We pride ourselves at The Simple Celebration by posting simple, tasty recipes and this may be our simplest yet! Just one ingredient, a few minutes in the pan, and a delicious, crispy side is ready. These crisps are very versatile – serve them along with your main entrée instead of bread, add them to a cheese board, use them on top of soups, or serve them with your salad course. However you choose to use these crisps, we guarantee they will become a staple on your simple celebration table!
P.S. Using pre-shredded cheese will make this recipe even more simple 
Parmesan Crisps
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese shredded (see note below)
Instructions
- Divide cheese into four rounds in the pan.
- Cook over medium-high heat for a few minutes until lightly brown, gently flip, and brown the other side.
- Turn off heat and let sit in pan to harden.
Notes
This biscuit recipe only calls for one tablespoon of sugar, so let’s call them healthy! They are an awesome pairing to any salad or main dish. Freeze leftovers and have delicious, homemade biscuits on hand in an instant!
Savory Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 3 Tbsp cold butter cut in 1/4 inch pieces
- 1 cup+ 2 Tbsp buttermilk
- 2 Tbsp dill minced
- 2 Tbsp chives minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- cooking spray we use olive oil spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°
- Either spray a cooking sheet with cooking spray or line with non-stick aluminum foil.
- Place flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar in a food processor with a metal blade. Pulse for several seconds.
- Add butter in with flour mixture and pulse for 10 seconds. Do not over mix
- Put this mixture into a bowl and add the buttermilk, fresh herbs, and garlic. Stir with a fork until mixed and holds together.
- Drop 10 large spoonfuls of the batter on the baking sheet.
- Spray tops with cooking spray and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until browned. Serve immediately.
This recipe is for a side dish, but you could definitely make it an entrée by adding cooked shrimp or sliced chicken breast. The cranberries and pepitas (pumpkin seeds) will add wonderful autumn flavors to your simple celebration!
Pearl Couscous with cranberries
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups pearl couscous cooked according to package directions
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup scallions diced
- 1/4 cup pepitas
- 1/4 cup basil sliced
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Make couscous according to package directions.
- Let couscous cool and add all other ingredients.
- Serve at room temperature
Let’s get the kids in the kitchen to join in our simple celebrations. We have a new category on our home page called, “Simple for Kids”. We will tag some old recipes that are kid-friendly and will post new ones from time to time. This recipe is an easy start to cooking together with your children or grandchildren. And … what a delicious start it is!
Cinnamon Sugar Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 puff pastry sheet thawed
- 4 Tbsp butter divided
- 1 ½ Tbsp cinnamon
- 6 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/8 tsp vanilla
Instructions
Pastry & Filling
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Roll out pastry into a square and enlarge
- Melt 2 Tbsp butter and spread over the top of the pastry.
- Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over the butter.
- Roll up pastry and cut into 8 rolls.
- Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet several inches apart. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Icing
- Soften the remaining butter and add cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl.
- Mix until smooth and ice the rolls while hot.
Notes
This recipe originated from The Tampa Bay Times Cook Club. We modified the recipe a bit (less maple sugar and added walnuts). They can be served along soups, salads, or as something different from bread with your main course. Breakfast muffin? Absolutely! These muffins freeze really well too!
Zucchini and Walnut Muffins
Equipment
- 2 regular size 8 cup muffin tins
Ingredients
- 3 cups grated zucchini about 2 whole zucchini
- 2 beaten eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup real maple syrup
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- In a mixing bowl, combine zucchini, eggs, vanilla, olive oil, maple syrup and honey. Stir gently, set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the walnuts, flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
- Stir to combine and make a well in the middle. Pour the wet mixture into the well and stir just a few times until barely combined (about 15 stirs).
- Pour the batter in 2 muffin tins greased with nonstick cooking spray.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until muffins are golden at the top and spring back when pressed.
- Cool on a wire rack.
