Florentine Stuffed Shells

These are a crowd pleaser for sure! Make these for a Pot Luck or Church Dinner, or when company's coming over. It makes a 13 x 9 inch pan of shells. Top it with your favorite marinara, or mine (which can be found here )!

1-12 oz box of Jumbo Shells
32 oz Ricotta cheese (part-skim milk is fine)

1-10 oz box of chopped frozen Spinach, defrosted (5 minutes in microwave will do this)

8 oz bag Mozzarella cheese
6 oz bag grated Parmesan cheese

2 large eggs

1 tbs minced Parsley

1/2 tsp dried Italian Seasoning

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper
1 quart marinara

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the shells according the the manufacturer's directions to al dente (chewy, not soft).

Place your defrosted spinach in a kitchen towel twist the ends in opposite directions until all the excess water is removed. Set aside.

Place a handful of the mozzarella and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the ricotta and remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Mix thoroughly. Next, add the Italian seasoning, parsley, salt, pepper and spinach. Again, mix thoroughly. Set aside.

Spray a 13x9 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Add a ladle of marinara to coat the bottom. Set aside.

Drain the shells and run cold water on them until they are cool enough to handle. Take a shell and gently pry it open. Place a tablespoon of filling in the middle, close it and place in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining shells. When you finished, cover all the shells with the remaining marinara and the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.

Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.

Enjoy!

Creamy Rice with Peas

I decided to take a simple side dish of rice and bump up the volume! Creamy Rice with Peas has a luscious richness to it with a delicate cheesy flavor! The peas are merely warmed through so they don't lose that fresh taste or texture. I hope you enjoy it.

1 shallot, finely chopped
Enough olive oil to coat the bottom of your sauce pan
1 c. long grain rice (long cooking rice)
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 c. half and half (I used fat-free)
1 c. frozen peas
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp finely chopped parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan over medium high heat. Add the chopped shallots and salt. Saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and toss to coat with oil. Allow the rice to cook for a minute.

Add the chicken broth. Wait for the liquid to come to a boil, then reduce heat to low (very low). Place a cover over the pot and allow rice to cook until tender and the broth is absorbed. This will probably take about 20 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir in the frozen peas and the half and half. Replace the cover and let the rice sit for 3 minutes.

Stir in the Parmesan cheese and parsley.

Makes 6 servings.

Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe comes from my middle child, Holly, via Texas. Last summer she made them when she was visiting and I made her send me the recipe when she got home. I confess, I did change a couple things, partly be mistake. I should have waited a week though; she's coming to visit again!!

1 rotisserie chicken, picked clean then shredded into small pieces

1-8 oz bag of Mexican blend shredded cheese

1-14 to 16 oz can of green Enchilada sauce (I used red because I picked it up by mistake)

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1/2 green pepper, finely chopped (my addition)

1 clove minced garlic (my addition also)

2 tbs olive oil (again, my addition)

1-14.5 oz can of petite diced tomatoes with green chilies (I use Ro-tel)

1- 8 count pack of 12 inch tortillas (flour or corn - it's up to you)

2 tbs finely chopped cilantro (I used flat leaf parsley)
1 package of dry enchilada or fajita seasoning mix (if you can't find it, don't fret. I used low sodium taco seasoning mix)

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion, green pepper, and garlic to the pan and cook until tender. This will take about 5-8 minutes.

Dump the tomatoes into a large bowl. If you don't like tomatoes, mash them with a potato masher. Add the cooked vegetables and mix. Add the seasoning mix and stir well. I added a small handful of cheese (although the original recipe doesn't call for it) and the shredded chicken and cilantro (or parsley). Mix well. This mixture should be damp, not wet, so add a bit of the enchilada sauce if necessary.

Spray a 9x13 baking pan with non-stick spray. Add enough enchilada sauce to cover the bottom of the baking dish. This should be a very thin layer, not enough sauce to make the enchiladas soggy. Spread about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture on one end of the tortilla and roll tightly. Place in the baking dish seam side down. Sprinkle the tortillas with half the remaining cheese. Cover the tortillas evenly with the enchilada sauce and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the cheese is melted and filling is hot.

Serves 8 (or 4 to 6 if you're really hungry)

NOTE: A friend of mine asked, "why am I dumping everything into a bowl when I already have a saute pan going?" I responded, "beats me?" So, do whatever works for you!

Sarah's Blueberry Chocolate Chip Pancakes

My daughter, Sarah, sent me her recipe for Blueberry Chocolate Chip pancakes. I've never made them, but my granddaughter, Emilee, says "they're yummy, Nana!". That's good enough for me!

3 c. flour
2 tbs +1 tsp Baking Powder
2 tsp Salt
2 tbs Sugar
2-1/2 c Milk, room temperature
2 large Eggs, room temperature
6 tbs unsalted Butter, melted
1-1/2 tsp Vanilla
2 c Blueberries, fresh or frozen
1-3/4 c Chocolate Chips

NOTE: If you're using frozen blueberries, be sure to thaw and pat them dry.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.

