Spinach and Artichoke Pockets

Posted on April 10, 2013 by admin

I love creamed spinach as an ingredient. It has tons of flavor and is great for a sauce and for serious color. I used it in place of sauce in deep dish pizza. This time I thought it would help make spinach and artichoke dip. I baked it into puff pastry pockets to turn dip into dinner!

Ingredients:

1 pkg creamed spinach
2 cups artichoke hearts
2 tbs garlic, chopped
1 tbs cream cheese
1 cup fresh spinach
4 slices fresh turkey/4 chicken tenders, pre-cooked
1 cup shredded mozzarella/shredded monterey jack
salt & pepper
1 sheet of puff pastry

Directions:

Sautee artichoke hearts in a large pan over medium heat for about 2 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Add creamed spinach, garlic, cream cheese, and fresh spinach to the pan. Stir and cook for 5 minutes.
Chop and add pre-cooked turkey/chicken, cooking for another 3-5 minutes.

Roll out puff pastry from ¼ inch thickness to ⅛ inch (sheet should almost double in size)
Cut puff pastry into squares. Lay out if forming into pockets. Or lay into ramekins/muffin tins.
Fill each with spinach/artichoke mixture.

Add shredded cheese and fold/close.

Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown.

This was such a fun and different kind of dinner. I made these pockets into ramekins so I didn’t have to worry if they exploded. Smaller ones would be fun for a party.

The turkey I had wasn’t in tip-top shape (it lived in the freezer for a bit) so I figured it’s only use could be cooked into something. It added a bit of protein but wasn’t a crucial addition.

Any other apps turned dinner ideas out there?

Cobb Salad Dip

Posted on December 31, 2012 by admin

How do you do New Years Eve? I have a great fresh and filling dip for you to bring to a party or to your next football party. I always avoided going out to bars on NYE. It seems like it has to be such a plan. It is overpriced and crowded.

I’m too old for that. Last year we moved and watched the ball drop from our new house. Most years Mr. J and I had been able to walk over to our friends’ annual party. This year it is a bit further but I’m excited.

Ingredients:

12 oz plain Greek yogurt (or half Greek yogurt/half sour cream)
1 pkg ranch dressing mix
1 cucumber, chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped
6 oz gouda, chopped
2 eggs, hardboiled, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
4 strips of bacon, chopped
1 box of wheat thins

Directions:

Mix yogurt and ranch dressing mix until combined. Let chill for a few hours (or overnight) before serving.
Chop veggies into small bite size pieces.

Spread ranch onto a platter or plate.

Top with chopped veggies, eggs, cheese, and bacon (I was out of bacon and used pepperoni).

Serve with crackers for dipping.

I like this one because it is fresh and crisp and has all my favorites in one place. The Greek yogurt adds such a good tang while being packed with protein and calcium. This dip is the perfect party way to eat some veggies.

Cobb Salad Dip is convenient to chop the veggies and whip up the ranch dip then assemble on site. It is one of the easiest ones to prep in advance and pack it to go.

What I Ate: Asian Inspired Meatballs

Posted on November 30, 2012 by admin

What I Ate is a Friday series that is so easy (but delicious!) that it doesn’t really require a recipe! Check out the category (to your right) to see other super easy ideas.

Did you cook your tuckus off for Thanksgiving and now it is time to adapt to the winter season? These Asian inspired meatballs are super easy and work with any pre-made meatballs.

asian meatballs_590_390

Ingredients:

12 turkey meatballs (3 meatballs per person)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp honey

Directions:

Defrost meatballs (or make your own!)
Mix soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and honey over medium-low heat.
Stir well, then add meatballs.
Cook for about 10 minutes then turn to low so it can thicken.

asian meatballs_590_390
Serve over rice and top with some green onions. They have a nice sweet/salty flavor. The brown sugar and honey help thicken it up and poof! You’re done and clean up is pretty minimal.

Chicken Spinach and Artichoke Nachos

Posted on November 26, 2012 by admin

You read that right. I took everything good about nachos and spinach and artichoke dip and married it. Happily. Ever. After.
spinach_artichoke_close_590_390

I had a bunch of apps on my ever running “to make” list of ideas so a few became dinner one night.

Ingredients:

3 cups fresh spinach, chopped fine
1 pkg frozen artichoke hearts (not jared in oil)
8 oz cream cheese (or plain greek yogurt)
½ cup prepared alfredo sauce
1 tbs chopped garlic
1 chicken breast, shredded
8 oz shredded mozzarella
multigrain tortilla chips

Directions:

Cook chicken breast and shred when cooled slightly.
spinach_artichoke_chicken_590_390
Add artichoke hearts, cream cheese, alfredo sauce, and garlic to a large large saute pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Once the cream cheese is melted, add the chicken and ½ cup of the shredded cheese.
spinach_artichoke_pan_590_390
Stir the dip well, turn the temperature to low, and begin layering chips, dip and shredded mozzarella. Make one layer with about ⅓ of the dip, cheese, and chips.
spinach_artichoke_baking_590_390
Melt in the oven at 375 degrees until melted.
Layer more chips, dip, and mozzarella.
spinach_artichoke_layers_590_390
Melt in the oven at 375 degrees until melted.
Top with remaining.
spinach_artichoke_done_590_390

Trust me. The layers melted before more layers are crucial. If you layer, layer, and layer and then melting will mean your bottom layers aren’t going to be melted and the top will be cooked too much.
spinach_artichoke_close_590_390
I had some leftover chicken and sundried tomato alfredo pasta with lots of leftover chicken. I shredded it up which made for a wayyy better use of the leftovers than I planned!
spinach_artichoke_leftovers_590_390

Apple Cheesecake Dip

Posted on November 21, 2012 by admin

It is almost Thanksgiving and I have an easy 3 ingredient dip/dessert for you to have on hand if you’re worried about what you’ve planned to make. Or maybe you need one more thing to keep the masses fed.
apple_dip_done_590_390

I saw this apple cheesecake dip on pinterest and thought it sounded awesome. It is one of those foods that just can’t LOOK as good as it tastes. I added it to a dinner of appetizers and it was awesome.

Apple Cheesecake Dip

Adapted from Cooking Classy

Ingredients:

8oz cream cheese
¼ cup caramel ice cream topping
¼ cup toffee pieces
apples for dipping

Directions:

Allow the cream cheese to soften slightly.
Beat cream cheese, caramel sauce, and toffee bits.
apple_dip_ingredients_590_390
Serve with sliced apples.

This has such great flavor for just a few ingredients. I liked the apple dippers but graham crackers would be good, or animal crackers.

The original recipe has the apples dipped into the cream cheese dip and then into crushed graham crackers. I added the toffee in the dip instead for a pop of crunch.
apple_dip_done

This is a crowd pleaser and a super easy one to whip up. Something about it says fall to me, but apples are available all the time so I’m not sure where my season-ness is coming from. I definitely recommend this dip for an easy appetizer or light dessert. I love to be sure there are a few simple items when I’m hosting for an easy check mark on your list.

Tip: a few drips of lemon juice will help the apples not to brown. Prep the dip and refrigerate until you serve it. Slice the apples when you’re ready to eat!

(Plus, this one got Mr. J eating some fruit. Shhh! Don’t tell him!)