Fancy Dinner Night: Stuffed Pasta Shells

Every once in a while, I get a wild hair to cook a ‘fancy’ meal. I love the idea of having an elaborate, multiple course meal that Matt and I can dine on while wearing cocktail attire.

But let’s be real; fine dining attire is not going to happen around here. I’m excited when we eat a meal at our table. However, I still try to make a fanciful meal that could be served at a fine dining event, and eat it while watching TV while wearing my pajamas. Don’t judge me; I’m perfectly fine pretending that I’m super fancy.

This stuffed shells recipe looks beautiful, but doesn’t require a lot of work. The only thing to watch for is salt – I found it very easy to over-season the cheese/meat mixture in the stuffed shells. To achieve ultimate flavor, slowly mix seasonings a tablespoon at a time, then taste. Add the eggs at the end, once everything tastes the way you like.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.   

Super Stuffed Pasta Shells

Ingredients
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 (12-ounce) box jumbo pasta shells (18 to 20 shells)
2 cups finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 pound ground beef
1 ½ cups fresh spinach, chopped
15 ounces ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
salt to taste

Pepper to taste

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon oregano, dried

½ teaspoon thyme, dried

Red tomato sauce of your choice

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease a 2-quart casserole dish with 1 teaspoon of cooking oil.
• Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta shells, and cook until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally with a long-handled spoon to prevent the shells from sticking together. Drain and rinse under cold running water.

• In a medium skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and stir them as they cook. Continue until they are very soft, which will take approximately 6 to 7 minutes. 

• Add the ground beef and cook, stirring, until cooked and browned. Add the spinach then stir the mixture. Allow the mixture to wilt, which will take about for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.

• In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Add the meat and spinach mixture, dried herbs, remaining salt, the basil, oregano, and pepper, and stir to combine thoroughly. Taste the mixture, and if it’s to taste, add the eggs.

•  Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the spinach-ricotta filling into each cooked pasta shell. Place the filled shells in the prepared dish.

• Pour the tomato sauce over the filled shells and top with the remaining cup of mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, until the cheese is bubbly, about 20 minutes. 

• Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. 

• Sneak seconds and hope your husband doesn't catch you. 

Chorizo Potatoes (Chorizo con Papas): An Easy Alternative to Everyday Potatoes

Is there anything better than potatoes? These lovely, starchy vegetables are great for every meal, and I intend to eat them with every meal (Much to my mother’s chagrin. I do what I want, MOM.).  

This morning, Matt was hungry for sausage and toast, and I had already started to make pancakes. We only had enough sausage for 1 person, and since I was already going to make potatoes, I decided to go with a more Mexican route, inspired by this recipe.

Chorizo potatoes aren’t just for breakfast. They can be eaten with refried beans, cheddar, and sour cream and be wolfed down for lunch. They can be served with carne asada and nopales. They can be eaten late at night when no one is looking. Regardless to when the urge hits, you can eat this spicy, savory and simply delicious meal at any time, knowing that it’s not particularly expensive or difficult to make. Enjoy!

Chorizo Potatoes

  Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
10 ounces Mexican pork chorizo (This is soft sausage, and will goop out of its casing)
1/4 small onion, diced
1 pound potatoes of your preference, cut into small (1/4-inch) dice, and boiled
Salt

Black pepper

Cajun seasoning

Directions

• Put your diced potatoes into a pot with enough water to cover them, and boil for about 6-8 minutes. You want the potatoes to almost be barely cooked, and still have a bite. This will keep them from dissolving when you’re cooking them with the chorizo. Drain, then set aside.

• Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook, breaking up the clumps, until almost dry and crisp, about 10 minutes. Chorizo is oily, so don’t be surprised if you have pockets of oil in the corners. That’s ok. It’ll keep the potatoes from sticking.

• In the pan you cooked your chorizo, add the onions and boiled potatoes. Stir occasionally, and allow them to brown, which will take about 12 minutes.

• Stir in the cooked chorizo onto the mixture, blending well and covering all of the potatoes evenly. Season with the salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning to taste.

•  Enjoy with your favorite meal, like I did here with a fried egg, cheddar and pancakes. MM.

15-minute Mexican Breakfast: Cheesy Chilaquiles

I don't remember if I've mentioned this, but I'm a total breakfast person. If I could make breakfast every morning (or have someone make it for me), I'd be the happiest person in the world. I love sweet, salty, and savory breakfasts. I love fancy ones. I love simple home-style breakfasts. I'll eat them all with a smile and a cup of coffee. 

With that said, I don't get to eat a nice, home-cooked breakfast unless I have loads of time and fresh ingredients at hand. So I generally have to make do with something fast, like toast and coffee.

This weekend kicked of my spring break. THANK GOD. I need a week of sleeping in, overeating and going out with my husband, who's also taken off most of the week. We began our relaxation with something delicious, comforting and flavorful: chilaquiles.