Mix together the milk, eggs, and vanilla.

Combine the wet ingredients with the dry and then gently fold in the blueberries and chocolate chips. Set aside for 5 minutes.

Heat griddle, or frying pan over medium high heat. Spray with cooking spray or melt enough butter to coat the bottom. Use 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. Flip pancakes when bubbles form and edges look dry. Cook until firm.

Makes 15-20 pancakes.

Ravioli Soup with Spinach

I was strolling through the Trader Joe's in Reisterstown today, when I came upon the most beautifully smelling, freshly baked Ciabatta bread. I just had to have them! Then I passed the fresh meat case and the ground turkey was an amazing price (as are most items in
Trader Joe's). My original thoughts were moving toward some sort of BBQ sandwiches, but then I had to get to my car! It was so windy and bitterly cold out. Today just screamed Soup!!!!

1-1/2 pounds ground Turkey

8 oz dried mini Ravioli

1- 10 oz bag baby Spinach

2-32 oz cartons of Chicken Stock

2-1/2 c of water
2 tbsp Olive Oil

1 tbsp Butter (you really didn't think I'd leave it out, did you?)

1 small Onion, chopped
1 Carrot, chopped

2 cloves Garlic, minced

1/4 c regular Bread Crumbs

1 tbs dried Italian seasoning

1 tsp dried Parsley

1 tsp Salt, divided

1/4 tsp pepper

1 egg

2 tbs milk

In a stock pot, over medium heat, heat the olive oil and melt the butter. Add 3/4 of the chopped onion, half the garlic, and the chopped carrot. Add 1/2 tsp salt. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes.

While the vegetables cook, mince the remaining onion and put into a large bowl. To the bowl add the bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, parsley, 1/2 tsp salt, the pepper, and the ground turkey. In a separate bowl, beat the egg and milk together, then add this to the large bowl as well. Mix until combined.

Once the vegetables are tender, add the chicken stock and water. Raise the heat to medium high and bring to a simmer. Pinch off a tiny bit of the turkey mixture and drop it in the broth. Simmer until done. This shouldn't take more than 5 minutes. Taste and adjust your seasoning if necessary. Using a teaspoon, measure and roll out your meatballs.

Cover the pot and bring the broth to a boil. Add the pasta and the meatballs. Cover and bring the soup back up to a boil. Once it boils, lower the heat to medium. Cook the pasta according to manufacturer's directions. During the last minute of cooking, add the spinach. Stir until the spinach is wilted.

Serves 6 (with leftovers)

TIP: This is something I picked up from Food Network (which I watch entirely TOO MUCH of!), if you aren't going to eat all the soup at one sitting, cook the pasta separately and add to the soup. If you store the soup with pasta in it, it will absorb more of the liquid and be uber mushy.

Apple and Pear Compote

I got so excited while this was cooking! The floral undertones of the Orange Blossom honey wafting up from the pot was intoxicating! Finish it with a bit of vanilla, a grate of nutmeg, and a pat of butter. Serve it over just about anything from waffles, and pancakes, to ice cream. It's great alone with a dollop of whipped cream as I did below!


2 Apples
2 Pears
1 Orange
1/4 c honey (I used Orange Blossom Honey)
2 tbs water
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1 Cinnamon stick
1 slice of Ginger (I used a piece of candied ginger left over from Christmas)
1 tsp butter
A pinch of salt
Freshly grated Nutmeg

Cut your orange in half and squeeze the juice into a large bowl. Peel the apples and pears, quarter and core them. Thinly slice the apples and pears. Here's a tip, as you slice the fruit toss it in the juice to prevent it from browning before you finish the rest.

In a medium sauce pan, add the water, honey, cinnamon stick, ginger slice, and a pinch of salt. Set the heat to medium. Add the sliced fruit. Toss to coat the fruit with the syrup and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally and try to keep the cinnamon stick and ginger on the bottom in sauce to extract the most flavor from them.

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the vanilla and butter. Sprinkle with nutmeg and stir that in as well.

Enjoy!!!

Jazzing Your Veggies

The newest thing on the market are the "steam in the bag" frozen vegetables. They're great when you need a quick fix! But they lack something ... flavor! Here's how I jazz them up!!


Green Beans - while the vegetables are steaming heat a teaspoon of butter and a table spoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add one "smashed" garlic clove. Saute until the beans are done. Add the green beans and saute until the water is evaporated.

Corn - melt 2 teaspoons of butter in a bowl in the microwave. Add a good dash of dried basil and a pinch of pepper. Mix with a spoon and let this sit and warm with the corn is cooking. Mix in the corn when it finished.

Broccoli - melt 2 teaspoons of butter in the microwave. Add a dash of garlic powder and mix to combine. Set aside while the broccoli cooks. Toss the broccoli and butter together and sprinkle with cheese.

These are just a few ideas, but certainly not the only ones!

Cate's Cheesy Smashed Potatoes

These are my daughter's signature potatoes. They're tangy, chunky, and oh so cheesy. No gravy needed here!




