Easy-Peasy, Lemon-Squeezy!

That's what my friend Lina's little boy always says. Isn't that just precious? I love it! To me, that means, "No worries, I got this." Pull up a seat, because today at The Kitchen Counter, I thought we could talk about things we can all do to make our time in the kitchen look "easy-peasy, lemon squeezy!"

I have another friend who says, "Make it look like you care even when you don't." I laugh at that, but sometimes it really is true. There are occasions when you've given all you have to give, but there's still more to do. Make lunches, prepare dinner, make a dish for the party or potluck you said you would go to, take a meal to that new mom, etc. It seems like there are just not enough hours in the day or days in the week!

One of the best ways to save ourselves time in the kitchen is with truly functional tools. I have to tell you, I am a kitchen tool junkie! If it's cool, saves me time, and makes me look like a super star, then I probably own it. However, I am a very picky and discerning kitchen tool junkie. I won't buy just anything. It really does have to make my life easier and be efficient and functional. And it needs to be something I will use frequently. Otherwise, it just takes up room in my kitchen, and "ain't nobody got time for that!" LOL!

I have a crinkle cutter that I use when making deviled eggs, slicing cheese, or cutting zucchini, yellow squash, and cucumbers. I use a tool called a "press-and-seal" to make fancy little sandwiches filled with chicken salad or a savory cheese mixture. It also makes fun, crustless PB&J "hand pies" for the little ones. An egg slicer is another great tool. I use it to slice hardboiled eggs, strawberries, mushrooms, bananas, etc. Most of us have a food processor, but that can sometimes be cumbersome to bring out and then have to clean when all you want to do is chop some veggies or nuts. So, I have a handheld food chopper that is compact and does small jobs just as well. A v-shaped cutter makes melons, pineapple, avocados, bell peppers, and tomatoes look like a professional caterer was in my kitchen.

Sliced apples are never a problem with my apple cutter tool. And one of my favorite tools is an apple peeler-corer-slicer. It does all three tasks at the same time and works great for other foods like potatoes and pears. I could go on and on, but you get the idea. In the kitchen we want to work smarter, not harder. And, we want it to look like we care. Easy-peasy!

The next way to save time in the kitchen is with a well-stocked pantry and spice drawer/cabinet. By that, I don't mean your pantry has to be full to overflowing. But it DOES need to be full of the things you use or rely on frequently, as well as items that you know are going to save you time. There are plenty of uses for creamed soups - - everything from being the base for a sauce, to being the ingredient that brings a casserole together. Don't have fresh mushrooms? Have a few jars of whole or sliced mushrooms in your pantry. Don't have to time roast your own garlic? Get some roasted garlic paste (HUGE time saver) to add that smooth, buttery garlic flavor to your dish. Need a quick dessert? Keep some boxed cake mix and canned pie filling on hand. Bake the cake and use the pie filling in between the layers. Dust the top with powdered sugar. Honey, people will think you are a master pastry chef! Want to give your sauteed chicken, beef, or veggies a special touch? Buy some flavor infused canola or olive oils (i.e., rosemary, garlic, lemon, etc.) - total game changer!

The next time saver is your freezer. If you are fortunate enough to have a second freezer, then you have a true advantage in being able to save time in the kitchen. Everything from prepared frozen meals in the supermarket to your own foods that you package and seal can be stored for future enjoyment. Here are just a few of the time savers I use my freezer for:

• Chopped onions stored in baggies

• Leftover meats or bones for making broth

• Broth/Stock

• Sliced fruit or whole berries

• Peeled garlic cloves

• Leftover marinara/spaghetti sauce

• Marinated/seasoned meats in baggies (i.e., pour teriyaki sauce over chicken pieces in a Ziplock bag; rub salmon filets with dill, garlic powder, and lemon pepper and freeze in Ziplock bag)

• Cooked and seasoned ground beef (talk about a time saver for tacos, soups, lasagna, etc.!)

• Leftover rolls, biscuits, or the end pieces (heels) of a loaf of bread (great for breadcrumbs, croutons, or bread pudding)

• Butter

• Fresh herbs (freeze your fresh herbs and use them when needed to increase the flavor of soups, gravy, sauces, meats, and veggies)

• Veggies (the universal ingredient for everything from soups to fried rice!)

• Cooked pasta (True story! Drain your cooked pasta and let it cool. Transfer to Ziplock bag and freeze. You can then microwave the pasta in the bag or re-boil it for a minimal amount of time when you want to use it. Grab a bag of the spaghetti sauce you froze, and guess what? Dinner is DONE!)

Once you start thinking about how you can work smarter, not harder, you'll realize you've got this! Easy-Peasy, Lemon Squeezy!