If you've never had the pleasure, you don't know what you're missing. Chilaquiles are considered a comfort food to Mexicans. You can spice them up, smother them with cheese, and even cover them with chicken, guacamole, or sour cream for additional decadence. They're crispy, but soft because of the egg. They're spicy, but the cheese adds richness. I love them.

I like these because they're so simple to make, and you don't need to have tons of ingredients to go make them. The main ingredient is stale tortillas. If you're planning on making them, just leave some tortillas out for a night or two. Then you'll be well on your way to a great breakfast. 

Cheesy Chilaquiles 

Ingredients
12 stale corn tortillas (if they're fresh, leave them out overnight. Otherwise, your frying time will be extended)
Cooking oil
1 (7.75 oz) can El Pato, a spicy Mexican tomato sauce (If you have fresh salsa, 1 cup can be substituted)
1 cup shredded cheese of your choice
4 eggs
1/4 cup white onion, roughly chopped
Seasoned salt

• Cut your tortillas into fourths. My tortillas were very dry, so I simply broke them into pieces.

•  Generously pour your cooking oil into a large sauté pan. Turn your heat to medium high. Once your oil is hot, add the tortillas. You’ll want to be able to coat the tortillas, but not completely submerge them.

• Fry your tortillas until they are a nice golden brown, which should take about 5 minutes. 

Turn them every minute or so to keep everything from burning.

• Remove tortillas and place them a paper towel-lined plate to soak up any excess oil, then remove the majority of your oil and any excess tortilla pieces left in your pan. There is no need to clean it. 

• Re-add your tortillas and onion in the pan, and pour the tomato sauce onto your tortillas. Toss the tortillas to coat them completely, and set your heat to medium-low. Season your sauce covered tortillas with your seasoned salt.

Your onion will cook as the food is tossed and mixed.

• Add your eggs to the pan, and gently toss the tortillas. Continue to cook and mix your tortillas until the "wetness" from the egg is mostly removed, which should be five minutes. Your eggs will take on the appearance of scrambled eggs. Season once again, if necessary.

• Sprinkle the mixture with cheese, and cover your chilaquiles with the pot lid to allow for the cheese to melt. 

• Serve immediately with additional salsa, refried beans, sour cream or guacamole. Enjoy!

Beautiful buttermilk fried chicken

Sometimes I actually plan out what my meals are going to be for the week. It doesn't happen often, but it does upon occasion, and this recipe of fried chicken appears on rotation when possible. 

It's got a bit of a kick, but it's still super moist. My husband is picky, but he completely devoured everything with this chicken in it. 

Not to say that this is a hard recipe. All the planning that you really need is sticking chicken in a Zip-loc bag with buttermilk. Sometimes that's hard, though! So when you need a great meal, consider this recipe. 

Buttermilk fried chicken

6 boneless chicken breasts

2 cups buttermilk

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 tablespoon season salt

3/4 tablespoon cajun seasoning of your choice

1 tablespoon kosher salt

3 cups cooking oil

• Place your chicken breasts in a large freezer bag with the buttermilk. Place it in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
  
• In a large dish, mix your flour and seasonings together. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk, and allow the extra buttermilk to drip off.
  
• Dredge your chicken in the flour mixture. Make sure to coat well. 

• Once all of your chicken is coated, heat your oil in your skillet or Dutch oven. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer. If it doesn't fit, fry your chicken in two batches. 

• Cook your chicken until it's golden brown al over, and cooked through. This might take 8-10 minutes. If you use chicken with bone in, you'll want to cook it a while longer. 

• Transfer the chicken to a plate with a paper towel, and allow the excess to drain.
  

• The chicken will taste great with something spicy, like a salsa fresca, or something creamy, like mashed potatoes. Enjoy. 

Rainy day carne asada tacos

It's properly raining in Southern California. I mean, actual tornado warnings to the north of us. Because of that, in addition to me twisting my ankle, I've not been in the mood to make pretty food. I needed to purchase groceries, and it felt like I needed to get an ark ready in order to get home.

However, I did successfully buy food for the month, and was once again inspired. My grandmother gave me a bag of avocados, and now that they're ripening, I need to make things with them. 

First on my list, carne asada tacos with avocado salsa fresca. It's something fast, delicious, and can be tailored to your preferences. Enjoy this with as much toppings as you prefer!

No forks necessary.

Carne Asada Tacos with Avocado Salsa Fresca

yields approximately 12 fat tacos

1 1/2 lbs beef sirloin, your choice

1/2 lemon

12 corn tortillas

1 large tomato

1/3 cup cilantro

1 serrano pepper

2 green onions

1 avocado

pre-cooked pinto beans (optional)

shredded cheese (for garnish)

• The night before you cook your taco meat, squeeze the 1/2 lemon onto the meat. Allow the meat to marinate for at least 3 hours so that the acidity breaks down the tough meat.

