Spinach Artichoke Pasta

Ingredients:

1 (13 oz) box shell pasta
1 tsp butter
2 tsp minced fresh garlic
1 8 oz package reduced fat (not fat free) cream cheese
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
1T lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 14 oz can artichoke hearts (packed in water), drained and chopped
10 oz chopped, frozen spinach, thawed, with as much excess water squeezed out as possible
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup chopped cooked chicken (optional)
Additional Parmesan for serving

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions

2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and add garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Slowly stir in milk, then add lemon juice, salt and red pepper flakes. Stir in artichoke hearts, spinach, Parmesan cheese and chicken (if using).

3. Drain pasta and add to artichoke mix. Toss and season to taste with salt and additional lemon juice as needed. Serve with additional shredded Parmesan.

Recipe Source: adapted from allrecipes.com

Sausage, Mushroom and Pea Risotto

INGREDIENTS

1/2 – 1 lb sausages

3/4 c arborio rice

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 c white wine

4 c chicken broth, warmed

1 c Button or Cremini mushrooms, sliced

1/2 c peas, thawed

Grated parmesan

Salt + pepper to taste

Directions:

* Heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil in skillet. Remove casings from sausages and saute, breaking the meat up with a spoon until the crumbles are brown.
* In a saucepan, add rice to the remaining oil over medium-low heat. Stir to coat. Add white wine and stir until absorbed.
* Warm chicken broth in a separate saucepan and saute slice mushrooms in another pan.
* Add broth to the rice a ladleful at a time (stirring after each addition) until absorbed and cook until the risotto tastes creamy but still firm, about 20 minutes. Add sauteed sliced mushrooms.
* Add sausage, peas, grated Parmesan, salt and pepper. Cook until heated through.
* Serve warm!

Cheesy Ham and Spinach Muffins

serves:12 servings
time:40 minutes, plus the bread needs to soak up the egg mixture for at least 2 hours or overnight.

• 4 cups cubed whole wheat bread (for extra flavour, bread cubes may be toasted)
• 1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped baby spinach
• 4 oz cooked ham, divided into ¼-inch cubes
• 5 eggs
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Toss bread, cheese, spinach and ham together in a bowl. Divide evenly between 12 greased muffin cups.
2. In a bowl, whisk remaining ingredients together. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
3. Bake in a 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes or until set. Let cool 5 minutes before removing muffins.

Mushroom Meatloaf

Ingredients

* 2 pounds lean ground beef
* 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, all minced except for 6
* 3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
* 1/2 cup minced onion
* 1/2 cup ketchup
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground meat, minced mushrooms, bread crumbs, onion, ketchup, eggs, and salt and pepper. Mix well. Spread 1/2 of the mixture into the bottom of a loaf pan. Arrange 6 whole mushrooms stem down into meat. Top with rest of meat, patting to combine both halves.
3. Bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes, or until done. Internal temperature should measure 160 degrees F (70 degrees C) when done.

Fresh Mozzarella, Tomato & Bacon Sandwiches

* For the Aioli:
* ¼ cup mayonnaise
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 2 tsp lemon juice
* 1 tsp dijon mustard
* Salt & pepper, to taste
* For the Sandwiches:
* 8 slices bacon or turkey bacon
* 8 slices French bread
* Aioli
* 1 tomato, sliced
* 12-16 fresh basil leaves
* 1 large ball fresh mozzarella, sliced
* Salt & pepper, to taste


Make aioli by whisking together all of the aioli ingredients. Set aside in refrigerator.

Fry bacon in a large skillet. Once cooked through, place on paper towels to drain excess grease.

Toast bread and lay out 4 slices.

Spread aioli on each of the 4 slices. Top the aioli with 2 tomato slices, 2 slices of bacon, 3-4 basil leaves and then about 2 mozzarella slices.

Season the mozzarella with salt and pepper and then top with the remaining bread slices to form sandwiches.

You can also grill this sandwich. Simply assemble the sandwiches without toasting the bread, brush the outsides with olive oil and grill in a skillet until golden brown.

Spinach Alfredo Pizza

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

* 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
* 1 (10 ounce) container Alfredo Sauce
* 1 (6 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
* 1 (10 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
* 2 unbaked pizza crusts
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced black olives (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread pizza crusts out onto baking sheets or pizza pans.
2. Place the spinach and Alfredo sauce in a saucepan, and warm over medium heat. Stir occasionally. Spread 1tablespoon of olive oil onto each pizza crust. Spoon half of the Alfredo and spinach onto each crust, then arrange artichoke hearts over the sauce layer. Top each pizza with half of the mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle mushrooms and black olives on top.
3. Bake pizzas one at a time for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the bottom is nicely browned.

