Most of my recipes contain five ingredients or less, unless I'm baking. What can I say? I'm lazy.

So lazy, in fact, I use McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning on my porkchops. (It's good. Try it!)


Instead, I'll leave you with five tips for making any recipe more flavorful, the healthy way!


1. Caramelize those onions. If you have a recipe that called for sliced or chopped onion, it will taste sooo much better if you cook the onions first. If you have carrots and celery, cook it all together until the onion is translucent and starts to color. You've added depth of flavor without adding any salt or calories!



2. Don't ignore the lower half. Don't just sprinkle some powder over the top of your chops. Season one side, rub it in, then season the other. Whatever you do, don't leave the bottom - the first part that touches your taste buds - bland!

3. Skip the water. In most savory recipes asking for water, substitute another flavorful liquid instead. Juice, milk, broth, or even wine will make it taste that much better. For easy homemade chicken stock, sans MSG, throw the bones in your crockpot, cover with water, and cook for several hours. Throw in some carrot peels or celery tops if you're feeling sassy. Strain and freeze. I freeze mine in muffin cups, for ease of thawing. Also, my muffin cups hold right at 1/2 cup of liquid, so I can measure without dirtying a cup. Bonus - chip the layer of fat off and it's a healthy addition to any meal!


4. Bland = Butter. And salt. Possibly even salted butter, all added at the table by your family to make their starch tasty. Avoid this by adding guiltless flavor. A splash of vinegar or squeeze of lemon may be all that's needed to brighten a dish. Shake some garlic powder into the mashed potatoes, and use that fat free broth instead of milk and butter. Rice can be cooked in chicken stock instead of water, and noodles can be coated with an olive oil vinaigrette before serving. Make your own - 1 part vinegar, 2 parts olive oil, add seasonings to taste.


5. Salsa is your friend. And a cool dance. I use salsa a lot. I love Peach Pineapple Chipotle poured on pork chops and baked (it's a WalMart house brand flavor). It adds kick to anything, along with some vegetable nutrition and good phytochemicals, such as lycopene. It can be stirred into rice, used as a glaze for meat, or even served as a side with vegetable dippers.

Gratuitous Five Ingredient Recipe:
Carne Guisada, a good simple meal.

Ingredients:
Steak, cut up (like stew meat)
Potatoes
Salsa
Broth
Onions if your feeling like Susie Homemaker
Salt and pepper, to taste.

Wash (or peel) and boil potatoes. Drain, mash using broth.

Cook onion until it starts to color. Add meat. Brown on all sides, then add salsa. Add enough to coat the meat. Cook meat some more. Add some water until you get a little "gravy" action. Serve over potatoes.

Yes. This is how I really cook. You know how much meat and potatoes your family eats, you don't need me to tell you! See, I've saved you the math headache of doubling or halving my recipe!

For more Five Ingredient Fabulosity, head over to Rocks In My Dryer!

****UPDATED TO ADD ****
Whoa! I posted just after midnight and I am #120! This is a popular one!
And yes, I was awake after midnight fooling on the computer. I'm not always the most self-disciplined Mama. Plus I had two stories to get in last night.

Labels: cooking, health, Works For Me Wednesday