Mexican Stuffed Shells - Blog

 Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 package low-sodium taco seasoning
4 oz. cream cheese
14-16 jumbo pasta shells
1.5 cup salsa
1 cup taco sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup monterey jack cheese
3 green onions
Sour cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.
In a frying pan cook ground beef; add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions.  Add cream cheese, cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Blend well. Set aside and cool completely.  While ground beef is cooking, cook the pasta shells according to directions; drain. Set shells out individually on cutting board/baking sheet so that they don’t stick together.
Pour salsa on bottom of 9×13 baking dish.  Stuff each shell with the meat mixture. Place shells in 9×13 pan open side up. Cover shells with taco sauce.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, add shredded cheese and bake for 10-15 more minutes, with the foil removed.  Top with any condiments you’d like (green onions, black olives, etc.) Serve with sour cream and/or more salsa.

This was super easy to make and came out awesome.
I found that Sargento makes a shredded cheddar cheese and monterey jack cheese combo. So exciting and cheaper. I also didn't use 2 cups worth of cheese. I always use 1/3 reduced fat cream cheese, especially in dishes with other types of cheese. It's a healthier option. I also used ground turkey instead of beef; my dad doesn't eat red meat and turkey has less fat.
I used about 20 shells; I have no idea what 'jumbo' shells are but mine seems fairly normal :) 
I served mine with shredded lettuce, tomato, and a slice of avocado. The blog I took this from didn't add any veggies and I like to serve something fresh with dinner. It was a nice addition to dish.

Check out the blog I got this recipe from: http://thewaytohisheart.wordpress.com/2011/09/30/mexican-stuffed-shells/

Quick Turkey Bolognese with Spaghetti Squash - Everyday Food

Prepare the Squash

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. With a small sharp knife, prick squash all over. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until tender when pierced with knife, about 1 hour 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. When cool enough to handle, halve lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Scrape squash with a fork to remove flesh in long strands.

Ingredients

• 3 bacon slices, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced small
• 1 large carrot, diced small
• 2 small celery stalks, diced small
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound ground turkey breast or chicken breast
• 2 cups crushed tomatoes (from a 28-ounce can)
• Red-pepper flakes (optional)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 6 cups of roasted spaghetti squash
• Grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions

1. In a large nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium until crisp, 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and cook until vegetables are tender, 15 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add 1 tablespoon oil and turkey to skillet and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until almost cooked through, 5 minutes. Add bacon, vegetables, tomatoes, and pinch of red-pepper flakes, if using, to skillet and bring to a simmer; cook until turkey is cooked through and sauce is thickened, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over spaghetti squash and sprinkle with Parmesan.
   
   
   The challenge this week was to use more of what we already had in the fridge - ground turkey and the left over sauce from last week. The rolls in the picture also needed to be used. I only bought the spaghetti squash, carrots, and celery. This dish was really easy to prepare and the squash is a great substitute for real spaghetti; the magazine said you save about 250 calories. 
   I did make some changes. Since I had red sauce left over from last week used that instead of buying the tomatoes again; I also didn't add onions because there was plenty in the sauce.  Other than that I followed the recipe. The sauce went perfectly with the squash, which soaked up the flavor. 
   I really love the Everyday Food magazine; you pick it up at the check out line. They have shopping lists organized and in season vegetables; everything I have made from there has been yummy!  The issue this is from is currently out - next week I'm hoping to make some of the super bowl food ideas.
   
   
   GO PATRIOTS!! :)  
   

Red Sauce - Emeril Lagasse, Chicken Parm - Everyday Food

My hiatus is over :)

Basic Red Sauce - Emeril (foodnetwork.com)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3/4 cup chopped yellow onions (1 medium yellow onion)
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (2 cloves of garlic)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 4 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Directions

In a medium, heavy pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, salt, basil, oregano and black pepper, and cook, stirring, until soft, 5 minutes.

Place the tomatoes in a large bowl and squeeze to break into small pieces. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, and sugar to the pot and stir well. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
Lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally with a heavy wooden spoon.