Asparagus, New Potato and Chive Frittata

POINTS® Value: 3
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 13 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Welcome spring with our flavorful frittata. It's the perfect seasonal brunch, lunch or light supper.

Ingredients
1/2 pound(s) uncooked new potatoes, washed and very thinly sliced (about 4 potatoes)
1 pound(s) asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
2 large egg(s)
1 cup(s) fat-free egg substitute
1/2 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp chives, fresh, chopped
1 spray(s) cooking spray
Instructions

* Place potatoes in a steamer; steam until almost tender, about 3 minutes. Add asparagus and steam for 1 minute more; remove vegetables from steamer and set aside.

* Preheat broiler.

* In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, egg substitute, salt, pepper and chives.

* Coat a 10-inch nonstick, ovenproof skillet with cooking spray and set over medium heat. Add potatoes and asparagus and sauté for 2 minutes; reduce heat to low and stir in eggs. Cover and cook until eggs are set around edges, about 5 minutes.

* Uncover and broil frittata until top is golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Cut into 4 wedges and serve.

Chicken and 3-Cheese Sweet Potatoes

-750 mL (3 cups) peeled and diced sweet potatoes
-4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
-30 mL (2 tbsp) butter, melted
-30 mL (2 tbsp) butter
-1/2 onion, finely chopped
-2 cloves garlic, chopped
-2 mL (1/2 tsp) finely chopped gingerroot
-2 mL (1/2 tsp) red pepper flakes
-50 mL (1/4 cup) shredded Canadian Gouda
-50 mL (1/4 cup) shredded Canadian Havarti
-50 mL (1/4 cup) shredded Canadian Aged Cheddar
-Salt and freshly ground pepper
Preparation

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F), or barbecue to medium-high.

In a large saucepan, cook sweet potatoes in boiling, salted water until soft. Drain and set aside.

While sweet potatoes are cooking, brush chicken with melted butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Bake or barbecue for 20 to 25 minutes.

In the same saucepan, melt butter and cook onion, garlic and gingerroot until soft. Return sweet potatoes to saucepan and mash. Add red pepper flakes and all the cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Reheat mashed sweet potatoes over low heat to melt cheese.

Serve chicken over mashed sweet potatoes with your choice of green vegetable.
Suggestion

Make sweet potatoes with one type of cheese, for a total of about 175 mL (3/4 cup).

For a change of taste, try with Canadian Mozzarella, Provolone, Swiss, another type of Cheddar or Oka.

Mediterranean Tilapia

* 4 tilapia fillets (about 1 to 1 ½ lbs.)
* ½ teaspoon salt, divided
* ¼ teaspoon pepper, divided
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano, divided
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic
* ¼ cup frozen chopped onions
* 1 (14-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
* 1 (14 ½ -ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
* ¼ cup white wine


Sprinkle both sides of the tilapia fillets with salt, pepper, and half of the oregano. In a large nonstick skillet with a lid over medium-high heat, heat the oil.

Add the garlic and onions and cook for about 3 minutes, until the onions begin to soften.

Add fish fillets and top each fillet with the artichoke hearts, tomatoes, wine and remaining oregano.

Cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Marinated Tuna Sandwiches

Ingredients:
2 crusty hoagie or French rolls
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, bruised
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 can (2.25-ounce size) sliced black olives
1 perfectly ripe tomatoes, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 can (6.5-ounce size) white albacore tuna, drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
Kosher or coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste



Directions:

Tear off sheets of plastic wrap, each large enough to wrap a sandwich.

Split open a hoagie roll and lay open on each sheet. Sprinkle each roll half with 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil. Rub the bread with the bruised garlic; discard the garlic. Sprinkle each roll half with 1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar.

On the bottom half of each hoagie roll layer 1/4 of the onion, olives, tomatoes, tuna and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Place the top half of the hoagie roll on and wrap each sandwich tightly in the plastic wrap.

Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour or refrigerate 2 or more hours before serving to allow flavors to intensify and "marinate" the sandwich.

Tortellini Stew w/Spinach and Zucchini

Ingredients:
1 can (14 oz size) reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 package (9 oz size) refrigerated cheese or mushroom tortellini
1 can (14.5 oz size) diced tomatoes
3 cups packed baby spinach
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons freshly shredded Asiago or Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 small zucchini, diced large, sauteed lightly

Directions:
Bring broth to a boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Add tortellini. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer gently 5 minutes.

Gently stir in tomatoes; simmer 4 minutes or until tortellini is tender. Stir in spinach 1 cup at a time just until wilted. Add zucchini. Stir in basil.

Ladle into shallow bowls; sprinkle with cheese and pepper.

As an added delicious touch, once you've turned off the heat, stir in three triangles of Laughing Cow cheese. It adds a lovely richness to the broth, and it also thickens it all up, just a smidge. So good.

