Love My Philly

I am totally running out of ideas for what to make myself for lunch. In this failing economy, I cannot afford to eat out for lunch and have to result to waking up EXTRA early to make lunch. Each morning I am faced with the same question: what type of sandwich will I make today? I am bored of almost everything and can’t imagine eating another turkey sandwich! I decided to search online for some easy and original sandwich ideas in order to spice up my lunch box. I came across this recipe for roast beef avocado wraps, I tried them yesterday and, they are really delicious and super easy to prepare.

Ingredients:

• 1 (4 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• 6 tomato and oregano tortillas
• 6 lettuce leaves - rinsed and dried
• 12 slices deli sliced roast beef
• 1 avocado, cubed
• 1 tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:

1. Mix the cream cheese, cumin, garlic, and chili flakes in a bowl until well blended.
2. Spread a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture over each tortilla, dividing evenly. Place a lettuce leaf on each tortilla, and top with two roast beef slices. Sprinkle evenly with avocado, tomatoes, and cheese. Starting at one end, gently roll up each tortilla into a tight tube. Slice in half diagonally and place two pieces on 6 serving plates.

I am a huge fan of pizza but my body is not. I have easily gained 10 lbs over the holidays and am now 100% set on loosing all the weight and some!! I just know that when I go on an elimination diet, and don’t eat anything of an item that I will end up cheating. So this time around, I am going to just make sure I eat healthy, eat ever 3-4 hours and don’t deprive myself of anything if I really want it and hopefully this will prevent binges.

On my quest for healthier options, I came across this mango cream cheese pizza that sounds delicious!

Ingredients:

• 1 ready made pizza crust
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 (13.5 ounce) container fruit-flavored cream cheese
• 1 (26 ounce) jar mango slices, drained and chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Bake pizza crust according to package directions.
2. Brush crust with olive oil. Spread cream cheese over crust. Arrange chopped mango over the cream cheese, and sprinkle with nuts. Slice, and serve.

We’re all busily trying to stick to our New Year’s health plans.  The only problem is that this cold weather is making me crave pizzas and pastas and cakes:  everything that I’m supposed to stay away from on this new diet.

Tonight, a bit of pasta is in order.  I can’t be denied forever!  Here’s a great recipe for a lower fat Fettuccine Carbonara.  With the help of low fat PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese and Light Caesar Dressing, I won’t miss and ounce of fat, I’ll be treated to all the flavor, and I won’t have any after dinner guilt.  Win Win!

Low Fat Fettuccine Carbonara

Usually I would start off with some lovely story that runs into why I want this recipe, but honestly…I came across this recipe while watching Guys Big Bite and because I LOVE jalapeños I literally haven’t been able keep my mind on anything else since. This recipe is really easy to make and you can enjoy the goodness it brings in 15 minutes! Talk about instant gratification…its like nachos but sooo much better!!!

Italian Stuffed Jalapeños

Ingredients:

• 15 jalapenos, preferably red, cut in 1/2, seeded and deveined
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/4 cup minced red onion
• 1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 pounds mild Italian sausage, casings removed
• 2 cups cream cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• Minced chives

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Place jalapeños on a sheet tray and roast for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Heat the oil in a medium saute pan. Add onions, peppers, garlic and sausage and cook for about 2 minutes. Remove and place in a large bowl. Cool to room temperature, then add mascarpone, and Parmesan. Mix ingredients thoroughly and season with salt and pepper.

Place approximately 1 tablespoon of mixture into each jalapeno half, and top with 1/2 teaspoon of mozzarella cheese.

Place the sheet tray of stuffed peppers in oven and bake for 5 minutes or until mozzarella cheese melts.

Garnish with minced chives and Parmesan.

Tonight is New Years Eve and I am going to a buddies house for a pot luck style dinner and everybody is encouraged to bring something special, something you normally wouldn’t eat. I decided I wanted to make a dip that almost everybody could enjoy and wanted it to include cream cheese. I stumbled upon this recipe for a baked bacon cheese dip, that is not only super easy to prepare but also is really delicious! Every recipe I have ever tasted with bacon has always been yummy!

Ingredients:

2-8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
2 cups sour cream
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 pound sliced bacon*, +cooked and crumbled+
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Crackers or chips, your favorite

Directions:

Seriously any recipe that includes cheese is instantly a dish I love. Whenever I enter a party, I immediately search for the cheese platter, or cheese dip…anything of cheese substance! I am such a huge cheese fanatic and I don’t care that it totally kills my diet! This recipe for chili con queso is super easy to make and is a great last minute dish to serve for a party or even a movie night.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 28-ounce can peeled tomatoes, drained, chopped
• 1 4-ounce can diced green chilies
• 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into pieces
• 12 ounces cheddar, grated (about 3 1/2 cups)
• Hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
• Tortilla chips

Preparation:

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 12 minutes. Stir in flour. Continue to cook until flour is just golden, stirring constantly, about 4 minutes. Mix in tomatoes, chilies and cream cheese and cook until cheese melts, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes. Simmer until mixture is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add cheddar and stir until melted and mixture bubbles, about 4 minutes. Season with hot pepper sauce. Transfer to chafing dish or fondue pot. Serve with tortilla chips.

After eating latkes for over a week, my body needs some serious detox. I need to overdose on vegetables and basically anything that isn’t pure starch. I know that myself and like everybody around the world makes a new years resolution to lose weight and get into shape. Well thanks to this recipe, you might just be one step closer!

Grilled Artichokes with Artichoke-Mint Dip

Ingredients:

• 8 whole artichokes
• 1 cup (packed) fresh mint leaves
• 6 ounces cream cheese
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Prepartation:

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Using scissors, cut off spiky tips from artichokes. Using spoon, scrape out chokes from centers. Wrap each artichoke in foil. Using tines of fork, poke holes in foil. Grill until leaves pull away easily from heart, turning occasionally, about 40 minutes. Unwrap artichokes. Discard any outer leaves that may be charred and any tough inner leaves. Arrange 6 artichokes on platter. Remove leaves from remaining 2 artichokes and place on platter. Transfer artichoke hearts to processor. Add mint, cream cheese, and oil; blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer dip to bowl and place on platter.

In a bind and need a last minute appetizer to serve those holiday guests?  What!?  Your guests are already on the way!?  Get crackin!  Here, I’ll help.  Here’s a recipe for cheese dip.  It’s full of stuff that you probably already have in your fridge.  It comes together in 15 minutes, you get to use the microwave, and has just enough spice to warm up your half frozen winter guests.

Enjoy the Holiday!

Spicy Pepper Cheese Spread

I’ve baked up so many sweets this weekend that I’m definitely looking forward to a few savory dishes for the holidays.  A girl can only eat so many cookies before she’s in the mood for some artichoke dip, or something like this delicious Crab Rangoon.

Easy Baked Crab Rangoon

Not sure what to serve to hold over your guests until everybody arrives? What can you feed them that won’t fill them up before dinner? If you are asking yourself these exact questions (I asked myself them last night), I totally have the answer for you: try a cheese dip.

This recipe for an all-purpose cheese spread, will appeal to mostly everybody and, will have your guests complimenting for months to come.

All-Purpose Cheese Spread

Ingredients:

• 1 (6-ounce) jar cheese spread
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Mix well with a handheld electric mixer for about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until completely combined. Store in a plastic container with a snap-on lid in the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature.