Veggie Calzone - total time 35 minutes

Do you like ricotta?  There are a lot of people that don't.  Most of them substitute cottage cheese to replace ricotta... that's just not an even switch to me.  Maybe you either like ricotta or you like cottage cheese.  Maybe?

I've been making calzones for years.  My husband and I call them Alley Doughs after consuming more DP Dough calzones than we probably should have in college.  I never thought to put ricotta in them... ever.  But lately I have been limiting the amount of meat I eat (and currently that is no meat) so I've been choosing the veggie calzones at Sarefino's and Little Palace, both of which have ricotta and are molto delizioso (starting to work on my Italian for vacation :))!  I might be bias, because I love ricotta, but I think it makes calzones so much tastier!

This recipe is for one calzone, but one is easily enough for two people.  If you finish a whole calzone by yourself in one sitting, you get a free tshirt and your photo on a wall somewhere in cyberspace.  And a nap.  Because you'll be so full you won't want to do anything else. 

Spinach and Artichoke Panini - total time 15 minutes

I've said it several times and I'll say it again, spinach artichoke dip is my favorite appetizer!  Have you seen the new Miracle Whip commercial?  If you're going to bring the artichoke dip... bring the artichoke dip.  Haha!  Love it!

I don't know that I have ever had mayo in my spin dip though.  I always use cream cheese.  But in the case of this awesome sandwich, I used gouda... mmm... gouda.

Wasn't really sure whether to call this guy a panini or a grilled cheese, they're kind of the same thing.  I use all my grilled cheese tips to make the sandwich, but 'panini' has a classier sound for this fancy grilled cheese sandwich.  If you love spin dip, you have to try this out.  It's super quick and easy.  Perfect for lunch or a quick dinner with a soup or salad!

Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms - 35 minutes

It seems like mushrooms are a love it or hate it kind of food.  I'll put myself in the "hate it" group, but my husband is definitely on the "love it" side.  I can't get over the texture.  But he loves it on pizza, in pastas, on sandwiches, pretty much on everything... except anything that I cook, since I won't eat them.

These crimini mushrooms were available in our Green BEAN Delivery order, so I thought I would give them another shot.  I think it is good to occasionally try the foods you think you hate because your tastes can change.  (Remember the first time you drank beer or wine?  If you never tried it again, you probably wouldn't be drinking it now!)

Well, I still hate mushrooms.  But my husband enjoyed these stuffed mushrooms.  So if you're in the "love it" group, or even if you're in the "hate it" group like me... give this recipe a try!

Fried Arts on a Cake - total time 25 minutes

So the whole food truck idea has been around forever, of course.  But in recent years it has become so popular, it is kind of crazy.  The idea is great, get your food to where the people are... totally makes sense.  But "gourmet" food from a truck?  I don't know.  I mean the deep fried Oreos and corn dogs make sense from a food truck... you only need a place to coat it in batter, then dunk it in a fry tank... very little prep space needed.  But some of these menus these food trucks are offering... I certainly don't envy the cooks in those trucks.  While the food may be good (great even), and the restaurant came to me instead of me going to it... it still makes me think I'm eating fair food even when it is a healthy salad.

So there is a food truck in Columbus that seems to be everywhere... art festivals, Fourth of July shindigs, even at my work.  Good things is, this food truck has vegetarian entrees too!  They may not be the healthiest meals in the world, it's nice to have an option that is packed full of vegetables, even if they were fried first.  

Any way, we got food from this food truck is called Sweet Carrot which I mentioned in a previous post.  I had "fried arts on a cake" which was a corn fritter with fried artichokes, cole slaw, and some kind of creamy sauce on top.  It was delicious!  My husband had mach and cheese with barbecued pulled pork on top, which had a cute, funny name for Art Festival, but now I forget what it was.  So I thought I would try to remake both... just haven't gotten around to the mac and cheese... that sounds like a winter meal to me.

