Three Cheese Macaroni

Comfort Food: Lasagna

BBQ Grilled Cheese

Pork Sandwiches

Showing posts with label On the Side. Show all posts
Showing posts with label On the Side. Show all posts

Time to Diversify: Creamed Swiss Chard

Thursday, August 15, 2013


By now you're probably sick of Swiss Chard and you've decided to just let it seed out in your garden because you can't keep up with it. If that's not the case, well then - do I have a treat for you! I made some creamed Swiss Chard about a month ago and even my dad liked it. It would go perfect with a grilled pork chop and maybe some apple sauce. Because well, you should always have apple sauce with your pork chop. It's like peas and carrots.

I do recommend leaving out the stems in this recipe. They say to keep'm, but they're too bitter for me. In fact - I never keep the stems any more. Sorry - does that make me wasteful? It's better than letting it all go to seed! Maybe.

The recipe I used is right here.

I used mascarpone and milk instead of half and half (50/50). Because I almost always do, that's just what I have on hand.

Everyone said if I just top off my Swiss Chard with bacon, it would be good. No matter what. They're right. I still have some more experimenting to do, but I've found that it can really take the place of spinach any day. I may still prefer spinach, but it's good to diversify (today's lesson).

Cheese and Salsa; A Perfect Combination

Wednesday, April 13, 2011


I have this thing about cheese. I don't associate myself with the trending cheesers necessarily, because I like to think I was obsessed before it was the cool thing to do. My life on the dairy farm, as a kid, is what mostly peaked my interest. I knew I didn't want to milk cows morning and night, but I wanted to be on the farm. After learning more about farmstead cheesemaking, I knew it was going to be my next big thing. I was a senior in high school then - I'm now three years out of college and working for my third cheese company. None of which have been my own, but I've been surrounded by the wonderful dairy product that is, cheese.  I can't get enough of it - and I always have a ton of fruit around.

Renata of Testado, Provado & Aprovado! was our Daring Cooks’ April 2011 hostess. Renata challenged us to think “outside the plate” and create our own edible containers! Prizes are being awarded to the most creative edible container and filling, so vote on your favorite from April 17th to May 16th at http://thedaringkitchen.com!

I chose to try out the trick of baking cheese and forming it into a shape - to serve as my edible container. I had never done this before and finally had a good excuse to test it out. The trick is to form shredded cheese into a neat little pile and then to bake it for just the right amount of time. I had taken them out too early at first. I could tell because there was no way I was getting the cheese off the sheet without it completely falling apart. After returning it to the oven for another two minutes, I knew it was ready. But you have to act fast! Or the cheese will get hard and you won't be able to shape it. Maybe you're ok with that.

I also chose to make some fresh salsa. This warm weather is encouraging me to make more 'summer-like' foods.  This snack could also turn into a breakfast meal. Just add some scrambled eggs and fresh veggies.

Cheesy Crisps
Serves 4

1 cup shredded Gruyère or aged Cheddar

Preheat oven to 400*F. 

Shred cheese into a neat, circular pile on baking sheet (if you have a SilPat, it works perfectly).
Place in oven and bake for about 5 minutes. Watch closely, as cheese piles and ovens can vary greatly.

These are not ready to take out of the oven - 3 minutes more 
The cheese will begin to brown on the outer edges and work its way in. Once the middle of the pile has started to look more golden, take the pan out of the oven. With a spatula, quickly - but carefully remove a cheese crisp from the pan and form into a shape. This can be done over the bottom of a drinking glass or small dish.  Set aside on a plate and finish the remaining crisps. You must do this quickly or the last crisps will be well.. crisp and you won't be able to shape it.

My Salsa
Makes 1 cup

1 medium tomato, diced
2 T. diced purple onion
1 T. minced garlic
1 teaspoon thyme
2 T. olive oil
1 T. fresh lime juice
Salt & Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

Baked Apples - with a Surprise

Sunday, December 12, 2010

My mom used to make baked apples all the time when I was growing up. She may still make them a lot, but I'm not at home to enjoy them. They're so easy to make and so dang sweet and delicious, that I had to share mine with you.

