Mexican Stuffed Shells

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Tacos are always a safe bet.  This recipe will give that tired dish a new twist.  This is a pretty plain version (I have a tough crowd!) but the original recipe called to mix cream cheese (4 oz) in with the taco meat for a creamier taste.  I would have loved to serve this one with some avocado slices, but somehow they didn't have any at the store!  I guess we'll have to settle for rice and beans this time around.

Special Equipment: none

Time Management:
Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 60 minutes


Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
taco seasoning
jumbo pasta shells
1 1/2 cups salsa
1 cup taco sauce (a smooth textured sauce found on the Hispanic aisle)
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup Monterey Jack Cheese

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Boil your pasta shells and then put them in ice water to stop the cooking process.  While cooking pasta, cook beef and season according to taco seasoning directions and set aside.
Place salsa on bottom of 9 x 13 baking dish (or two 8x8 if you want to freeze one).  Once shells are ready, add a heaping tablespoon of meat mixture to each shell.  Place stuffed shells on salsa covered dish until full.  Top with taco sauce.
Bake covered for 30 minutes.
Remove cover, add cheese, and bake additional 15 minutes or until cheese bubbles.


Top with your favorites (avocado, green onions, black olives, chopped fresh tomatoes, sour cream)

This recipe was found at http://thewaytohisheart.wordpress.com/2011/09/30/mexican-stuffed-shells/ where she credits the source http://apinchofthisandthat.wordpress.com/2009/01/02/mexican-stuffed-shells/

Chicken Parmigiana

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I have tried many recipes to make Chicken Parmigiana, and I finally found a winner.  Thank you, Pioneer Woman!  What I really like about this recipe is the method for the chicken.  If you have a different marinara that you really like, you could definitely substitute it and be just as successful (and save yourself a little time).

Special Equipment: None

Time Management: 

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and pounded flat

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cups wine (red or white is fine)

3 (14.5 oz) cans crushed tomatoes

2 Tbsp sugar

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 pound of your favorite pasta

Directions:

Mix flour, salt, and pepper together on large plate.

Dredge your pounded chicken breasts in mixture and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  When mixture is hot, fry chicken until golden brown (aprox 3 minutes per side)

Remove chicken and keep warm.

Add onion, and garlic to pan and stir for 2 minutes.  Pour in wine and scrape bottom of pan.  Allow wine to cook down until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.

Pour crushed tomatoes and stir to combine.  Add sugar and more salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer 30 minutes. - and this is a good time to start your pasta water! (and cook according to package directions)

Carefully lay chicken breasts atop sauce and completely cover with Parmesan.

Place lid on skillet and reduce heat to low.  Allow to simmer until cheese melts and chicken is hot.

Plate on top of pasta.

*Original source http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/10/chicken-parmigiana/

Garlic Fennel Marinade

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We just got back from a weekend getaway with family up in the mountains.  A perfect time for a barbeque!  This chicken was perfect for the occasion.  I marinated them ahead of time in a ziploc, then just threw them on the grill for a quick and easy meal with little cleanup. I finished the meal with homemade jalapeno cheddar bread, and fresh fruit.  I found this one from Rachael Ray.

Special Equipment: Grill

Time Management:
Prep time: 10 minutes + time to marinate
Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
1 lemon, zested
1 tsp fennel seeds
5-6 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves stripped and chopped
3-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and chopped
handful of fresh flatleaf parsley, chopped
black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts



Directions:
Mince garlic and mix with salt with flat of your knife.  If you have a mortar and pestle, you can grind the fennel seeds to release some extra flavor.  Otherwise crush on a cutting board with the back of a spoon.  Mix remaining ingredients (except for lemon juice) with fork inside of a gallon ziploc bag, and set aside.

Fillet chicken breasts, then add them to the marinade.  Refrigerate until ready to use.  I have let it marinate as little as 3 hours or as many as 24 and received excellent results.

When you're ready to eat, put them on the grill!  Since they're filleted, they cook fast and have plenty of flavor.  Serve with lemon wedges.

Homemade Pizza Crust and Sauce

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With a three year old running around here, pizza night has become a common theme.  When you live out in farming country where we do, grabbing takeout isn't convenient so we came up with a delicious alternative - homemade pizza crust and sauce.  Since making this pizza, DiGiorno and even Papa Murphy's aren't even on our radar anymore.  Thanks to my friend Molly for the recipe!  We try to make this our Friday night treat!


Special Equipment: none

Time Management: Total time about 2 1/2 hours but the majority of this is inactive.

Cook time: 15-20 minutes


* This recipe will make two "large" sized pizzas.  I hear the dough will freeze well, but I would rather have the leftovers.  We make both at once and throw one in the fridge for lunch the next day. If you try freezing it, let me know how it turns out!

For the Crust:

Ingredients:
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water (aprox 100-110 degrees)
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
3-4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp garlic powder or 1 fresh clove, minced

Directions:
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water with sugar.  Stir and let sit for 10 minutes to let yeast activate.
Add salt, olive oil, garlic.  Incorporate flour last starting with 2 cups.  Turn dough out onto clean work surface and continue adding flour until dough mixture is no longer sticky.
Place dough in a well oiled bowl and cover with cloth.  Allow to rise until double, aprox 1 hour. 
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Punch down dough and split into 2 round balls.  Allow dough to relax a minute before rolling it out.
Dough will be very sticky so flour you work area and dough liberally so it won't tear.
I roll mine out directly on my baking sheets so I don't have to try to move it later.
If baking on a pizza stone, you may place toppings and bake immediately.  If using a cookie sheet, let sit for aprox 20 minutes before adding sauce and toppings.
Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until cheese and crust are golden.

