Serves: 5

Just when you thought it couldn’t get easier: this chapter contains recipes that use only four ingredients (not counting seasonings) to make the main dish! Some meals need only a salad to make them complete others may need a side of rice, colorful vegetables, or crusty hot bread. But either way, it can’t get much simpler than this.

These recipes come in handy when your time is limited. By using high-flavored ingredients and convenience products that contain several ingredients in one product, such as picante sauce or herb stuffing, the ingredient list can be shortened greatly. When you are creating your own recipes, keep in mind that picante sauce is a multi-purpose item. Because it contains peppers, onions, tomatoes, and seasonings, it can be used practically anywhere a recipe calls for these ingredients, and all in one bottle.

My other trick, reducing ingredients--that is, cooking them down to a more concentrated form over high heat--is a wonderful and easy way to get more intense flavor without adding extra ingredients, fat, or time. Just be sure that you remove any meat or poultry from the dish before you reduce or you will overcook it. You’ll love this quick way to make a great sauce!

More Recipes from the Last Minute Meals for People with Diabetes Cookbook:
*Meals Maxed at 4
Beef Sirloin With Onions
Chicken And Vegetables With Onion Sauce
Dijon Pork And Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes
Feta'd Eggplant With Tomatoes
Fisherman Oyster Chowder
Fresh Lime'd Pork
Hamburger Roundup
Meat Loaf Picante
Onion Pork Chops
Peasant-Style White Beans And Rice
Rustic Cabbage And Noodles
Skillet Chicken And Stuffing
Sweet And Tangy Chicken
Thick And Beefy Pinto Bean Stew