We are all trying to save money and time. Always. It’s the nature of the world these days. Unfortunately, dinner is no exception. However, quick and easy doesn’t have to equate to blah and bad. You can make great meals, great desserts and great snacks with 5 ingredients. Having said that, let me add that most of these recipes don’t count things like salt and pepper in the ingredients list. So, it’s really 5 ingredients plus condiments. But, that’s still quick and easy.

Our first recipe is a great steak dinner. The kids will think it’s fun because it’s cooked in foil packets. This is a great “eat on the patio” dinner.

The second recipe is a pork tenderloin dinner. You could substitute just about any sturdy vegetable for the onions, carrots, and mushrooms in this easy recipe. Try asparagus, baby potatoes, or ears of corn. Whatever is your favorite is the one to use.

The third recipe is one of our favorites at my house. We love stir fry dishes. This is not only easy but it’s great too. You can substitute canned, rinsed green beans for the asparagus if you wish. Snow peas will also work.



Italian Steak Dinner

1/2 Cup Zesty Italian Salad Dressing

1 Tsp. Seasoned Salt

1/4 Tsp. Pepper

2 Boneless New York Strip Steaks

1 Lb. Asparagus

1 Red Onion, Sliced

1 Orange Bell Pepper, Cut Into 8 Strips



Reserve 2 Tbsp. salad dressing for vegetables. Mix remaining dressing, seasoned salt, and pepper in zip lock bag. Add steaks, turn to coat, and place in refrigerator. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes.

When ready to cook, prepare and preheat grill. Cut asparagus into 2" pieces. Place vegetables with 2 Tbsp. reserved salad dressing in 9" foil pan.

Remove beef from marinade and reserve marinade. Place vegetables over medium coals, cover, and cook for 5 minutes, then stir. Add beef to grill and cook, covered, for 10-12 minutes, turning beef once and brushing with marinade, and stirring vegetables once, until beef is medium doneness and vegetables are tender. 4 servings



Pork Tenderloin

1/2 Cup Spicy Italian Salad Dressing

2 (1 Pound) Pork Tenderloins

1/4 Cup Spicy Italian Salad Dressing

2 Onions, sliced thickly

2 Cups Baby Carrots, Cut in half lengthwise

2 Cups Whole Mushrooms



Place 1/2 cup salad dressing and pork tenderloins in zip lock bag; turn to coat, then refrigerate for 2-12 hours.

When ready to cook, prepare and preheat grill. Combine 1/4 cup salad dressing and vegetables in 9" square foil pan. Place pork on medium grill and place foil pan next to tenderloins. Cover and grill for 15-20 minutes, brushing pork occasionally with marinade and turning once; and stirring vegetables occasionally, until pork is slightly pink in center and vegetables are crisp tender. Discard any remaining marinade used with pork. Cut pork into slices and serve with vegetables. 6 servings



Chicken and Asparagus Stir Fry

2 Tbsp. Cornstarch

1 Cup Chicken Stock

3 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 Onion, Finely Chopped

3 Cups Asparagus, cut into 1-1/2" lengths

1 Red Bell Pepper, cut into thin strips

Salt And Pepper to taste

3 Cups Cooked Cubed Chicken Breast

Combine cornstarch and chicken stock and blend well. Prepare all ingredients. Heat the oil over medium heat in a wok of heavy skillet. Cook onion for one minute, stirring constantly.

Add chicken stock mixture. Increase heat to medium high and add asparagus, red pepper, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add chicken, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook until chicken is thoroughly heated.

Serve over hot cooked rice. Serves 4-6



Did you know?



Removing Burned Food From a Pan: Sprinkle the burned pot with a lot of baking soda. Add a bit of water just to moisten it. Let stand for a couple of hours. You should be able to lift the gunk off.

Marshmallows Stuck Together? If marshmallows have adhered to each other in the bag, pour a bit of confectioners' sugar into the bag and shake it to coat them. Once coated, they won't stick together.

Make Your Own Steak Sauce: This simple recipe is amazingly tasty: Mix 1/2 cup of Worcestershire sauce with 1/2 cup of ketchup. Store in the refrigerator and put on any type of meats.

When Storing Nonstick Pans: To prevent scratching the surface, put an inexpensive paper plate or a coffee filter in between each when stacking and storing in cupboards.

To store rolls of gift-wrap, use an empty wine box -- the dividers help hold the rolls upright in a relatively small space. I store the box in the guest-room closet.

When stacking small items in the dishwasher that might knock against each other and chip or break, I place plastic lids from coffee cans between them. However, be sure that the plastic lids are secured so that they won't come loose and make their way to the bottom of the washer, where they could melt and cause damage.

Fresh strawberries seem to deteriorate rather quickly when they are allowed to touch one another in the store packaging. Therefore, to extend their life and freshness, use a no-longer-needed egg carton. Place one strawberry per egg space of the carton and store in the fridge. Do not wash until ready to eat.



Karen’s Kitchen is a weekly column by Karen Freeman of Tarboro. Contact Karen at:

kvfreeman@triad.rr.com to exchange ideas, ask questions, submit recipes, tips or suggestions.

Check out her Web site: http://www.geocities.com/kvfreeman27886/