spinach cheese swirls

i made these for thanksgiving with the in-laws along with my feta cheese foldovers i previously posted about. these were DELICIOUS! when i first found this recipe, i thought i had uncovered a hidden gem... but when i got my puff pastries to make them, i realized... THIS IS THE RECIPE ON THE PACKAGE! oh well, i made them anyways, but then realized why they're on the package... they're a great appetizer! not too heavy but full of great flavor. definitely package recipe worthy. and i think i may have stumbled onto a thanksgiving appetizer staple at casa de evatt...

i apologize in advance for not having as many pics on this blog post, but things got a little messy before thanksgiving!

ingredients:

2 sheets Pepperidge Farm® puff pastry

2 egg

2 tablespoon water

1 cup shredded muenster cheese or monterey jack cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 green onions, chopped

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

(on a side note, an apartment kitchen is not very conducive to holiday cooking, but i think i managed ok.)

directions:

1. thaw pastry sheet at room temperature for about 40 minutes.

2. preheat oven to 400 degrees.

3. mix egg and water. set aside.

4. mix muenster cheese, parmesan cheese, onion, and garlic powder.

5. unfold pastry on lightly floured surface. brush with egg mixture. top with cheese mixture and spinach.

6. starting at short side, roll up pastry sheet like a jelly roll.

7. cut into 20 (1/2 inch) slices.

8. place on a baking sheet.

9. brush with egg mixture.

10. bake 15 minutes or until golden brown.

11. serve warm or at room temperature.

this recipe makes about 20 half inch slices. if, however, you are like me and have trouble cutting these into 1/2 inch slices, it may make a few less than 20. like the feta cheese foldovers, i do prefer these warm rather than room temp, but these could really be served either way. and, my oh my, they sure are pretty on a plate!

fin.

quick and easy stir-fried vegetables

ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon butter

3 cups cut-up assorted vegetables (bell peppers, broccoli florets, shredded carrots)

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

½ cup stir-fry sauce

directions:
1. heat 1 tablespoon of oil in 12-inch skillet or wok over high heat.
2. add butter, vegetables, and garlic; stir-fry about 2 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

3. add stir-fry sauce. cook and stir about 2 minutes or until hot.

4. serve.

that's it? that's it!!! this is the finishing piece of the meal of teriyaki chicken and easy fried rice that i've also blogged about. this is so versatile. you can add other vegetables like onions, water chestnuts, tomatoes, etc. you can also use thawed frozen vegetables for this too! that's what i usually do. cuts down on time and effort, and they're all pre-cut! what's easier than that?! nothing... absolutely nothing...

fin.

easy chinese fried rice

i've been on the hunt for the perfect fried rice recipe. i'm still working on my perfect japanese fried rice recipe, but i think this is a GREAT chinese version but much less greasy that what you'll get in a restaurant. i cheat a little by making a pre-made sauce packet, but who cares?! if it's good, it's good... and if the sauce packet is pre-made, that's less effort for you.

ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
about 2 cups cooked white rice (or 3... i can't really remember... fix whatever you need. whenever you cook your rice, add a pad of butter and salt to the boiling water before your rice is added in.)
2 eggs, beaten
any veggies you wish to add (the seasoning packet calls for green onion. i say that addition is optional)
soy sauce
sesame seeds
kikkoman fried rice seasoning packet (pictured here)

directions:
1. prepare seasoning packet as directions specify. (easy. all you do is add water and stir.) add water gradually and stir until well blended.)

2. crack eggs open and beat with a fork until well blended.

3. melt butter in skillet over medium heat until melted.

4. add eggs (and veggies if you are using any). cook completely until slightly brown.

5. add rice. combine until egg is blended throughout and rice is warm.

6. add seasoning mix. stir until rice is well coated with mix.

7. add soy sauce. i didn't measure, but add enough until the rice has a good brown color but not too much. you don't want the soy to overwhelm the other flavors.

8. pack rice down and turn heat to low-medium. stir occasionally. this is an easy dish to make first while attending to other things. packing the rice down tends to draw out just enough of the moisture in the rice to give the rice a good bite - not too chewy, not too dry.

9. right before serving, add sesame seeds. just for fun. :)

pairs great with teriyaki chicken and stir fry veggies!

this is a staple for asian inspired dinners at our house. as i mentioned before, this definitely tastes more chinese that japanese... and yes, there is a difference. stay tuned for the japanese version. hopefully coming soon!

fin.

teriyaki marinated chicken

i get frustrated cooking meats sometime, because they take so long... but not this recipe! thanks to an easy to make marinade and the use of the oven as a broiler. and teriyaki... need i say more? oh yeah! i do need to say more. like the recipe. here ya go:

ingredients:

1 (6 ounce) can pineapple juice

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

directions:
1. in a medium bowl, mix pineapple juice, vegetable oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, and pepper.

2. place chicken in the bowl, and coat with the mixture.

3. cover and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours.

4. preheat the oven broiler.

5. place chicken on a baking sheet.

6. broil 5 minutes on each side in the preheated oven, or until no longer pink in center and the juices run clear.

7. discard remaining marinade.

easy. dinner. done. hope you enjoy it!

pairs great with easy fried rice and easy stir fry vegetables!

fin.