Swiss Chard & Artichoke Dip

Don't be fooled by the name, this stuff is awesome!  I started getting a CSA box recently and have had to really push outside of my comfort zone to find new ways to use up all the interesting veggies.  This is a delicious variation on Spinach and Artichoke dip, and was the perfect dish to take to a recent Moms Night Out with my girlfriends.

Ingredients
1/4c olive oil
1c onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch Swiss chard, leaves & stalks separated and each chopped into small pieces
1 14oz can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, and chopped into small pieces
4oz chive & onion cream cheese spread (or plain cream cheese)
1/2c plain yogurt
1/4c mayo (I used Miracle Whip since it was all I had on hand)
1 1/2c Pecorino Romano, finely shredded
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions
Saute onion and chard stalks in olive oil until soft and onion is translucent.  Add garlic and cook a minute or two more.  Add chard leaves and artichoke hearts, then cover and cook until soft (remove lid if there is too much moisture).  Add remaining ingredients and cook until soft and thick (10-15 minutes).  Serve with crackers or bread and enjoy!

Source
In My Kitchen Garden

Notes
I topped a burger with this for lunch yesterday and it was so yummy!!!  Might try it as an out of the ordinary nacho topping too!!!

Zucchini "Cookies"

These were really good. I really enjoyed the way these tasted even though Philip said they weren't his favorite. Michaela absolutely loooooved these little things. Shhh, come close and I'll tell you why.

I may have told her they were cookies.

Yeah, I know that tricking your kids into eating vegetable by telling them they are something else isn't the best idea. But she ate them. 'Nuf said.

I may have also coerced her into eating the rest of dinner by telling her she could have more cookies if she finished. Don't judge, she actually ate meat because of this!

Ingredients

1 zucchini, shredded finely

1 tablespoon flour

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1 egg

1/4 cup cheese, shredded

Directions

Mix all ingredients together, then form into patties. Fry the patties in a skillet in a scant amount of canola oil until browned.

Source

Itty Bitty Bistro

Real World Wednesday - Calabazitas

This is one of my favorite side dishes to make whenever we have enchiladas. I love squash and that taste mixed with corn and green chile is oh so delicious. Not to mention this is super easy to put together!

Ingredients*
1/4 c onion
1 clove garlic
1 zuchinni
1 yellow crookneck squash
1/2 c corn (frozen or stripped from the cob)
1/4 c green chile, roasted, peeled, and chopped
1/8 c milk
1/2 c cheese (cheddar or pepperjack)

Directions
Saute the onion, garlic, squashes and green chile in a little bit of olive oil. When tender, add corn & stir. Put in a casserole dish or pyrex bowl, add milk, cover with cheese, and place in 350 oven just until cheese is melted.

*Measurements in this recipe are approximate. I just do it to taste, and adjust the measurements based on how many I'm serving, their tolerance for green chile, etc. Trust me, there's not much you can do too mess up this dish. Any combination of the ingredients would be tasty!

So Good They Taste Like They're Deep Fried Oven Fries

Whew! Yes that's a long title, but it is completely accurate. Every time I've made oven fries before they have been just ok. They're always a little mushy and they taste nothing like the deep fried sticks of artery clogging yumminess that you get at fast food joints. Not these. I followed this recipe and they came out perfectly golden and slightly crispy. These were a hit with the entire family!

Ingredients
russet potatoes, peeled and cut into fries or wedges
olive oil
cooking spray
salt and pepper

Directions
Soak potatoes in hot water for 10-30 minutes. Meanwhile spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Drain the potatoes and pat dry with paper towels. Toss with a small amount of olive oil and place on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover tightly with foil and bake in a 475 degree oven for 5 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 15-20 minutes. Flip the fries over and bake another 5-10 minutes until golden and crisp. When finished, place on a paper towel to drain any additional grease and serve.

Sweet Pea Risotto

I've never had risotto, but it sounded really fancy, so I wanted to try making it. The only changes I made to this recipe is in the proportions of ingredients. I liked the flavor combination of the rice with the sweet peas, and I loooooved the texture. Michaela didn't eat it on it's own, but when I put it in a tortilla with cheese she ate a few bites. I wonder how long I'll have to make quesadillas to get her to eat what I make?

Ingredients
4 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup onion, chopped finely
1 cup arborio rice
1 tablespoon butter
2/3 cup peas
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Directions
In a large skillet, saute the onion in a little bit of olive oil. Add the rice and stir until nicely browned. Add the vegetable stock 1/2 cup at a time, waiting until the liquid has absorbed before adding the next cup. This process should take about a half an hour. When all the liquid is absorbed, the texture should be moist and creamy. Add butter, peas, and parmesan and stir to combine.

Notes

• On Hell's Kitchen they always make a green risotto, but I'm not sure what vegetable it is. I think next time I would puree the peas so that the whole dish is green, then maybe I could add some fresh herbs into the puree as well.
• I 'm sure you could make this with any type of rice, you just wouldn't get the same creamy texture.

Homemade Vegetable Stock

I had a whole tray of leftover veggies from Rafael's Baptism, so I decided to make some vegetable stock. I first got this brilliant idea here. What a great way to use up an excess of veggies that are destined for the trash can!

Ingredients

any veggies

Directions

Dump all your veggies in a crockpot. Add enough water to cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours or on high for 2-4. Strain out veggies and use broth as a base for beans, soups or any other dish that calls for vegetable stock.

Notes

• If you plan on freezing this or anything else soup like, here's a simple tip. Pour the liquid into quart or gallon sized Ziploc's and then lay flat on a cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer until soup is frozen. Then remove, and voila! You have a flat sheet of soup that is easily stackable and stores much more easily than a bulky container.
• I felt bad throwing away the leftover veggie chunks, so I pureed and froze them to add later to dishes for an extra nutrient boost.