quickandeasycooking

Are your spices out of control? Mine certainly are – well, were. I spent some time last weekend going through all my spices and was that revealing! Two giant containers of oregano, four cans of cumin, seven bottles of vanilla extract, three Costco size containers of black peppercorns. Just how much cumin does one family need?

I have no excuse. I have a built-in lazy susan in my kitchen cabinets. I also have a lovely stainless steel spice rack on my countertop, and while it doesn’t hold all the spices I use, it certainly has room for many of them. I ruthlessly threw away outdated spices and combined others. Now I’m looking for recipes to use creatively what’s left.

Rosemary is definitely my favorite spice. It’s an herb with a beautiful fragrance, whether in a dish or as a centerpiece on the table. I’m growing it in a pot on my deck this year. I use it all the time in an olive oil and herb bread I make in the bread maker.

Rosemary and Olive Oil Bread

1 cup of water

1 and ½ tbsp. of extra-virgin olive oil

1 and ½ tsp. of sugar

1 tsp. of salt

3 tsp. of minced rosemary

3 cups of bread flour

1 and ½ tsp. of yeast

Combine all in your electric bread maker. This is for a medium size loaf.

My husband loves German Chocolate Cake, so when I found this recipe for German Chocolate Brownies, I was eager to give it a try. It’s delicious and different, too.

German Chocolate Brownies

1 9×13 brownie mix

1 1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1 14 oz. packaged of sweetened coconut

12 oz. of chocolate chips

Follow the directions on the brownie mix for “cake like brownies.” Then, stir in the pecans. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread the batter in the pan, and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes. Test the center with a toothpick, and be careful not to over-bake. Combine the sweetened condensed milk and the sweetened coconut, and spread over the hot brownies. Sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Bake an additional 10 minutes at 350 degrees or until the chocolate chips are glossy. Let cool before cutting.

You can probably substitute chopped walnuts for the chopped pecans.

Sometimes I line the brownie pan with aluminum foil and spray that with cooking spray. Then you can just lift the whole thing out of the pan and cut your brownies. The edge pieces will cut nicely this way.

I love fresh blueberries, and a favorite breakfast of mine is a hot blueberry muffin with strawberries on the side. I always use Bisquick to make my blueberry muffins. Did you know Bisquick has been around since the 1930s? I could have sworn it emerged in the 60s. It was developed when a passenger on a train was intrigued by having fresh biscuits served to him in minutes in the middle of the afternoon. He quizzed the chef, who admitted he mixed up all the dry ingredients each morning in one large batch. Then, all he had to do was add the liquid.

Blueberry Muffins

1 egg

2 cups of Bisquick

½ cup of sugar

2/3 cup of milk

2 tbsp. of vegetable or canola oil

¾ cup of fresh blueberries

Cinnamon-sugar

Line 12-cup muffin line with foil linters. Beat the egg slightly. Stir in the Bisquick, sugar, milk and oil. Then gently fold in the blueberries. Pour in muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon-sugar. Bake at 400 degrees about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Italian food is a big hit around our house. My husband is half-Italian, and he loves the food his Mom served almost every day. He’s converted the rest of us, too!  One of our favorite meals is just a big Antipasto platter, with a fresh salad and glass of wine on the side. Antipasto platters are so very easy, can be made ahead of time and often can be put together with whatever you have in your frig or pantry.  Although the word “antipasto” actually means “before the meal,” there’s no reason you can’t make it the main course. Just pull out a large platter and attractively arrange some of these delicious items:

     marinated artichoke hearts

     tomato wedges

     salami

     ham

     roasted red pepper

     marinated mushrooms

     all different kinds of olives

     pasta salad

     shrimp

    olive tapenade

    any cheese you can think of

    smoked salmon

    grilled asparagus

The list could go on forever, but you get the picture. Add a loaf of fresh, crusty Italian bread and perhaps a Caesar salad. Have a bowl of olive oil and fresh rosemary nearby for dipping your bread. Uncork your favorite wine, and you have an easy meal to delight everyone.

If you’ve got weekend house guests this summer, you may be wondering how to feed all those people. I love to entertain, and I love having guests on our houseboat. A great big ham is a wonderful way to feed them all. It’s simple, and it’s also inexpensive, considering how much you get out of it. Here are a couple of glazes to try on your next ham.

Orange Glaze for Ham

A cup of brown sugar (dark or light – it doesn’t matter)

1 tbsp. of flour

1 tsp. of dry mustard

1 tbsp. of white vinegar

3 tbsp. of orange juice concentrate.

Combine all the above ingredients and stir until smooth. Glaze your baked ham with this mixture about 30 minutes before you take it out of the oven. Return to the oven and finish baking. This will also set the glaze.

Cranberry Sauce for Ham

1 cup of whole berry cranberry sauce (I always use the Kroger brand)

1 tbsp. of grated orange rind

1 tbsp. of prepared horseradish

¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Combine all the above ingredients and spread on the ham before baking.

