Shells Stuffed with Asiago, Spinach and Pancetta

Okay, can you say DELICIOUS? Because these are! This dish takes a little time, but trust me, it's worth it.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. of large shell macaroni 
• 32 oz. of Ricotta Cheese
• 2 containers (approx 5 oz. each) shredded or shaved Asiago Cheese
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
  
• 2 eggs
• 1 thawed box/bag of chopped spinach, drained thoroughly
• 1/2 lb. cubed pancetta
• 1 pint of heavy cream

Par-boil the shells - approx. 10 minutes, drain and set aside. In a small frying pan place a small amount of oil oil, heat over a medium flame - add pancetta and fry until golden brown. Place on paper towel to drain.

In a large mixing bowl combine ricotta cheese, eggs and spinach until well mixed. Add one 5 oz. container of Asiago cheese and cooled pancetta and mix again.

Stuff shells with mixture and place in a large baking pan in a single layer - filling face up.

In a small pan mix pint of heavy cream and remaining asiago cheese and slowly bring to a boil. Continue to heat until cheese is thoroughly melted. Add to the shells carefully pouring around them - use all of the sauce.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Uncover and cook another 15 minutes, then serve.

This dish tastes like it took days to prepare - an easy recipe to prepare ahead and serve to impress!

Accompany with a crusty bread and salad - and voila! A meal both family and guests alike will ask for again and again.

The 'Perfect' Roast Pork

What is the perfect roast pork you ask? The one that is the easiest to make. The secret? A pan of water, low heat and time.

Ingredients:

• 1 Pork Roast (any size) bone in
• Fresh garlic cloves, cut into quarters lengthwise
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Pepper

You need to start this meal early in the day. If I am planning on eating around 6PM or so, I actually start this in the oven at 10AM. Literally all you do are these simple steps:

• Heat oven to 250 degrees
• Place a large glass baking pan filled with water on the bottom shelf
• Place the roast in another baking pan
• With a sharp knife, cut 'slits' in the pork and insert garlic slices - use as little or as much as you would like. Too lazy to do this? Substitute garlic powder. 
• Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper

Place in the oven and FORGET ABOUT IT!!! That's right, forget about it. Go on with your day. Do the food shopping, laundry - take a nap . . . and about 8 hours later. . . it's done!

Ugh! Cook it 8 hours? Are you kidding me? NO I AM NOT! Once this roast is done it is the most tender, delicious pork roast you will ever have. How tender you ask? Don't even bother with a knife - you won't need it.

Serve with whatever sides and ENJOY!

Potato Leek Soup

Potato Leek Soup is super filling, delicious and easy to make. This recipe makes enough for dinner with plenty left over to freeze.

Ingredients:

• 12 large potatoes
• 2 large cans of College Inn Chicken Broth
• 3-4 large leeks
• 2 garlic gloves
• 1 quart of light cream
• Optional: Crumbled Bacon, Sour Cream
  

Peel, cube and wash potatoes, place in large pot and over with chicken broth (2 large cans), bring to boil. Clean leeks (be careful, these tend to be sandy by nature), chop and throw into pot along with minced garlic cloves. Let this cook about an hour or so on a very low heat until potatoes and leeks are extremely well done and soft.

At this point, I take a hand masher and use this to bring the potato/leek mix to a smooth consistency - you can also put this through a food processor and put back into the pot to finish. If you use the food processor approach - I recommend letting the mixture cool a bit first. Trust me on this.

After the mixture is mashed/pureed, add 1 quart of light cream and bring back to a boil. Salt and pepper to taste.

You can serve topped  with sour cream and bacon bits. Great on a cold winter day!

Eat your Vegetables - Sauted Spinach with Garlic

Vegetables. . . who likes them? I do! I like them a lot and I usually only serve them one way . . .with olive oil and garlic. You can use this very simple recipe on almost any vegetable. . . spinach, broccoli, green beans, etc. It is not only healthier than butter . . . but it tastes great . . . and did I mention it's simple?