Spice-Crusted Pork Chops with Bean Sprout Salad

-4 pork chops, trimmed

Marinade
-1 garlic clove, chopped
-2 Tbsp. (30 mL) grated fresh ginger
-3 Tbsp. (45 mL) light soy sauce
-3 Tbsp. cup (45 mL) extra virgin olive oil
-1Tbsp. sesame oil

Spice-Crust
-2 Tbsp. (30 mL) crushed, coriander seed
-1 Tbsp. (15 mL) crushed, mustard seed
-1 Tbsp. (15 mL) crushed coarse black pepper
-2 Tbsp. (30 mL) Dijon mustard

Bean Sprout Salad
-½ cup (125 mL) light soy sauce
-1 – 2 tsp. (5 – 10 mL) sesame oil
-2 Tbsp. (30 mL) rice vinegar
-2 Tbsp. (30 mL) grated ginger
-1 cup (250 mL) bean sprouts

-To taste chopped fresh coriander
-To taste freshly ground pepper

Preparation In a plate, combine marinade ingredients. Marinate chops 20 minutes.
Preheat barbecue to medium-high.
In a plate, mix spices together. Spread mustard on one side of the chops.
Place chops, mustard side down, on top of spices
Grill 6 – 8 minutes. Halfway through, turn chops over with tongs. .
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine soy sauce with sesame oil, rice vinegar and ginger.
Divide bean sprouts among plates, drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with fresh coriander.
Serve with grilled pork.

*This marinade smelled SO awesome, and the pork chops tasted great. I really enjoyed the bean salad with the pork chops. We had some white rice with it, and it tasted great with the salad dressing!

Pasta Salad with Feta

Dressing

-60 mL (1/4 cup) Irresistibles extra virgin olive oil*
-25 mL (1 1/2 Tbsp.) Irresistibles lemon juice*
-10 mL (2 tsp.) chopped fresh oregano or 2 mL (1/2 tsp.) Irresistibles dried oregano*
-1 clove garlic, chopped
Salad
-375 mL (1 1/2 cups) cooked penne*
-250 mL (1 cup) crumbled Canadian Feta
-250 mL (1 cup) seeded and diced tomatoes
-250 mL (1 cup) diced cucumbers
-125 mL (1/2 cup) sliced black olives*
-125 mL (1/2 cup) sliced green pepper
-30 mL (2 Tbsp.) chopped fresh parsley
-30 mL (2 Tbsp.) chopped green onions
-Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation

To make dressing, in a blender process olive oil, lemon juice, oregano and garlic until creamy.
In a salad bowl, combine pasta, cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, green pepper, parsley and green onions.
Drizzle with dressing and toss well. Salt and pepper, to taste.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Italian Wedding Soup

* 2 (32-ounce) cartons chicken broth
* 1 pound lean ground beef
* 2 eggs, lightly beaten
* ¼ cup bread crumbs
* 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
* 1 (6-ounce) package baby spinach
* 1 cup small pasta, such as ditalini or orzo


In a large pot over high heat, heat the chicken broth to boiling.

While the broth is heating, in a large mixing bowl, combine the beef, eggs, bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese, working well (or mixing with your hands to thoroughly blend).

Form mixture into small meatballs, less than 1-inch in diameter.

To the boiling chicken broth, add the meatballs, spinach, and pasta. Return to boiling, then reduce the heat to medium, keeping the broth in a small rolling boil.

Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through.

Serve in bowls and pass extra Parmesan cheese.

Pacific Pork Kebabs

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 6 pork chops, trimmed

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a small bowl, thoroughly blend soy sauce, vegetable oil, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, and ketchup.
Place pork chops in a medium baking dish, and spread with 1/2 the sauce.
Bake pork chops 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Turn, and spread with remaining sauce. Continue baking 30 minutes, or until internal temperature of the chops has reached 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

OR:

I used thick cut boneless chops, about 1.5 inches thick. I cut them into cubes, let them sit in the marinade for quite a while. When they were done, I skewered them with green pepper slices (next time I will use green pepper and pineapple chunks) and grilled them on the BBQ. It was frickin' awesome.

You can double the recipe and use half for putting over rice (just make sure that you keep whatever marinade you use over the rice away from the raw pork).
Enjoy!

Ravioli and Zucchini Soup

* 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes with basil
* 1 (32-ounce) container vegetable broth
* 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
* 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
* ½ teaspoon salt
* ½ teaspoon pepper
* 2 medium zucchini, quartered and cut into ½-inch dice
* 2 (9-ounce) packages refrigerated cheese-filled ravioli
* Parmesan cheese, optional


In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the tomatoes, broth, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper, stirring well to mix. Bring to a boil.

