Got a few random ingredients lying around your kitchen but don’t know how to finish them up? Struggling to keep yourself fed in your off-campus apartment? Well, this one’s for you. Our new 3 x 3 Solution installment shows you how to produce three unique recipes from just three ingredients: peas, Parmesan and sourdough bread, along with the help of some pantry basics, of course.

The 2 Base Recipes To Start With

Pea Pesto (makes 3 cups)

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups frozen peas, thawed or microwaved
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and pulse together in blender or mash with fork.

Sourdough Bread Crumbs

Directions: Slice and toast half of a baguette until completely crisp. Pulse into crumbs in blender or crumble using your hands.

 

Chicken Milanese

3 ingredients

Photo by Maggie Gorman

This chicken Milanese can be served a hundred other ways throughout the week if you make a big batch.

Easy

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons pea pesto

Chicken Milanese
6 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets
¾ cup sourdough bread crumbs
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Salad
2 cups fresh arugula
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
½ pint cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Mix bread crumbs, Parmesan and Italian seasoning. Spread bread crumb mixture evenly on a large plate.
3. Combine olive oil, salt and pepper in a shallow dish.
4. Dip both sides of each cutlet in olive oil, then in bread crumbs.
5. Place cutlets on baking pan, and bake for 6 minutes on each side.
6. Toss arugula, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice and Parmesan to make the salad.
7. Top each finished cutlet with salad and pea pesto.

 

Pea Crostini

3 ingredients

Photo by Maggie Gorman

This comforting and refreshing snack uses one cup of the pea pesto from the chicken Milanese. It’s filling, yet easy as can be.

Easy

Total Time: 5 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients:
½ sourdough baguette
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup pea pesto
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Slice baguette and toast slices until golden brown.
2. Drizzle olive oil lightly over each slice, and top with pea pesto as desired.
3. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over each slice.

 

Pea Fritters

3 ingredients

Photo by Maggie Gorman

Easy

Total Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1 cup pea pesto
1 ½ cups frozen peas, thawed or microwaved
¾ cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 egg
2-3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Mash thawed peas, bread crumbs, onion powder and egg into pea pesto.
2. Add in flour as needed, until consistency holds together but isn’t too dry.
3. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, form pea mixture into four patties.
4. Fry patties until evenly browned and crispy, about 5 minutes on each side.
5. Serve plain, with pea pesto, or atop arugula-cherry tomato salad.