RECIPE: Hearty Ricotta-Stuffed Shells

Isn't that just beautiful!

Well, let's get right into it then, why don't we?! We need these things, plus a few others... like a wooden spoon, saute pan, boiling cauldron of water, a hot stove, etc... you know... the usual...



But first, let's do a quick zoom on that beautiful garlic... oh how I love garlic!



OK, and on to the other ingredients... oh, and have I told you how much I love kosher salt?! (How are those chefs in NYC going to be able to hold back?! (what?!)



Next step? Dice up your onion, and slide it into the hot oil. I love the sound when the onion hits that hot pan... sizzle, sizzle...





OK, back to the garlic... oh how I love garlic!



But it gets even better when you smash open those cloves with the side of a knife! Go ahead, just take a whack!



And pretend like there's a picture of diced up garlic { right here }... come on, use your imagination!


Next step, we add the meat to the sauted onions...



And let it brown, keep stirring...



And then comes the garlic... oh how I love garlic! (Tip: I usually wait to add the garlic in with the meat... if I had added it with the onion it would have run the risk of cooking a little too much and browning. And you don't want brown garlic... it's bitter, and no longer loveable. Ick... and we don't want ick.)



So when the meat is done cooking, turn off the heat and let it cool. Because you're going to mix it in with the cheese mixture... and you don't want it to melt the cheeses.



But here's a challenge... while you're tending to the meat, you can multi-task! Add your cheese mixture together, starting with the eggs.






Then you add the seasonings... and start adding the cheeses... first start with the parmesan cheese...



And then add some more cheese... some mozzarella this time...



And while you're at it... why don't you add some more cheese... ricotta, this time...



Mix well...



Next? You guessed it... add the cooled meat mixture...



And repeat, mix well...



Now, on to watching a pot of water boil... after all, it IS possible.

You know the first few steps... water in pot, flame under pot... let the party begin!




But my favorite part of the whole process... throwing the kosher salt in just at the right moment... and a small hurricane takes place in the hot pot. Isn't that fun?!



And then I always add some olive oil to the water when boiling pasta (someone once told me it helps the pasta from sticking together).



So, let it come to a full rolling boil... and we're almost there...



Then we slide the jumbo shells into the hot pot... and set the timer, following the instructions on the package.



Approximately 9 mins later... we have reached "al dente"!



And it's time to drain the salty water... move carefully... it's hot!



Before you can stuff them, you'll need to allow them to cool down. Flop them out on a cookie sheet ... and just about the time you're ready for them, they'll be ready for you. (Aren't they just gorgeous?!)



So spread out about cup of marinara sauce into your casserole, so it completely covers the bottom of the pan and into the corners...



And back to the ricotta mixture... it's time to stuff those shells...



Using a rather large tablespoon, spoon it in to overflowing...



Yet again, isn't this beautiful?! But we're only just beginning...



Gently place your beautifully stuffed shell into the corner of the casserole and let the assembly line begin...







And top it off with some more sauce...



... and more cheese...



And then bake it... and then hide it from your husband otherwise THIS happens. (Half of the pan was gone before I could grab the camera.)



(Nah, I just forgot to take the picture again... I blame it on the garlic!)



Hearty Ricotta-Stuffed Shells
Adapted by Lori Tisdale

Ingredients
1 package jumbo shells
1 pound ricotta cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
2 eggs, slightly beaten
½ tablespoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 pound ground hamburger
1 cup onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
24 ounces marinara sauce

Instructions
Prepare shells according to package instructions, to al dente. Be careful not to overcook pasta.

In a large sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until it ripples. Add diced onion to hot oil and sauté until translucent. Add diced garlic and ground hamburger and continue to cook until hamburger is browned completely. (I usually salt/pepper this as well, just enough to taste.) Set aside to cool slightly.

In a medium mixing bowl – combine eggs, salt/pepper, parsley and nutmeg. Mix well. Add ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese – mix well. Add the cooled hamburger to the cheese mixture – again, mix well.

Slightly cover bottom of a 9” x 11” x 13” pan with marinara sauce.

When pasta is done cooking, spread the shells out on a cookie sheet to cool (so they can be handled while stuffing). Immediately stuff the shells with a large tablespoon full of cheese/meat mixture.

In the casserole, arrange stuffed shells in a single layer. Pour remaining sauce over shells and top with remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minute or until sauce/cheese bubbles. Allow to cool about 10 minutes before serving.


So, I first made this at some point in high school. I remember learning to make this with my Mom's help. She encouraged me to be creative... and I remember not wanting to use spinach... so instead used meat. I was rather proud of this at the ripe young age of maybe, 15? 16? Well, here's the recipe I wrote up in 1990 ... and I've taken it a step further and changed it just a bit more since then. But here's the proof... see that teenage bubble writing?! Oh yeah... good times!





enjoy your time in the kitcen...

Testing a new ingredient

Help me! I don't know where I should start with this ingredient: crystallized ginger.

I've been reading a lot of recipes that use crystallized ginger - but I don't know if I want to try a dessert or a savory dish. Honestly, I ran across a sweet and sour pork that used finely diced crystallized ginger in it... but now I can't find that recipe again. So, I ask you... what should I make?



If you haven't tasted crystallized ginger, and you're a food adventurist, you should try it. I personally have a mixed review on it... one of my co-workers eats it like dried fruit. (And for the life of me I can't figure out why...) Sure, it's got a sugary coating on the outside... but don't let it fool you. I like the taste of ginger... but I think the drying process strongly intensifies the heat that ginger can carry. Because a strange heat hit me on the back of the tongue and sent me running for water. Not a "jalapeno heat", but an interesting heat nevertheless.