Ingredients:

• Fresh or frozen spinach
• Fresh garlic, 4 cloves, minced
• Olive oil

Place a liberal coating of olive oil in a large frying pan - add garlic and saute. Once garlic is done throw in fresh (or frozen thawed spinach) and toss gently until thoroughly heated.

Okay, that's  it. . . you're done. . . unless you want to sprinkle with some grated cheese. Yum!

If you are cooking broccoli or green beans - or any vegetable that is not as 'leafy', pre-steam them first until tender and follow the same steps. It really is easy . . . and delicious . . . and easy . . .

Junk Pasta

Junk Pasta is one of my all time favorite dishes! What is junk pasta you ask? Well, I'll tell you . . .

Junk pasta is a combination of vegetables, cheeses, meats and other assorted odds and ends. You can throw in 5 ingredients or 10 . . . doesn't matter! Junk pasta is a compilation of everything you want (or feel like at that moment). I'll list ONE of my many junk pasta recipes below, but don't be shy! The sky is the limit - this is definitely the mix and match of pastas.

Ingredients:

• Broccoli 
• Fresh Spinach 
• Black Olives (pitted and sliced)
• Mushrooms (any kind your little heart desires)
• Artichoke Hearts
• Garlic (4 cloves, chopped)
• Fresh Grated Cheese
• Goat Cheese
• 1/4 lb. Chopped Prosciutto or Bacon
  
• Olive Oil
• Red Pepper Flakes
  
• Pasta (any shape, size or color or a combination)

Steam the broccoli about 10 minutes or so. Coat the bottom of a large non-stick pan with olive oil and saute the garlic (you can throw in onions and shallots as well if  you'd like). Add mushrooms and cook until tender. Once the mushrooms are done, add the steamed broccoli, spinach, olives, artichoke hearts and whatever else you've chosen and continue to stir over medium heat until all ingredients are hot. Add red pepper flakes (a pinch) and salt and pepper to taste.

In a separate small pan (while the vegetables are cooking), brown the prosciutto (or bacon) until crisp, add to vegetables.

Cook and drain pasta according to directions. Strain and put back into cooking pot.

About a minute or so prior to pasta being done, add goat cheese (I use about 4-5 good size 'clumps') to vegetable mix and stir until thoroughly melted.

Add vegetables and any liquid from the frying pan to the pasta and stir.

Serve hot topped with fresh grated cheese.

Delicious!!!

NOTE: Don't be afraid to experiment with 'junk pasta', it's all about you! You can add: capers, chick peas, ham, sausage, escarole, green peppers, etc. It all depends on your taste! There is no right - or wrong way to make this, so go crazy!

Enjoy.

Split Pea Soup with Ham

You either love it or you hate it - there ain't no in between! When I was young, I wouldn't eat this if my life depended on it. Are you kidding? It is GREEN! Not just green, but tides of green, oodles of green, green overdose. . . yuk!!!

One day, out of the blue, I decided I LOVE split pea soup (I kinda' felt like that fellow in Green Eggs & Ham, would you eat it in a box . . . well yes I would! and would you eat it with a fox . . . absolutely!). But I digress. . .

Ingredients:

• 2 bags of dry split peas
• 2 large cans of chicken broth
• 1 large ham bone (usually serve the ham and save the scraps for the soup)
• Carrots
• Onions
• Garlic
• Salt, Pepper
• Hot Sauce

Rinse peas in colander, set to side.  In a large pot, cover the bottom with a thin layer of olive oil. Chop 3 large onions and 4 cloves of garlic and saute until transparent. Add chicken broth, split peas and ham. Bring to a boil and let cook . . . . . . . . . . . . . .and cook . . . . . . . . . and cook, for about 3-4 hours while simmering.

Chop carrots into bite size pieces and add. Season with salt, pepper - and I LOVE a dash of hot sauce and cook another 30 minutes or so until the carrots are tender.

Serve hot and freeze the rest. Mmmm. Mmmm. Good.