You're probably wondering what the surprise is. Well, I grabbed two bags - one was dried cranberries and the other was dried cherries. I asked my husband which he preferred and he voted for the cherries.  So I decided to stick about three dried cherries at the bottom of each apple. They added a tartness and meaty texture that the apple alone, couldn't provide. I recommend it.

Baked Apples

Ingredients
4 large to medium-sized apples, cored
4 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 Teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup maple syrup

Directions
Heat oven to 350*F.

Combine all ingredients, besides the apples, with hands until chunky, but combined.  Place apples in small ramekins or a baking dish. Stuff each apple with equal amounts of filling.  Place in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes - or until browned and bubbly.

Pull out of the oven and let sit for a few minutes.  Gently pour maple syrup and cream over each apple. Grab a spoon or fork and enjoy!

*I served the apples with my favorite butternut squash soup.



Cranberry in the Raw

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

So I'm sitting at lunch today talking about all of the cranberries I have to eat this week - and a co-worker of mine mentions a new recipe she saw on t.v. last night.  "You don't have to cook the berries!" she claimed. I didn't believe it. How could you make something with cranberries and not cook them?  To the best of my memory, this is how:

Cranberry in the Raw


Ingredients

1/2 bag fresh cranberries
1 small orange, cut into chunks, seeds removed
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Directions

In a food processor, combine all ingredients. Pulse until ingredients are broken down into small pieces. Ta da!

I know - tough right? It's actually pretty good. I'm not sure what to do with it yet, so if you have any suggestions - I'm all ears, or eyes?  It tastes very citrus-y from the orange with that tang, from the cranberries. The rind of the orange is key, don't peel your orange!
Recipe in PDF

PomCranberry Sauce

Tuesday, November 16, 2010


I've seen a lot of cranberry sauce recipes that utilize pomegranate sauce lately.  I don't know if you've checked the price of pomegranate juice at the grocery store lately, but it ain't cheap.  I decided to put my own little twist on this cranberry sauce and I think you'll like it. I don't have any turkey on hand tonight, so I topped off my vanilla ice cream with the cranberries. I'm guessing it would be really good on a bagel or English muffin with some cream cheese... ok, I'm officially excited for breakfast tomorrow.

PomCranberry Sauce

Ingredients
1 bag fresh cranberries
3/4 cup granulated sugar
16 oz Blueberry Pomegranate juice (or any other combo pomegranate juice)
1/2 of an orange rind, grated

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and turn the heat to medium-low.  Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until mixture becomes thick and almost syrupy.  Take off the heat and cool in the refrigerator.

*Feel free to experiment with different fruit additives or citrus flavors. They really add some character to the sauce.


This is recipe #2 of a week-long Cranberry series.

Itsa Cheese Souffle'a

Friday, November 12, 2010

... said my husband every time he asked if it was ready yet. Not yet! But it sure smelled good.  The November Daring Cooks challenge was to make a souffle.  I was excited because I had printed out a cheese souffle recipe about three months ago and now I had an excuse to make it.

Can I just say - I am really excited about how it turned out. A little brown on top? Yes. But I don't think that's a bad thing, personally. It still tastes awesome.  I'm also excited that I woke up early to make this, because the lighting in my house was perfect. Daylight Savings is a killer for an 8-5 worker. I can't take [good] photos unless the weekend!

Things I did different than the recipe: I added whole grain mustard since I didn't have any powdered mustard. I also learned a few things from Alton Brown's show a few weeks ago. He did an episode on souffle's and though very informative, I only caught a few things. The first, was to put the dish in the fridge after buttering it up - to keep the butter cool and prevent the batter from sticking to the pan.  The second was to run my finger along the top edge of the dish after the batter has been poured. This is supposed to encourage the souffle to rise upward, instead of up and out.