6 large russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 oz (half a small carton) of sour cream
1/4-3/4 c of milk
3/4 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, add potatoes and enough water to cover about an inch over the top of the potatoes. Heat to boiling over high heat. Add a good pinch of salt, reduce heat to medium and cover. Boil the potatoes until they are tender, approximately 15 minutes (when you can smash them easily with a fork against the side of the pot, they're done).

Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot.

Add the sour cream and cheese and smash by had using a potato masher. Add enough milk until they are your desired consistency.

Return the pot to the stove and over low heat, stir the potatoes until they are steamy and the cheese is melted.

Salt and pepper to your taste.

Serves 6.

Salisbury Steak

Growing up my mother referred to these as "hamburgers with gravy". Well, these have a hidden agenda .. veggies. My daughter is currently anti-onion. When you puree them into the sauce then suddenly "mmm, mom this is good" becomes the motto. Who needs to know? Certainly not Cate.

1 pd of ground beef
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1 egg
1 14.5 oz can of low sodium beef broth
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 onion, chopped
1 carrot chopped
1 clove of garlic minced (or 1 tsp pre-minced garlic)
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
A good pinch of pepper

In a saucepan, over medium heat, add the olive oil, onions, carrots, the garlic, and pinch of salt and pepper. Saute until softened, approximately 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and heat until fluid and melted into the vegetables. Next, add the beef broth and turn the heat up to high. When the sauce begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.

While the sauce simmers, in a large bowl, add the bread crumbs, salt, pepper and give them a good stir to combine. In a separate bowl, beat the egg.

Back to the sauce, taste it and adjust your seasoning if necessary. Remove the sauce from heat and using an immersion blender, a blender, or food processor, blend the sauce until smooth. Remove a 1/4 cup of sauce and set the remaining aside.

Slowly add the sauce to the egg, mixing to incorporate. Pour the egg mixture into the bread crumbs. Crumble the ground beef on top of the bread crumbs and mix to combine. Do not over mix, it will tighten the meat and your "steaks" will be tough. Let the mixture rest for 5 or so minutes. Go do something else (I wash up the dishes I've used so far, or peel potatoes). Separate into 6 oval patties. A trick I learned from Rachael Ray is to NOT make the center of the patty as thick as the sides. Then when the patty cooks it'll be the same thickness when it's done.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the patties and fry for 5 minutes on both sides, or until they are firm when you press on the center. Drain on a paper towel.

Pour off any grease that may be in the pan and add the sauce. Low the heat to low. Add the patties, flipping to coat them in the sauce. Cover the pan and simmer in the sauce for 5 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Leek and Potato Soup

I was walking through the Produce Department of the store I help manage and I came upon leeks! I got very excited! (I'm a little strange that way) I've wanted to use leeks in a recipe for a while! Leeks are a member of the onion family. I can't think of anything that goes with onions better than potatoes, can you?! So here's my quick and easy version of Leek and Potato Soup. It's thick and creamy and hits that very special spot in your tummy that warms your soul.

7 medium potatoes

2 leeks

2 carrots

1 celery stalk

1 garlic clove

4-14.4 oz cans of low sodium chicken broth

1 cup half-n-half (I used fat free)

4 tbsp olive oil

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Fill a large bowl with water and set aside.

In a stock pot, or large pan, heat the olive oil on medium heat.

Cut the leeks at the root and the tough leaves (where they're light green in color). Split the leeks in half lengthwise and slice thinly. Place the sliced leeks in the water and swish them around, breaking the layers apart. Leeks can hold dirt between the layers, so we're giving them a bath!

While the leeks bathe, peel and finely chop the carrots and celery stalk and mince the garlic. Add the carrots, celery and garlic to the oil. Using your hands LIFT the leeks out of the water, leaving the grit behind, shake out the excess water. Add the leeks to the pot. Be careful, the oil WILL pop because of the water. It will stop when the waters gone. Saute the vegetables until they are very soft and tender, about 5-7 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel and chop your potatoes - I used a small dice. When the vegetables are tender, add the potatoes, bay leaves, basil, oregano, 1 tsp salt and about 15 good turns of the pepper mill. Toss to combine and then add the chicken broth. Turn the heat to high and bring the pot to a full boil. Once the soup is boiling, reduce the heat to medium, and gently boil for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender (they can be smashed against the side of the pot without effort). Add the half-n-half, being sure to temper it first so it doesn't curdle. Remove the soup from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and, using an immersion blender, blend the soup until thick and creamy. Taste. Adjust your seasoning if necessary.

Makes approximately 6 cups of soup

TIPS:

To temper half-n-half, pour 1 cup half-n-half in a 4 cup measuring cup. Fill the cup up with the hot soup, one ladle at a time. By slowly raising the temperature of the half-n-half you don't have to worry about it breaking (curdling).

As you chop your potatoes, drop them in a bowl of water. This stops them from turning brown while you finish chopping the rest of the potatoes.

If you don't have an immersion blender you can use a regular blender or food processor, but be careful with the hot soup!