Super Stuffed Pasta Shells

I got this recipe from a noon-time cooking show out of Salt Lake City, Utah...I think he (the chef) was called the Gabby Gourmet. This recipe makes enough for 8-10 generous servings and freezes well.

Sauce:
1 lb extra-lean ground beef
1 lb mild (sweet) Italian sausage
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 tsp fennel seed
2 cans (28oz) Italian-style tomatoes, with juice (these are plum-tomatoes)
2 cans (6oz) tomato paste
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
2 Tbls dried parsley flakes
3 Tbls sugar

Filling:
2 lbs fresh Ricotta cheese (small curd cottage cheese works great too)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 Tbls sugar
1 1/2 lbs Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Topping:
1/2 lb Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

In a large saucepan, comgine the ground bee, sausage (remove and discard the casings), onion, fennel and garlic. Brown this mixture over a medium-high heat. Drain off the rendered grease and discard. Add teh tomatoes, breaking up as you add, and all the remaining sauce ingredients. Let this mixture simmer over a low heart about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. During this cooking period, prepare the filling mixture. In a large mixing bowl, combine the Ricotta, eggs, sugar and parsley flakes. Beat this mixture until smooth. Beat int he Mozzarella and parmesan cheeses and set aside. Following the package directions, boil the shells in 8 quarts of boiling water until just about done. Drain and place in cold water. Pour a small amount of the sauce into ta large shallow baking dish or pan and spread over the bottom. Fill the shells generously with the filling mixture and set over the layer of sauce. Cover all filled shells with more of the sauce, reserving about 1 1/2 cups. Bake the shells in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes. Then remove the from the oven, top with the reserved sauce and the topping mixture of cheeses. Return to the oven until all topping cheeses have melted. Enjoy!

Rockin' Moroccan Pitas

I found this healthy recipe on a can of Garbanzo Beans...and it's good. To enhance the yogurt I add some olive oil, pressed garlic and very finely chopped cucumber...really tasty.

1 Tbl ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1" cubes
4 Tbl olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cans (16oz) Garbanzo Beans, rinsed and drained
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
6 Whole Wheat pitas
Plain yogurt

Combine cumin and chili powder in a plastic bag. Add chicken and shake to coat. Heat 1 Tbl oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook 5 minutes or unti chicken is no longer pink; stirring frequently. Take off heat, set aside to cool. Combine remaining ingredients except pitas and yogurt. Mix well. Stir in chicken. Cut top off pitas to open. Divide chicken mixture among the pitas; top with yogurt if desired. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Baked Barley

Ok, don't get all freaky...this is good and good for you! About a year ago I decided to learn more about healthy eating. I started the process of increasing what I call "clean" food into my diet. I found this recipe and have become a fan of barley. This dish has a flavor that reminds me of old-fashioned stuffing. If I don't have shallots and leeks I just increase the amount of onion. It's great as a replacement to potatoes or white rice. Not only is it great hot it's really good cold, served in a pita, tortilla or lettuce wrap.

1/2 cup sunflower seeds (buy at raw at health food retailer)
3 shallots, peeled and minced (they are a form of an onion)
1 onion, minced
1 leek, well cleaned and thinly sliced
3 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup barley (I buy at health food retailer)
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried marjoram
2 Tbl low-sodium all-natural tamari (basically soy sauce)
3 cups boiling vegetable stock or water (I use chicken stock)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast the sunflower seeds in the oven for about 7 minutes or until lightly browned; remove from oven. Leave oven on for baking of barley.

In a large skillet, saute' the shallots, onions, and leek in the olive oil for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, celery, sunflower seeds, barley, herbs and tamari and continue to saute for 5 minutes more, stirring frequently.

Add the vegetable stock or water to the barley mixture. Bring to a boil and transfer the mixture to a casserole dish. Bake, covered for 1 1/4 hours.

Pecan Toffee Bars

These bars are super easy and quick to make. I always line the pan with parchment paper to make it easy to remove bars and easy for clean up! I have used both butter and margarine to make them and have found little difference in taste, so I opt for margarine to save money. I have also used semi-sweet chips instead of milk chocolate and prefer the milk chocolate! These bars are enjoyed by everyone!

Crust: (mix and pack into a 9"x13" baking dish)
2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup margarine, soft

Spread 1 cup finely chopped pecans over crust.

Bars: (melt in pan and let boil for 2 minutes)
2/3 cup margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

Bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes until top is bubbly. Remove from over and spread 1 cup milk chocolate chips over top. Wait a couple minutes and spread melted chocolate evenly over the top. Cool for several hours before cutting and serving.