Three fabulous flavors in one delicious cookie. Bake a couple batches today – one to eat now and one to freeze for later!
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Sweet and Crunchy Mexican Corn Salad
Part of this recipe calls for raw corn which gives a nice crunch to this colorful side dish. It is served at room temperature, so it makes a perfect addition to your buffet table!
Zucchini Muffins – A Tasty Alternative to Bread
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!
Quick Lunch or Light Dinner – Mediterranean Shrimp Salad
This dish comes together in no time. As a plus, nearly the entire recipe can be made in advance!
Apricot and Fresh Cherry Crumble – A Sweet Treat!
An interesting piece of advice Vicki learned while touring the California winery, Ceja, “Always serve a dessert wine that is sweeter than your dessert or the wine will taste flat.” Enjoy picking out your wine for this dessert – Cheers!!
Fresh Fruit and Yogurt Parfait – Low Fat AND Tastes Great!
These parfaits can be made with any fruit you like. The flavor is fabulous – vanilla yogurt mixed with honey gives the perfect amount of sweetness. A healthy and satisfying dessert!
Pearl Couscous with Grilled Vegetables – A Perfect Make-Ahead Side!
Couscous is a funny starch, it doesn’t have a lot of flavor on its own, but it works well as a base for vegetable or meat dishes. It also mixes beautifully into salads and can be flavored with herbs like oregano, basil or mint, or even studded with fruit like raisins or apricots. It’s a very […]
Fresh Tomato Salsa (Pico de Gallo)
This is a basic salsa recipe. You can add other ingredients you have on hand to change it up. We used avocado, chipotle, and fresh corn to create a salsa “bar.” Additions to the Salsa 1. Avocado – cut up one avocado into chunks 2. Chipotle – dice one chipotle chili in adobe sauce 3. […]
Chocolate, Berry and Cream Cheese Pie – Oh My!
This pie has a crunchy chocolate base, creamy center and awesome topping. You can make it days in advance, keep refrigerated, and serve when ready.
Drunken Steak Tacos with Chipotle Salsa
The steak in this recipe is marinated in beer for hours, hence the “drunken” title. We came across the recipe in the latest issue of Bon Appetite magazine and gave it a try with some Simple Celebration tweaking. How about making tonight a taco night? First, open a beer (off to a good start?). […]
One Dish Wonder! Orzo and Salmon Dinner
Don’t be fooled by the title, this meal is all served in one dish, but there are many more dishes to wash than just one during clean up (sorry!). Moving on … Feel free to substitute any of the herbs and vegetables in this recipe for things you already have on hand. By the way, […]
Colorful Cold Shrimp Salad
Here’s a dinner solution that is chock-full of fresh flavors. Throw it together before you head out the door, all the tastes will meld together, and dinner will be ready to serve when you return home! .
Sautéed Scallops with Cauliflower Mousse and Corn & Jalapeño Cakes
Here’s a meal idea that is unique, healthy, tasty, and, of course, simple! Originally found in Food & Wine magazine, we changed the recipes to make them healthier and with a lighter taste.
Two Ways to “Dress Up” Cauliflower
Cauliflower has never been an exciting vegetable. Its lack of color and flavor make it one boring side dish! However, by adding a few ingredients and changing the cooking method, there is hope. The inspiration for our cauliflower recipes comes from The Flavor Bible. The Barnes & Noble web site says, “Winner of […]
A Simple Summer Dessert – Spiked Grilled Peaches and Gelato
Smoked Salmon with Dill and Cucumber Dip
We love smoked salmon and wanted to develop a dip that was on the “lighter” side. In order to do this, we used creme fraîche instead of typical cream cheese. The cucumber adds a fresh crunch to the other delicious flavors. This dip turned out great. We hope you enjoy it as much as we […]
St. Pete Caprese Sandwich
One of our favorite places to “do” lunch in downtown St. Pete is at the MFA Café (255 Beach Drive NE at the Museum of Fine Arts). You can sit inside or enjoy your lunch on the patio at the rear of the museum overlooking Vinoy Basin. A fabulous sandwich on their menu is […]
A Vacation Feast – Shrimp, Feta & Fennel
Cooking while on vacation? Yes! And it is a blast (especially when you have the men do the dishes). We recently visited a little slice of God’s heaven, Costa Rica. We were fortunate to have accommodations with a beautiful kitchen, so we took full advantage. Believe it or not, we actually cancelled a dinner […]
Rob’s Cachaca Rum Cocktail
Here’s another refreshing Simple Celebration cocktail recipe. Cachaca rum originated in Brazil. Vicki had it during her trip to Vietnam and Cambodia where it was served in every restaurant. Bring this exotic flavor home for your next happy hour!
The Panther (a.k.a. The Rhino)
We went to a great little Speak Easy in Tampa which is known for their vintage cocktails. Skip loved the drink called “The Rhino” and convinced the bartender to give him the recipe (Skip can be very convincing). We renamed it “The Panther” as a nod to the Florida panther. You most likely do […]
Chicken Marbella – Prunes and Olives? Yes!
Don’t let the strange ingredients fool you; this tastes fantastic! The chicken marinades overnight, so a little advanced planning is necessary. This is also a wonderful buffet dish! Adapted from Silver Palate.
Plum Crostini Appetizer
Vicki’s daughter, Jennifer, was in California on business and had this appetizer while dining out. She loved it so much, she got the recipe and wanted to share it with The Simple Celebration followers:
Grilled Salmon Topped with Coconut, Spinach and Almonds
One of our favorite things to do at The Simple Celebration is to have one of our “test” dinners with Mark and Skip. We plan the menu, go shopping and start cooking. Not all recipes are post worthy, but we have fun tasting new creations – we don’t get much complaining out of the guys […]
Sugar Free Berry Berry Dessert – Fresh and Healthy!
Looking for a dessert that is satisfying without the calories? This double berry recipe could not be easier or tastier! The crunch of the toasted pecans with the sweetness of the berries added to creamy mascarpone cheese is oh so yummy!
Peanutty Moo shu Pork
The total cooking time for this Asian pork recipe is less than 15 minutes. If you have some time during the day, you can pre-cut and pre-measure your ingredients and when it’s time to get supper on the table, it’ll happen in no time!
Tangy Marinated Chicken with a Taste of India
Not just another chicken recipe, a great one! This recipe calls for the Indian spice, garam masala, which is a unique ingredient to The Simple Celebration. Garam masala is a Northern Indian spice which means “hot spice blend.” It traditionally includes cinnamon, cumin, cloves, cardamom and black pepper. When mixed with yogurt and other herbs, this […]
Healthy Lime Marinated Grilled Flank Steak
What makes this recipe healthy? It contains no oils. The bold flavors of lime juice, soy sauce and vegetables/herbs give it great taste. Purchase more steak than you will use for one night’s dinner because the leftovers make great steak fajitas or quesadillas for lunch. Hint – when marinating with lime juice, do not […]
Cheesy Panini to Warm your Night
Don’t have a panini press? No worries, just use a non-stick skillet and remember to press down on your sandwich with a metal spatula.
Yummy TWO Ingredient NO Cook Appetizer
This dip will be the first gone at the party! The recipe can’t be any easier – only 2 ingredients!!
Herbed Chicken Skewers – A Simple Entrée or Appetizer
Assemble in this dish in advance, then pour marinade over the skewers 20 minutes before grilling.
