Creamy Phyllo Cheese Straws in Pesto

This was the first time I used a recipe from Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade Cooking 2 that I got for my birthday.  I wasn't sure what Phyllo dough was, so I looked it up on Wikipedia!  The dough was a little tough to work with as it is so thin. I thought the filling was a little bland-I might add some garlic, or even just some pepper, next time. I also rolled mine too thick, but I wasn't serving them to anyone special so I wasn't worried!  I don't quite know if I'd make them again, but if anyone else tries please give me your feed back!  The reviews on the Food Network's Website (where Sandra Lee has a TV show) gave it 3/5 stars.

I don't have a picture, because mine don't look very good and the picture in the cookbook is fantastic. However, I can't find that picture online!

Creamy Phyllo Cheese Straws in Pesto

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 box phyllo dough, thawed
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
• Store-bought pesto, for dipping

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, lightly beaten egg, Parmesan, and salt. Stir to combine. Spoon mixture into a plastic zip-top bag. Set aside. To use as a pastry bag, cut corner off bag to make a 1/4-inch diameter opening.

Lay out thawed phyllo dough. Working quickly to keep dough from drying out: brush top sheet with melted butter, pipe cheese filling along long edge of phyllo 1/2-inch from each end. Fold over ends to seal in filling and roll up straw. Repeat with remaining sheets of phyllo and place on a baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes.

Serve warm with pesto for dipping.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 12 minutes
Serves: 36 straws

Savory Ham Wraps

POST #100!

I'm strangely excited about that!

I made this recipe about a week ago. It is super easy and you can make the mayo (and the wraps) the night before.  The mayo was a little sweet for my taste, but not so overwhelming that it was bad. I really liked this because it was a nice change from normal mayo! I'll definitely be making it again.  The recipe is for 2 servings, which is perfect, especially since the mayo has some perishable foods that you don't want to leave sitting forever!

I omitted the tomato because I'm not a tomato fan. I also used cheddar instead of swiss, but that really isn't the main point of the dish!

Savory Ham Wraps

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 3/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon prepared mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon celery seed
• Dash salt
• 2 flour tortillas (10 inches), room temperature
• 1/4 pound thinly sliced deli ham
• 1/3 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 2/3 cup shredded lettuce
• 1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1 green onion, chopped

In a small bowl, whisk the first six ingredients; spread evenly over each tortilla. Layer with ham and cheese. Top with lettuce, tomato and onion. Roll up tightly; secure with toothpicks if desired.

Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 2

Apple-Cranberry Salad

So I forgot to buy the dried cranberries, which I was kind of upset about.  But I tried it anyway. I was super excited to try the poppyseed dressing--it was amazing! And fat free! I made a much smaller version of this and ate the rest of the apple as part of lunch. This would be great during a summer party or birthday, even adding some almonds to add a little extra crunch, or some grapes for some extra fruit! Plus it takes less than 15 minutes to make!

Apple-Cranberry Salad from Pillsbury

Apple-Cranberry Salad

• 5 cups torn romaine lettuce
• 1 medium unpeeled apple, diced (1 cup)
• 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions (4 medium)
• 1/3 cup refrigerated poppy seed dressing

 In large serving bowl, place lettuce, apple, cranberries and onions.

Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat.

De-Lightful Tuna Casserole

This casserole was quick and easy to make-probably a new one of my favorites! I used way more mushrooms that it originally called for-but I love mushrooms! I also added green onions to the dish, since I had some extra laying around.  I didn't have any shredded cheddar, so I used mozzarella instead. I also had to use Kraft Macaroni & Cheese noodles, since I went to the gas station to buy noodles. Since I had the cheese packet, and a little less cheese than the recipe called for, I added the cheese packet. I can't complain!

De-Lightful Tuna Casserole from Taste of Home

De-Lightful Tuna Casserole

• 1 package (7 ounces) elbow macaroni
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup fat-free milk
• 1 can (6 ounces) light water packed tuna, drained and flaked
• 2 tablespoons diced pimientos
• 3 tablespoons dried minced onions
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup crushed cornflakes

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the soup, mushrooms, cheese, milk, tuna, pimientos onion, mustard and salt. Drain macaroni; add to tuna mixture and mix well.

Transfer to a 2 quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cornflakes. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.

New German Potato Salad

I was really excited to try this recipe, since normally when you think potato salad you think of the mayo/mustard seasoning type. This did not turn out quite like I wanted it to. The combination of the rice vinegar and sugar made it very sweet. I actually ended up using quite a bit of salt and pepper to cut the sweetness. I may play around with this, but I'm not totally sure if I really want to.  If anyone else has any ideas let me know!

New German Potato Salad-from Cooking with Kare Volume 1

New German Potato Salad

• 8 new red potatoes
• 2 ounces smoked turkey sausage, sliced
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 3/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon bacon bits

In 2-quart saucepan cook potatoes in boiling water until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain; cool slightly. Slice while still warm. In large bowl toss together potatoes, sausage and green onions. In medium skillet heat vinegar, sugar and bacon bits over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in potato mixture; cook until heated through.