For the Sauce:

Ingredients:
15 oz tomato sauce
6 oz tomato paste
1 Tbsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp dried garlic or 1 clove fresh minced garlic
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp paprika

Directions:
Mix to combine

Topping suggestions are limitless, but the Andrews' standby is salami, pepperoni, and black olives.

Stuffed Shells with Sausage and Spinach

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We had a some guest critics over for dinner tonight to try out a new easy and delicious (hopefully!) dish.  This one is great for guests because you can make it ahead of time and bake it at the last minute, so you can enjoy your company and still have a hot dish when you're ready to eat. We made it with Italian Turkey Sausage, but pork sausage would also work.


Special Equipment: none

Time Management:
Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes + 35 minutes bake time


Ingredients:

12 oz package of jumbo pasta shells
20 oz fresh pork sausage links, casing removed
2 large cloves minced garlic
1 (14-ounce) can petit diced tomatoes
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and squeeze dry
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
* if you choose to use Italian Turkey Sausage, you'll need to add 1 tsp olive oil to pan when browning meat

Directions:
Heat water to boiling and cook pasta according to package instructions.  After draining pasta, place in ice bath until ready to stuff.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat sausage in a large skillet until brown, using spoon to break into pieces.

Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
Add tomatoes, spinach (make sure to squeeze dry), cook 1 minute.
Remove from heat and stir in ricotta cheese.
Using a spoon, fill each shell with filling and arrange on baking dish (I used a 9 x 13 pan)
Sprinkle top with mozzarella and bake 30 minutes or until cheese has melted and shells begin to crisp and brown.

I served with garlic bread and roasted veggies.

Crispy Golden Sauteed White Fish

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I have been looking to mix it up a little recently and decided fish was a good protein to throw into the mix.  Our Costco doesn't carry Mahi Mahi or Cod dependably, but I can usually get one or the other.  I feel like the recipes I have been trying are pretty interchangable for those fish.  Here's a quick and easy new recipe for Mahi Mahi that I'll definitely add to the rotation.


Special Equipment: None

Time Management:
Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes


Ingredients:
4 (3 oz) filets of Mahi Mahi or other white fish
Kosher salt
pepper
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 heaping Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp butter
1 lemon, juiced
2 Tbsp chopped parsley

Prepare fish by rinsing and delicately patting dry.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and allow to sit.
Heat oil in frying pan (avoid non-stick pan) over medium high heat.
While oil is heating, pat fish dry again and dredge in flour, patting off excess.
When oil has reached cooking temp place each piece of fish in oil and allow to cook undisturbed for 3 minutes.  This will achieve a crisply seared crust.
Turn fish one time and continue cooking 2-3 additional minutes.  While cooking on second side, place 1/2 Tbsp pat of butter on each piece and allow to melt.
Deglaze the pan with lemon juice and scrape the bottom of the pan for added flavor.
Toss in parsley and spoon a tablespoon of the buttery mixture over your fish when serving.

I served this with steamed broccoli and an onion and garlic sprouted rice blend (my go-to side dishes).

Original source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_486546_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html

Skinny Italian Turkey Meatballs

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Jeff is ever skeptical of both "skinny" meals and those made with ground turkey so I was a little hesitant to try this one, but it's a keeper and one that will go into the regular rotation! This recipe is super easy, cooks fast, and sounds pretty healthy to me.

Make sure to scroll to the bottom to see the recipe for Super Easy Crusty Bread to accompany this dish!

Special Equipment: none

Time Management:
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:
20 oz lean ground turkey
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
black pepper

For the marinara:
2 tsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
1/2 small onion (sliced so root is intact and do not dice)
1 tsp oregano
1/4 cup fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute a minute or two. Add crushed tomatoes, onion, salt, pepper, oregano and basil. Stir, reduce heat to low, and allow to simmer.

In a large bowl, combine ingredients for meatballs and mix with your hands. Form small meatballs a little smaller than a golf ball. Once all balls are formed, add them to your sauce and allow to cook for 20 minutes. Discard the onion and serve over noodles.

The source of this recipe is http://www.skinnytaste.com/2008/12/skinny-italian-meatballs-turkey-1-pt.html although I changed it a tiny bit.

Serving suggestion: Super easy crusty bread

Special equipment: dutch oven

Prep time: 5 minutes
Inactive prep 12-18 hours
Cook time 45 minutes (plus 30 minutes to preheat pot)

Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp yeast
1 1/2 cups water

Directions:
Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl then add water and mix to combine. Mix for a minute or two but don't worry if it's not totally combined - this will be a sticky mess!
Cover with plastic and set aside for 12-18 hours on counter top (not in the refrigerator).
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Once at temperature, add your (empty) dutch oven pot with lid and allow to heat for 30 minutes. Carefully remove pot and add bread. Return lid and return to hot oven for 30 minutes. Remove lid and cook an additional 15 minutes. Remove and let bread cool on rack.
I have made this several times and have had no problem with bread sticking to pan.