In our home, come Friday we are all getting a bit tired of thework-weekand lookingforwardto the week-end. We always try to have Friday evening dinners be a bit more relaxed and we all usually pitch in to help. We’ll barbecue burgers, have tacos or quite often make home made pizza; we like something laid back but yummy, a celebration of a busy weekscompletionand the anticipation of the week-end ahead.
As yummy as those food items are, I find we’re sometimes stuck in the rut of always making the same old boring things week after week, but let’s face it, finding a great alternative to burgers and pizza is not always easy!
Well, last Friday, thanks to VH Sauces wanting to change up your dinner rut by providing Canadian families with some fun and easy ways to excite their dinner,my family had the surprise of their year!
Imagine the looks on their faces when I started hauling out the ingredients for our Friday dinner! There was eggplant and goat cheese; Greek pitas and Garlic Rib Sauce; green onions and Mozzarella cheese plus lots more! And if that weren’t enough, there was a beautiful serving dish, platters, and a variety of bowls, as well as a gorgeous photo tray to carry all of the delicious food to the table. Also included in the box of goodies I received from VH were some recipe cards and we decided to try out two of the recipes for our dinner.
The first recipe we made wasGrilled Sweet Chili Flatbreads, this was so tasty and super quick to make. Everything went together in just a couple of minutes and we munched on thesesavourywedges while making the main event!
Grilled Sweet Chili Flatbreads
Ingredients
- 4 Greek style flatbreads (about 7”)
- 1/2 cup (125 mL)VH®Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) finely sliced green onions
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) crumbled goat cheese
- PAM®Grilling Spray
Directions
- DividetheVH®Sweet Thai Chili Sauceamong each of the flatbreads, spreading over entire surface. Sprinkle with green onions and crumbled goatcheese over top.
- Spraygrill withPAM®Grilling Sprayand heat to medium-low. Grill flatbreads with lid closed for 8 minutes or until top is warmed through and base is crispy.
- Cutinto wedges and serve.
The second recipe we tried was Eggplant Stacks with Tomato and Mozzarella. I wasn’t very familiar with eggplant so I was a littlehesitant, however, I was intent on stepping outside the box with this recipe. I need not have been concerned, this was absolutely delicious and both my daughter and I went back for seconds!
Eggplant Stacks with Tomato and Mozzarella
Ingredients
-
1/3 cup (75 mL) vegetable oil
-
2 mediumeggplants, sliced in 12 slices about ½” thick
-
¼ cup (50 mL) Italian –style bread crumbs
-
1 cup (250 mL) shredded Mozzarella cheese
-
2 cans (each 540 mL/19 oz)Aylmer®Accents Petite Cut Tomatoes with Garlic and Olive Oil, drained
-
1/3 cup (75 mL)VH®Medium Garlic Rib Sauce
-
PAM®Cooking Spray
Directions
- Preheatoven to 400°F (200°C). In large skillet, heat 2 tbsp (30 mL) of oil over medium-high heat. Add a layer of eggplant; fry until lightly golden on both sides, adding more oil as needed, about 2 minutes per side. Remove eggplant to plate. Repeat process until all eggplant is golden.Place eggplant in single layer on foil lined baking sheet sprayed withPAM®Cooking Spray.
- Sprinklebread crumbs equally over eggplant. Sprinkle cheese over bread crumbs. Place in preheated oven; bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is golden.
- Meanwhile, in small saucepan,combineAylmer®Accents Petite Cut Tomatoes with Garlic and Olive OilandVH®Medium Garlic Rib Sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove eggplant from oven; assemble stacks, starting with a piece of eggplant, then a dollop of tomato sauce. Repeat process and top with the third eggplant slice. Place any remaining tomatoes on plate. Serve warm.
Tip:This dish is great as a substantial appetizer or as a meal served with a crispy green salad and crusty bread.
We had so much fun stepping outside of our comfort “rut” and making some easy to prepare, scrumptiousand exciting dishes for our end of the week celebration dinner! If you want to shake up your dinner time routine visit theVH Facebookpage for many more fun, fast and fabulous ideas!
I’ve passed the VH excitement along to another Canadian blog,Journeys of the Zoo! Keep checking in as they’ll soon have more adventures and recipes to pass along to you.
WIN IT –VH Sauces want you to change up your dinner time rut by providing a Canadian family with some fun and easy ways to excite their dinner!
TO ENTER –Using the Rafflecopter form below,simply follow the instructions, complete the mandatory entry, (which unlocks the optional entries), plus any or all the optional entries for your chance to win this amazing prize! Good luck! {Rafflecopter sometimes takes a few moments to load.}
a Rafflecopter giveaway
“Disclosure – I am participating in the VH Excite Your Dinner blog tour by enCompass Media on behalf of Con Agra Foods. I received compensation as a thank you for participating and for sharing my honest opinion.”
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