Spinach Artichoke Dip - total time 40 minutes

All-time best appetizer has to be spinach artichoke dip!  I don't know anyone that doesn't like it.  If it is on the menu, we're getting it.  And when we make it at home, its a hundred times better than from a can.  Even though it is full of cream cheese, it is also loaded with a bunch of good stuff... spinach, artichokes (duh, it is in the name), garlic, spices... yum!  It's so easy to make too!

Veggie Stromboli - total time 30 minutes

There is this place called Sarefino's at North Market in Columbus that serves up the best strombolis I've ever had.  So delicious, we get some every time, even if it is to take it home and eat later.  There are a couple must stop at vendors at North Market... I always come home with a bag full of tasty treasures after even a quick trip.  

Any way, I know I could never recreate their veggie stromboli perfectly, so I made some modification (not to improve upon their recipe, but to prevent mine from turning out soggy).  I used the same concept I did for my Italian Chicken Braid, but used most of Sarefino's ingredients (I know they use ricotta, but I have no idea how they make that work).

Baked Lasagna Raviolis - total time 45 minutes

So this is cheating a little on the 40 day challenge because I already made baked raviolis a few weeks ago.  But these are different because I am actually making the raviolis!  So this recipe is kind of the spinach and artichoke lasagna recipe wrapped up in wontons.  These make a great meal covered in tomato sauce, but also make a great appetizer because they can be finger food too!

Oh... and just so you don't make the same mistake I did... artichoke petals and stems are not friendly with garbage disposals.  Toss them in the compost or garbage... not the sink!

1 cup ricotta
40 wonton wrappers
1 egg
1.5 cups spinach
1 artichoke, steamed
shredded parm
salt and pepper
.25 cup tomato sauce

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Steam artichoke for 10 minutes and wilt spinach in pan. Remove artichoke petals, stem, and choke and chop the artichoke heart.
2.  Add ricotta, egg, chopped artichoke, spinach, some parm, and tomato sauce in a small mixing bowl.
3.  Lay out wonton wrappers on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Add about one tablespoon of filling mixture on each wonton.  Wet edges of wonton wrapper with water (brush on with finger) and carefully lay another wonton wrapper on top.  Press edges to seal.
4.  Bake for 12 minutes or until edges start to brown and get crispy.  Serve with tomato sauce.

Spinach & Artichoke Lasagna - total time 1.5 hours

So... we love spinach artichoke dip, it is the perfect appetizer.  I will pretty much try spinach and artichoke in every form possible.  Haven't made a bad one yet.  But usually I use artichokes from a can or jar, well, because I didn't know how to cook an artichoke.  It is hard to find canned artichokes that aren't marinated in some kind of oil or italian dressing of some sort... which can really change the flavor of what you were planning to make.  Well, now I can say I have officially cooked artichokes and will likely not spend the time to do that again any time soon (especially after I found out there are bag or artichoke hearts in the freezer section).

Since it took an hour to steam and peal the artichokes, I ended up using a jar of alfredo instead of making my own sauce like I planned.  This recipe would have been a lot faster if I had known about these frozen artichoke hearts...

9 lasagna noodles

1 cup fresh mozzarella, divided

16 oz ricotta

1 egg

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups spinach

1.5 cups artichoke hearts

3 cups alfredo sauce

.5 cup grated parm, divided

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Saute spinach in pan with garlic for four minutes, just enough to wilt down a little.  

2.  Combine ricotta, .75 cup mozzarella, egg, artichokes, cooked spinach, and .25 cup parm cheese.  Boil noodles for about one minute to get them warm.

3.  Spread some alfredo sauce over the bottom of a casserole dish.  Layer three noodles then the cheese mixture and some alfredo sauce.  Repeat.  Top with the last three noodles, cover with sauce, and finish with the remaining mozzarella and parm.

4.  Bake for 35 minutes.

How to make your own artichoke hearts...

1.  Chop off excess stem (should be an inch long).  Chop off the top of the artichoke (the prickly part).  You can cut about the top half off... you want what is in the core... or heart. 

