I am so happy about all the rain we have been getting lately. It isn’t much, but I am looking forward to seeing green (not brown) hills again this spring. Despite my personal gratitude for the rain, it can be hard to keep spirits up in a constant gray.
I wanted to do something bright and cheery today to perk up everyone here. That did not want to work today, My Love is at work and the little ones are painting. So the best thing to do on a day like this is cook something special. These are great to snack on, bring to parties or just eat.
Antipasto Loaf
Prep Time: 25 min
Total Time: 1 hr 25 min
Makes: 25 servings, one slice each
1 French bread baguette (12 oz.)
1 tub (8 oz.) Cream Cheese Spread
3 Tbsp. pesto
1/2 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup drained marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
2 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 cups baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
CUT baguette lengthwise in half. Remove soft insides from both bread halves.
MIX cream cheese spread and pesto; spread evenly onto insides of bread shells. Fill evenly with tomatoes, artichokes, Parmesan cheese and spinach.
REASSEMBLE baguette; wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours. Cut into 25 slices to serve.
Make-Ahead Spinach Phyllo Roll-Ups
Prep Time: 30 min
Total Time: 55 min
Makes: 5 logs, 6 slices each or 30 servings, 1 slice each
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained
1 cup Traditional Crumbled Feta Cheese
1 tub (8 oz.) Garden Vegetable Light Cream Cheese Spread
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
15 sheets frozen phyllo sheets (14×9 inch), thawed
1/3 cup butter, melted
MIX egg, spinach, feta cheese, cream cheese spread and onions until well blended. Set aside.
PLACE 1 of the phyllo sheets on a clean work surface. Brush lightly with butter. Top with 2 more phyllo sheets, brushing more of the remaining butter between each layer. Place remaining phyllo between sheets of plastic wrap; set aside.
SPREAD 1/5 of the spinach mixture along 1 of the short sides of the phyllo stack; fold in both long sides, then roll up, starting at 1 of the short sides to make a log. Repeat with the remaining phyllo sheets and spinach mixture to make 4 more logs. Brush with remaining butter. To prevent phyllo from cracking, score logs at 1-inch intervals. Place in large freezer-weight resealable plastic bags or wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
FREEZE up to 3 months. When ready to bake, remove desired number of logs from freezer. Refrigerate, tightly wrapped, several hours or overnight until thawed. Place on baking sheet. Bake in preheated 375°F-oven for 25 min. or until golden brown. Cool 5 min.; place on cutting board. Cut each log into 6 slices with serrated knife to serve.
I hope you enjoy and have a happy and inspiring day!
