Hot Spinach Dip
I made two versions because I thought one wouldn't be enough. I was wrong. But not because they weren't delicious! Will and I were just full after the first one but we powered through.
Healthier Spinach Dip
**This feeds only 2-3.
- 4 cloves garlic
- Bag of spinach
- 1/2 to 2/3 package low fat cream cheese
- 2 tpsb lemon juice
- 1 tpsb salt
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
- sprinkle of shredded cheese on top
Preheat oven to 350. Saute garlic (do not brown), add garlic. Just before it is wilted, add cream cheese to desired consistency and melt and mix together. Then off heat, add lemon juice and salt. Fold in parmesan cheese.
Put in small baking dish (baked brie dish or baked apple dish), bake at 350 for 10 minutes, then broil for 2 minutes.
For less healthy, add 1/3 cup cream cheese and 1/4 cup mayo. Add more cheese. MORE CHEESE! Mozzarella will do nicely.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
"Clean out the fridge" Veggie Lasagna
This past weekend I tried a 7 day cleanse, the wonderfully name GOOP Cleanse, and while I only lasted 4 days (4 long, painful days - including a day I filmed a video about fudge being made. Now THAT was tough.), I ended up with a fridge full of vegetables that needed to be consumed. For some reason, the idea for an eggplant lasagna popped into my head and I was off.
When making this, I definitely fell into the trap of not looking at all my ingredients before I started cooking. What makes a lasagna? Red sauce/Tomatoes, right? So assuming I had a few jars, I went right ahead slicing all the veggies and laying them out in the baking pan. It wasn't until I went searching for the red sauce that I realized we were out. Out of white sauce too! This was after all my ingredients were in the pan... what to do...
Why not turn this red sauce lasagna into a white sauce lasagna? I added a can of Cream of Potato Soup and whipped up a butter and milk mixture that I poured over top the veggies. I wasn't sure how it would taste, but it was fantastic! If you have a bunch of random veggies that you need to get rid of, try this recipe either sticking to this white sauce recipe (feel free to add any Cream Of soup, or simply more of the milk/butter mixture) or add a can of tomatoes in place of the soup and add some extra red sauce as well.
You can see from the pictures that Avett helped me cook :) Will was not at home, so the pictures came from my camera. *I promise if I ever cook for people other than Will and myself, Avett will not be allowed on the table or in sniffing range of the food!
"Clean out the Fridge" Veggie Lasagna (makes 4 servings)
- Veggies: Anything you have in your fridge. You'll want a few types:
- 2-3 Eggplant, zucchini, squash for the noodles
- Greens - I used a bag of frozen creamed spinach (heated up prior to adding) and fresh kale
- Garlic
- Any other veggies you may have
- Handful of noodles (not too many!)
- 1tbsp each basil, oregano, pepper, thyme
- 1tbps of butter
- 1/3 cup of milk
- 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 can Cream of Potato soup
Slice up your veggies, keeping the "veggie noodle" layer in large slices. Put the 1/2 of the largest slices around the bottom of the pan to create a solid layer. Add some seasoning. Layer on top the spinach, garlic, any extra veggies. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese on top. Keep layering the veggies to look like a lasagna, saving the second half of the large slices for the top (don't add yet).
Add the second 1/3 of cheese. Add the Cream of Potato soup, spreading it on top to create it's own layer. Add the remaining large slices of veggies to the top (this should use up all your veggies).
Melt the butter in a sauce pan, add milk and beat together. Pour over the veggies. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
Heat at 400 degrees for 40 minutes, or until the veggies are all tender. ENJOY!
(I forgot to take a picture at the end of baking it... It was too delicious to remember silly things like that!)
When making this, I definitely fell into the trap of not looking at all my ingredients before I started cooking. What makes a lasagna? Red sauce/Tomatoes, right? So assuming I had a few jars, I went right ahead slicing all the veggies and laying them out in the baking pan. It wasn't until I went searching for the red sauce that I realized we were out. Out of white sauce too! This was after all my ingredients were in the pan... what to do...
Why not turn this red sauce lasagna into a white sauce lasagna? I added a can of Cream of Potato Soup and whipped up a butter and milk mixture that I poured over top the veggies. I wasn't sure how it would taste, but it was fantastic! If you have a bunch of random veggies that you need to get rid of, try this recipe either sticking to this white sauce recipe (feel free to add any Cream Of soup, or simply more of the milk/butter mixture) or add a can of tomatoes in place of the soup and add some extra red sauce as well.