Chicken Parm- Everyday Food

Ingredients

• 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (3 whole breasts, split down the middle)
• 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thin

Directions

1. Working on a large surface covered in baking parchment or plastic wrap, lay down the chicken breasts. Using a sharp slicing knife, cut each piece in half horizontally through the middle.
2. In a large prep pan or dish, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Spread out to cover the whole bottom of the pan. Lay down as many chicken breasts as will fit on the mixture. Sprinkle salt and pepper over each piece and turn over, completely coating with the bread-crumb mixture. Repeat the process with the remaining pieces of chicken.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl in 2 tablespoons of olive oil to coat the pan. Add the chicken breasts in one layer and cook until golden, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove and repeat the process for the remaining chicken, adding a little oil to the pan as needed.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spoon some tomato sauce into a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish to cover. Layer in the chicken pieces and top with mozzarella slices. Spoon over about 1 1/4 cups more sauce, and sprinkle on the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Bake until golden and bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.

I decided, for some reason, I needed to learn how to make red sauce. I think what I liked most about making it was that I knew exactly what was in it and it tasted really fresh. I substituted dry basil for fresh, I should have added more. I also would add more garlic; I also really love the taste of basil and garlic. This sauce is really simple, there aren't any crazy flavors but I would definitely recommend it.

I haven't made chicken parm in forever. I figured if I was making sauce, I should make a whole dish! The breading in this recipe is really light; I don't like my chicken heavily breaded and this breading is just enough to cover and flavor the chicken. If you prefer a heavier breading, use the flouring technique of: chicken in flour, dip in egg, and then place in bread crumbs. I served it with spaghetti but really you could use any pasta.

Sunday Dinners are back! Happy cooking :)

 

Mac & Cheese - My Mom

Pasta:
2cups of dried elbow macaroni
Sauce:
1/4 cup of butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups of milk
4 ounces (half a package) of cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
1 package of yellow cheddar cheese; half shredded half cubed
1 package of white cheddar cheese; half shredded half cubed
salt, eyeball it
pepper, eyeball it
Topping:
1 cup of bread crumbs, i use the Italian seasoned
2 tablespoons of butter

Heat the oven to 400*. Cook the macaroni according to its directions.
While that is going on, melt the 1/4 cup of butter in a saucepan until sizzlng, stir in flour. Cook over medium heat, stir until the flour is smooth and bubbly in the butter. Add milk, mustard, salt and pepper. Add cream cheese (i like to cube it to make it easier to melt). When the cream cheese has melted, add the white and yellow shredded cheese. Stir until melted.
Add cheese cubes to the cooked and drained macaroni. Add sauce and stir together. Pour into a baking pan/casserole ungreased.
Add crumb topping (which is stirred in a small bowl). Bake for about 20mins/until golden brown.

Homemade Mac & Cheese is the best. I used to make this all the time for my roommates in college, they used to plan other meal items around this. My mom modified this from another recipe and its definitely hard to stop eating. With it being so cold, it was great to have comfort food :) 
My only suggestion is to not use deli cheese. I use Cabot, deli cheese seems to be really salty and it gives it a weird taste. I always use a little less salt or pepper because someone can always add more.

Spinach and Artichoke Mac & Cheese - Rachael Ray

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1 pound regular or whole wheat penne
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 cups milk
• A few grates fresh nutmeg
• 1 box frozen chopped spinach (10 ounces), defrosted and wrung dry in a kitchen towel
• 1 box frozen chopped artichokes (10 ounces), defrosted and wrung dry in a kitchen towel
• Ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Italian fontina cheese, plus additional for sprinkling on top
• 1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus additional for sprinkling on top

Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF.
Place a large pot of water over high heat to cook the pasta. When the water is boiling, salt it well and drop in the pasta. Cook to al dente, according to the package directions.
While the pasta is cooking, place a medium pot over medium-low heat with two turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons, and the butter. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook them until very soft, about 10 minutes.
Turn the heat up to medium-high and sprinkle the flour into the pan. Cook for about 1 minute, then whisk the wine into the pan, cooking for another minute to burn off the alcohol. Whisk the milk into the pan and bring up to a bubble. Add the nutmeg, veggies and some salt and pepper to the sauce and simmer until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Add the cheeses to the sauce and stir until melted.
Toss the prepared sauce with the cooked pasta and transfer to a casserole dish. Sprinkle some more of the fontina and Parmigiano Reggiano cheeses over the top and bake until the cheese has melted and the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

I've made this before and I love it, its addicting! It has been getting so cold and I wanted something comforting to make, mac & cheese makes for the perfect comfort food.

