Easy Recipes

This is a takeoff of a cranberry bake recipe from Southern Living. This is homey, tasty, and not too sweet. Just a little cranberry twang but plenty of sweetness in the apples.

When I was a kid this was served at very special meals. My mother made hers plain. I had no idea how incredibly fabulous this meat could taste until I started adding the meat rub!

Many people think the Thanksgiving turkey dinner is the most intimidating meal to make. It's not. Here's some rules to follow.

I love a steak while I am on Plan ZReduction. I have pretty much perfected my technique using a cast iron skillet but learned this method by asking a French restaurant how they did theirs.

This is, hands down, my favorite new dish in 2024. Yes it’s a pasta dish but you can splurge once in awhile as long as you don’t eat too much of the pasta. The trick with this one is to get a lot of satisfaction out of the zucchini, the lovely tomato sauce and the basil. I only eat 6 or 7 tortellini blobs and I cut them in half as I eat them. That makes them last longer and you feel like you got to eat more of them.

Chris, VP Anger Management, loves his food spicy. He invented this sauce to go on sandwiches.

For those of you old enough to remember the Jello product that formed 3 layers you’ll know exactly what this tastes like and actually includes REAL raspberries!

I wrote this recipe up for 2 people but the sauce will feed four. So, you’ll either enjoy lots of sauce or have extras for two people. This is EASY and can be served at a dinner party.

Things like peppers are popular at Italian little plates restaurants. I’m offering you a recipe for mine here. Mine have a bit of an after-burner kick to them.

I ordered this dish at a restaurant in town. It was so good I said, “I have to figure out how to make this myself!” It was that wonderful.

This is a combination of a few recipes I found. Love the fact that these are low carb and tasty!

This colorful dish is super simple to make. You can include whatever assortment of veggies you like. I’ll give you a list of suggested options. You can serve this with something cooked on the grill; chicken, fish, or even steak.

This dish can be as easy as 3 ingredients and 3 minutes! I am going to describe a pre-cooked version of the shrimp dish and one you cook yourself. I am also going to give you spice mix options.

This recipe can be made in a pinch when you take advantage of the pre-cut produce in the grocery store. That way if you are cooking for just yourself you don’t buy a lot of ingredients that will go to waste. It’s a little more expensive by the pound, but it’s cheaper overall not to have the leftovers if you aren’t going to get to them in time to eat them before they spoil. 

This is a decadent side dish. When I serve it, people at the table often ask me why this tastes so unique, so we play “guess the secret ingredient”…. Answer is the nutmeg. This dish goes well at dinner parties and holiday celebrations. It makes a perfect side dish for your upcoming holiday dinner.

These sweet and spicy nuts are perfect for snacking, make a great salad topper or adding a special something to your favorite desserts.

Fennel has a distinct flavor, but when it's roasted, the flavor mellows. If you like fennel, this recipe is great, and it's very easy to make.  

This dish is super easy and a one pan job if you have a cast iron pan.. Serve with green beans and eat them with your fingers if you dare...

Can’t get any easier than this. Toss all of the ingredients in a bowl and serve with your protein hot off the grill!

This Smokey-Sweet Barbecue Sauce is a great addition to your recipe collection. This can be made spicier with the addition of cayenne. I kept mine mild and spiced it up for my husband.

This mushroom steak sauce is for those that want to make fancy food. The sauce can be served at a romantic dinner for two or even for company. It’s rich and yummy for sure.

To keep this recipe super easy the ribs are done in the oven. You could adapt this recipe for cooking on the grill but the whole point of this is you don’t have to babysit the cooking process like you do with grilling.

This comes together fast and easy yet it is fancy enough to serve to company. I just drooled over my dinner!

If you like Mexican comfort food this is your go-to. Perfect for brunch or even for dinner. This version is spicy enough to make most noses run but can be adjusted for milder palates.