Mushroom Quiche

Okay, so the first thing I am going to say is I am NOT a Quiche person. I have never liked Quiche, cooked Quiche or eaten it. Last week I went to one of my favorite friends in the whole wide world - Ashley's, for ladies night out. When I got there, I saw a Quiche on the counter. "Oh No!", I thought, "What the hell am I going to do? How am I going to be polite and eat this . . . . . . . Quiche!!"

Then dinner was served.

I took the first bite - anticipating that I would then politely clutch my throat, fall to the floor and hopefully one of my friends would do the Heimlich - and then I would be too upset to eat anymore. . . So, I took the first bite and I LOVED IT!! This Quiche was light, filled with mushrooms and delicious. This week I made my first Quiche EVER . . . and it was delicious as well. I am now a Quiche kinda' girl and will be experimenting with this basic recipe on other varieties. . .

So Ashley, thank you. . . . xo

Here is her recipe:

The crust:

• 1 c. all purpose flour
• 1 T. sugar
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/2 stick margarine

Mix the dry ingredients, cut in the cold butter and margarine.  Add 1-2 T. cold water or until the dough comes together.  If it's too soft you can put it in the fridge for 30 min before rolling it out.

Filling:

• 1 package white button mushroom, sliced
• 1 package shitake mushrooms, sliced
• 3 large shallots, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T. butter
• 2 T. oil
• 1 C. Fontina cheese, shredded
• 3 eggs
• 2/3 c. light cream
• 1/3 c. whole milk
• 1/4 t. nutmeg
• Parsley

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Roll out dough and fit into 9'' glass pie dish.  Bake crust 15-17 min - until golden.  I had to open the oven a couple times to push the sides of the crust up with the back of a spoon b/c they may shrink.

Cool crust while you make the filling.  Decrease oven temp to 325 degrees.

Heat oil and butter over medium heat.  Add shallots and garlic - saute 2 min.  Add mushrooms and saute until browned about 10 min.  Season with salt and pepper.

Add mushroom mixture to crust.  Add shredded cheese over mushrooms.  Mix eggs, light cream, and milk.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add 1/4 t. nutmeg.  Add mixture to quiche and bake at 325 degrees for 50 min. 

Let quiche cool for 30 minutes to 1 hr.  Sprinkle with parsley.

I know you will love this recipe! Never again will I say . . . 'real women don't eat Quiche' :)

Mozzarella Basil Omelet with Filet Mignon

It's getting colder and the motivation to get out of bed on the weekend is almost slim to none, but a woman's gotta eat so . . . throw on a pot of coffee and serve me a hot, hearty breakfast to get moving (and by moving I do NOT mean pushing the vacuum, or dusting, or laundry, etc., I simply define moving as the ability to get from one place to another).

If you're like me on weekend mornings, I think this quick, easy-to-make omelet along with the optional Filet Mignon side might just get you going. 

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup of heavy cream
• Fresh basil, washed and chopped
• Fresh mozzarella
• Tomato
• Salt, Pepper to taste

Optional:

• Filet Mignon or other side steak
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
  

Combine eggs and about 1/4 cup of heavy cream with salt/pepper in a small bowl and 'whisk' thoroughly. Using a large, non-stick skillet, melt an ample pat of butter over a medium heat. Once the butter is melted, pour the egg in the pan making sure to cover the bottom easily.

Slice fresh mozzarella into thin slices, place over egg in pan - and sprinkle with fresh basil. Once the egg begins to cook on the edges, fold the sides over (first one, then the other) to contain filling. Let cook about 1-2 minutes and then flip so that the egg cooks thoroughly and the cheese gets nice and gooey.

In a separate pan (small), coat bottom with olive oil, slice tomato and throw in to soften and heat slightly. This takes about 3-4 minutes. When omelet is ready to serve, place tomatoes on top or to the side for color and flavor. This recipe makes enough for two - so cut it in half and share!

If you are up for the steak, simply marinate briefly with olive oil, fresh chopped garlic and salt, pepper to taste and throw on the grill until done. In the winter I don't have the time or patience to go outside, so if you don't have one of those fancy stoves complete with grill - a cast iron or comparable frying pan will work. I do about 3-4 minutes on each side - but I am an extremely 'rare' girl.

