Veggie Pizza

I have made veggie pizza several times in the past, but I kept forgetting to add it to my blog.  Oops!  This was the perfect recipe to make for a recent party I attended, and the pizza was literally gobbled up in a matter of minutes.  This is a great recipe, especially if you're looking for something to throw together at the last minute.

Source:  Stephanie Cooks

Ingredients:

2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations™ refrigerated flaky dough sheet
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened (I used 1/3 less fat and nobody could tell)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch dip mix
1/2 cup of assorted colored peppers, diced small
1/2 cup chopped broccoli
Cherry tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup shredded carrot
2 tablespoons diced purple onion
1/2 cup shredded cheese

Directions:

Heat oven to 375°F.

If using crescent rolls: Unroll both cans of dough; separate dough into 4 long rectangles. In ungreased 15x10x1-inch pan, place dough; press in bottom and up sides to form crust. If using dough sheets: Unroll both cans of dough. In ungreased 15x10x1-inch pan, place dough; press in bottom and up sides to form crust.

Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

In small bowl, mix cream cheese, sour cream, and ranch powder until smooth. Spread over crust. Top with vegetables and cheese. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours before serving.

Sour Cream Enchiladas

After a long, hard day at work, I had a big urge to cook something different, but nothing too time consuming.  I turned to one of my favorite online sources and found this recipe.  Can you believe I have never made enchiladas?  I thought this might be a good recipe to try because I LIVE for sour cream.  My husband doesn't share the love of sour cream like I do, but he even thought this was a pretty good recipe.  I will definitely have to make these again, even if it's dinner only for myself!

Source:  Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

12 whole Corn Tortillas
Canola Oil, For Frying
1 can (20 Ounce) Enchilada Sauce
2 cups Sour Cream
3 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Grated
1 cup Sliced/chopped Green Onions
½ teaspoons Ground Cumin
¼ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix together sour cream, green onions 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar, cumin, and cayenne pepper.

Heat canola oil in a skillet over medium heat. Heat enchilada sauce in a separate skillet or saucepan.

Using tongs, fry tortillas one at a time, for only about five to ten seconds per side (don’t allow to crisp.) Remove from oil, then dunk tortilla in enchilada sauce. Lay tortilla on a plate, then spoon a good two or three tablespoons of the sour cream mixture in the middle. Roll tortilla, then place face down in a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas and sour cream mixture.

(If there’s any sour cream mixture left over, use it as a dip for tortilla chips!)

Cover the dish with the remaining cheese, then bake for 15 to 20 minutes until bubbly.

Serve immediately. Place a dollop of sour cream on each serving, then sprinkle on sliced green onions.

Salmon Florentine

For this weekend's dinner with my husband, I decided to try this recipe that I have had bookmarked for a few months now.  The dish just looked so pretty.  For being on the healthy side, this dish really did turn out great  and the spinach/ricotta mixture paired wonderfully with the taste of the salmon.  This dish will definitely be made again in our home!

Source:  Apple A Day, adapted from Ellie Krieger, So Easy

Ingredients:

10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed
1 TBSP olive oil
1/4 c. minced shallots
2 tsp. minced garlic
5 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 c. part-skim ricotta cheese
4 (6-oz.) salmon fillets, rinsed and patted dry

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.

Using your hands, squeeze spinach of all excess liquid.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook for three minutes until they begin to soften. Add garlic and cook for one minute more. Add spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper and cook an additional two minutes. Remove from heat and let cool approximately ten minutes. Add ricotta and stir to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.

Using your hands, pack approximately 1/2 cup spinach mixture on top of each salmon fillet, forming mixture to the shape of the fillet. Place fillets on a rimmed baking sheet or glass baking dish and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until salmon is cooked through.

Mixed Berry Cheesecake Dip

I have to apologize for the long absence.  It's been a rough few weeks at work and I havein't had a lot of time to even eat, let alone cook anything new!  I did manage to find a little free time and I made this excellent dip for a holiday party.  It also gave me a chance to use my Kitchen Aid mixer, which works wonderfully, by the way.  This dish was simple and took virtually no effort, but looked beautiful and delicious when it was finished.  I served it with graham crackers and ginger snaps and it turned out to be a fun dessert!

Source:  Pink Parsley, adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients:

1 pound cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1 Tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream
2-3 cups mixed berries (diced strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc)
1/3 cup red jelly (strawberry, raspberry, currant, etc)

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese and sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add the sour cream, lemon zest, vanilla, and heavy cream. Beat until well incorporated, then add more heavy cream if the consistency is too thick. Pour into a 9-inch pie plate and use a spatula to spread and smooth the top.

Place the jam in a medium bowl, and heat in the microwave until melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Fold in the berries, and spoon over the cheesecake filling. Chill until ready to serve, and serve with graham crackers or ginger snaps.