Three recipes that barely count as cooking

These meals are so delicious, and so incredibly simple

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I like cooking from recipes. I do! I own a ton of cookbooks (my own and others). I have a bookmarked “recipes” folder on both Instagram and TikTok. I am a faithful New York Times Cooking subscriber. But I use recipes for just a few dinners a week. The rest of my meals are basically ingredients, cooked simply, on a plate.

Today I’m going to share three bangers that are on rotation every week, but so simple it’s almost not cooking. Two are Whole30, one is not, because I love cannellini beans in my food freedom.

Recipe 1: Shredded buffalo chicken

I make this once a week, because it’s so easy, versatile, and delicious. (It’s also my kid’s favorite breakfast.) You just need a slow cooker. (You could use a pressure cooker, but I don’t have the cooking times for that.)

• 2 lbs chicken breast

• 1 bottle Primal Kitchen Buffalo Sauce (← Whole30). You can use any brand you love, like Frank’s Red Hot (also Whole30 compatible) or Kinder’s Buttery Buffalo (not compatible)

• A hearty scoop of butter or ghee (← Whole30)

• 1 packet Ranch seasoning (optional). As this contain dairy, it’s not Whole30, and it’s not necessary for deliciousness.

When I say “a hearty scoop” I mean maybe 2 tablespoons? I never measure, because it doesn’t matter. Dump the raw chicken in the slow cooker. Add the entire bottle of buffalo sauce. Add the butter or ghee. Sprinkle the Ranch packet, if using.

Cook on high for 4 hours, stirring once when you notice the butter has melted. Shred the chicken in the slow cooker using two forks or shredding claws (my favorite). Serve with/on/over everything.

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Tip: Ninety-nine percent of the time, I eat this with jasmine rice, topped with pickled onions and jalapeños. You could add it to any green salad; scramble it into eggs with a side of salsa and avocado; put them in tacos; or dump on top of a baked potato. You could also add a tub of Kite Hill cream cheese (←Whole30) or Philly cream cheese to the slow cooker and turn it into a creamy buffalo chicken dip. Granted, this chicken is not a meal all by itself, but it makes adding protein to whatever veggies or grains you have effortless.

Recipe 2: Air fryer salmon

This is the meal my son and husband say they could eat every day. You could pan-fry the salmon if you don’t have an air fryer, but the air fryer is what makes this meal so easy. This also lets everything cook (and finish) at the same time.

• 4 salmon filets (about 1 lb), skin on, cut into 2” cubes

• Cooking oil spray or air fryer spray

• Blackening rub, salt and pepper, or any seafood seasoning

• 1 bunch asparagus (I like skinny stalks), trimmed

• 1 lemon

• Jasmine rice or cauliflower rice (← Whole30)

Pre-heat your oven to 400F. On a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, lay out the asparagus, being careful not to crowd the sheet. Drizzle oil and mix, add salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes or until you’ve reached the achieved level of browning.

While the asparagus is cooking, pre-heat your air fryer to 400F. (This takes about 3 minutes.) Lightly oil all sides of the salmon cubes. Add seasoning to the top (not the skin side) of salmon cubes. Place cubes in air fryer skin-side down and cook for 8 minutes. Do this in two batches, so as not to crowd the air fryer.

Serve with asparagus (squeeze of lemon) and any kind of rice.

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Tip: Your air fry time may vary with the size of your salmon cubes. I usually go in after 6 minutes and cut one in half to see where we are. From there I can tell if it needs another minute or two. You can serve this salmon with any veggie, but we love crispy browned asparagus. I’ve used fresh and frozen (thawed) salmon here with great success. You could serve with a spicy mayo or chimichurri, but we usually just let the seasoning and crispy skin do the talking.

Recipe #3: Taco meat

Okay, there is some chopping in this one. This is a recipe I’ve adapted from Make it Dairy Free, but I’ve taken so many shortcuts that it barely counts as a recipe anymore.

• 1 pound ground meat (turkey, chicken, beef)

• 1 large yellow onion, diced

• 1 large bell pepper (any color), diced

• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (optional)

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (←not Whole30)

• 1 packet Siete taco mix (mild or hot)

• Cilantro

• Limes

Put a large, high-walled pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add a small amount of cooking oil. Once hot, add the ground meat. Stir occasionally, breaking up pieces, until it’s browned.

While the meat is browning, dice the onion, pepper, and jalapeno (if using). Put the garlic through a garlic press, or use 1 teaspoon of jarred garlic (my favorite shortcut).

Remove the ground meat from the pan. In the same pan, add the onion, pepper, jalapeno, and garlic. Cook until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add the cooked ground meat and black beans to the pan and stir to combine with the veggies. Add taco mix and mix thoroughly.

Serve with cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.

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Tip: This is technically a complete meal, although a big light on veggies. You can add any veggies you want to this mix. Corn, cabbage, zucchini, and even sweet potato (diced) would bulk it up. You can also top it with cotija or Mexican cheese, sour cream, crumbled tortilla chips, hot sauce, salsa, and/or guac. It’s also delicious over a crisp, sturdy-leaf salad, over white or cauliflower rice, or in hard or soft shell tacos. It also reheats like a dream, so feel free to double the recipe.

If you made these three “recipes” once a week, you’d have varied protein all week long. Share your favorite “barely a recipe” meal in the comments, so we can all simplify our meal prep.

XO, MU

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