•  Heat your skillet to medium high.
• As you wait for your skillet to heat, begin to slice your meat into large cubes. As you dice your meat, season your meat with your preferred seasonings. I enjoy salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning. 

• Let your meat cook until it begins to sear, and there is no more juice in the pan.

That meat will simmer for about 10-15 minutes, depending on your stove, your pan, and your preference of done-ness. Now... the salsa!

• Chop your cilantro finely. 

• Dice up your tomato, as well as your green onions, and add it to your cilantro. Don't get rid of the tomato juices; add that as well. It adds flavor. 
• Finely chop your serrano pepper. These babies can be pretty spicy, so add a small big of pepper at a time, mix, and taste for heat. Don't overdo it.

• Finally, slice your avocado. Make wide cubed cuts of the avocado while it is in the pit, then carefully spoon it out onto the rest of the salsa. Add salt to taste, a dash of water and a tablespoon of lemon juice. 

• Mix carefully so that the avocado chunks don't disintegrate. 

Look at those colors. Chunky is pretty.

And now, the moment we've been waiting for. Taco building time.

• In a small sauce pan, heat your tortilla. Let the pan get hot, and allow both sides of your tortilla to toast, approximately 2-4 minutes, depending on how crispy you want your tortilla to be. Place on your plate and begin building.
• Drizzle your meat chunks onto your tortilla. If you prefer smaller sized meat pieces, slice them once the meat has rested. 

I had some pinto beans in the fridge, and added them to my taco. I love beans in my taco. 

• Top your taco with shredded cheese, and then garnish with the salsa. Serve immediately!

Ay que taco!

Three-meat, two cheese lasagna

There’s something comforting about a delicious lasagna that makes me happy on all levels. It’s saucy, cheesy, and just a little spicy. It hits all culinary levels of satisfaction, and leaves me perfectly sated.

Don't you just want to eat all the cheese?

Lasagna also happens to be a favorite of my husband, who is the most meat-and-cheese focused man you’ll ever meet. If I am ever in trouble, you can bet that this will be the dish that I make him so that he forgives and forgets (Mostly he’d forget because he’s so busy eating).

I’ve adapted this recipe from my mother’s own, removing the ricotta for preference. Of COURSE you can add ricotta mixed with eggs. Of COURSE you can add spinach, fresh mushrooms, or other veggies of choice. However, for sake of beauty and simplicity, I present to you my most basic three-meat, two cheese lasagna.

Andrea’s three-meat, two cheese lasagna.

Approximately 12 servings

1 pound hot Italian sausage 

1 ½ pounds lean ground beef

50 slices of pepperoni

½ cup cubed yellow onion

3-4 roma tomatoes

½ cup water

2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste

2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce

3 teaspoons Italian seasoning

sea salt

ground black pepper

seasoning salt

red pepper flakes to taste

10-12 lasagna noodles

16 ounces mozarella cheese

 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon cooking oil

•  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
• Cube your tomatoes and onions. In the pot you’re planning to cook your sauce, sauté your onion and tomato at a medium heat, seasoning them with your Italian seasoning. Cook until the onion becomes tender. This lends a great flavor to your sauce.
• Add your water, tomato paste, and tomato sauce to your pot, and set it at low to simmer while your meat cooks.

Leave it boiling as you prep your other ingredients. 

• Cook your ground beef at a medium heat, seasoning it with seasoned salt, salt and pepper to taste. Allow it to cook completely, then drain the grease.
• Remove casing from hot Italian sausage, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon as it browns. Make sure that the sausage cooks completely.

• Slice pepperoni slices into halves, drizzling them into sauce. 

• Add sausage and ground beef as well, stirring well. At this point, taste your sauce. If it’s too sweet, add some more seasoned salt or salt to your sauce, stirring it and tasting again. I also like to add ½ teaspoon to a full teaspoon of red peppers to the sauce. Leave it on low.

Thick and beefy, the way I like my... sauce.

• Now it’s time for noodles. Bring water to a boil in another pot, and add salt. Place noodles in the water and cook until al dente.

• While the noodles boil, begin shredding your cheese. If you’re cool, you’ll use this activity as a way to work out your forearms.

My arms are SO buff. 

• Once the noodles are ready, begin layering your lasagna. Begin with a thin layer of sauce, followed by lasagna noodles. Make sure to overlap noodles. Cover noodles with a heavy layer of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Repeat layering process until you have reached the top of your pan. Sprinkle the top liberally with mozzarella.
  

Sauce to die over. 

Noodles.

The more cheese you add, the more flavor. 

• Cover your lasagna with foil and place in the oven for 20 minutes. At the end of the 20 minutes, remove the foil and leave in the oven for another 10 to allow for the cheese to brown.
  

• Serve after ten minutes, allowing for the lasagna to set. If you don’t mind soupy lasagna, dig in!

We may have gotten over-excited and over-eaten.