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.

Crispy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe has become a staple for friends and family. Here are some secrets to making them perfect. First, use real butter. It took me years of baking to realize "butter" does make a difference. Second, once you make this dough it has to be used right then. It will not be good if you save it to bake another day. There are too many dry ingredients in it and the longer it sets the drier the dough becomes. Third, I use a small cookie scooped mounded and always cover the cookie sheet with parchment paper....it does make a difference in the quality of the cookie! Enjoy!!!

Cream:
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup butter
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Mix in:
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp cream of tarter
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Then add one at a time, mixing well in between:
1 cup oatmeal
2 cups Rice Krispies cereal
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Optional: add 1/2 cup coconut...I never have...I don't think they need it and my family really doesn't like coconut in their cookies

Nutty Chocolate Cups...

This is a favorite of my daughter-in-law, Beth.

They take a little work, but well worth

the effort!

1 cup shortening (regular Crisco)

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

Finely crushed pecans or walnuts.

Cream shortening, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla. Add flour and salt. Mix. Beat 2 egg whites until frothy. Roll dough in balls about the size of walnuts. Then dip balls into egg whites. Roll in nuts. Put on greased (or parchment lined) cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove from oven, then pres thumb into cookie. Bake for another 8 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Chocolate Fudge Filling:

1/4 cup butter or margarine

3 Tbl cocoa

3 Tbl milk

2 cups powdered sugar (a little more or less)

3/4 tsp vanilla

Put butter, cocoa and milk in sauce pan. Heat until it starts to boil. Stir well. Remove from heat and add powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat by hand until smooth. While filling is hot, spoon into the cookie centers. Let cool completely before serving.

Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies...

This recipe is from a Land O'Lake butter box.

They are easy to make and make a great presentation.

Everyone will think you spent hours creating

these little works of art.

Dough:

2/3 cup sugar

1 cup butter, at room temperature

1/tsp almond extract

2 cups flour

1/2 cup raspberry jam (seedless is best)

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp almond extract

2 tsp water (or enough to make into a cream consistancy)

Combine sugar, butter and extract. Mix well. Add flour. Dough will be stiff and may need to be mixed by hand. Roll dough into walnut size balls and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Make a thumbprint in the middle of each ball and put about 1/4 tsp jam into each thumbprint. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes. Make glaze by simply stirring together all ingredients together. I put the glaze into a small ziplock baggie and cut off a tiny bit of the corner. Then drizzle the glaze over cooled cookies. Let cookies set out until glazed sets up.