I found my recipe on Serious Eats on their "Sunday Brunch" section. It's called Lucy Dobson's Cheese Souffle. Apparently it's the only kind you should make? That's what the recipe post said.

A Cheese Souffle'a
From Lucy Dobson's Cheese Souffle
Ingredients
2 teaspoons unsalted butter, softened
6 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound of cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
11 ounces cream cheese, cut into globby 1-inch cubes
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 375*F.  Use the butter to grease a 5-cup souffle dish.  Put the eggs, cream, Parmesan, mustard, pepper and salt into a food processor or blender. With the motor running, add the cheddar, piece by piece. With the motor still running, add the cream cheese, piece by piece. When all the cheese is added, process or blend the mixture for 30 seconds. It will be very thick.

Half-pour, half-scrape the mixture into the prepared dish and bake it for 50 to 60 minutes. Don't peek at it before the 50 minutes are up-- unless, of course, you have a glass oven door.





Hearty Corn and Mushrooms

Friday, October 22, 2010


I found this recipe in the September Food and Wine magazine and decided to give it a whirl. I'm going to be honest, the picture in the magazine looks nothing like mine - they're almost entirely different side-dishes. That's what recipes are for though, right? Ideas? Not gospel? Anyways, for the original recipe, click here. For my take on it, read below. You'll notice (if you read the original), that I took a lot of shortcuts. My life isn't all about shortcuts, but it is about ... well wait - nevermind.

Hearty Corn and Mushrooms
Lazy Style

Ingredients
6 medium mushroom caps
Boiling water
1 bag frozen corn, thawed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbls. onions, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
In a saucepan, heat the oil. Add the onions, garlic and mushrooms and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about 10 minutes. 

Increase the heat to high and when the oil sizzles, add the corn and its juices. Cook, stirring, until the corn is thick and shiny, 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Finger Lick'n Good

Sunday, October 17, 2010


I love Halloween and I love cheese.  I also love creeping my husband out when I bring him a plate of food - that I had been slaving away at for, I don't know.. 40 minutes... and it's these nasty looking fingers. You'll typically find cheddar witch's fingers with blanched almonds as the nails, but I didn't have any, so I had to improvise. I'm kind of glad that I did, because these pistachios, cut in half, look awesome. I totally forgot to make some thumbs though, so my completed hand (see below) doesn't look totally proportional. Serve with some spiced up ketchup for that devilish Halloween look.


Cheddar Witch's Fingers
Adapted from Myrecipes.com 
Yield: Makes about 30 crackers


Ingredients
5  tablespoons  butter
1/4  pound  (about 1 cup packed) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese (I used Grafton Classic Reserve Two-Year cheddar)
3/4  cup  all-purpose flour
2  tablespoons  cornmeal
1  large egg
Salt
15 shelled and peeled pistachios


Preparation
1. In a food processor or bowl, whirl or rub together butter, cheese, flour, and cornmeal until the mixture has the texture of wet sand. Add egg and whirl or stir with a fork until dough holds together.

2. Scrape dough onto a sheet of cooking paper or parchment, 12 to 14 in. wide and about 14 in. long. Top with another equal-sized sheet of paper and pat dough into a 1/2-in.-thick circle. Wrap in plastic and freeze 15 minutes, or refrigerate up to 3 days.

3. Roll dough into a rectangle about 8 in. wide and 10 in. long, working carefully to avoid creases in paper. Return to freezer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°.

4. Peel off top paper and use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 30 strips, each about 1/2 in. thick and 5 in. long. Place each strip on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt to taste, then use your fingers to round the top of each strip into a fingertip shape. Use a sharp knife to score shallow "knuckle" lines in each finger, then press a pistachio "nail" into the tip. If you like, bend each finger in places to make it look knobby.

