Spinach & Artichoke Dip

This morning my tummy is still recovering from yesterday’s Super Bowl celebration. Johnny and I didn’t do anything toooooo crazy, we just had our close friend and his lovely lady over for some snacks and good times.When our friends showed up an hour earlier than I expected I hurried my little self up to get snacks on the table as fast as possible.

In all my haste, I neglected to snap a single picture of the Creole Crab Dip I made (which was totally why the Saints won by the way ) or the Spicy Boneless Buffalo Wings, or the Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Blondies. I couldn’t not share a recipe with you guys, though, so although this dip was not in last night’s repertoire, it IS in my repertoire of recipes and is absolutely divine.

Spinach and Artichoke dip is one of my favorite favorite snacks to get when I’m out to eat. It’s creamy and cheesy and the perfect companion to anything crunchy and dipable. When I finally decided I wanted to try and make it for myself at home I started searching through dozens of recipes. In all of my searching, I noticed that one of the main ingredients in just about every recipe I found was mayonnaise.

I. HATE. MAYONNAISE.

Don’t ask me why. I couldn’t really tell you. Aside from the fact that it’s absolutely awful for you, averaging at around 100 calories per tablespoon and having little to no redeemable nutritional value, something about the way it jiggles and stares at me and – ugh – it just really grosses me out. So I decided, forget you mayo and forget you recipes, I’m coming up with my own.

The recipe I’m sharing with you is all my own. I replaced the *shudder* mayo with nonfat yogurt to lend a creamy texture without all the fat and repulsiveness and I added some white wine to thin out the mixture while adding a lovely, more sophisticated zip to the dip. The red bell pepper was another touch of mine because I love the sweet crunch it adds to the finished dip and because it’s my recipe and what I say goes. Heh.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

• 1 package frozen, chopped spinach, defrosted and drained of all liquid
• One 8-ounce package reduced fat cream cheese, softened
• One 6-ounce container nonfat yogurt
• One 8-ounce jar marinated artichoke hears, drained and chopped
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• ½ of a small, red bell pepper, diced
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or oregano
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400°.
2. In a large sauté pan, add the spinach, cream cheese, yogurt, and artichokes. Over high heat, stir until the ingredients become a smooth mixture.
3. Add the wine and allow to cook for about 5 minutes, until the mixture thickens.
4. Add the bell pepper, garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and parmesan. Mix to combine.
5. Pour the mixture into a 9 inch pie plate or baking dish. Top with mozzarella and more seasonings if desired.
6. Bake at 400° until hot and bubbly and the cheese is melted.
7. Serve with carrots, celery, and homemade pita chips!

Penne with Sausage, White Beans and Spinach

It’s a shame the first snow day of the semester just so happened to fall on a Saturday AND my day off work. So of course, I slept until noon and am still in my pajamas. (Yes, STILL, and I’m probably sleeping in them again too. So HA!)

I spent my whole morning/afternoon baking a pear and almond spice cake that was inspired by the apple almond coffee cake of Inspired Taste. It turned out quite nicely, but oopsies, I didn’t snap a picture that did it justice. Add that to the fact that Johnny and I were starving and each shoveled down two pieces and watched Scrubs reruns until it was finally, you guessed it, dinner time. Typical. Ha.

I didn’t have much to work with, but surprisingly I had all the right things to make this delicious dish. Looks freakin’ awesome, doesn’t it? Johnny went back for seconds, so I knew I did good. And just in case this photo doesn’t do it justice…

EXTREME CLOSE UP!!!!

From start to finish this probably took about 25 minutes to make. The longest part is waiting for the pasta water to boil! I guarantee you, anyone can make this for a hearty, satisfying meal any night of the week!

