I love grocery shopping. When I travel, I don’t always hit the landmarks and must-sees. Instead, I’m beelining to supermarkets, open-air markets, specialty stores, convenience stores. My corner grocer has only two aisles, and on every visit, I go up and down each one to see if there’s anything new or anything discounted. “Oh, does this recipe need something we don’t have? I guess I’ll go get it,” I fake-exasperatedly say as I’m already walking out the door, tote bag on arm.

But maybe this isn’t you. It’s not always me, either, especially as we enter the part of the year when it’s much nicer to spend free time outdoors than under fluorescent lights. In that spirit, I’m passing you Krysten Chambrot’s excellent collection of recipes that have seven ingredients or fewer, and sharing some of my favorite fast, seven-items-or-fewer dishes below. (We’re not counting oil, salt or pepper.)

Pork Meatballs With Ginger and Fish Sauce

These nuoc cham-inspired meatballs are perfect to fill lettuce cups topped with fresh basil or cilantro. (Add steamed rice for a more substantial meal.) The Ritz crackers here make for a juicier meatball, but feel free to substitute plain dry breadcrumbs. To make the Ritz crumbs, place the crackers in a resealable plastic bag and lightly crush them with the back of a wooden spoon or measuring cup. For an easy dipping sauce, spike 1/4 cup mayonnaise with 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil or soy sauce. And save any leftover meatballs: They’re great simmered in chicken broth the next day. The ginger and garlic in them release their aromatics into the broth for a deeply flavorful soup base.

By Kay Chun

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons peeled and minced ginger

1 tablespoon minced garlic (from about 3 large cloves)

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup finely crushed Ritz crackers (12 crackers)

1 pound ground pork

Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and use your hands to gently mix.

2. Shape the meat into 12 golf-ball-size rounds (about 2 inches in diameter) and arrange on a greased rimmed baking sheet.

3. Bake until golden and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Tip:

Leftover meatballs freeze well and can be reheated in the oven at 375 degrees until warmed through (about 20 minutes).

Crispy Chicken With Lime Butter

You don’t need a thermometer to know when these chicken thighs are done. You just need your ears. In this recipe, chicken thighs are slow-seared using a technique from chef Paul Bertolli called “bottom-up cooking” where the chicken cooks almost entirely on the skin side over moderate heat, resulting in shatteringly crisp skin. The gentle sputtering sound that signals the release of moisture from the chicken hitting the hot fat in the pan stops when the meat is fully cooked and the skin crisp and evenly browned. A quick pan sauce of chicken stock, lime juice and maple syrup, made glossy with a few pats of butter, completes this dish.

By Eric Kim

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

4 large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon peanut or canola oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 cup chicken stock or 1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving

2 teaspoons maple syrup

3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pats

Parsley, cilantro, basil or mint leaves, for serving (optional)

Preparation:

1. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. If you have time, set aside at room temperature for at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium. Add the oil and swirl the pan to coat it. Place the chicken skin side down and cook without moving it until the skin is crispy and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Reduce the heat if the chicken splatters too much or browns too quickly.

3. Add the garlic to the pan. Flip the chicken and cook until the bottom is lightly browned and the meat is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, skin side up. Remove all but 3 tablespoons of the fat from the pan and save for another use (see Tip).

4. Add the chicken stock, lime juice and maple syrup to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over high, then reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the butter and continue simmering, now stirring constantly, until incorporated; the sauce will thicken and become shiny as the butter melts. Taste and add more salt and pepper as desired.

5. Serve the chicken with the pan sauce, lime wedges and the optional fresh herbs (spritzed with a little lime juice and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper).

Tip:

Rendered chicken fat, sometimes called schmaltz when clarified, can be used to pan-fry vegetables and meat; to enrich a soup, stew, sauce or tomato-based braise; or to spread on toast.

Five-Ingredient Creamy Miso Pasta

This one-pot pasta comes together in minutes and requires zero prep and minimal cleanup. It builds on the classic combination of pasta, butter and cheese with a spoonful of miso paste for complexity. But you could experiment with using any other condiments or spices you have on hand, such as red pesto, curry paste or ground turmeric in place of the miso. To achieve a silky smooth pasta, you’ll need to put your cacio e pepe skills to work: Vigorously toss the pasta, grated cheese and pasta water together to achieve a properly emulsified sauce. Top with shrimp, edamame, frozen peas or any steamed vegetable. The optional nori or furikake imparts an unexpected flavor of the sea, and it’s worth using if you have it on hand.

