Spring Into Action With Budget-Friendly Recipes

Bring a New Taste to the Dinner Table by Freshening Up Your Pantry

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., March 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Spring has arrived, and that means it's time to start thinking fresh. With the annual rite of spring cleaning, there's no better time for cooks to also look at refreshing their pantries. Jennifer Bushman, author of "The Kitchen Coach" Cookbooks, offers tips to organize pantries to help at-home cooks create recipes that stretch the grocery budget and save time.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090317/NY84609 )

"When restocking your kitchen with quality go-to meal items, consider your pantry, fridge and freezer," said Bushman. "Keeping versatile staples throughout the kitchen will help families bring a fresh taste to the dinner table."

Bushman offers these pantry makeover tips for every corner of your kitchen:

    --  In the pantry... Keep Knorr Sides rice and pasta varieties on hand to
        create simple one-pot meals to make special spring recipes like Grilled
        Chicken & Veggies over Rice.
    --  In the freezer... Keep your freezer stocked with Bertolli Oven Baked
        Meals.  They're restaurant-quality Italian meals you bake in your own
        dish.  All you need to do is just open, pour, and bake, leaving you more
        time to spend with that someone special.
    --  In the refrigerator... Add I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! NEW Cooking
        & Baking sticks to your grocery check list.  They have 50% less
        saturated fat than butter and 0g trans fat.* From baking to spreading,
        they're an essential no cook should be without!
    --  In the veggie drawer and beyond... Sometimes you can get your veggies
        from unexpected places! Ragu Old World Style Pasta Sauce has a full
        serving of veggies in every half cup of sauce. Pour it over your
        favorite pasta, or try this delicious Baked Pasta Primavera Casserole.
    --  In your glass... Quench your thirst and enjoy exciting Lipton iced tea
        recipes like Sparkling Sangria Tea for $0.35 a serving - it's a
        refreshing beverage that also contains flavanoid antioxidants.
    --  In your lunchbox...  Make a scrumptious chicken and avocado wrap, a
        different twist on the everyday sandwich, with Hellmann's or Best Foods
        Light Mayonnaise - it has the great taste, but half the calories and fat
        of Real mayonnaise.

  

Refreshing your pantry isn't just easy on the taste buds - it's easy on the wallet. Keeping your home stocked with trusted brands like these offer great quality at affordable prices as well as plenty of recipes and tips to help make everyday life better. For delicious recipes and meal ideas, visit www.MakingLifeBetter.com.

GRILLED CHICKEN & VEGGIES OVER RICE Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes 2 Tbsp. margarine, melted 4 tsp. Italian seasoning 2-1/2 lbs. chicken parts 2 zucchini and/or yellow squash, sliced 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and quartered 1 onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices 1 package Knorr Rice Sides - Cheddar Broccoli Blend margarine with Italian seasoning; brush on chicken and vegetables. Grill or broil chicken and vegetables until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Serve chicken and vegetables with hot Cheddar Broccoli Rice. BAKED PASTA PRIMAVERA CASSEROLE Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes 1 jar (1 lb. 10 oz.) Ragu(R) Old World Style(R) Pasta Sauce 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (about 8 oz.), divided 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 bag (16 oz.) frozen Italian-style vegetables, thawed 8 ounces ziti or penne pasta, cooked and drained Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine Pasta Sauce, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese in large bowl. Stir in vegetables and hot ziti. Spoon pasta mixture into 2-1/2-quart casserole; sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake uncovered 30 minutes or until heated through. TIP: Try using beans, corn and cheddar cheese for a delicious twist. DELICIOUS ONE BOWL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 9 minutes 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1 cup (2 sticks) I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!(R) Cooking & Baking sticks 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 large egg 1/2 tsp. salt 1 package (12 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips (2 cups) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour with baking soda in small bowl; set aside. Beat I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!(R) Cooking & Baking sticks with sugars in large bowl with electric mixer until blended, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla, egg and salt. Beat in flour mixture on low speed just until blended. Stir in chips. Drop mixture by heaping tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 9 minutes or until edges are golden. Remove cookies to wire racks and cool completely. SPARKLING SANGRIA TEA Prep Time: 15 minutes Chill Time: 2 hours 3 cups boiling water 2 Lipton(R) Family Size Tea Bags or 5 Lipton(R) Cup Size Tea Bags 1/3 cup sugar 2 cups chilled purple grape juice 1 medium orange, sliced 1 medium lemon, sliced 1 medium lime, sliced Chilled club soda or seltzer In teapot, pour boiling water over Lipton(R) Family Size Tea Bags; cover and brew 5 minutes. Remove Tea Bags and squeeze; stir in sugar and cool. In large pitcher, combine tea with remaining ingredients except soda; chill at least 2 hours. Just before serving, add a splash of soda. Pour into ice-filled glasses and garnish, if desired, with additional orange, lemon and lime slices. CHICKEN & AVOCADO WRAP Prep Time: 10 minutes 3 Tbsp. Hellmann's(R) or Best Foods(R) Light Mayonnaise 4 (6-in.) fajita size whole wheat flour tortillas 12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled and sliced 1 medium avocado, peeled and sliced 1 red bell pepper, sliced 1/4 cup sliced red onion 2 cups mixed salad greens Spread It: Spread Hellmann's(R) or Best Foods(R) Light Mayonnaise on tortillas. Stuff It: Layer chicken, avocado, red pepper, red onion and salad greens down center of each tortilla. Wrap It: Roll and fold the filled tortilla.

About Unilever

Unilever's mission is to add vitality to life. We meet everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care with brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of life. Each day, around the world, consumers make 160 million decisions to purchase Unilever products.

In the United States, the portfolio includes major brand icons such as: Axe, Ben & Jerry's, Bertolli, Breyers, Caress, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Hellmann's, Klondike, Knorr, Lipton, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Suave, Sunsilk and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies. Dedicated to serving consumers and the communities where we live, work and play, Unilever employs nearly 12,000 people in both the United States and Puerto Rico - generating nearly $10 billion in sales in 2008. For more information, visit www.unileverusa.com.

* Contains 8 g. fat, 2g. saturated fat per serving

Contact: Gillian Kushner 212-445-8417 gkushner@webershandwick.com

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090317/NY84609
http://photoarchive.ap.org
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN5
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com Unilever

CONTACT: Gillian Kushner, +1-212-445-8417, gkushner@webershandwick.com

Web site: http://www.MakingLifeBetter.com/
http://www.unileverusa.com/