2.  Steam artichokes for 10 minutes.  Let cool.

3.  Peal the artichoke petals and cut off the bottom, white, fleshy part.  Repeat until petals are gone.

4.  Cut out the fluffy part of the artichoke flower and scoop the rest of the artichoke flesh.  

Each artichoke results in about a half cup of artichoke heart.

Spin Dip White Pizza - total time 30 minutes

When spinach dip is on the appetizer menu, we are usually going to order it.  So it was only natural that we combine our favorite appetizer with our easiest quick dinner.  Add some chicken for those who insist on having meat on their pizzas.

2 whole wheat naan

1 cup fresh spinach, chopped

.5 cup artichoke hearts

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup asiago cheese, shredded

sprinkling of grated parm

oregano

garlic chives

salt & pepper

1.  Heat pizza pan while oven is preheating to 350 degrees (this will get the crust crispier).  

2.  Add half the asiago cheese as the base layer.  Then spinach, artichoke, and garlic.  Sprinkle remaining asiago, parm, chives, oregano, salt, and pepper.  Bake for 20 minutes and enjoy!

Spinach Artichoke Bake - total time 45 minutes

Casseroles are so simple and great for weeknight meals.  All the time is really hands off time in the oven.  Just combine all the ingredients and get it cookin'.  This one is no exception!

1 cup rice

1 lb chicken, chopped

1 jar artichoke hearts

1 lb spinach, chopped

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 cup cheese, shredded

.5 cup cream cheese, softened

.5 cup panko bread crumbs

1 tsp red pepper flakes

salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook rice according to package.  Cook chicken in pan (five minutes each side).  

2.  Combine rice, chicken, artichokes, spinach, tomatoes, cheese, cream cheese, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl.  Scoop into casserole dish and top with panko.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Broil for 2 minutes to get the panko a little toasty.

Artichoke Strata - total time just over one hour

I had never made a strata before this one.  An interesting concept of soaking bread in egg, milk, and cheese to create a pretty complex flavor.  I think I might add spinach next time to make a 'spin dip strata'.

* tbsp butter
* .5 chopped onions
* 2 minced garlic cloves
* 1 jar artichoke hearts
* 1.75 cups milk
* 4 eggs
* 5 cups cubed bread (rustic loaf)
* .25 cup parm
* .75 crumbled feta
* 1 tbsp italian herb mix
* salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Heat butter in pan, add onions and saute for 3 minutes.  Add garlic and artichokes, cook 10 minutes.
2. While artichokes cook, combine milk and eggs in large bowl.  Add salt, pepper, and herbs.  Toss in cubed bread, stir to coat bread.  Allow 10 minutes to saturate.
3. Add artichoke mixture to bowl, stir, move to casserole dish, and put in oven for 45 minutes.

Spinach, Turkey, & Artichoke Casserole - total time 50 minutes

Casseroles are nice for weekday dinners because there is some work upfront, but then you can relax while it bakes.  It works as an entree or a side, add more veggies and omit the turkey to make it vegetarian.

1 cup risotto rice

12 oz. chopped turkey breast

1 chopped bell pepper

.333 cup chopped onion

3 cups chopped spinach

10 oz. chopped artichoke hearts

.75 shredded mozzarella cheese

.5 cup panko bread crumbs

.25 grated parmesan

16 oz. alfredo sauce - butter, chopped onion, flour, milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray casserole dish with cooking spray.

2. Prepare rice according to package.

3. Add oil to pan, cook turkey, peppers, and onions for ten minutes.

4. In a sauce pot, melt butter, add chopped onions, saute for three minutes.  Add two table spoons of flour while constantly stirring.  Add 1.5 cups of milk slowly while stirring.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat, cover, simmer for five minutes or until it thickens to sauce.

5. Mix turkey, peppers, onions, rice, spinach, artichokes, alfredo sauce, and shredded cheese together in a bowl.  Transfer to casserole dish.  Sprinkle panko and parmesan over top, spray carefully with cooking spray.  Bake 15 minutes.