Vegetable Lasagna

This is one of my favorite, go-to recipes. I adapted it from an old Cooking Light recipe and made it my own - enjoy!

Ingredients
1 teaspoon olive oil
3/4 cup sliced mushrooms
3/4 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup sliced carrot
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 cups baby spinach
1 (26-ounce) bottle fat-free tomato basil pasta sauce
2 tablespoons commerical pesto
1 (15-ounce) carton part-skim ricotta cheese
Cooking spray
9 hot cooked lasagna noodles (about 6 ounces uncooked), cut in half
3/4 cup (3 ounce) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375º.

2. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and the next 4 ingredients (mushrooms through onion); cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add spinach and let wilt. Add pasta sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

3. Combine pesto and ricotta in a small bowl. Spread 1/2 cup tomato mixture in the bottom of a 9"x12" baking dish or pan coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over tomato mixture. Top noodles with half of ricotta mixture and 1 cup tomato mixture. Repeat layers, ending with noodles. Spread remaining tomato mixture over noodles; sprinkle with mozzarella.

4. Cover and bake at 375º for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes.

Note: To make ahead, assemble as directed; stop before baking. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature; bake as directed.

Sweet Potato Fries

My husband absolutely loves sweet potatoes, so I bought a bunch the other day. I usually just bake them, but I decided to try something a little different. The following recipe is pretty basic - to spice it up, maybe throw in some cumin or cayenne pepper.

Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:

* Cooking Spray

* 2 large sweet potatoes - peeled and cut into wedges

* Kosher salt

* Ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Arrange potato wedges on the sheet in one layer and coat with cooking spray. Season with salt and pepper, then bake for 30 minutes, until tender and brown.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

I love spinach dip and was very excited when I saw this recipe. This recipe was submitted by Suebee8 who says that it's a big hit with her very picky eaters relatives and a must have at her annual Christmas parties. Hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

• 2 packages of frozen chopped spinach
• 2 packages (8 oz.) shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
• 2 packages (8 oz.) cream cheese
• 4 tbsp. melted butter
• 1/8 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 can artichoke hearts

Directions:

Prepare spinach according to directions and drain. Make sure all water is out and spinach remains hot. Put spinach in large bowl with artichokes. Add cream cheese, butter, and lemon juice. Add 2/3 of cheese. Mix well. Spread in 13x9 casserole dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Taco Lasagna

This is what I like to call the recipe of love. O.K maybe not but it's still awesome. A friend of mine gave me this recipe years ago and I've been making it for quite a while. I've adapted it and added a few ingredients to fit my own tastes. It is a big success every time I make it.

Ingredients:

• 1 small can of cream of mushroom soup
• 3-4 boneless chicken breasts (diced)
  
• 2 cups of shredded Cheddar cheese (can be substituted by Mexican blend cheese)
• 12 (6 inch) soft taco tortillas
• 1 (24 ounce) jar of salsa
• 1/2 cup sliced green peppers
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 2 teaspoon of chili powder
• 2 tablespoon of olive oil
  

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with pam.
Saute the diced chicken in the olive oil until cooked through. In a saucepan mix the salsa, the cream of mushroom soup and 1/2 cup of shredded cheese in medium-low heat. Add the peppers, onions and chili powder to the sauce mix.
Lay 2-3 tortillas into the baking dish. Add a layer of sauce and then a layer of the chicken. Sprinkle a good amount of cheese.
Repeat the layers, starting with another layer of tortilla, and topping with the rest of the cheese.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and melted.

P.S. You can add other ingredients such as beans, corn, bacon, etc. You could also substitute chicken with ground beef.

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken

Who doesn't love to find a hot, delicious home cooked meal waiting for you when you come home? I know I do! Crock pots should be every girl's best friend; they make life easier and the house smells delicious. This recipe was submitted by Emily and she credits www.recipezaar.com for this tasty and easy meal

Ingredients :

• 4-5 boneless chicken breasts
• 1 (15 1/2 ounce) can black beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can corn
• 1 (15 ounce) jar salsa, any kind
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese 

Directions:

1.  Take 4-5 frozen boneless chicken breasts put into crock pot. 
2. Add 1 can of black beans, drained, 1 jar of salsa, 1 can of corn drained. 
3. Keep in crock pot on high for about 4-5 hours or until chicken is cooked. 
4. Add 1 package of cream cheese (just throw it on top!) and let sit for about 1/2 hour. 
5. All done and enjoy!

Come out and play..

Welcome to our Blog! We are a group of girls who love to cook and decided to gather recipe ideas. We hope you enjoy the exchange by posting and by using some of the posted recipes. Comments on recipes you've tried are always appreciated.

How can you participate? Email me (meyrdgz@gmail.com) with:

• the recipe
• your name
• any additional information on the recipe (if you want me to attribute the recipe to you or give credit to another person/source)

Recipes will be collected and updated to the blog every Friday. We hope you get inspired by the creative cooking and share your experience with us.