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This unique and tasty recipe comes from our friend, Skye, who lives in Australia. Skye has shared many delicious recipes with us – thanks, Skye, keep them coming!
There are no eggs or butter in this recipe, yogurt is used for moisture. Don’t use overly ripe bananas, mashing medium-ripe bananas gives just the right consistency.
Aussie Coconut Banana Loaf
Ingredients
- 7 ounces Greek-style yogurt
- 1 ⅓ cup unsweetened coconut
- pinch salt
- 3 bananas medium ripeness, mashed
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup + 3 Tbsp self-rising flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Spray loaf pan with cooking spray.
- Mix yogurt, coconut and salt in large bowl.
- Add mashed bananas and sugar and blend.
- Let sit for 20-30 minutes (to moisten coconut).
- Fold in flour and spoon batter into the pan.
- Bake on center rack for one hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes.
- Turn onto a wire rack to cool.
Notes
Don’t let the word “spicy” scare you away from this simple fall garnish – they are not too hot! The combination of salt, cayenne pepper and crunchy pumpkin seeds is mouth-watering. They will liven up desserts, salads or even pasta – get creative and let us know how you used them! One more thing, pumpkin seeds are chock full of protein, iron, zinc and magnesium, so they can actually make ice cream healthy!!
Spiced Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tsp vegetable oil
- 6 ounces raw pumpkin seeds pepita
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Add oil to a heavy skillet (we recommend that you don't use non-stick) over medium-low heat. Once oil is hot, add pumpkin seeds and stir constantly for about 5-8 minutes until seeds start to turn brown.
- Line a bowl with paper towels.
- Place seeds in bowl and top with salt and cayenne pepper and stir.
- When they cool to room temperature, store in an airtight container until ready to use.
Notes
This recipe is made the evening before you want to serve it. You can add different nuts or raisins and make it your own speciality!
Make Ahead Pull-Apart Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- Bundt pan
Ingredients
- 1 package Bridgeford frozen Parkerhouse rolls
- 1 package butterscotch pudding instant or regular
- 1 stick butter melted
- 1 to 2 Tbsp cinnamon
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans raisins, etc (optional)
Instructions
- Start this dish the night before. Grease a bundt pan.
- Put 1/2 the frozen rolls in the pan.
- Sprinkle 1/2 the pudding over the rolls. If adding nuts or raisins, also add half.
- Repeat layer.
- Mix together the melted butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. Pour over the contents of the pan.
- Put bundt pan on a cookie sheet and store overnight on countertop. This dish will rise overnight.
- The next morning, preheat your oven to 350°. Bake for 30 minutes. You may need to push dough that has risen above the pan back into the pan.
- Turn onto a pretty serving dish and serve warm.
Notes
This recipe makes two loaves. Freeze the second loaf to enjoy at another time, or wrap it up in foil with a pretty bow and give it to someone special as a spontaneous gift – the best kind of gift to receive!
Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 3 eggs large
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups zucchini peeled & grated
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup walnuts chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°.
- With an electric mixture, beat the eggs until frothy.
- Add oil, sugar, zucchini and vanilla. Mix until just combined.
- Add flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and baking powder. Mix well.
- Stir in nuts (if using).
- Divide mixture into 2 greased loaf pans.
- Bake loaves for one hour or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
These deliciously moist corn muffins are a perfect accompaniment to several of our recipes. Don’t worry about the calories, the recipe calls for egg substitute and fat-free yogurt which helps keep the calories to a minimum. Make a batch or two and pop them in the freezer to always have on hand … you’ll be glad you did!
Jalapeño Corn Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 10 ounce can creamed corn
- 1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 jalapeño pepper minced
- 3/4 cup egg substitute we used Better'nEggs Plus
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt fat-free
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Mix together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the corn, cheese, pepper, egg substitute and yogurt.
- Add dry ingredients and stir until combined.
- Place mixture in 12 lined muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.