A handful of versatile ingredients that can be combined in countless ways to create a wide variety of dishes include:1. Eggs:
Breakfast: Scrambled, fried, omelets, frittatas, shakshuka.
Lunch/Dinner: Quiches, frittatas, additions to salads, fried rice, pasta dishes.
Baking: Essential for cakes, cookies, breads, and as a binder.1
Sauces: Mayonnaise, hollandaise.
2. All-Purpose Flour:
Baking: Bread, cakes, cookies, muffins, pancakes, waffles, pastries.2
Sauces & Gravies: Thickener.3
Coatings: For frying meats and vegetables.4
Pasta & Noodles: Can be used to make homemade pasta.5
3. Onion:
Flavor Base: For soups, stews, sauces, stir-fries, curries.
Vegetable Dish: Roasted, caramelized, grilled.6
Salads & Toppings: Raw or pickled.7
4. Garlic:
Flavor Enhancer: For almost any savory dish, including pasta, meats, vegetables, soups, and sauces.
Standalone Flavor: Roasted garlic spread.
5. Cooking Oil (Olive, Vegetable, etc.):
Sautéing & Stir-frying: Essential for cooking many dishes.
Roasting: Coats vegetables and meats for roasting.8
Baking: Used in some cakes and breads.9
Salad Dressings: Base for vinaigrettes.
Frying: For deep-frying or pan-frying.
6. Salt:
Flavor Enhancer: Essential for bringing out the taste in all types of food, both sweet and savory.10
Preservative: Used in curing and pickling.11
7. Black Pepper:
Flavor Enhancer: Adds a pungent kick to a wide range of dishes.12
With just these seven ingredients, you can make:
Various types of eggs (omelets with sautéed onions, etc.)
Pancakes and waffles13
Simple breads or flatbreads
Pasta dishes with garlic and oil, or simple sauces thickened with flour
Stir-fries with onions and garlic14
Roasted vegetables (onions, etc.)
Basic soups and stews as a flavorful base
Coatings for fried foods15
Simple salad dressings
Adding a few more basic items would exponentially increase the possibilities:
Milk: For baking, sauces, and beverages.
Sugar: For baking and sweetening.
Rice: A staple grain for countless meals.16
Canned Tomatoes: For sauces, soups, and stews.17
Dried Herbs & Spices: To add layers of flavor (e.g., oregano, basil, cumin, chili powder).
The key to versatility lies in understanding how these fundamental ingredients interact and can be transformed through different cooking methods and combinations.