5. Bake the fingers until an even light brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.






Mushroom Risotto

Sunday, March 14, 2010

The March Daring Cooks challenge was to make home-made chicken stock and then use it to make risotto.  I've never made home-made stock. Actually, I really like the store brand stock that comes in the resealable cartons. It's convenient and it's consistently good. The entire challenge can be found here: CLICK ME.
The great thing about the chicken stock is that I had shredded chicken to cook with all week. I made my tortilla soup found in an earlier post from the leftover chicken - and also made a rotini pasta with bacon, chicken, Alfredo sauce and grated Parmesan. Yum.
So, with this challenge, we were able to choose which flavor to make the risotto. I wished I had done some more research on different kinds, but I didn't. I threw in some mushrooms and left it at that. I don't recommend it. Follow a full recipe for the flavors - it'll taste much better.



Chicken Stock.

Arborio Rice, mentally preparing to become Risotto.








Toasted Arborio Rice - smells really good.








Slowly becoming Risotto. Are you getting excited?








Just add the mushrooms...







Wash it down with some white wine - used during the cooking process, but also enjoyed during the cooking process.

Grafton Cheddar Cheese Puffs

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

I'm not biased at all towards any specific cheese. Can you tell?

Since I'm home alone this week, I will only be making small things - otherwise they will go bad. No one likes to waste food. Tonight, I decided to make these cheddar cheese puffs. You may get scared when you notice how much butter to use, but never fear - there's even more cheese! These would go awesome with soup or chili - or do what I do and just eat them alone.

Sick of me talking already? Me too. Here's the recipe:



Grafton Cheddar Cheese Puffs
Makes about 12
Ingredients
1 stick butter
1 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup flour
4 large eggs
1 cup grated Grafton Classic Reserve Cheddar (or whatever sharp cheddar you have around)
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme (dried works too)
Freshly ground pepper

Directions
1| Preheat oven to 425* F. In a medium saucepan, add the water, butter and salt; bring to a boil over high heat.
2| Reduce the heat to medium and add the flour all at once. Stir rapidly with a wooden spoon as the mixture will form a dough that will pull away from the sides of the pan. Continue to cook for a minute.
3| Remove the pan from the heat and let cool for a couple minutes. Stir so that the dough cools more evenly. You want the dough to be warm, just not so hot that when you start adding eggs, they cook as they hit the dough. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition until the eggs are incorporated into the dough.
4| Stir in the grated cheese, thyme and a few grinds of pepper.
5| Spoon out small balls of dough onto a baking sheet, with at least an inch separating the spoonfuls. Place in oven and cook for 10 minutes at 425*F.
6| Lower heat to 350*F and cook for another 15-20 minutes, until puffed up and lightly golden.

NOTE: Depending on the size of the cheese puffs, baking time may vary. The time provided is for tablespoon sized puffs. Mine were probably double the size, thus only making 12.

Comfort Food

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Do you ever get home from work and think - "I just want something that will fill me up; I'm starving!" Well this is the meal for you. I found this recipe by following Alouette on Twitter. They call it 'Herbed Chicken in Pastry Recipe'. I think that's really original, so I'm going to come up with a new name for it. How about 'Undercover Chicken Lover' or 'Pastry Surprise', no that sounds bad. Whatever you want to call it, it's delicious. The Alouette cheese melts in your mouth with the slight crunch of the pastry dough. I made sweet potato fries to go along with the chicken. They're always a big hit.

If you have the chicken and puff pastry thawed out and ready to go by the time you get home, it takes no time at all. In fact, you could have the chicken grilled or cooked ahead of time if you'd like. Ok, here it goes:

Heavenly Herbed Chicken in Pastry
(creative, don't you think?)


Makes 4

Ingredients
4 boneless chicken breast halves
2 T. butter
1/2 pkg. puff pastry (1 sheet)
1 egg
1 T. water
1 4oz pkg Alouette Garlic & Herbs
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley

Directions
1| Preheat oven to 400*F.

2| Season chicken with salt and pepper if desired. Melt butter in skillet. Add chicken and cook until browned. Remove chicken. Cover and refrigerate 15 min. or up to 24 hours.