By Alexa Weibel

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

Kosher salt

16 ounces spaghetti, linguine or bucatini

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons white (or red) miso

4 ounces Parmesan, finely grated (1 packed cup)

Kizami nori, furikake or thinly sliced seaweed snacks, for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Reserve 1 1/2 cups pasta water, then drain the pasta.

2. Add the butter, miso and 1 1/4 cups pasta water to the pot and whisk over medium heat until miso breaks down and liquid is uniform, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the pasta and Parmesan and cook, stirring vigorously with tongs until cheese is melted and sauce emulsifies. (The key word here is “vigorously.” To achieve a silky smooth pasta instead of a gloppy one, put your cacio e pepe skills to work.)

3. Divide among shallow bowls and sprinkle with nori or furikake, if using.

4. Sheet-Pan Mushroom Parmigiana

This smart weeknight dinner offers all the comforting flavors of a classic parmigiana, but with minimal work. Earthy portobello mushrooms are used here, offering a perfect cradle for the red sauce and creamy mozzarella. Use good quality store-bought marinara sauce (vodka, arrabiata or amatriciana), a much-underrated pantry item that can turn around a meal quickly. This flexible recipe can be scaled up or down without too much fuss. It accounts for two portobello mushrooms per person, but if you’re serving them with pasta or a salad, you could reduce to one each. The basil-scented breadcrumbs finish the mushrooms with a lovely, herbaceous crunch. Extra breadcrumbs keep well in an airtight container and are wonderful for topping pasta, salads, soups and roasted vegetables.

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

10 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (1 pint)

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and black pepper

8 portobello mushrooms, stems removed

3 cups store-bought or homemade marinara sauce

3 cups (12 ounces) shredded low-moisture mozzarella

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup (1/2 ounce) basil leaves, finely chopped, plus more leaves for topping

Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange the cherry tomatoes on a sheet pan, along with half the garlic, and drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper and toss to coat the tomatoes.

2. To the sheet pan, add the mushroom caps in between the tomatoes, gill side up, and drizzle each generously with olive oil. (Don’t skimp here, as the olive oil will add lots of rich flavor.) Scatter the mushrooms with the remaining garlic and season each mushroom with salt and black pepper. Fill each mushroom with marinara sauce and top with cheese. Place in the oven and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbly and golden.

3. Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet over medium-high. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the breadcrumbs, basil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden. Remove from heat immediately and transfer to a bowl or jar.

4. To serve, transfer mushrooms to serving plates, along with a few of the roasted cherry tomatoes. Top each mushroom with the basil breadcrumbs and scatter with a few basil leaves.

5. One-Pot Beans, Greens and Grains

Many filling, flavorful and flexible meals are within reach with this technique: It produces fluffy grains, just-soft-enough greens and creamy and garlicky beans all in one pot. Customize your mix based on your cravings and your pantry: Use any dark leafy greens and any cooked legumes. Use quinoa, rice or a mix of the two for a variety of textures; for other grains, refer to the cooking instructions on their package and add the greens in the last 5 to 7 minutes. You can infuse the grains with flavor by stirring ground spices or other seasonings into the pot. Add brightness with lemon and garnish wildly — or not at all. This meal can be eaten warm or cold, which means lunchtime grain bowls are now easier to pull off.

By Ali Slagle

Yield: 2 to 4 servings

Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups water or broth

1 cup quinoa, long-grain white rice or a mix of the two, rinsed

Salt and black pepper

1 (14-ounce) can of any beans

1 small garlic clove

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 bunch collard greens, kale, spinach or other hearty dark leafy green

1 lemon

Toppings (optional): toasted nuts or seeds, fresh herbs, grated or crumbled cheese, soft-boiled egg, avocado, hot sauce or other sauces and so on

Preparation:

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, bring the water, quinoa and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper to a boil over high. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 13 minutes.

2. While the quinoa cooks, drain and rinse the beans, then transfer to a small bowl. Finely grate the garlic over the beans, then add the oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper and stir to combine. Set aside. Remove and discard any tough stems from the greens, then roughly chop the leaves.

3. After 13 minutes, arrange the greens on top of the quinoa and season well with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until the quinoa is tender, 5 to 7 minutes. (When the quinoa is tender, it’s also translucent and has a thin white tail.) Remove the pot from heat, scrape the beans over the greens, then cover the pot and let sit for 5 minutes.

4. Finely grate some of the lemon zest over the beans and greens, then cut the lemon into wedges. Eat the beans, greens and grains with a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste and any toppings you like.

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This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

By Mia Leimkuhler/Julia Gartland
c. 2025 The New York Times Company