I did make some changes. First I have never added nutmeg when making this, maybe I will one day but for now I'm anti-nutmeg. I also use artichokes canned in water. I usually buy everything the day I make it and defrosting them would probably take longer. I used a small onion because the store didn't have larger ones and they are easier to chop. Another thing to point out is the Parmigiano Reggiano is kind of like really fancy and expensive Parmesan. I use it because it does taste really good, but if you can't find it or don't want to pay $12 for cheese use Parmesan.

Have a great week :) The holiday countdown is on!

Chili-lime fish fry with Tex-Mex Peperonata - Rachael Ray

First the Veggies:

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup beer or chicken stock
• Handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped, for garnish

Directions

Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, the hot and sweet peppers, garlic, and salt and pepper, to taste. Saute the onion mixture until crisp-tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cook 2 minutes. Add the beer or stock and stir for 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter, garnish with cilantro and serve. 

You can start the fish while making the peperonata:

Ingredients

• 4 tilapia fillets
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 2 limes, zested and juiced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder, a couple of palmfuls
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2/3 palmful
• 2 teaspoons onion powder, 2/3 palmful
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons dried
• 1/4 cup vegetable, canola or safflower oil

Directions

Season the fish with salt and pepper. Arrange 3 shallow dishes. Put the flour in 1 dish and add the eggs to the second dish. Combine the bread crumbs in the third dish and season with 1 tablespoon of lime zest, 2 tablespoons of chili powder, the garlic powder, onion powder and thyme. Coat the fish in the flour, then the egg and then the bread crumbs.

Heat the oil, about 1/4 cup, in large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. If your pan is not large enough to fry 4 fillets, in a single layer, heat the oven to 275 degrees F and put a cooling rack on a baking sheet. As you fry the fish, transfer them to the rack in the oven to keep warm. Fry the fish until deeply golden and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes, and transfer to a serving platter. Season with a little extra salt, top with lots of lime juice and serve.

This was really yummy. I served mine with tortillas; my mom and I ate them like fajitas. I served it with whole grain rice, which I mixed with the peperonata to soak up the sauce. I've also never cooked fish, I'm really glad I took the risk!

I cooked the fish in olive oil, I always use olive oil. I think the oil itself is healthy and I don't really care for the taste of vegetable oil. I also cut down the chili powder just a little, I've made some of her food before and its been VERY spicy but this time it was right on.

As a note: be careful when you cut jalapeno peppers. The first time I cut and seeded them I did it with out using plastic gloves; I had to soak my hands in milk because the seeds are crazy spicy. Jalapenos themselves are mild, but the ribs and seeds are very hot. While my friend Lili was amused (and felt bad) at the situation, it was really uncomfortable. My mom and I laughed about it tonight actually, lesson learned :)

White Chocolate Gingerbread Blondies - Martha Stewart

I made these for my cookie swap tonight. Delicious!

Ingredients

• Vegetable-oil cooking spray
• 2 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 1/2 sticks (20 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
• 10 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 17-by-12-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Line bottom with parchment cut to fit, and coat parchment. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
Beat butter and brown and granulated sugars with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs and yolk, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla and molasses. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Stir in white chocolate.
Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake until edges are golden, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 2-inch squares or desired shape.

Tonight I'm off to a cookie swap, so I made these :) They came out very dense, much like a hermit cookie. The white chocolate is awesome with it!

These weren't hard to make, the hardest part was spreading the batter into the pan. Its very thick and kept moving the parchment paper around. Well worth it though. I can't wait to try everyone's cookies!!