You can see from the pictures that Avett helped me cook :) Will was not at home, so the pictures came from my camera. *I promise if I ever cook for people other than Will and myself, Avett will not be allowed on the table or in sniffing range of the food!
"Clean out the Fridge" Veggie Lasagna (makes 4 servings)
- Veggies: Anything you have in your fridge. You'll want a few types:
- 2-3 Eggplant, zucchini, squash for the noodles
- Greens - I used a bag of frozen creamed spinach (heated up prior to adding) and fresh kale
- Garlic- Any other veggies you may have
- Handful of noodles (not too many!)
- 1tbsp each basil, oregano, pepper, thyme
- 1tbps of butter
- 1/3 cup of milk
- 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 can Cream of Potato soup
Slice up your veggies, keeping the "veggie noodle" layer in large slices. Put the 1/2 of the largest slices around the bottom of the pan to create a solid layer. Add some seasoning. Layer on top the spinach, garlic, any extra veggies. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese on top. Keep layering the veggies to look like a lasagna, saving the second half of the large slices for the top (don't add yet).
Add the second 1/3 of cheese. Add the Cream of Potato soup, spreading it on top to create it's own layer. Add the remaining large slices of veggies to the top (this should use up all your veggies).
Melt the butter in a sauce pan, add milk and beat together. Pour over the veggies. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
Heat at 400 degrees for 40 minutes, or until the veggies are all tender. ENJOY!
(I forgot to take a picture at the end of baking it... It was too delicious to remember silly things like that!)
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Slow Cooked BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
SO EASY. I couldn't believe it.
Slow Cooked BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
(for 2-4 people)
- 2 chicken breasts or chicken legs/wings
- 1 bottle BBQ sauce
- 1 onion
- 4 sandwich buns
Put chicken, onion and 1/2 bottle of BBQ sauce into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, until chicken is falling off the bone. Pick out all the bones. Add the rest of the sauce (or as much as needed, save a little bit for the buns!) and mix. Add to buns, enjoy!
Goes great with those sweet potato fries!
Slow Cooked BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
(for 2-4 people)
- 2 chicken breasts or chicken legs/wings
- 1 bottle BBQ sauce
- 1 onion
- 4 sandwich buns
Put chicken, onion and 1/2 bottle of BBQ sauce into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, until chicken is falling off the bone. Pick out all the bones. Add the rest of the sauce (or as much as needed, save a little bit for the buns!) and mix. Add to buns, enjoy!
Goes great with those sweet potato fries!
Slow Cooker Enchilidas
I made this for the first time yesterday and man oh man, those are some good enchiladas. The slow cooker allows the chicken to fall apart, while frozen spinach and black beans provide a filling, healthy dish. This recipe makes 3-4 servings.
Slow Cooker Enchiladas
In the morning/the filling:
- 2/3 can of black beans
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 package frozen spinach
- 1/2 cup salsa or tomatoes
- green peppers/jalapenos/chilies if desired
- 1 onion, cut into smallish slices
- 8-12 radishes, diced
- 1/2 pack taco seasoning (or 1tbsp cumin, 1tsp cayenne/red pepper, black pepper, garlic powder, cilantro)
Add all ingredients to slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- 4-6 tortillas
- shredded cheese
After that, preheat the oven to 400. Spray a casserole dish with Pam. Set up 4-6 tortillas in a pan, side by side, so that filling can be easily added. Add 2-3 scoops of the filling into each tortilla. Wrap up each tortilla and place them side by side in the pan. Sprinkle with cheese, salsa, extra filling. Bake for 25 minutes.
Slow Cooker Enchiladas
In the morning/the filling:
- 2/3 can of black beans
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 package frozen spinach
- 1/2 cup salsa or tomatoes
- green peppers/jalapenos/chilies if desired
- 1 onion, cut into smallish slices
- 8-12 radishes, diced
- 1/2 pack taco seasoning (or 1tbsp cumin, 1tsp cayenne/red pepper, black pepper, garlic powder, cilantro)
Add all ingredients to slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- 4-6 tortillas
- shredded cheese
After that, preheat the oven to 400. Spray a casserole dish with Pam. Set up 4-6 tortillas in a pan, side by side, so that filling can be easily added. Add 2-3 scoops of the filling into each tortilla. Wrap up each tortilla and place them side by side in the pan. Sprinkle with cheese, salsa, extra filling. Bake for 25 minutes.
