Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
1 tsp hot pepper sauce, plus more as needed
1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
pita bread, broiled till lightly browned, baked tortilla strips, carrots
and celery sticks, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Squeeze all excess liquid from spinach, mix with sour cream, Parmesan,
1/2 cup of the mozzarella, the cream cheese, garlic, pepper and hot
sauce. Mix until just blended. Add artichokes and mix again. Place in a
1-quart baking dish. Top with remaining mozzarella. Bake until bubbly,
about 30 minutes. Serve with carrot and celery sticks or baked tortilla
strips or pita bread chips.

Ratatouille

Rachael Ray made this on her show today.  It is supposedly just like the one on the movie Ratatouille.

• 2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus additional for drizzling
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• 2 jarred whole roasted red peppers, chopped
• 1 small (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 small yellow squash, thinly sliced
• 2 small green squash, thinly sliced
• 2 small eggplant, thinly sliced
• 2 to 3 small Yukon Gold potatoes or a handful of baby Yukon gold potatoes, thinly sliced
• 3 to 4 sprigs thyme, leaves removed

Preheat oven to 425ºF.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the onion, garlic and roasted peppers to the pan and cook until the onions begin to get tender, 4-5 minutes.

Set up a food processor or blender and add the contents of the pan to the machine. Add in the tomato sauce and puree everything up (it should be about the consistency of thin tomato sauce). Season with salt and pepper and pour it out into the bottom of a casserole dish or sauté pan.

Swirl your dish around so that the bottom is evenly coated with sauce then arrange your veggies on top in a spiral pattern, alternating each veggie type, until you've filled the pan (like he did in the movie!).

Sprinkle the thyme leaves over the top along with some salt, pepper, and a drizzle of EVOO. Cut a piece of parchment paper into a round the size of the pan (if you're not feeling artsy-craftsy, you can also use a square sheet of paper: Cut four slits in from the corners towards the center of the sheet – this will lay over the top of the dish just fine too). Lay it over the top and place the whole pan into the oven. Bake the ratatouille until the veggies are tender, about 45 minutes.

Serve the ratatouille with some crusty bread alongside.

knife will work just fine.

Broiled Crisp Veggies

1 lb. of your choice of either frozen or fresh vegetables ( I love using broccoli, asparagus and zucchini)
2 tblsp. olive oil
2-3 tsp. pepper
2-3 tsp. garlic salt

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl or ziploc bag and then spread evenly on a cookie sheet that has a rim. Preheat oven on broil to 375 degrees. Veggies are done when they are a bit crisp on top and maybe even a bit blackened.