Put on a fresh pot of coffee and enjoy!

'Sometimes Simple Is So Much Better' Pork Chops

I LOVE pork chops - but I stopped eating them because the kids never liked how I prepared them. Tried baking them, stuffing them, grilling them and the list goes on. . . but they were never really what I expected. Last week I tried again - bought the chops and then just didn't feel like cooking them - prepared for yet another, 'don't like them'.  So I did what any good woman would do . . . turned to my husband and said, 'Chops have been out a day, you need to cook them. I'm going out to dinner with my sister and the kids'.

My husband being the man he is - showed me that not only had I been cooking the chops wrong for years - but when I walked in the house and smelled them (okay and maybe, just maybe took a taste right out of the pan) . . . I did NOT want to go get pizza. Lesson learned - promptly admit defeat and then assign pork chop cooking to Joe from now until eternity.

Ingredients:

•  Pork chops w/bone in
• 1 egg
• 1 cup flour seasoned with black pepper & paprika
  
• 1 head of garlic, peeled
• Fresh white mushrooms, sliced - about a dozen or so
  

Coat the chops with egg wash (1 egg beaten in 1 cup of water) and then coat lightly in flour. Easy to do - put the egg wash in a shallow bowl and dip the chops on both sides. On a separate plate, dump the flour mixture and dip the chops - both sides again, right after the wash.

Heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a large pan to a medium low temp and add chops, garlic cloves and mushrooms. Cook over medium low heat, turning the chops and garlic as it browns.

THAT'S IT!! That's all there is too it - go figure! The perfect chop, crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. Leave it to Joe!

Sausage, Escarole & Beans with (or without) Pipettes

Sometimes I like sausage, escarole and beans as a side dish - and sometimes as a main dish. This recipe includes pasta and can be served as an entree - delicious both ways!!

Ingredients:

• One head of well-cleaned, chopped escarole
• 1 lb. of sweet Italian sausage (without skin)
• 1 large can of cannelloni beans, drained
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• Olive oil
• Grated cheese, for topping
• 1 lb. pipette pasta

Coat the bottom of a large frying pan with olive oil, add garlic and saute. Add chopped escarole, and allow to cook until tender over a low heat. Don't rush the escarole - you want it to cook slowly so it retains the flavor and doesn't burn.

Once the escarole is tender, add cannelloni beans and cover, cooking on low heat for about 10 minutes or so. Stir occasionally.

In separate frying pan, cook sausage thoroughly, breaking into chunks as it cooks. Add to escarole/bean mix when done and mix well.

In a large pot, boil water and cook pasta according to directions. Drain and place back into pot.

Add the escarole/bean/sausage mix - as well as all the juices. Toss together and served topped with grated cheese.

Don't let the beans fool you. . . this is one delicious meal!

Pasta with Calamari Sauce

Calamari is delicious. 'Nuff said, now onto the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans whole tomatoes
• Garlic
• Onion
• Red pepper flakes
• Italian seasoning
  
• Pack of CLEAN frozen squid, whole and thawed
  
• Pasta

In a medium pot, place a light layer of olive oil. Chop approximately 4 cloves of garlic and one small onion and saute until translucent.Take thawed squid and chop into 'rings', I use the legs as well - freaks some people out. (NOTE: you can use fresh squid from the grocer, however, make sure it is cleaned. Cleaning squid that has not been de-inked is nasty and it takes a lot of time. To avoid this mess. . . just don't go there). Add squid to pot and stir gently until it starts to 'curl' on the ends.

Puree tomatoes in the blender and add. Season with a pinch of red pepper flakes and Italian Seasoning, salt, pepper to taste. I like my sauce a little spicy so I tend to throw in a bit more of the red pepper flakes - your call! Bring to a simmer and let cook for at least 25 minutes.

Cook pasta according to box and top with the sauce - add grated cheese and enjoy!!!!

Nothing says loving . . . like squid on the table . . .