Philadelphia Cooking Creme

Has anyone else seen this in their grocery store? I just happened upon it in the cream cheese section and thought I would give it a try. It's Philadelphia Cooking Creme. I got the Italian Cheese and Herb flavored. There were a couple more flavors to choose from.
I used the recipe on the back of the carton which was super quick and super yummy.

Chicken Primavera Pasta

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken cut into bite sized pieces
2 cups frozen stir fry vegetables
1 tub Cooking Creme
2 cups cooked fettucine


Cook chicken in skillet until done. Add vegetables and cook an additional 4 minutes. Add cooking creme and stir. Serve over pasta.

Roasted Vegetable Sandwiches

I made these Roasted Vegetable Sandwiches for Sunday lunch this week.  They are so delicious and filling too.

1 medium eggplant, peeled and sliced thinly
1 red sweet pepper, cut into medium sized chunks
1 yellow sweet pepper, cut into medium sized chunks
1 sweet red onion, cut into chunks
2 zuchinni squash, sliced thinly horizontally
2 large handfuls of fresh spinach
2 large tomatoes, sliced thinly
salt and pepper
olive oil
dill weed
2 slices of provolone cheese per person
crusty italian loaf bread

Lightly spray large baking pan with cooking spray.  Spread out all vegetables except tomatoes.  Sprinkle with small amount of olive oil.  Toss to coat.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Bake at 400 degrees until all vegtables are tender. 

Place tomatoes in small sided baking dish with about 2 Tbsp. of olive oil.  Sprinkle with small amount of salt and dill weed.  Toss to coat.  Bake at 400 degrees until tomatoes are tender and started to wilt.

Split bread horizontally and brush with olive oil.  Broil until lightly browned.

Layer vegetables and 2 slices of cheese on bottom piece of bread.  Broil until cheese is melted.  Top with bread top.  Also can be prepared open faced.

Enjoy!

Vegetable Lasagna

A nice alternative for lasagna without meat.  I always make this early in the day and let it sit in the fridge until dinnertime.

VEGETABLE LASAGNA

1 12 oz box lasagna noodles

1 box frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 medium onion, sliced thinly

2 zucchini squash, sliced thinly

16 oz ricotta cheese

1 egg

1 16oz bottle spaghetti sauce

1 Tbsp. basil

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp. margarine

1 Tbsp. olive oil

Boil 5 cups of water in large pot and cook noodles until al dente.  Drain and set aside.

In large saucepan melt margarine and olive oil together.  Add spinach, onion and squash.  Saute until tender but not soggy.

In bowl combine ricotta cheese, egg, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and basil. 

In 9x13 baking dish spread small amount of spaghetti sauce to cover bottom.  Layer noodles, vegetables, and cheese mixtures until all used, ending with noodles then sauce.  Cover with remaining mozzarella cheese.

Cover with foil.

Cook at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.  Remove foil and cook an additional 15 minutes.

Beef Enchiladas

These are awesome beef enchiladas!  And they can be made ahead and then popped in the oven just before dinnertime.

BEEF ENCHILADAS

2 lbs. ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
1 4.5 oz. can chopped chilies
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 16oz sour cream
8 burrito size flour tortillas
2 cups chedder cheese, shredded

Brown beef and drain.  Stir together beef, taco seasoning, and 1/2 of the can of chilies.  In another bowl mix together soups, sour cream and remaining chilies.  Spread half of soup mixture into 9x13 baking dish lightly sprayed with cooking oil.  Divide beef mixture on each of the tortillas and roll up tightly.  Place seam side down in baking dish packed tightly together..  Cover with remaining soup mixture and cheese.   Cover with foil and cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Pita Bread Salad

This is a great salad for summer or just about anytime you want a light lunch or snack.  Make it a main dish by adding some grilled chicken.

Pita Bread Salad

2 pita bread rounds, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large cucumber, peeled and diced
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved  ( I used both red and yellow)
3 green onions, chopped
2 Tbsp. chopped mint
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
4 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 teas. salt
1/2 teas ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spread pita pieces on baking dish and cook until crispy. 
In a large bowl mix cucumbers, tomatoes, green onions, mint, parsley and lemon juice.  Mix thoroughly and add olive oil, salt and pepper. 
Just before ready to serve add pita squares and toss. 

This time of year we love to get fresh cherry or grape tomatoes at the farmers market. This week we got both red and heirloom yellow. The kids like to eat them straight from the fridge. But me, I love them roasted. They are perfect on top of salads, over chicken or fish, or spread over some french bread with cheese.

Roasted tomatoes couldn't be easier! Simply wash and slice tomatoes in half. Arrange in small baking dish and coast lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt, pepper and a dash of crushed thyme.

Bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring once midway through the time to toss.

Here they are all cut and ready for their olive oil bath.

And all the roasted goodness.

After they cook they are so soft and sweet!

I must be doing something right

I love it when I ask my son what he wants for dinner with his grilled shrimp and he says "just some veggies to dip".   I am happy to oblige.
In the summer this is one of our favorite parts of dinner.