Penne with Sausage, White Beans and Spinach

• 1/2 box of penne pasta (Ronzoni Smart Taste, I’m tellin ya guys, It’s the best)
• 1 lb hot italian sausage
• 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup baby spinach, washed and torn
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup shredded italian cheese (whatever you have on hand will work perfectly)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Cook the pasta for about 7 minutes, so it’s just shy of being cooked all the way through.
2. Meanwhile, over medium heat, brown the sausage in a large frying pan. When brown on all sides, remove from pan and slice into 1/2 inch slices (the sausage will still be raw in the center). Return to the pan with some olive oil to finish the cooking process.
3. Add the cooked pasta, beans, spinach, garlic and remaining olive oil to the pan with the sausage. Stir well to combine and top with cheese.
4. Cover the pan with a lid and remove from heat. Let sit for 5 minutes, covered, or until the cheese is melted. (Or if your pan is ovenproof, place in a preheated oven at 400º  until the cheese it melted and bubbly, about 5 minutes.)

Five Favorite Food Smells!

Okay so, as per usual, I’ve spent this evening clicking from one random web site to another and I came across this list on epicurious. com. My interest was piqued so much that I decided I had no choice but to post it on here to share with you!

5 Great Food Smells! It is definitely a really hard decision to make.

Next to impossible, really.

After some serious soul searching, I was, indeed, able to narrow it down to five…ish…

The Winners
(in no particular order)

Cinnamon Rolls
(this smell will FOREVER remind me of Sunday mornings at my dad’s house )

image courtesy of saltyspoon.com

Fresh Basil, Hazelnut Coffee, Caramelized Onions & Buttermilk Biscuits
and because I feel bad leaving these other guys out…

The Runners Up

Movie Theater Popcorn & Chocolate Chip Cookies fresh from the oven

What do you think???
What are your top five???

Chicken & Corn Chowder

Oh, snow. That’s what I woke up to this morning. Little fluffy flurries falling from the sky. (Heh, that was so something Dr. Seuss would say.) Though in retrospect it could have been much worse, being that it’s pretty much all melted now, but from the moment I stepped outside for work this morning I knew it was a soup night.

But what kind of soup Jen???

First and foremost, a delicious soup. (Duh!) A soup that will fill up my fussy fiancé who insists soup should never be a meal without a sandwich to accompany it. And perhaps, a soup with a little sass…kinda like me!  So I decided on Chicken & Corn Chowder!

Sunday Brunch

After an insanely busy first week of school, I had the weekend to sleep in and recuperate. So of course, I slept until noon. Bwahahahahahaha!

Anywhosers, nothing makes me happier in the morning/afternoon than a delicious meal with my love bug. So I woke up, got my tush in the kitchen, popped on my new iPod (complements of the aforementioned love bug this Christmas – golly he’s the best) and I got to work.

“What was on the menu, Jen?!” I know you’re all dying to know.

1. Jiffy Corn Muffins. *Gasp* From a box?! Yes.  Because they are cheap and delicious and take all of seven seconds to mix up and bake.
2. A fresh, hot pot of coffee.
3. Fresh naval orange segments.
4. A Caramelized Onion and Spinach Frittata.

Is your mouth watering yet? Don’t lie to me, I know it is.
And if for some insane reason it’s not, let’s take a look shall we.

Mmmmmmmmmmmm. Brunch.

You can’t tell me you don’t want some of that. I really insist you make this for yourself. Perhaps this weekend. You won’t be sorry.

Caramelized Onion and Spinach Frittata

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 large white onion, sliced thin
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 2 cups spinach, washed and dried
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup nonfat milk
• ¼ cup italian cheese blend, plus 1 tablespoon
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the onions. Season with pepper and italian seasoning.
2. Reduce the heat to low and allow the onions to cook until a caramel color is reached and onions are soft. (This takes patience, as it can take about a half an hour for the onions to caramelize completely. It’s worth the wait.)
3. Add the garlic and the spinach and allow it to wilt and reduce in volume.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs,milk, and italian cheese blend. Pour over the onion and spinach mixture. Raise the heat on the pan to medium high and allow the eggs to set for about 10 minutes, using your spatula to keep the sides loose.
6. When the eggs are mostly set and the top still appears runny, sprinkle with reserved cheese and place in your preheated oven until the top is set and the cheese is melted and brown, about 7 minutes.
7. Let the frittata cool for ten minutes before removing it from the pan.
8. Slice into wedges and serve!

The Simplest Enchiladas You Will Ever Make

My first week of my last semester
as an undergrad is officially over!

