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
Servings 4
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
If you want a more dense crisp, use more cheese per round.
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
Servings 10
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 calls for boiling the sweet potatoes, however, you can certainly use left-over, baked sweet potatoes – simply scoop out the flesh, combine, and microwave for a minute or two. Start the recipe at step #2. A big plus is these potato cakes can be put together a couple of days ahead of time, then cooked right before dinner. Enjoy!
Smashed Sweet Potato Cakes
Servings 10
Ingredients
- 4 large sweet potatoes peeled and cut into large cubes
- 3 Tbsp butter divided
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1/2 cup pecans toasted and chopped
Instructions
- Put peeled and cut potatoes into a pot of boiling, salted water. Boil and until soft - about 20 minutes. Drain.
- Add 2 Tbsp butter, milk, salt, pepper, and honey. Mash until well combined.
- Fold in pecans.
- Put ingredients into a bowl and refrigerate for about an hour.
- Form potatoes into small patties and keep refrigerated until ready to use (up to 2 days).
- Take out of refrigerator about an hour before cooking to come to room temperature.
- Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a saute pan and add patties.
- Cook patties 3-4 minutes per side.
Treat your family to the flavors of the holidays with these comforting recipes. The apples can be made in advance and warmed up prior to serving. They would also taste great served with pork chops. Enjoy!
Spiced Apples
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 4 Granny Smith apples peeled and cut in fairly large slices
- 1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup shallots minced
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 cup Calvados (apple liquor) if you don't use increase apple cider by 1/4 cup
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large non-stick frying pan.
- Add shallots and sauté for about 2 minutes.
- Add apples and cook until they start to get soft.
- Add the remaining ingredients and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and thickened.
Dry Rub Pork Tenderloin**
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin
- 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 Tbsp ground corriander
- 1 tsp celery salt
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Take pork tenderloin out of the refrigerator one hour before grilling.
- Combine all spices in a small bowl.
- Brush olive oil over both pieces of pork tenderloin. Sprinkle spices over pork and rub in with your fingers.
- Heat grill and place tenderloins on grates.* Grill until internal temperature reaches 150°F. Let rest for 10 minutes until carving into 1/2 inch slices.
Notes
*You can also bake the pork tenderloin in a preheated 350-degree oven. Prior to baking, sear the pork in olive oil until brown on all sides. Place in the oven and cook for around 20-25 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees.
**This rub recipe is from the Food Network.
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
Servings 4
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
Here is a super easy, quick recipe to do with your children or grandchildren. Let them pick which fruits to use, set up their “skewer station,” and watch them delight in creating this healthy, colorful snack!
Fresh Fruit Skewers
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1 container strawberries cut bite-size
- 1 fresh pineapple cut bite-size
- 1/2 seedless watermelon cut bit-size
- 1 container raspberries or blackberries
- 8 wooden skewers
Instructions
- Alternating fruit, place them on a skewer -it's that easy!
There is no better way to bring out the sweetness of fruit than to grill it. Pair it with this yogurt dressing, and you have the perfect salad!
Fresh Grilled Fruit Salad with Honey Yogurt Dressing
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 4 slices fresh pineapple sliced thick
- 1 mango peeled, pitted and sliced
- 2 apples sliced thick
- 6 ounces non-fat plain vanilla yogurt
- 1 ½ tsp honey
- 2 tsp lime juice
- 4 sprigs mint
- ⅓ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Slice fruit right before grilling so apples don't brown.
- Mix together yogurt, honey and lime juice. Refrigerate until ready to plate.
- Grill fruit on both sides until you see grill marks - 4 to 5 minutes
- Place grilled fruit on 4 dinner plates. Put a dollop of dressing on the side and place mint on top of the dressing.
- Sprinkle walnuts on the fruit and serve immediately.
Notes
If you want to make this a more substantial salad, take a head of romaine, slice it in fourths lengthwise and spray it with olive oil. Grill the romaine until it is slightly charred. Place fruit and dressing on top.
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
Servings 8
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 is perfect for using up scraps of puff pastry you have leftover from another recipe.
This is one of those salads that you could make three days in a row and never grow tired of. The dates have a sweet flavor which is complemented by the tangy balsamic glaze. This salad can easily be a meal by adding grilled shrimp or chicken.
Arugula, Date, and Apple Salad
Servings 8
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup walnut oil
- 3 Tbsp aged white wine vinegar
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 5 ounces arugula
- 1/2 cup praline pecans chopped
- 2 Fuji apples cored and thinly sliced
- 1 ⅓ cup Medjool dates pitted and sliced
- 6 ounce shaved Manchego cheese
- balsamic glaze
Instructions
- To make dressing, whisk walnut oil with white wine vinegar.
- Add kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Set aside.
- Place all salad ingredients, except Manchego cheese, dressing and balsamic glaze in a large bowl.
- Toss with enough dressing to just coat leaves.
- Place salad on 8 salad plates. Top with cheese and drizzle balsamic glaze over each salad.
Notes
Serve with remaining dressing on the side.
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This colorful and burst of flavor side dish will accompany your grilled meat or seafood simple celebration with perfection!
Mango & Avocado Side Dish
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1 large mango peeled and sliced
- 1/3 cup red onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 large jalapeño seeded and minced
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp fresh mint leaves torn
- 1/2 avocado peeled and sliced
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except for avocado
- Stir and set aside
- Add the avocado and serve.