3| Thaw pastry sheet at room temperature 30 minutes. Mix egg and water. Unfold pastry on lightly floured surface. Roll into 14" square and cut into 4 (7") squares.

4| Spread about 2 T. of the Alouette Spreadable Cheese in center of each square. Sprinkle with 1 T. parsley and top with cooled chicken.

5| Brush edges of squares with egg mixture. Fold each corner to center on top of chicken and seal edges. Place seam-side down on baking sheet. Brush with egg mixtures.

6| Bake 25 minutes or until golden.

*Sweet Potato Fries Recipe Below























































Alise's Sweet Potato Fries

Serves 2-3

Ingredients 
1 Large sweet potato
1 T. Thyme
1 T. Pepper
1 tsp. Salt
2 T. Olive Oil

Directions
1| Cut sweet potato into fry-like wedges (make as small or big as you'd like, cooking time will vary). Then evenly spread out on a large baking sheet.
2| Sprinkle olive oil over fries and coat the fries evenly with hands (this is great for your skin, really.)
3| Now sprinkle thyme, salt and pepper evenly over fries.
4| Place in a 400*F oven for about 20-25 minutes. Stirring half-way through.
5| Eat'm up.

A Touch of Vermont Maple Syrup

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Now that Lucas and I are 'Vermonters' (though we will never truly be Vermonters because we weren't born here), we have come to love a few things that are truly from Vermont; that is, maple syrup.  Now, most of you are probably familiar with the maple syrup made by Aunt Jemima or you make your own; a cup of white sugar, a cup of brown sugar, a cup of water and a tablespoon of maple flavoring - boiled and devoured, but that isn't 'real' maple syrup. Oh no. You have to try the stuff that lists only pure maple syrup on its ingredients. I'm a Grade B fan, it's thicker and has a lot more flavor than Grades A and Fancy. I want flavor with my maple syrup darn it!

Anyways, after reading my Squash It post, my sister mentioned baking an acorn squash and pouring maple syrup on top. I had to try it. Especially since Lucas loves acorn squash and I've had the thing sitting in the back of my fridge for about two weeks now.  All I did was cut the squash into slices and bake for about an hour and a half (it takes forever!).  Then I poured maple syrup on top and voila! It's rather tasty. Similar to baking it with brown sugar and butter.  Mmm...

I had fun taking pictures of this one - hence all the photos. Eat the squash up! Before it's out of season. And be sure to check out some 'pure' maple syrup. Which, by the way, is also made in Minnesota! Check it out!

Happy Halloween!

Saturday, October 31, 2009


In our house, Halloween means more than spooky tricks and cute kids coming to the door saying "trick-or-treat!".  Today was originally the date of our wedding. We're happy now, knowing that the weather would have been really crappy and everyone would be in a bad mood because it's almost impossible to do field work at this point. Today, last year, was the day Lucas proposed to me. It was in the beef barn at the University of Minnesota - St. Paul campus - pomping away at the AGR float talking to my friend Melissa about how excited I was for her engagement. Little did I know, everyone knew I would be getting proposed to that night... except me. I absolutely love Halloween - so it's a special treat. No, we didn't go out this year and dress up as anyone crazy, but we did our own thing - and had a blast with it. 
I found a bunch of recipes that included pumpkin or seemed 'fall-like' and Lucas carved the pumpkin. As strong supporters of the dairy industry, we decided to hand out string cheese instead of candy. I tried this once during college with my friend Lana and we had a lot of kids decline the cheese. [how sad!] This time around, we only had one kid decline and many kids say "yes! I love string cheese!" It was great.  We had 124 kids stop at our door - with one piece of string cheese left for Lucas and I to share. The movie Halloween H20 - 20 Years Later, was showing on cable, so we got ourselves a drink and enjoyed Halloween - our own special way.  The best news is - I get to be in bed at a decent time - on daylight savings night!  
Below are the recipes I used for our Halloween dinner. The gnocci wasn't that great, but the bread pudding was AWESOME! The photos of the menu were taken by yours truly. Feel free to search for the actual recipe online to see the 'real' picture. Until next year... Happy Halloween!