Jambalaya
It's been awhile, eh? Here we go! This Jambalaya is very easy to make and makes a lot, which is good because the left overs are good for days. The flavors blend and make it a welcomed lunch. This is a good recipe to get in a lot of veggies without noticing, and except for the sausage is healthy. It's very versatile - use any veggies that are in your fridge and pick and choose your meats.
Jambalaya
- garlic, onion, peppers - whatever veggies you have, dice them up into small pieces
- combination of chicken, sausage, and shrimp
- rice
- can of tomatoes
- 1/4ish cup water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1tsb oregano, chile powder, garlic powder
- 2 tbsp cajun seasoning (add all spices to taste, the better flavor the better!)
First, start rice in the slow cooker.
Heat some olive oil in a deep soup pot. Add onions, simmer until they begin to become translucent. Add the rest of the veggies except for the can of tomatoes. Saute for 5-10 minutes.
Brown chicken in a separate pan. Cut into chunks, add to the veggies. Add chucked sausage and shrimp to veggies as well.
Add tomatoes, water and seasoning. Simmer for 10ish minutes. Add rice. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Add to water (slowly!) as needed to maintain desired consistency. I tend to like it less watery, but some prefer a broth.
Jambalaya
- garlic, onion, peppers - whatever veggies you have, dice them up into small pieces
- combination of chicken, sausage, and shrimp
- rice
- can of tomatoes
- 1/4ish cup water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1tsb oregano, chile powder, garlic powder
- 2 tbsp cajun seasoning (add all spices to taste, the better flavor the better!)
First, start rice in the slow cooker.
Heat some olive oil in a deep soup pot. Add onions, simmer until they begin to become translucent. Add the rest of the veggies except for the can of tomatoes. Saute for 5-10 minutes.
Brown chicken in a separate pan. Cut into chunks, add to the veggies. Add chucked sausage and shrimp to veggies as well.
Add tomatoes, water and seasoning. Simmer for 10ish minutes. Add rice. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Add to water (slowly!) as needed to maintain desired consistency. I tend to like it less watery, but some prefer a broth.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Next up...
Jambalaya!
Made from scratch with more flavor than I ever imagined. I made it last night with shrimp and sausage - so easy and healthy! This will definitely be in regular rotation in my kitchen. Pictures and post up soon!
Bon App-Alysse!
Made from scratch with more flavor than I ever imagined. I made it last night with shrimp and sausage - so easy and healthy! This will definitely be in regular rotation in my kitchen. Pictures and post up soon!
Bon App-Alysse!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Carrot Cake!
It's been a crazy couple of weeks, but I have been cooking! While my Australia boys were in town, I was inspired by a Food Network show to make a carrot cake. Lo and behold, I had a bag of carrots in my fridge that were dying to be eaten. Especially eaten in a delicious, moist cake.
I used the Best Carrot Cake Recipe Ever because I felt like I could really throw a fit if it wasn't, in fact, the best carrot cake ever. Unfortunately, it was delicious.
It was super easy to make - from grating the carrots, to mashing up the pineapple, only taking maybe 15 minutes tops. Which was good since I had guests.
I ended up not adding the raisins for walnuts - for no reason except we didn't have any.
Even the frosting I had to improvise on. Without cream cheese, I couldn't create the traditional cream cheese frosting. Instead, I combined butter, powdered sugar, and a good amount of cinnamon to create a basic frosting.
As a frosting expert, I have to say, adding the cinnamon really enhanced the flavor. After some ample 'chef taste testing,' I'm surprise there was any left for the cake!
Of course, once the cake was out, I couldn't wait to put on the frosting. As soon as the frosting hit the cake, it started melting. This could have been HORRIBLE! But instead, it looked really nice and basically frosted itself. All in all, this was my first carrot cake and will not be my last.
Bon App-Alysse!
I used the Best Carrot Cake Recipe Ever because I felt like I could really throw a fit if it wasn't, in fact, the best carrot cake ever. Unfortunately, it was delicious.
It was super easy to make - from grating the carrots, to mashing up the pineapple, only taking maybe 15 minutes tops. Which was good since I had guests.
I ended up not adding the raisins for walnuts - for no reason except we didn't have any.
Even the frosting I had to improvise on. Without cream cheese, I couldn't create the traditional cream cheese frosting. Instead, I combined butter, powdered sugar, and a good amount of cinnamon to create a basic frosting.
As a frosting expert, I have to say, adding the cinnamon really enhanced the flavor. After some ample 'chef taste testing,' I'm surprise there was any left for the cake!
Bon App-Alysse!
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