This is an easy chicken dish I’ve seen in a million different cookbooks, most of them from schools or churches. I’ve also seen it with a million different names. In our church cookbook, it’s called Mrs. Katotis’ Skinny Chicken. I’ve no idea who Mrs. Katotis is, but it’s my guess that it’s called “skinny” because it’s low-cal.  Give it a try!

Mrs. Katotis’ Skinny Chicken

4 bone-in chicken breasts

a dash of garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

½ cup of orange juice

2 tbsp of soy sauce

Sprinkle the chicken breasts with garlic, salt and pepper and place in a non-stick frying pan that has been lightly oiled with olive oil or cooking spray. Mix the orange juice and soy sauce, and pour the mixture over the chicken breasts. Turn on medium heat. Cover and simmer over medium for about 45 minutes. Then take the lid off and cook down the liquid. You will need to stir and possibly flip the chicken during this last step, so watch it carefully.

You can also use boneless, skinless breasts and shorten the cooking time. I’ve never made this in the crock pot, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. I also think this would make a very nice marinade for the grill.

We don’t eat out much. The wait is often long, the restaurants are crowded and noisy and it’s terribly expensive. Since both my husband and I love to cook, we would much rather make something together and then enjoy it on our secluded and quiet deck. But I do love Red Lobster, and I have since the first time I went there many years ago. One reason I favor it so much is because of the cheese biscuits they serve. Here’s a recipe that comes close. Not quite, but really close. And it’s simple to throw together.

Sort Of Red Lobster Cheese Biscuits

2 cups of Bisquick

½ cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2/3 cup of milk

½ tsp. of garlic powder

2 tbsp. of butter or margarine, melted

Mix the Bisquick, cheddar cheese and milk together until moistened. Don’t over mix, or your biscuits will be tough. Drop by spoonfuls onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Mix the garlic powder and butter. Brush on the biscuits. Bake at 475 degrees on the top rack about 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Bisquick actually puts out a packaged cheese biscuit mix. You can find it by the muffin and cornbread mixes at your grocery store.

Here’s another quick and easy coffee cake to whip up some Saturday morning. My family loves this one, and I know my son would rather eat this than a chocolate dessert. You can make this in a bundt pan or a 9×13 dish. Once again, this starts with that good old boxed cake mix.

Honey Bun Coffee Cake

1 yellow cake mix (any brand — even the cheapest one)

1 cup of sour cream

3/4 cup of vegetable or canola oil

4 eggs

1/3 cup of honey

1/3 cup of brown sugar (light or dark)

1 tbsp. of cinnamon

Mix the cake mix, sour cream, vegetable oil and eggs with an electric mixer until well blended. Pour the mixture into a bundt pan to 9×13 baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

Drizzle the honey over the top of the batter. Sprinkle the cinnamon over the top. Now take a knife and run it through the batter to blend.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 to 40 minutes.

Make a glaze of 2 cups of powdered sugar, 1/3 cup of milk and a tsp. or so of vanilla extract. Pour the glaze over the warm cake.

This is so delicious! It does taste like a honey bun, only about a million times better than those individually wrapped ones in the grocery store.

Feel free to add chopped pecans or walnuts to the batter.

Coffee cakes are great. You can fool yourself into thinking a coffee cake is breakfast, but of course, it’s more like dessert. Delicious coffee cakes always show up at church brunches and office potlucks. When a slice of freshly made coffee cake is served slightly warm, the taste is heavenly.  Here are some really easy ones you can throw together in no time.

German Chocolate Coffee Cake

Mix up any box German Chocolate cake mix. Fold in a container of coconut pecan frosting and mix well. Bake in a greased and floured 9×13 baking dish according to the instructions on the cake box.

Apple Spice Cake Mix

Just like above, put together a box spice cake mix. Fold in one can of apple pie filling. Bake in a greased and floured 9×13 baking dish according to the instructions on the cake box.

Poppy Seed Cake

Mix together a yellow cake mix, a box of instant lemon pudding, 2/3 cup of vegetable or canola oil, 1 cup of water, 4 eggs and ¼ cup of poppy seeds. Bake at 350 degrees in a greased and floured bundt pan for about 45 minutes. Let cool 15 to 20 minutes before turning out. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

I personally like bacon more than sausage, but I have to admit this sausage dish is a winner. It’s perfect for brunch potluck or anytime you have to take a breakfast item to church or the office. But don’t expect anything low cal; this is rich!

Sausage Squares

1 pound bulk sausage

2 packages of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

8 oz. of cream cheese

Cook the sausage, breaking it up into small crumbles. Drain thoroughly. Unroll one of the cans of Crescent rolls and spread into a 9×13 baking dish which has been lightly coated with baking spray. Mix the sausage with the cream cheese and spread over the layer of rolls. Top this with the second roll of crescent rolls. Bake at 275 degrees for about 16 to 18 minutes.  Cool slightly, and cut into squares.

I’ve always found 8 oz. of cream cheese to be a little too much, even though that’s what the recipe calls for. I usually cut it down to about 6 oz.  I’ve also used the Kroger branch of crescent rolls in place of Pillsbury, and they work just fine.