Possibilities are endless with four ingredients

I have a cookbook on my shelves "The Four Ingredient Cookbook" that is so much fun to look through. The book has more than 1,500 recipes, all using four ingredients or less. I pulled it from the shelf and thought the possibilities are endless by just changing a few ingredients here and there. Many of the recipes use soups and items you already have in your pantry.

Take a look, give them a try, then go out on your own and be creative to make up your own recipes using only a few ingredients. I really do not count salt and pepper or spices as real ingredients, so that gives a little more freedom. Enjoy!

Beef-Rice Casserole

1 pound ground round or lean chuck

2 cans cream of onion soup

1 package dry onion soup mix

1 cup rice, uncooked

Mix all ingredients together. Put in baking dish and bake covered at 350 degrees for about 1 hour. Serves 4 to 5.

Steamboats

2 pounds extra-lean ground beef

2 medium onions, sliced thin

1 (32-ounce) package frozen french fries

Salt and pepper

Divide meat into 6 to 8 equal parts and make into patties; season to taste. Place on foil in large baking pan and arrange onion slices on top of each patty. Place fries around them. Wrap foil tightly and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Serves 6 to 8.

Sunday Pot Roast

4 to 6 pound chuck roast

1 package dry onion soup mix

1 can cream of mushroom soup

4 to 6 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered

Place roast on large sheet of heavy duty foil. Mix soups and cover roast with soup mixture. Add potatoes and bring foil up and cover roast. Roll and secure edges tightly, about 6 inches above roast. Bake at 350 degrees for 4 hours. Serves 8 to 10.

Broiled and Spicy Chicken

6 (5-ounce) chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

1/2 cup fat-free Italian dressing

1 cup tomato juice

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Combine dressing, tomato juice and chili powder. Pour over chicken and marinate for several hours. Broil for 30 minutes or until done, turning once and basting frequently. Serves 6.

Oven Fried Chicken

6 boneless and skinless chicken breasts

1 cup crushed corn flake cereal

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon Creole seasoning

Combine Creole seasoning and corn flake crumbs. Brush chicken with buttermilk and roll chicken in crumb mixture. Place chicken in baking dish and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour. Serves 6.

Orange Mint Chicken

6 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

1 cup sugar-free orange marmalade

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons dried mint leaves

In small saucepan, combine orange marmalade, lemon juice and mint leaves. Cook over low heat until glaze is well heated. Place chicken on shallow baking pan sprayed with cooking spray. Broil unglazed chicken breasts for 8 minutes on each side. Brush glaze over both sides of chicken and continue broiling for 15 minutes longer, turning once. Brush over chicken breasts several times during last few minutes. Serves 6.

Easy Oven Baked Fish

1 pound cod

1/2 cup thick and chunky salsa

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Arrange fish in baking casserole that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 450 degrees, uncovered, for 4 to 6 minutes. Drain any liquid. Combine remaining ingredients and spoon over fish. Return to oven for 2 minutes to heat sauce. Serves 4.

Baked Orange Roughy

1 pound orange roughy fillets

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon tarragon leaves

2 teaspoons dried mustard

Place fillets in large casserole that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Squeeze lemon juice over fillets. Sprinkle dried mustard and tarragon leaves over fish. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Serves 4.

Sage Pork Chops

4 (1/2-inch thick) pork loin chops, trim fat

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1 small onion, sliced and separated into rings

2 apples, cored and cut into thin wedges

Rub sage onto both sides of chops. Place chops in a large skillet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Cook chops for 5 minutes on one side. Turn chops and add onion and apples. Cook for 7 minutes more or until chops are thoroughly cooked. Serves 4.

Pork Tenderloin

1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon rosemary leaves

1 cup barbecue sauce

Rub tenderloin with pepper and rosemary leaves. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Cover with barbecue sauce and heat through. Serves 6.

Honey Mustard Pork Tenderloin

2 (1 1/2-pound) pork tenderloins

1/2 cup honey

2 teaspoons prepared mustard

1/4 cup brown sugar

Mix honey, mustard and brown sugar. Spread over pork tenderloins and let marinate at least 2 hours in refrigerator. Roast at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serves 12.

Krabbie Pasta Salad

1 pound vegetable rotini pastas, cooked, rinsed and drained

1 (6-ounce) can pitted ripe olives, drained

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained

1 (8-ounce) package imitation crab flakes

Combine pasta with remaining ingredients. Toss and chill until ready to serve. Serve with Italian or ranch salad dressing.

Marinated Asparagus Salad

1 (15-ounce) can asparagus pieces, drained

1 (8 1/2-ounce) can small early peas, drained

3 hard boiled eggs, chopped

1 package garlic salad dressing mix, prepared

Combine asparagus, peas and eggs. Pour dressing over mixture and stir gently. Cover and chill several hours. Drain and serve on a lettuce bed.

Peach Crisp

2 (16-ounce) cans sliced peaches, drained

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

3/4 cup low-fat granola, without raisins

In a small bowl combine peaches, sugar and cornstarch. Spoon peach mixture into 4 custard cups coated with cooking spray. Place cups on a baking sheet and sprinkle granola over tops of each custard cup. Bake at 400 degrees uncovered for 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated and tops are crisp. Serves 4.

I hope you give one or more of these recipes a try. I am all out of room, so until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff.