingredients for two people: 1 large or two small zucchinis, 100 g of cheese, 50 g of chopped serrano ham, thyme (optional and to taste).
You should use a sharp knife to cut slices of zucchini. Put those on the grill until they are golden on both sides. Cover the bottom of the pan with cheddar, mozzarella, or emmental. Then let the cheese melt with the heat. To speed up the process, you can put a saucepan lid on the pan. Add the chopped ham and fresh thyme, but that is optional. Serve it hot.
2. Green Beans
Green beans are beneficial when it comes to dieting, but they don’t have to be a bland, dull, and boring dish.
Ingredients for 2-4 people: 200 g of flat green beans, 10 g of flour, 15 g of butter, salt, and plenty of water for baking.
Clean the beans by cutting the tips. Cook for exactly 5 minutes in salt water and chill in ice water to reduce the cooking. You can cut them lengthwise to get very very thin or narrow beans. In a pan, mix a stick of butter with half a tablespoon of flour and make a roux. You can add a little of the cooking water until you get a very light creampie, in which you will heat the green bean strips that will be napping or covering with that cream. And they are ready to serve and surprise everyone with their color, texture, and flavor.
3. Pumpkin in Creamy Dill Sauce
When it is cold outside, it makes you want to go back to spoon dishes, and vegetable creams are the best option. Our favorite is pumpkin, and with this recipe, we only need to add a few ingredients to get a lot of flavors. Fresh dill works wonders in the kitchen and combines very well with almost all vegetables.
Ingredients for four people: 500 g of pumpkin, 400-500 ml of broth, a bunch of dill sauce.
Peel, clean, and cut the pumpkin into pieces of equal size. Weigh and use 500 grams. You can place it in a large saucepan and put the dill on it, without the stems. Water with vegetable stock and bring to a boil. When the boil starts, lower the heat and cook about 20 minutes. The time will depend on the size of the pumpkin pieces. If your vegetable stock is not spiced, it will be necessary to pepper the cream. Test first to make sure there is not too much sault. When the pumpkin is tender, crush it and serve immediately.
4.Grilled Boletus edulis
You can use any seasonal mushrooms or canned or frozen versions. The mushrooms are very light, but they have a lot of flavors and a delicious texture. They are cooked in a few minutes and perfect to combine with a delightful sweet egg yolk, which also provides valuable nutrients.
Ingredients for two people: 300 gr of fresh boletus edulis (one big mushroom or two or three smaller ones), one egg yolk, and two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
Start cleaning the boletus, sharpening the foot with a knife, and cutting the surface. With a damp paper towel, wipe the surface, leaving it very clean and dry. Cut those mushrooms into sheets of a couple of millimeters thick. Heat a pan until it is scorching and add a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and sauté the mushrooms that will turn from white to yellowish. Then they will be roasting as if they were pieces of meat. Once you reach the desired point, turn off the heat, place all the parts together, and add an egg yolk, which will cook slightly with the residual heat. Serve immediately.
5.Squid with Asparagus
Squid can be cooked in a thousand ways, and they go very well with delicate caramelized onions and asparagus that provide texture and many nutrients to the dish.
Ingredients for four people: 10 small squid, one onion, a bunch of asparagus, extra virgin olive oil, and salt.
Clean the squid thoroughly, emptying its interior, separating the tentacles, and removing the beak. While you caramelize the onions in their sugar, confit it in abundant oil. In the pan, fry the squid and drain the oil well. As soon as you have plenty of liquid, add the chopped asparagus when it begins to sizzle and add the caramelized onions. Then turn off the heat, letting it rest for a minute or two before serving.