Cabbage is one of the foods that's unlimited on ZReduction, so it's the perfect food to nosh on when you're hungry between meals. Dieter Brenda sent us this versatile cabbage recipe, and it's scrumptious. Eat it with dinner, or as a snack. Or, add a sliced onion and use it as a substitution for noodles that’s healthy and delicious. Or, try adding chicken broth and your favorite seasoning to turn this a brothy side or a simple soup.

What’s the difference between chili and taco soup? Broth, of course. There is more broth in taco soup is more so it’s thinner than chili. The internet tells me that chili is technically considered a stew. Go figure.

Dieter Debbie has mastered air fried veggies on ZReduction, and shared this with the Plan Z Facebook group. It's simple, and delicious and can be ready in a jiffy. We're posting it here for everyone to enjoy. Thank you, Debbie!

I found a recipe very similar to this one about 15 years in an old Southern cookbook. I have made a few changes to “Zola-fy” it. This goes over BIG at any party, and it's so simple!

This is a famous chili that probably should not even be called a chili. It was invented by two brothers who emigrated from Europe in the 1920’s. Of course, they lived in Cincinnati. When finished this will look sort of like chili but it’s served on spaghetti. There are no beans and it’s not spicy. It’s flavorful for sure, but not “hot.” Don’t let the list of ingredients throw you off.

In a hurry to make dinner? These tacos are quick and easy. Depending on how much preparation you do in advance, this dish can meet that goal in 15 – 25 minutes!

In addition to being crunchy, satisfying and delicious, pumpkin seeds are a nutritious snack. You can buy shelled pumpkin seeds in the grocery store (also know as pepitas), but when pumpkin season rolls around, you can buy a fresh pumpkin, scrape out the seeds, and toast the whole seeds yourself. YUM! 

I discovered cinnamon water in Costa Rica. Try adding pear slices – it makes a wonderful summer treat.

For all you cabbage lovers out there, this recipe is a ZReduction take on a German classic. While you can whip this dish up in about 30 minutes, red cabbage tastes sweeter the longer you cook it -- so if you are on ZReduction and like your cabbage a little sweeter, cook it low and slow until the flavors mellow and meld to your liking.

At first you’d think chimichangas would be high carb. The good news is they have low carb tortillas at the grocery store that taste the same as the traditional. Look for the low carb versions.

We have to thank Dieter Claire for inventing this recipe. She modified the fruit parfait recipe and developed a strawberry "ice cream" recipe and this recipe with frozen mandarin oranges. She says, “it’s like an orange creamsicle.” YUM!

This meal comes together in a MINUTE – or at least it feels like it. I made this for Saturday night movie night and it was a hit!

Smash burgers are all the rage. Step into a brew pub and you’ll likely find a smash burger on the food menu.

These are NOT the huge, 8oz burgers we’ve been fed in the past. These are a thinner burger that’s usually six ounces or even less. You can always make your burger with two patties and bring it back to huge but more popular is to just make your burger with one patty.

Dieter Claire invented this recipe by modifying the fruit parfait recipe and adding extra frozen strawberries. She says, "it's as close to ice cream as you can get." We agree.

Grilled shrimp is a delicious summer treat. Enjoy this easy and tasty recipe!

A delicious recipe submitted by Dieter Claire. Does this take longer than sautéing in a pan? Well yes, but the chicken that comes out is soooooo tender it's worth the time. We completely agree, Claire, thanks for sharing!

Shrimp cocktail is a simple snack on ZReduction. If you plan to eat it regularly, you might want to consider making your own cocktail sauce. It's quick, easy and delicious.

This dish tastes very much like Shrimp Scampi that you might order in an Italian restaurant. The addition of cheese takes it over the top in terms of BIG YUM.

This soup is a staple at Chinese restaurants. It is filling, delicate and delicious. Unfortunately, one of the ingredients in most restaurant egg drop soup recipes is MSG. The recipe below is an MSG-free version of the traditional classic, so it won't taste exactly the same, but we think it's just as delicious.

A ZReboot version of a ZReduction classic. If you like lamb, this recipe is a home run.

Marinating lamb beforehand adds a depth of flavor that can't be beat. And when it's grilled, it's phenomenal. So, if you like lamb, this recipe is a home run.