*happy dance*

Anywho, I’m taking six classes this semester and I’m still working at the bux about 30 hours a week. Always the busy bee I am, but not too busy for dinner I say!

I picked up a rotisserie chicken from the store this week, (well actually, Johnny picked it up for me because there were none at the store when I went shopping and I was sad so he came to my rescue the next day – hooray! ) shredded it up and popped it in the refrigerator to have on hand for an easy meal or two this week. At about six dollars for a whole chicken large enough to feed a family of four (or two people with big appetites) , it’s definitely a bargain.

I struck a new level of brilliance with tonight’s meal. I’m modest, I know. But honestly, these enchiladas were the best I’ve ever had outside of a mexican restaurant … and with only six ingredients, they could not have been easier to make.

The Simplest Enchiladas You Will Ever Make

• 1 cup cooked chicken, shredded
• 1 package reduced sodium taco seasoning (and however much water it calls for)
• 1 8-oz can diced green chilies
• 1/2 jar of salsa
  ( I used Pace Hot Picante Sauce and it was just the right amount of spicy)
• 1 block of pepper jack cheese, shredded and divided
• 12 corn tortillas

1. Preheat the oven to 400°.
2. In a large skillet, combine the chicken, green chilies, taco seasoning and water. Heat over medium high until hot and the sauce is thick. Remove from heat.
3. Heat tortillas in the microwave 4 at a time for about 20 seconds or until pliable. Add about a tablespoon of the chicken mixture and a teaspoon of cheese to each tortilla, being careful not to overstuff them. Roll tightly and place, seam side down, in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Repeat until all 12 are complete.
4. Cover evenly with salsa, spreading it out with a spatula all the way to the edges. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and place into the hot oven for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

The Result

Spicy

Cheesy

Perfection!

Whole Wheat Gingerbread Walnut Muffins with Cinnamon Orange Glaze

I was absolutely super-duper completely 110% beside myself when I opened up my brand new kitchen aid stand mixer on Christmas. (Love you Mom & Scott )

See look! Me - really freakin' excited!

As soon as I got back to my apartment I had to make something. There was no other option. It was completely necessary to christen it, and to do so with something scrumptious while simultaneously attempting to stick to my New Year’s Resolution.

What to do, what to do?

The pantry pickings were slim. Johnny and I picked up a few things from the grocery store, but nothing too extravagant. I saw some molasses leftover from the tasty ginger snaps I made during my christmas cookie extravaganza and that’s when it clicked, gingerbread muffins! Om nom nom!! (Actually, my first though was gingerbread CAKE, but then I shook my head at myself and decided muffins would be a wiser decision…)

Whole Wheat Gingerbread Walnut Muffins
with Cinnamon Orange Glaze

For the Muffins:

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup unsulphered molasses
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup quick cooking oats
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking soda, mixed into one cup of boil water
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

For the Icing:

• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• The juice and zest of 1 orange
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• pinch of nutmeg

Begin by mixing together the oil, sugar, and molasses.
Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined. Add the flour and the oats, followed by all of the spices, vanilla, and orange zest.Slowly mix in the water and baking soda mixture.Gently fold in the walnuts.
Transfer the batter into a greased or lined muffin tin. Bake in a preheated oven at 350° until fragrant or
when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
Remove muffins from tin and let cool for about 10 minutes before glazing.
For glaze, whisk all ingredients together until well combined.
If it’s too thin, add more sugar. If it’s too thick, add some more juice or water.
Drizzle over muffins before digging in!

Healthy Eats for New Years

So this time around, like every couple out there I’m sure, Johnny and I decided our collective New Year’s Resolution is  to exercise more often and eat healthier. Wish us luck!

We started running together this week, and I’ve been at it in the kitchen making healthy meals for us! I’ve got hard boiled eggs on hand for a quick breakfast or snack, lots of fresh fruit and vegetables in the refrigerator, and homemade pita chips that are absolutely to die for and a great partner for healthy dips like hummus!

The star players of last nights dinner were lean, protein packed pork with whole wheat spaghetti complemented by the flavors of metabolism boosting red pepper and exotic curry and sesame. I prepared a take out favorite with a twist that couldn’t have been simpler to make and was absolutely guilt free!

