This weekend’s #SundaySupper challenge is making a dish limited to 5 ingredients. Being a fan of food author Michael Pollan I am very familiar with the 5 ingredient mantra. See Pollan did a book called In Defense of Food that looked to provide some guidance for today’s conscience eater. With so many foods, especially processed foods, having more ingredients than the Space Shuttle has parts, Pollan added a Rule that said to not eat anything with more than 5 ingredients as a way to avoid all the chemicals, added sugars, etc that affect our food choices more often than not.
Funny thing is Pollan backed off the 5 ingredient rule after he found Big Food pushing processed foods they made with 5 ingredients or less as healthy choices, even if they were not. The best example of retarding this rule is Haagen Daz Five ice cream which repackaged their product as “Five” even though they didn’t change the anything and used it as a way to position their product against other ice cream as a smarter food choice.
Another great example is a TV commercial for Tostidos tortilla chips touting it as better chip decision over Pringels even though both chips are high-fat, high-calorie choices. The ad confuses the issue and Pollan himself backed off the 5 Ingredient rule since the marketers found a way to pervert it.
So Pollan created a replacement rule, Don’t Eat What You See on TV:
If you want simple though here is a whole meal that requires only 5 ingredients
Blackened Cajun Chicken with Wild Rice & Asparagus
Serves 4
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 Tablespoons Cajun spice blend
3 Tablespoons butter
2 cups wild rice
1 bunch asparagus
Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
Coat the chicken breasts in a bowl with the Cajun spice blend. Heat a saute pan over medium high heat using 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the chicken breasts letting them “blacken” in the pan for about 5 minutes on each side. Place the chicken in the oven for 30 minutes.
While the chicken is in the oven…
Boil 2 1/2 cups of water and add 1 cup of wild rice once the water is boiling. After adding the rice, reduce the heat to a simmer and heat uncovered for 15 minutes. It’s done when the water is all evaporated.
Heat some water in a small pan and add the asparagus once boiling and cook for about 3 minutes. Drain and toss the cooked asparagus with 1 tablespoon of butter.
Remove the chicken from the oven and plate with the rice and asparagus.
For more 5 ingredient recipes from other #SundaySupper bloggers:
If you would like to CHAT with us personally….Please be sure you join us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper. We’ll be meeting up at 7:00 pm(Eastern) for our weekly #SundaySupper live chat where we’ll talk about our favorite 5 Ingredient Recipes! All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, or you can follow us through TweetChat! We’d also love to feature your easy go to recipes on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board and share them with all of our followers!
Breakfast, Starters, Butters and Jams:
- Pa Jun or Korean Scallion Pancakes – Kimchi Mom
- Homemade Instant Oatmeal – Home Cooking Memories
- GlutenFree Apricot Bacon Onion and Cheese Spread or Dip – Cooking Underwriter
- Caprese Bites – My Catholic Kitchen
- So Simple Pizza Puffs – Hip Foodie Mom
- Toast Topper #11: Allspice Peach Butter – What Smells So Good?
- Strawberry Balsamic Jam – The Messy Baker Blog
- Broccoli and Feta Frittata – Kwistin’s Favorites
Main Dishes:
- Fresh Basil and Tomato Pasta – I Run For Wine
- Gulasch – Galactosemia in PDX
- Spaghetti with Kale and Sausage – Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
- Appley Kielbasa – The Meltaways
- Shrimp Stuffed Potatoes – Juanita’s Cocina
- Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches – Supper for a Steal
- Sun Dried Tomato and Sausage Pasta – Small Wallet Big Appetite
- Pork Loin with Port Shallot Sauce – Vintage Kitchen Notes
- Chipotle Honey Lime Pork Tenderloin – Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Crockpot Chicken Tacos – The Hand That Rocks The Ladle
- Roasted Shrimp With Chili-Lime Sauce – Magnolia Days
- Peanut Butter Noodles – In the Kitchen with Audrey
- Soy, Orange Juice and Red Wine Marinated Flank – That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Beef Tenderloin with Stilton Pecan Butter – Noshing With The Nolands
- Herbed Butter Pork Chops – Brie’s Bites
- Creamy Ham Linguine – The Daily Dish Recipes
- Pesto, Tomato & Feta Pizza – Momma’s Meals
- Quick Black Bean Burritos – Diabetic Foodie
- Lumachine with Fresh Parmesan and Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce – Mama’s Blissful Bites
- Stuffed Shells – Cravings of a Lunatic
- Potato Kugel – From Fast Food to Fresh Food
- Garlic Butter Fried Rice – My Trials in the Kitchen
- Goat Cheese Alfredo – Family Foodie
- Roasted Moroccan Rack of Lamb – Maroc Mama
- Sweet and Nutty Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes – Mama.Mommy.Mom.
- Baked Sweet Potato with Maple-Jalapeno – Comfy Cuisine
- Freezable Bacon Egg and Cheese Sandwiches – Big Bear’s Wife
- Grilled Polenta Cakes – Lovely Pantry
Desserts:
- Nutella Ice Cream – Shockingly Delicious
- Fresh Mint Ice Cream with Mint M&M’s – The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
- Grilled Mango Parfait with Greek Yogurt & Silvered Almonds – Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
- Honey Macaroons – Pippis In the Kitchen Again
- Strawberry Frozen Yogurt – Damn Delicious
- Homemade Caramel Sauce – Chocolate Moosey
- Easy Chocolate Chilli Fudge – Soni’s Food for Thought
- White-Chocolate Raspberry Puff Pastry Doughnuts – The Weekend Gourmet
- Easy No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars – In The Kitchen With KP
- Chocolate-Caramel Ice Cream – Basic N Delicious
- Pumpkin and Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake – Baker Street
- Peanut Butter Cup Popcorn – Mom’s Test Kitchen
Beverages:
- Five Most Food Friendly Wines – ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
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