Written and Photographed by JACKIE KENNEDY

As the holidays wind down and a new year begins, many moms (and dads who man the kitchen) make resolutions to prepare more healthy meals at home.

Some would-be cooks, however, say they stay away from the stove for one reason: The recipes they encounter are too complicated with too many ingredients. That can be a quick turnoff to the wannabe cook who simply wants to put a good, inexpensive homemade meal on the table in short time.

Sure, she (or he) can read a recipe, follow instructions and probably get lucky enough every now and then to put a bounteous spread on the dining room table for all to enjoy.

But more often than not, that cook just needs a quick, somewhat-healthy meal to plop down on the kitchen table. Even if all the family doesn’t land in the kitchen at the same time, it’s on the way to their bedrooms, so they can grab a quick bite as they pass through.

When putting together recipes for The Newnan Times-Herald’s cookbook, “Coweta Cooks: Sharing a Legacy of Our Favorite Recipes,” our rule of thumb for including a recipe was that it a) have simple instructions, b) have ingredients you can find in one trip to one grocery store, and c) call for pots, pans and other cooking accessories already in our possession.

Fortunately for the Times-Herald, most of our readers who submitted recipes were of the same mind – and shared our appreciation for simplicity and good eating.

Here we offer up a meal that’s easy to make with simple recipes that eschew exotic ingredients in favor of old standards you can grab in a quick stop at your favorite grocery store. Hearty and healthy, it’s a mighty easy meal to make.

For more recipes like these, grab your copy of “Coweta Cooks” at The Newnan Times-Herald office at 16 Jefferson Street in downtown Newnan or email stacie@newnan.com to have one mailed. The full-color, 224-page, hardbound book is a bargain at $25.

Grandmother Clepper’s Easy Chicken & Dumplings

1 rotisserie chicken, pulled apart into bite-size pieces

2 small cans cream of celery soup

32 ounces chicken broth/stock

1 (10-count) package flour tortillas, cut into 1x2-inch strips

Heat chicken, soup and broth/stock to just below boiling, simmering until well mixed. Once well heated, drop in tortilla strips. Stir well. Lower heat, stirring often to keep tortillas from sticking together. Cook on low to medium about 30 minutes to create a fairly thick broth.

– Joanie Clepper, Moreland

Cucumber, Onion and Avocado Salad

¼ cup vinegar

¾ cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons dry mustard

Pepper, to taste

1 - 2 cucumbers (depending on size), peeled and sliced

1 large onion, sliced into rings

2 avocados

Mix first 5 ingredients together in a bowl. Place cucumber and onion in an airtight container and add liquid mixture. Mix well. Store in refrigerator for a couple hours or overnight. When ready to serve, slice fresh avocados and add to salad. Enjoy with family and friends.

“This has been a family favorite of ours for years. We share it in loving memory of Anne McKoy Coggin. It was her recipe. We just carry it on.”

– Brad Coggin, Newnan

Grandma King’s Mayonnaise Biscuits

2 cups self-rising flour

1 cup milk

3 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise

Mix ingredients together. Pour mixture in greased 12-cup muffin tin. Bake at 400 degrees for 17 to 19 minutes.

Variation: For a little extra, add about a cup of shredded cheddar cheese or a cup of sausage (chopped, cooked and drained) to the batter. This doubles the yield to 24 biscuits.

– Laura King-Wimer, Newnan

Pond Rice

1 can beef broth or beef consommé

1 can French onion soup

¼ cup butter

I small can sliced mushrooms, drained

1-1¼ cups uncooked white rice

Combine all ingredients in oven-safe casserole dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.

– Donna Moore, Newnan
– Paige and Mark Wells, Newnan

Cold-Oven Orange Pound Cake

1½ cups butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

6 large eggs, room temperature

3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

2 tablespoons orange extract

Butter and flour 10-inch tube pan or use Baker’s Joy spray. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually mix in flour. Add orange extract. Pour batter into pan and place in a cold oven. Set temperature to 325 degrees, and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until done.

– Rebecca Leftwich, Carrollton