I can see how diced up ginger could potentially melt right into a sweet and sour sauce... now if I could just find that recipe again.



Well, anyway... any other thoughts or ideas for me? Any recipes using crystallized ginger that I should try? I'm up for a challenge...




enjoy your time in the kitcen...

RECIPE: Creamy Poblano Rice, by Zarela

This dish is quite the treat... we enjoy it as a side with tacos, enchiladas, etc. It also makes a lot of leftovers (and rewarms nicely). So, we make a feast of it for several days! N-I-C-E!!!

A few months ago I was watching the Food Network show The Best Thing I Ever Ate. Chef Aaron Sanchez was waxing poetic about his mother's rice dish ... she made it for him as a kid. She now serves it as a side dish at her New York Restaurant. Check out the story and the original recipe online: Creamy Poblano Rice. (Disclaimer: For our tastes, I've made some slight adjustments to the process.)

And... this is how I do it... I start by firing the peppers at least a day ahead of time. Place them right over the flames and watch closely. Rotate the peppers until blackened on all sides. (It's very important that all of the skin is blackened ... otherwise the skin won't completely peel off after steeping.)

In the last six months I have realized my love of poblano peppers! They are usually very mellow peppers - which is good for this wimpy Norwegian/German girl. But every now and then you might get one that heats you up a little more. You just never know...



With tongs, I move them into a plastic bag to steep. The moisture from the heated peppers collects inside the bag and helps w/ the steeping process - this process will help the skins peel right off, especially with a little help from some running water (or a dunk in a bowl of water).

Once the peppers cooled down, I placed the whole bag in the fridge.



And when I'm ready to have this for dinner... here's where I start. 2 cups of white rice.



While the rice is cooking, I work on those peppers. This is what they look like right out of the bag. (These had been in the fridge overnight.) You'll find that most of the skin slides right off the meaty part of the pepper. Some of it might need some slight help with some running water.



The pepper on the right has been skinned. The pepper on the left still has the skin on. See the difference?



They practically fall apart in your hands. So the next step is easy. I cut it open so I can remove the seed pod and cut away the ribs.



And lay it flat...



And cut it into think strips... and from here it's easy to dice it up.



In the meantime, the rice is done cooking. So, I've spread it out onto a cookie sheet to cool, uncovered.



And back to the vegetables. Here's how I cut an onion...

First, I cut off just a tad of the end (not the root end). Second, cut the onion in half from root to cut end. Third, from both halves I skin the onion. Fourth, using my Santuko knife, I cut slices long ways (again, from the root to cut end), but without cutting through the root. The root acts as a holder, to keep all of the onion strips together for the next step. Then I turn the onion to the side and finish off the dice... because the strips are still attached to the root it's a quick dice.



Yep, it's pretty simple... it may not be very technical or the way a chef would recommend. But it works for me... and that's the key. Find the way that works ... for you.



So, the pan and oil are hot. I added the diced onions, diced poblano peppers, kosher salt and pepper. And it's starting to smell good already!



And it's going to smell even better very soon... I spy garlic!



I think it was Tyler Florence who showed me this trick (on Tyler's Ultimate, not in person!)... smash the garlic with the knife. Place the knife on top of the garlic clove, and smash the knife (but carefully) with the ball of your hand. It may need a whack or two... but the skin will typically burst right off and start to smash up that clove for you. Thanks Tyler... I love your kitchen tips!



Add the garlic to the hot vegetables, and keep it stiring. You don't want that garlic to burn... so watch that the garlic doesn't start to brown. (It gets bitter once it starts browning...)



While the veggies are cooking I start to work on the sour cream mixture. First - I want to chop up my cilantro. Have I told you how much I love cilantro?! I always use way more than the recipe(s) call for.



Drop the chopped cilantro to the sour cream and kosher salt combo. Stir it up. Set it aside.



Doesn't that look pretty?!



In the meantime, the veggies should be just about done cooking. But you might want to let them cool a bit. After all, you don't want to melt the cheese as soon as they touch...



In a very large bowl toss in the corn, cheese and cooked veggies. Yes, a very large bowl.



Next? Add the cooled rice...



And give it all a stir... see what I suggested using a very large bowl?



Last, add the sour cream mixture and keep mixing.



Press the rice into a 9" x 13" casserole and slide it into the oven. About 25 mins from now you're going to want to have a spoon in your hand... but careful, it's hot.




Creamy Poblano Rice
Recipe from Food from my Heart, Zarela Martinez

Ingredients
4 cups water
2 tsp salt
2 cups converted rice
2 tbsp veggie oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, deveined and diced
2 cups fresh corn kernels (or 10 oz frozen corn kernels)
sour cream mixture (recipe below)
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions
Bring the water to a boil in a medium-size saucepan over high heat and add liberally add salt. Add the rice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to very low, cover the saucepan tightly and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the rice from the pan and spread on a baking sheet to cool, or allow to cool in the pan uncovered.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (if using a Pyrex baking dish, set the oven at 325 degrees F).

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until very hot but not quite smoking. Reduce the heat to medium, add the chopped onion and garlic, and cook, stirring until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the poblanos and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Let cool, then combine with the rice. Mix in the corn, sour cream mixture, and shredded cheese.

Pour the mixture into a heatproof baking dish or casserole and bake until heated through, about 20-25 minutes.


Sour Cream Mixture
Recipe from Food from my Heart, Zarela Martinez

Mix together, let rest for at least 5 minutes to blend the flavors
2 cups cultured sour cream
2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro leaves
Salt to taste



enjoy your time in the kitcen...