Pumpkin Bread Pudding

INGREDIENTS
Serves 6.
Unsalted butter, room temperature, for ramekins
6 tablespoons dark-brown sugar
1 cup raisins
1/3 cup bourbon
1/3 cup hot water
One 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
4 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Pinch of salt
One 12-ounce, day-old loaf brioche or challah bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter six 10-ounce ramekins or custard cups, and sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and set aside on a baking sheet. [I used a casserole dish instead of individual cups - works great!] Place raisins in a small bowl, and cover with bourbon, if using, and the hot water; let soak until plump, about 20 minutes. Drain; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, eggs, granulated sugar, milk, vanilla, spices, and salt. Toss in the bread cubes, and stir gently to evenly coat; let stand a few minutes. Fold in the raisins. Divide among prepared dishes, pressing down slightly to make level.
Bake until custard is set in the center and top is golden, about 40 minutes. If bread browns too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil. Remove from oven; let cool slightly. To serve, un-mold onto plates; dust with confectioners' sugar.


Pumpkin Gnocchi with Mushrooms


INGREDIENTS
Serves 4.
1 small sugar pumpkin (1 1/2 to 2 pounds), stem removed, halved lengthwise, and seeded
2 cups of flour, plus more for work surface
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for serving
1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 shallots, finely chopped
20 medium chanterelle mushrooms, trimmed
8 fresh sage leaves
1 cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup heavy cream
DIRECTIONS




  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place pumpkin halves, cut side up, on a baking sheet and fill each with 1 tablespoon water. Cover each half with parchment paper-lined aluminum foil. Transfer to oven and roast until soft, about 45 minutes. Let cool. Scrape pumpkin flesh from skin; discard skin.
  2. Mound flour in center of a large work surface; add 1 tablespoon salt and the nutmeg. Using a fork, mix until well combined. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add 2 cups pumpkin and 1 cup grated cheese to well. Slowly incorporate flour, beginning with inner rim of well. When flour is incorporated, gather dough together to form a rounded mass; knead mixture until smooth, 4 to 5 minutes.
  3. Divide dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a cylinder about 1 inch in diameter; cut into 1/2-inch-long pieces. Transfer gnocchi to a baking sheet and cover with a clean, damp towel. Repeat process until all the dough has been used.
  4. Bring 6 quarts water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Generously salt water and return to a boil. Add gnocchi and cook until they rise to the top, about 4 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over high heat and add butter and shallots. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until shallots are golden. Add mushrooms and sage; cook, stirring, for about 10 seconds. Add 1/4 cup pumpkin, chicken stock, heavy cream, and 1/4 cup grated cheese; cook, stirring, about 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Using a slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi to skillet and toss to combine. Serve immediately with freshly grated parmesan and nutmeg.
  7. P.S. I had pre-made gnocci, which is maybe why it didn't taste as good. Just an FYI.
Artichoke Triangles
From Betty Crocker

Photo from website.
Ingredients:
1 can (14 to 16 oz) artichoke hearts, well drained and chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese (1 oz)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
1 package (17.3 oz) frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 tablespoons half-and-half

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Line large cookie sheet with foil or cooking parchment paper; lightly spray foil or paper with cooking spray. In medium bowl, mix all ingredients except pastry and half-and-half.

2. On lightly floured surface, roll 1 sheet of pastry into 12x9-inch rectangle, trimming edges if necessary. Cut into twelve 3-inch squares.

3. Place 1 tablespoon artichoke mixture on each square. Lightly brush edges with half-and-half. Fold pastry over filling to make triangles. Crimp edges with fork to seal. Place on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining pastry and artichoke mixture. Brush tops of triangles with half-and-half. Refrigerate 20 minutes.

4. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Eat well - Be happy.