Check out the recipes below. I hope you'll try them and be inspired to come up with your own time savers. Thanks for stopping by, friends. Love to you all! ~Lynnwood Earl

Elegant Berry Dessert

Easy, Classy, and Beautiful

1 Bag Frozen, Whole Berries (blackberries, raspberries, or strawberries)

1 Large Box of Vanilla Pudding Mix (NOT instant - this needs to be the kind you cook)

Whipped Topping

Wine Goblets, High Ball Glasses, or Champagne Flutes

Optional: Amaretto or Grand Marnier

Optional: Mint Sprigs, Chocolate Shavings, or Citrus Zest

Prepare the pudding according to the directions on the box. Do NOT allow to cool. The pudding must be hot. Drop a heaping spoonful of the hot pudding into the bottom of each glass. Next, drop in a heaping spoonful or two of the frozen berries. If desired, drizzle the fruit lightly with the Amaretto or Grand Marnier. Top with a heaping spoonful or two of the hot pudding. Repeat this layering process until you end up with a layer of pudding on top. You should see that the hot pudding has caused the fruit to burst and release lovely ribbons of juice. If not serving immediately, place the glasses in the fridge. When ready to serve, place a dollop of whipped topping on each and garnish with additional fruit, mint sprigs, chocolate shavings, or citrus zest if desired.

For a twist, add a layer of cubed pound cake, angel food cake, or brownie cubes.

Colorful Fiesta Tostada Bar

Fun and Easy-Peasy!

2 Large Green Bell Peppers

2 Large Red Bell Peppers

2 Large Yellow Bell Peppers

2 Large Orange Bell Peppers

Pre-Made Tostada Shells

Cooked and Seasoned Ground Beef, Shredded Pork, or Shredded Chicken (or all three)

Warm Refried Beans

Shredded Cheddar or Mexican Blend Cheese

Nacho Cheese or Queso Sauce

Guacamole

Salsa or Pico de Gallo

Sour Cream

Finely Red/Purple Onion

Sliced Green Onion

Sliced Black Olives

Diced Tomatoes

Shredded Iceberg Lettuce

Optional: Fresh lime wedges

Cut the top off of each bell pepper as close to the top as possible. Remove the seeds and veins. Discard the tops, veins, and seeds. Rinse each bell pepper and dry with a paper towel. Check to see if the bell peppers will stand when turned upright. If not, you may need to trim a bit off the bottom so that they will stand (be careful not to create a hole in the bottom).

Fill each bell pepper as follows:

• Red - Sour Cream

• Red - Nacho Cheese Sauce or Queso

• Green - Salsa or Pico de Gallo

• Green - Chopped Purple/Red Onion

• Yellow - Sliced Black Olives

• Yellow - Guacamole

• Orange - Sliced Green Onions

• Orange - Diced Tomatoes

Place the cooked seasoned meat(s), refried beans, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, and tostada shells in separate serving bowls.

Arrange the serving bowls and filled bell peppers attractively on a large serving platter, counter, bar, or table. Place tongs or serving spoons in/by each severing bowl and bell pepper as appropriate.

Anything-You-Want Breakfast Casserole

This is an easy-peasy recipe that is only limited by your imagination. Make the basic recipe or get creative. Whatever you can think of to go in, it will probably work!

BASIC RECIPE:

10-12 Eggs* (Egg Beaters can be substituted to cut cholesterol and calories!)

1 Cup Milk (I prefer low-fat or fat-free)

1 Cup Bisquick (Fiber-One Baking Mix works great, too)

1 to 2 Cups Shredded Cheese (your choice of cheese -- do not use fat-free cheese)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, milk and Bisquick until well-mixed. Add the cheese. Add ingredients of your choice (see below), mixing well. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray, then pour the mixture into the casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center does not show "liquid egg."

* I have found that the more ingredients you use, especially with a lot of meat and veggies, you’ll need to use 12 eggs, rather than 10.

ADD "ANYTHING YOU WANT"

For an interesting bottom layer: Cover the bottom of the casserole dish with shredded hash browns or country potatoes, then pour egg mixture over the top. For a sweeter casserole, tear slices of cinnamon raisin bread into pieces and cover the bottom of the casserole, drizzling with maple syrup before pouring egg mixture on top (do not use cheese when making this version, although you could tear off bits from a brick of cream cheese and use that) – use cooked ham, bacon or breakfast sausage when making this, and limit your veggies to just a bit of onion.

In the egg mixture: Chopped onion, garlic, chile peppers, mushrooms, cooked potatoes, olives, tomatoes, bell peppers or other veggies. Add any kind of shredded or chopped meat you would like: cooked bacon, ham, breakfast sausage or Italian sausage; cooked & seasoned ground beef (like taco-seasoned ground beef); shrimp, crab, lobster, scallops, smoked or cooked salmon; cooked chicken, turkey or pork; salami, pepperoni, etc.

Add any spices or seasonings you would like: Tobasco, dill, Cajun seasoning, thyme, seasoned salt, Southwest seasoning, curry, salsa, Italian seasoning, etc.

My Personal Favorite Add-Ins:

Leftover Enchiladas – chop up the leftover enchiladas into bite-sized pieces and mix it into the egg mixture. You’ll have everything you need without having to add anything else – your meat, your seasoning, etc.

Leftover Pizza – Yep, you heard me! Take leftover pizza and chop it into bite-size pieces, mixing it into the egg mixture. Again, you’ve got everything right there – bread, cheese, meat, veggies, seasoning, flavoring, etc. Trust me, this is DELICIOUS!

Seafood - I use imitation crab since I am allergic to shellfish, but you can use the real stuff, shrimp, etc., and add mushrooms, green onion, a little Worcestershire sauce, a little Tony’s Cajun seasoning and Swiss cheese.