Spinach Artichoke Dip

 
I have had this recipe for a very long time and every time I make it the dish is gone!  This is a nice recipe for Spinach Artichoke Dip because it's not greasy like the versions you usually get at restaurants.  Serve with blue corn tortilla chips (my personal favorite) or wheat thins.  If I ever have leftovers it's excellent the next day in an omelet!

Ingredients:

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

10 oz pkg chopped spinach - thawed and excess water squeezed out

3 cloves minced garlic

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

8 oz cream cheese softened (can be low fat)

1 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese

2 T lemon juice

Directions:

Combine all ingredients well and bake 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serve hot as an appetizer!

Baked Egg Rolls

I was in the mood to make Asian food one night recently.  I have made egg rolls before and this recipe is especially YUMMY! I found it on this blog called For the Love of Cooking.  You should try these but allow yourself a little bit of time...there's some prep work involved - but they are perfect to make on the weekend and the recipe makes quite a few so they are great for a dinner party or leftovers!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound ground turkey cooked 
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 cups of savoy cabbage, chopped
• 2 cups of shredded carrots
• 2 cups of bean sprouts
• 1 can of water chestnuts, chopped
• 2 tbsp green onions, sliced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 1/4 cup water
• 14 - 18 egg roll wraps
• Sweet chili dipping sauce or sweet and sour sauce (for dipping) 

Directions: 

Cook the ground turkey over medium heat until cooked thoroughly and chopped fine; remove from pan.  Now heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once hot add the cabbage, sprouts, carrots, chestnuts and ginger to the pan and cook, stirring frequently for 4-5 minutes, until the vegetables just begin to wilt but still remain a little bit crisp. Mix the corn starch with the water and mix thoroughly. Add the corn starch mixture and soy sauce to the pan along with the green onions. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and let cool.

Now place about 2 tablespoons of the cooled mixture on the center of the egg roll wrapper. Fold the bottom up over the filling. Next, fold the two sides over, making it look like an envelope, then roll it up.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the rolled up egg rolls on a baking sheet. Once you have rolled them all, spray the top of each egg roll with cooking spray. Place in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes then turn them over. Bake for an additional 5-7 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Serve with sweet chili sauce or sweet and sour sauce. Enjoy.

These are really wonderful and you can omit the turkey to make them vegetarian or get creative and add other ingredients...possibilities are endless with this recipe! 

Spinach Tortellini Soup

This is an AMAZING recipe - we love this soup and it's amazingly easy to throw together.

Ingredients:
- 4 medium carrots - chopped
- 1 medium chopped onion
- 1 T. olive oil
- 2 cloves chopped garlic
- 1 t. Italian Seasoning
- 1 - 32 ounce carton chicken broth
- 2 packages uncooked cheese tortellini (9 oz packages)
- 2 cans of navy beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1/4 t. black pepper
- 4-5 cups fresh, clean baby spinach
- shredded or grated Parmesan Cheese for serving

Directions:  
Cook carrots, onion, Italian seasoning and garlic in olive oil in a stockpot until soft for 3-4 minutes. 
Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Let mixture boil for about 10-15 minutes or until carrots are soft.  Stir in beans, tortellini and pepper.  Gently boil for 7-9 more minutes until tortellini is done.  Right before serving stir in spinach and remove from heat; let it stand for 3 minutes.  Serve in bowls and garnish with Parmesan.  This is DELICIOUS!  Enjoy!

 

**On a side note here:  I personally only use whole carrots for our house - I do not like the 'baby' carrots - the taste between the two is vastly different.  I think the 'skin' you have to peel off a regular, whole carrot preserves the flavor...that's just my two cents. 

Eating Veggies - Garden Harvest Cake

I am going to share one of my favorite recipes with you, it's a Cooking Light recipe for a yummy Garden Harvest Cake -( click here to read the reviews)...my husband calls it 'bread' because it's made like banana or zucchini bread...guess that makes him feel less guilty when he eats 2-3 pieces.  Seriously it is great served any time of the day...breakfast - toasted with a bit of cream cheese or for a light snack!  This is a great way to add some veggies to your kids diet...the carrots and zucchini are grated so fine they will never know it's in there.  I also replace the oil in the recipe with applesauce to cut down on the fat.  

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour  

3/4 cup sugar 

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/2 cup grated peeled Granny Smith apple (about 1 medium) 

1/2 cup grated carrot (about 1 medium) 

1/2 cup shredded zucchini 

1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (optional) 

1/4 cup canola oil (or 1/4 c. applesauce) 

1/4 cup nonfat buttermilk 

2 large eggs 

Cooking spray   

Directions:  

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add grated apple, grated carrot, shredded zucchini, and walnuts to flour mixture; toss well. Combine canola oil, buttermilk, and eggs in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add egg mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Spoon batter into an 8 x 4–inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove cake from pan. Cool completely on wire rack before slicing.

This recipe can easily be doubled and one loaf can even be frozen to be enjoyed later!