# Dinner or Dessert in Two or Less Ingredients. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 14, 2017, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-or-dessert-in-two-or-less-ingredients/793647 "2017-08-14T17:46:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2017, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-or-dessert-in-two-or-less-ingredients/793647/1 "2017-08-14T17:46:40Z")
I was actually inspired by another message board, to ask this question. But you know, you can make a pretty bitchin’ vegan sherbet by tossing frozen bananas in a food processor. Don’t quote me on that one though, because I seem to recall you have to put the bananas in a zip lock bag first (I had a recipe for banana pops as a kid). Anyway, what do you all have to say? Dinner or Dessert in two Ingredients or less? I am thinking kind of vegan, as I said. And I think you or whoever is the author would really be skillful if you had one for soup. How do you make soups in 2 and - ingredients? And yes I know you can just toss a steak on the grill. So none of that. That’s cheating;). Thank you in advance to all who share:). ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2017, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-or-dessert-in-two-or-less-ingredients/793647/2 "2017-08-14T17:47:51Z")
Do we have to count salt/pepper and cooking oil/butter in the list? ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2017, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-or-dessert-in-two-or-less-ingredients/793647/3 "2017-08-14T17:52:05Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Do we have to count salt/pepper and cooking oil/butter in the list? I would say no. But hey, challenge yourself. Exclude that too, if you want:). ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2017, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-or-dessert-in-two-or-less-ingredients/793647/4 "2017-08-14T17:58:02Z")
Dinner (vegan) Boil cut pasta in salted water and toss with a can of rinsed small white beans. Lightly drain the pasta so some of the cooking water clings. Stir, so that some of the beans break open and get creamy while others remain whole. Finish with liberal grinds of pepper. Dessert (non vegan) Hull large fresh strawberries and pipe whipped cream (either unsweetened from homemade or sweetened from a can) into the center of the berry. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2017, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-or-dessert-in-two-or-less-ingredients/793647/5 "2017-08-14T18:01:58Z")
Dessert: Pie and ice cream. That’s two ingredients. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2017, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-or-dessert-in-two-or-less-ingredients/793647/6 "2017-08-14T18:06:24Z")
Dinner: Special K, milk Dessert: Cap’n Crunch, milk 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2017, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-or-dessert-in-two-or-less-ingredients/793647/7 "2017-08-14T18:07:03Z")
I know a guy who eats buttered noodles for dinner a lot. 2 ingredients - butter and pasta. I imagine you could make a lot of sherberts or sorbets. Frozen melon or berries or whatever and a spoonful or two of sugar or honey and blend it up. Strawberries dipped in chocolate. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2017, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-or-dessert-in-two-or-less-ingredients/793647/8 "2017-08-14T18:14:38Z")
Two or less I don’t know anything about. Now if you had asked me about two or fewer… ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2017, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-or-dessert-in-two-or-less-ingredients/793647/9 "2017-08-14T18:25:19Z")
You would know as much since english uses less and fewer interchangeably for count nouns but only less for mass nouns. ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2017, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-or-dessert-in-two-or-less-ingredients/793647/10 "2017-08-14T19:42:17Z")
My coworker showed me this one earlier in the month: Take a date, remove the pit, and add a walnut where the pit had been. Eat and repeat. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2017, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-or-dessert-in-two-or-less-ingredients/793647/11 "2017-08-14T19:47:22Z")
Take a date, remove the pit, add cream cheese. Open a can of mango pulp, mix with buttermilk: Mango Lassi. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2017, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-or-dessert-in-two-or-less-ingredients/793647/12 "2017-08-14T19:47:55Z")
Dessert: Cheese and apples. Preferably a chevrot and a SweeTango. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2017, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-or-dessert-in-two-or-less-ingredients/793647/13 "2017-08-14T20:59:21Z")
3-4 pound beef roast, liquid from a large jar of pepperoncinis. Crock pot low for 9 hours. Shred with 2 forks, done. 2 ingredients. You can complicate the recipe, but you don’t have to. (ETA: For sandwitches you’re going to want to add rolls. And the peppers you saved from the jar. And mozzarella. And on…) ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2017, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-or-dessert-in-two-or-less-ingredients/793647/14 "2017-08-14T21:01:21Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > You would know as much since english uses less and fewer interchangeably for count nouns but only less for mass nouns. I would say “ingredients” is a count noun. They’re in a list you can count. You know, like grocery items in the “ten items or fewer” lane? ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2017, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-or-dessert-in-two-or-less-ingredients/793647/15 "2017-08-14T21:10:53Z")
**Breakfast** : Fage yogurt Honey **Lunch** : 1 ripened goat cheese 1 small baguette Split the baguette lengthwise, shmear the goat cheese all along its length. **Dinner** : Pink beans baked slowly for 3-4 hours, wrapped up in a Flour tortilla ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2017, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-or-dessert-in-two-or-less-ingredients/793647/16 "2017-08-14T21:17:03Z")
Steak and Lawry’s Garlic Salt ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2017, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-or-dessert-in-two-or-less-ingredients/793647/17 "2017-08-14T21:17:48Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > I would say “ingredients” is a count noun. They’re in a list you can count. You know, like grocery items in the “ten items or fewer” lane? Correct. Ingredients is a count noun so either less or fewer can be used. This recipe has fewer ingredients than I remember. This recipe has less ingredients than I remember. This bowl has less cookie dough than I remember. \*This bowl has fewer cookie dough than I remember. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2017, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-or-dessert-in-two-or-less-ingredients/793647/18 "2017-08-14T22:05:30Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Correct. Ingredients is a count noun so either less or fewer can be used. Sorry, didn’t read carefully. I don’t think your rule is the only one. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2017, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-or-dessert-in-two-or-less-ingredients/793647/19 "2017-08-14T23:21:55Z")
Last night, my lovely cooked winter squash, with butter on top, and marinated fish pan fried. Does that qualify? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2017, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-or-dessert-in-two-or-less-ingredients/793647/20 "2017-08-14T23:28:58Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Dessert: Pie and ice cream. That’s two ingredients. > > 😃 Beat me to it, although I substitute cake for pie. I’ll just add: Popcorn + butter. (Add salt only if needed) A perfectly lovely dinner. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-or-dessert-in-two-or-less-ingredients/793647.md?page=2)