Curried Sesame Pork Lo Mein

• 1 lb. lean pork chops, sliced into thin strips
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
• 2 teaspoons ginger (fresh or powdered),divided
• 2 tablespoons curry powder, divided
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• 1/4 lb. whole wheat spaghetti
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 package frozen, shelled edamame, defrosted
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Scallions for garnish

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornstarch, soy sauce, and half of all the spices. Add the sliced pork and marinade for about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta to package directions. Drain, and stir in 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Set aside.
3. Heat a wok or a large frying pan over high heat. Add about 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add the pork, reserving any marinade in the bowl, and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Remove the pork from pan and set aside in the bowl with the reserved marinade.
4. Add more oil to the pan if necessary and add the zucchini and peppers, stirring constantly, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove from pan and add to pork.
5. Add a small amount more oil if necessary and add the egg to the pan, scramble.
6. Add the pasta to the pan and mix it around well.
7. Add remaining sesame oil and spices. Mix well.
8. Add the pork, veggies, and reserved marinade.
9. Add the edamame and remove from heat. Taste, and season further with soy sauce or spices as desired.
10. Serve sprinkled with scallions and enjoy!

**Remember folks, this recipe is just a guideline!
Please feel free to use whatever spices and vegetables you like!
This recipe would be great with chicken or tofu too!
Whatever you choose to do will be equally delicious and healthy!
Make sure you let me know how your version turns out!**

The wait is overrrrrrrrr!!!!

I’m back everyone!

I hope you didn’t miss me too much! I won’t lie, I missed you guys, hehehe.
I missed updating and I missed all of your wonderful feedback. But I told you all I’d be back…so here I am! The wait is over!

What is it,exactly, that I’ve been up to this last month? LOTS! I’m sure I’ll wind up providing you with all sorts of amusing anecdotes in the near future, but in a nutshell – I got to spend the holidays with my family up in North Jersey, my fiancé’s family out in Pennsylvania, and with some spectacular friends down in Florida! I was blessed this Christmas and provided with lots of new kitchen gadgets you’ll be hearing about soon! I made sure to document all of my cooking endeavors so I’d be ready for this! Ha. Golly I’m a nerd…

Anywhosers, being back in South Jersey, well, it’s not exactly my cup of tea…and you all know how much I freakin’ love tea. School starts up on Tuesday, and hopefully this is my last semester at Rowan and I’ll be graduating this spring! HOORAY!

Soon enough, folks, I’ll be back to regular posts. But for now I’ll leave you with this photo. Recipe to come soon. Commence salivating.

Whole Wheat Gingerbread Walnut Muffin
with Cinnamon Orange Glaze

Jollof Rice – an African dish

To learn more about my friend, Manfred, and Ghanian food,
check out the newest food profile!
Want to try to make what you just saw at home?
Here’s the recipe!

Jollof Rice

• 1 lb chicken wings
• Lawry’s Black Pepper Seasoned Salt, about 2 tablespoons
• 2 small red onions
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 15oz can chicken broth
• 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• 4 fresh tomatoes
• 1 hot pepper (jalepeño, serano, habenaro, whatever ya like!)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons shrimp powder
• 1 8oz can corned beef
• 4 cups rice

1. Begin by pureeing 1 small red onion, 2 garlic cloves, and 1/2 the can of chicken broth in a blender.
2. Season the chicken wings with the seasoned salt, and add the pureed onion and garlic. Place on a large baking sheet and bake at 400° for about 20 minutes.
3. Add the can of tomatoes, the remaining garlic and onion, fresh tomatoes, and hot pepper into the blender and puree.
4. Heat 1/2 c hot oil in a large pot. When the oil starts to ripple, carefully pour in the tomato mixture. Stir well  and add two tablespoons of shrimp powder. Stir to combine and let simmer 30 minutes. You may want to taste for seasoning.
5. Add the can of corned beef to the pot, stir, and then add the prepared chicken wings. Stir to combine.
6. Add the rice, stir, and cover. Cook for 30 minutes.
7. After 30 minutes, remove the lid, stir, and cook 30 minutes more.
8. Serve immediately and enjoy!