Stuffed Shells

Ingredients

• Salt
• 8 pieces jumbo pasta shells
• 1 1/2 pounds ricotta cheese (can use reduced fat or skim)
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 1 pound mozzarella, grated
• 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 6 leaves fresh basil, torn 
• 1 cup shredded Asiago
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, Crushed
• 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Egg Beaten

Directions

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Pasta:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 
• Add pasta and cook according to the directions on the package for Al Dente.   Drain pasta and cool.

Filling: 

• Combine ricotta, with 1/2 of the other cheeses (Mozzarella, Asiago, and Parmasiano.) Add parsley salt, pepper, and egg to the cheeses and stir to combine.

Sauce:

• Over moderate heat add oil, garlic and onions. Saute onions and garlic 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and season sauce with salt and pepper ( I like to add a little red pepper flakes for an extra kick).
• Simmer sauce 5 minutes and stir in basil leave. 

• * If you have a little Marinara Sauce or prefer Meat sauce, that can ALSO be used.

Assemble:

• Pour a little sauce into the bottom of a shallow medium sized casserole dish. 
• Fill shells with filling  and arrange them seam side. 
• Top shells with remaining sauce and remaining cheeses. 
• Cook 6 to 8 minutes uncovered, to melt cheeses , or till you see the sauce bubble.

 **Feel free to get inventive with these.  I have added spinach, ham,  to the cheese filling, filled with meat, added a layer of sliced Italian sausage to the bottom of the pan, etc.  Get creative, and ENJOY!!! (BTW.  They freeze WONDERFULLY, I usually make two or three pans and freeze for later..)



Lisa C. . . . .

Alfredo Sauce (Low Fat Optional)

 

Ingredients:

1 quart heavy cream  (LF? I use fat free cream cheese) 1/4 pound butter (LF? Margarine)   1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese - (LF? Fat free Parmesan) 2 1/2 tablespoons garlic, chopped 1 cup white wine (chardonnay works well) 1 tablespoon sea salt 1 teaspoon white pepper

Directions: 

Over medium-low heat, mix all ingredients (except wine) until evenly blended. Bring to a boil. Cook until the volume is reduced by half. At this point, reduce the heat, add the wine mixture to the sauce and stir for 15 more minutes (do not boil)add salt and pepper to taste.

Marinara Sauce *

 

Ingredients:


1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
4 to 6 basil leaves
2 dried bay leaves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional


Directions:



In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.

Add half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

TGI Friday's Jack Daniel's Glaze

 

 Ingredients:

• 1 head garlic
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1/4 cup Kikkoman's teriyaki sauce
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 1/3 cups dark brown sugar
• 3 teaspoons lemon juice
• 3 teaspoons minced white onions
• 1 teaspoon Jack Daniels Whiskey
• 1 teaspoon crushed pineapple
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Roast garlic
2. Combine water, pineapple juice, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium high heat.
3. Stir occasionally until mixture boils, then reduce heat to simmer.
4. Add remaining ingredients to pan and stir.
5. Squeeze out 2 t of roasted garlic and whisk to combine with pan mixture. 
6. Let simmer for 35-45 minutes or until sauce has reduced by 1/2 and is thick and syrupy..Make sure it doesn't boil over..  

**Tip: To use, grill meat until almost done, then use the glaze otherwise it will burn.

Whole Citrus Vinaigrette

You Will Need


3 lemons
2 small oranges
1 shallot
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 cups pure olive oil


What to Do


1. Cut off and discard stem ends of 2 lemons and 1 orange. Cut into quarters, cut out core, and deseed. Place in blender.

2. Squeeze juice from remaining lemon and orange; add to blender with shallot, salt, and pepper.

3. Pulse, then blend, fruit until as smooth as possible.

4. With machine running, add olive oil in a thin, steady stream. Vinaigrette will be thick like mayonnaise; if too thick, with machine still on, thin with a little hot water. Taste for seasoning.

5. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. If vinaigrette separates, return it to blender and blend until smooth again.


 

Asian Wings sauce

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 4 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup chili-garlic sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced

Directions

1. Dissolve corn starch in rice wine vinegar in a small bowl and set aside.
2. In a small sauce pan combine remaining ingredients.
3. Add corn starch and rice wine vinegar mixture and stir well.
4. Heat mixture on low/medium heat, stirring often until sauce reaches a boil and thickens.
5. Remove from heat, allow it to cool then cover it and chill it until ready to use.

Chipotle Ketchup

Chipotle Ketchup

1 cup ketchup
2 to 3 tbs. puréed, canned chipotle in adobo (depending on how spicy you prefer it)
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

What to Do


Whisk together ketchup, chipotle, salt, and pepper in small bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Sauce will keep for one week in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.