Lulu's Recipe Box

Stuffed Shells

Today was a good day! After a three day weekend, we had a two hour delay this morning due to freezing rain so I had another morning to sleep in a little bit. The day flew by since we only had 30 minute classes and before I knew it, I was home making these yummy stuffed shells. After making these tonight for the first time, my first question was why haven't I made these sooner?! Stuffing shells  sounded so difficult and time consuming to me, but it was actually very easy. A little more complicated than boiling some pasta and adding sauce, but definitely worth the extra 10 minutes or so. I found a few different recipes and adapted them to my tastes. I forgot to get spinach at the grocery store so I didn't include that in the mix, but I will definitely add it next time. This pan made enough shells for TC and I tonight for dinner and we are both looking forward to eating the leftovers for lunch tomorrow! Serve with some salad and crusty bread for a delicious meal that the whole family will love!

Ingredients:

20 jumbo pasta shells (about half a box)

2 cups red pasta sauce (from a jar or homemade)

1 cup ricotta cheese (I used skim)

1 whole egg

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. chopped fresh basil

6 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained and squeezed until very dry (optional)

(chopped fresh spinach would work too)

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese for topping (you could top with parmesan as well)

Directions:

Cook the pasta shells according to the package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Meanwhile, in a medium sized bowl combine the ricotta cheese, egg, salt, pepper, garlic, basil, spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Stir well to combine.

In a 9x13 dish, spread half of the red pasta sauce on the bottom. Stuff each shell with about 2 Tablespoons of filling. Place the stuffed shells in the dish with the open side facing up. Top the shells with the remaining pasta sauce.

Feel free to use less sauce if that's what you prefer.

Cover with foil and bake for about 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees. In the last ten minutes of baking, take off the foil and sprinkle the top with more mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

***Recipe adapted from This Week for Dinner and Tasty Kitchen

Tortilla and Black Bean Pie

This vegetarian recipe incorporates two of my favorite things, black beans and Mexican food!! I don't make a lot of vegetarian dishes because TC and I both love meat, but this was quite good without meat. You could certainly put shredded chicken or ground beef in the pie. In fact, Everyday Food has another tortilla pie recipe with ground beef. I will try it with meat next time. I thought this recipe was lacking a little bit in flavor. It could have used more of a kick. Next time I make it, I will use taco seasoning when cooking the onion and black bean mixture. That would definitely spice it up! Also, I'm not quite sure why the beer is in the recipe. We couldn't taste the beer at all. Don't get me wrong, I thought this was a good meal but next time I will make my changes to add just a tad more flavor! 

FYI: I did the layering wrong...wasn't reading the directions. It was one of those days. There should be beans and cheese on the top. Follow the directions below. :)

Ingredients:

Serves 6

4 flour tortillas (10-inch)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, diced
1 jalapeno chile, minced (remove seeds and ribs for less heat)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
12 ounces beer or 1 1/2 cups water
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn
4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar/Mexican blend cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a paring knife, trim tortillas to fit a 9-inch springform pan, using the bottom of the pan as a guide. Note: To trim a tortilla: Center the bottom of the springform pan on top of a tortilla. Trace around it with a paring knife. Remove excess.  Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, jalapeño, garlic, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add beans and beer to skillet, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until liquid has almost evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in corn and scallions, and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Fit a trimmed tortilla in bottom of springform pan; start layering with 1/4 of the beans and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat three times, using 1 cup cheese on top layer. So, tortilla, beans, cheese, tortilla, beans, cheese, etc. You should end with beans and cheese on the top. Bake until hot and cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes. Unmold pie; sprinkle with scallions. To serve, slice into wedges and serve with sour cream and salsa.
   

***From Everyday Food (Martha Stewart)