Artichoke Parmigiano Dip

Ingredients:
1 (14oz) can artichoke hearts drained and chopped
3/4 cup reduced-fat mayo
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 Large cloves garlic finely chopped
2 Tbs fresh chopped basil

Directions:
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Spread the mixture in a 7x7 baking dish (or microwave safe dish) and microwave for 4-5 minutes stirring twice to heat evenly. Serve with pita chips, bagel chips, or crackers

Mushroom Quesadillas

Ingredients:
4 12inch flour tortillas (I like to use whole wheat to get my grains in)
2 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup pickled sliced jalapenos (drained and chopped)
2 cups shiitake mushrooms
2 Tbs corn oil (or vegetable, peanut, olive oil)
1 cup sour cream

Directions:
-Heat two medium saute pans over medium heat
-While the pans are heating sprinkle the cheese, jalapenos, and mushrooms evenly over 2 of the tortillas then top the tortillas with the two left over tortillas
-Add 1 Tbs of oil to each pan and cook each tortilla for about two minutes (until golden brown) then flip carefully with tongs and keep cooking until cheese is melted. Lower the heat if necessary to keep the tortillas from scorching.
-Remove from heat, cut each into 8 pieces and serve with sour cream

Lentils and Rice with Curry

Ingredients:

4 cups water
1 vegetable bullion cube
3/4 cup lentils
3/4 cup brown rice
1 small red onion
2 Tbs curry powder

Directions
Finely chop the onion and bring the water to a boil. Dissolve the bullion cube and add the rest of the ingredients. Bring mixture to a slow boil and simmer covered for about 35 minutes or until the water is absorbed.

Broccoli and Cheese Casserole

C-Fresh's mom sent me this recipe from his childhood for a broccoli and cheese casserole. Quick, easy, cheap and yummy!

Ingredients:
Instant Rice = 2 cups dry
frozen broccoli = 2 boxes or more if you want- thawed
stick of butter -melted
1 can -cream of mushroom
1can -cream of celery
milk -use one of the cans full
grated cheddar cheese - I use a whole small chunk

Directions
mix all together --bake 350 - 45 min.

Greens

I am going to try out a new recipe for Collard Greens tonight. I found it in a back issue of a magazine laying around the house (imagine that). Hopefully it'll turn out yummy. That is the hard thing about experimenting with new recipes because you spend all that money buying the ingredients then take the time to make it and you aren't even sure you are going to like it. That is also the joy though, when you com on that one really great, unexpected, surprisingly good recipe.

Winter Greens and Potato Casserole

This weekend when it was cold and blustery out I made a recipe C-Fresh had sent to me for Winter Greens and Potato Casserole. I have been intrigued by the whole greens thing (kale, collards, mustard, turnip greens) but have not yet explore cooking with them much. I was surprised at how good this tasted and how easy it was to make. The full original recipe is here .

Of course I did have to modify it a little bit. The grocery store that I went to did not have mustard greens so I had to buy canned. Two 14oz cans should do you just fine for this (it was also cheaper to buy the canned because each can was only 52 cents but a pound of kale was $1.99). Also you can use whatever cheese you want. If you have leftover mozzarella that would work really well too. I also chopped up three cloves of garlic and threw it in with the onions just to add a bit more spice.

Bake Asparagus

I love asparagus and Amanda made the most amazing asparagus last Thursday. It was perfectly done so of course I had to steal the recipe!

Ingredients:
1 lb asparagus
1/4 cup virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Kalmata olives roughly chopped
1 Tbs lemon pepper (or more or less to taste)
Pinch of Kosher salt

Directions:
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Lay the asparagus flat on baking sheet (I put foil over the sheet) and drizzle the olive oil over the asparagus.
Drizzle the olive oil over the spears and sprinkle the lemon pepper and salt. Next place the olives over and around the asparagus and bake for about 10-12 minutes (until tender).
That's it! How easy is that? The taste is really amazing so enjoy.