Stuffed Shells Bolognese

Winter just doesn't want to go away. More snow forecast for the weekend. So, what to do? Comfort food. Like these Bolognese Stuffed Shells, meaty and cheesy with red sauce. What more can you want? These shells are stuffed with bolognese, which makes them extra meaty and hearty. This recipe also makes a bunch, perfect for large family gatherings or if you just want leftovers (I do!) Loving the leftovers, and looking forward to not cooking for a couple of busy weeknights.

Bologenese Stuffed Shells

BOLOGNESE STUFFED SHELLS
Serves 6

24 jumbo pasta shells
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground Italian sausage, mild or hot­—your choice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped celery, plus the leaves
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 tsp. each dried basil, oregano and parsley
1/4 cup marsala wine
1/4 cup half-and-half
1 cup shredded romano cheese
1 cup whole milk ricotta
4 cups of your favorite marinara sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella for topping

1. Cook shells in boiling, salted water. Add 1 Tbsp. oilive oil to boiling water. Cover and turn down to a simmer according to time on package directions. Rinse with cold water and drain. Place each shell on a wax paper lined baking sheet to cool and keep separated. The shells will stick together otherwise.

2. In a large skillet, cook meats and break up into small pieces. Add minced garlic and saute on medium heat until meat is cooked through. Add carrots, celery and onion and saute and cover on low heat until soft, about six minutes.  Add tomato paste and herbs, cook 5 more minutes.

3. Deglaze pan with wine and half-and-half. Simmer covered 10 minutes. Take off heat and add romano and ricotta cheeses. Stir until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4.  Add 1-1/2 cups marinara sauce to bottom of 9x13 casserole. Fill each shell with 2 Tbsp. of meat filling and line up in the casserole. Top with a little more sauce and the shredded mozzarella. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes until bubbly and top is golden brown. If you wish, serve with a little more sauce and shredded romano.

Think Fish Dinners

It's almost summer and time to think fish! Personally I love any kind of white fish, shrimp, crab or scallops. We try to fix fish once a week during the summer months. Just something simple and quick, like a lightly breaded tilapia with a fresh greens salad. But I was reminded recently of a fish dish that I haven't made for awhile, so I dug out my original recipe, and changed it up a bit and we found that we love it all over again. The best part is that some of the delicious crab and mushroom stuffing was left over and made another meal with it. Now I'm not so sure I wouldn't just make the stuffing for our leftover dinner, too. So a win-win with Stuffed Flounder and Crab Stuffed Shells. Also, the Paella recipe combines shrimp with chicken and ham in a flavorful meal that only takes one pan—that's right, you cook and serve in the same pan. And, when I think summer, I think chimichurri, which is a great pairing for shrimp, namely shrimp pomodoro, or shrimp with tomatoes. The sauce is perfect with a grilled steak as well, so maybe make a double batch if you're going to fire up the grill this summer.

Crab Stuffed Flounder

CRAB STUFFED FLOUNDER
Serves 4

For the stuffing:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup onion, chopped
8 oz. fresh button mushrooms, chopped
1 can (8 oz.) lump or fancy crabmeat
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp salt
dash pepper

For the fish:
4 flounder filets
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
6 Tbsp milk
1/3 cup dry white wine, divided
2/3 cup grated asiago
1/2 tsp paprika

1. Preheat oven to 400. In large skillet, melt 1/4 cup butter and saute onion over medium heat until tender, but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, crab, panko, salt and pepper. Saute 5 minutes then add 3-4 Tbsp of the wine, basil and asiago, stir to combine.

2. Cool mixture slightly then spread mixture over fillets. Roll up fillets and place seam side down in a 13 x 9 baking dish that is prepared with cooking spray.

3. In the skillet, melt 3 Tbsp butter, whisk in flour and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir for 1 minute. Add milk gradually and stir until well combined. Add the rest of the wine. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Pour sauce over the fillets.

4. Bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with paprika.

Crab Stuffed Shells

CRAB STUFFED SHELLS

Use either left-over stuffing from the Crab Stuffed Flounder recipe or make the stuffing portion of the recipe.

1. Cook large shells according to package directions. Drain and cool slightly. Stuff with the crab mixture. Spread either a bechamel sauce or your favorite marinara sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Place stuffed shells on top in a single layer, then add more sauce. Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes, or until the shells are cooked through. Garnish each serving with grated asiago and torn fresh basil leaves.

Paella

PAELLA
Serves 4-6

3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
1 boneless chicken breast half
paprika
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 green onions, slice on the diagonal
1 red bell pepper, chopped
6 oz can black olives, sliced
8 oz button mushrooms, sliced
2 roma tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup cubed ham
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. fresh thyme
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine
1 lb. medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup uncooked minute rice
2 cups chicken broth

1. Heat oil and butter in saute pan. Sprinkle chicken breast with paprika and saute over med heat until cooked through and browned, about 8 minutes total. Remove chicken from pan, let rest and cube.

2. Add garlic to pan and saute 1 minute on low heat. Add olives, mushrooms, chicken, ham and lemon juice, stir well to combine. Sprinkle with thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Pour wine into skillet and stir. Place shrimp in pan around edge. Make a hollow in the center of pan and pour rice into it.

3. Pour chicken broth over rice slowly. Stir only to moisten rice. Cover and simmer 20 minutes or just until rice is done. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Shrimp Pomodoro with Chimichurri Sauce

SHRIMP POMODORO WITH CHIMICHURRI SAUCE
Serves 4

12 oz spaghetti
1 Tbsp butter

For the Chimichurri Sauce:
1 cup fresh curly parsley leaves
1/3 cup fresh oregano leaves
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp red pepper flakes

For the Shrimp:
1 lb. medium-size raw shrimp
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp margarita mix (non-alcoholic)
juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 tsp paprika
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and add back to pan, toss with butter and set aside.

2. In a food processor, add parsley, oregano and garlic. Pulse to mince. Add olive oil, vinegar, salt and red pepper flakes. Puree into blended.

3. Shell the shrimp, rinse, drain and set aside. Place olive oil, margarita mix and lime juice in saute pan. When hot add the shrimp along with paprika, salt and pepper. Cook two minutes on one side, turn and cook 1 1/2 minutes on the other side. Take shrimp out of pan and add tomatoes. Stir until just heated through, add shrimp back in and stir to combine.

4. Place serving of spaghetti in each plate, top with shrimp and tomatoes. Drizzle with chimichurri sauce. Garnish with a lime wedge and serve immediately.