Add the zucchini, stirring well to mix. Continue to cook for 5 minutes.

Add the ravioli, reduce heat to medium, and cook until the ravioli are tender and float to the surface, about 10 minutes. Top individual servings with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Roast Beef Quesadillas

* Four 8-inch flour tortillas
* ½ pound thin, deli-sliced roast beef, divided
* 1 cup French fried onions, like French's Original, divided
* 1 8-ounce package shredded Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Co-Jack cheese, divided
* cooking spray
* salsa and sour cream, for topping, optional


Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Coat each tortilla generously with cooking spray and place sprayed side down on a large baking sheet.

Sprinkle ½ cup of cheese evenly over each tortilla.

On one half of each tortilla, place ¼ of the roast beef and ¼ of the French fried onions.

Bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until the cheese is melted and tortilla is lightly browned.

Carefully fold the cheesy half of each tortilla over the beef and onion half, and cut each quesadilla into two or three wedges with a pizza wheel.

Garnish with your favorite toppings.

Grilled Thai Shrimp Kabobs

* ½ cup mango chutney
* 1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
* ½ teaspoon bottled minced garlic
* ¼ cup vegetable oil
* 1 (8-ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained and juice reserved
* 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp, divided
* ½ pint grape tomatoes, divided
* cooking spray


Combine the chutney, soy sauce, garlic, vegetable oil, and reserved pineapple juice in a blender container and blend until the marinade is smooth.

Transfer half the marinade to a large resealable plastic bag. Add shrimp; turn to coat with the marinade. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to grill.

Pour remaining marinade in a small serving bowl or gravy boat, and set aside.

When ready to cook, coat the grill rack with cooking spray. Prepare the grill to medium-high heat. Drain and discard the marinade from the shrimp.

Onto 4 barbecue skewers, spear equal portions of pineapple chunks, tomatoes, and shrimp. Place kabobs on hot grill and cook for 3 minutes on each side, or until shrimp is pink.

Serve extra marinade for dipping.

Seafood Gratin

Recipe ingredients

-4 Tbsp. (60 mL) butter*, divided
-2 cups (500 mL) sliced mushrooms
-1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
-1 1/4 lb (625 g) large fresh or defrosted shrimp, peeled and deveined
-1 1/4 lb (625 g) fresh or defrosted scallops
-or 2 x 340 g Irresistibles shrimps & scallops*
-1 cup (250 mL) dry white wine
-1/4 tsp. (1 mL) crushed dried thyme
-3 Tbsp. (45 mL) flour*
-1 cup (250 mL) milk
-1 1/2 cups (375 mL) shredded Canadian Aged Cheddar, divided
-2 cups (500 mL) coarsely torn baguette or sourdough bread
-Salt and freshly ground pepper
Preparation

In a large non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat, melt 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) butter. Add mushrooms and onion; cook, stirring, until soft. Add shrimp, scallops, wine and thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes or until seafood is cooked. Drain, saving 1 cup (250 mL) of cooking liquid. Set seafood mixture aside.

In the same saucepan, melt 2 Tbsp. (30 mL) butter. Remove from heat and add flour, stirring. Gradually add milk and cooking liquid, stirring constantly. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until white sauce starts to boil and thickens.

Remove from heat, add 1 cup (250 mL) cheese and stir until cheese is melted. Add seafood mixture and stir carefully. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Melt remaining 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) butter, toss with bread and remaining 1/2 cup (125 mL) cheese. Divide seafood and sauce mixture evenly among 6 individual gratin dishes, top with cheese and bread mixture. Broil until golden.
Suggestion

Decrease quantity of seafood to 500 g (1 lb) each. In a large saucepan, melt a little butter and cook 1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped green pepper and 1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped celery. Add 3/4 cup (175 mL) seeded and diced tomatoes and cook until hot. Add seafood and cheese sauce and a pinch of hot pepper sauce or Cayenne. Serve over rice or pasta.

For a change of taste, try with Canadian Swiss or Gouda.

Make seafood and sauce early in the day and refrigerate. A few minutes before serving, top with cheese and bread mixture and broil.

Cheesy Baked Spaghetti

Ingredients:

1 box spaghetti
1.5 jars spaghetti sauce
2 tbsp. butter
1 12 oz. container ricotta cheese
¼ cup sour cream
½ cup alfredo sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese
¼ cup parmesan cheese

Cook spaghetti and drain. While pasta is still hot, mix in butter, sour cream, ricotta and half of the parmesan cheese. Spread a layer of alfredo sauce in a casserole dish and add spaghetti mixture. Cover with sauce and top with mozzarella cheese and rest of parmesan. Bake covered with foil at 370 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove foil and cook an additional 15 minutes until cheese is browned.

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