How to Serve a Complete Food With a Two Ingredient Recipe
Now that spring has officially arrived and we get full, uninterrupted sunny days, indoor cooking seems less fun than it did in cooler times. In spring and summer, calm, effortless meals that require minimal cooking are important, as warm days and evenings are best spent outdoors with people you like.
Below you will find a menu made entirely of delicacies with two ingredients, only one of which requires preparation. Throw in a loaf of good bread and a few salty olives for a snack in between meals for a light yet completely satisfying meal in warm weather.
Starter: melon in prosciutto
This salty-sweet combination is classic for several reasons, the main one being how good the thin, silky slices of super-salty prosciutto are wrapped around a juicy sweet melon. Serve on skewers or toothpicks.
Alternative: Use fried pineapple instead of melon.
Basics: grilled sausage and very good mustard
While Bon Appetit considers this to be the best snack of all time, I think it works just as well as a meat-based main course, especially when you pair it with a fresh side dish (which we’ll talk about a little later). Simply toss the whole sausage on the grill (or in the cast iron) until deeply browned, chop and serve with one or more very good mustards.
Alternative: Have some grilled shrimp and an incredibly thick horseradish cocktail sauce .
Side: Radish and softened salted butter
A bright, slightly spicy radish dipped in butter is a surprisingly perfect blend of rich and aggressively fresh, especially if you can find a breakfast radish. Just make sure the butter is completely soft and salt twice. Trim and cut the radishes in half or quarters, and line a few molds with the dipping oil.
Additional Benefits: Try a tastier oil like brie oil, black garlic oil, or Icelandic skirr oil .
Dessert: fresh fruit and cream
It’ll get even easier to accomplish as we get a little closer to spring, but fresh sugary berries, plump, juicy peaches and nectarines require nothing more than a healthy spoon or two heavy cream to make them insanely indulgent. (If necessary, add a small bowl of granulated sugar and a pitcher of cream, but really ripe seasonal fruit won’t need this.)
Alternative: If it’s too early for strawberries, use a few end-of-season apples and aged gouda or very spicy cheddar.
Cocktail: something and soda
Pick your favorite trendy vermouth , Italian aperitif or bittersweet liqueur and place it on lowballs, an ice bucket and a bottle of sparkling soda. Let the guests mix them themselves.
Extra credit: If you want to put a little more effort into the booze section, choose from our extensive list of three-ingredient cocktails, or create your own gin and tonic bar . People love to play bartender.