Stuffed Jumbo Shells in Garlic and Sage Brown Butter

Stuffed Jumbo Shells in Garlic and Sage Brown Butter

There are days when you just want to close your eyes, sit on the couch and veg.  Five o'clock rolls around and you groan, hesitation to get up and start dinner. Then you think about the insanely wonderful aroma of garlic and sage and butter sauteing.  You hop up off the couch and get to the kitchen, organize and start the process of stuffing jumbo pasta shells with sausage and ricotta and mozzarella and herbs.  What better treat for Sunday dinner? Or, any day dinner????  C'mon, y'all, lets get to it. Easy, delicious, and possibly a little messy to eat, as this dish is often served with a marinara or tomato-based pasta sauce, but not always!!!

Ingredients

1 box Jumbo pasta shells

1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese + 1/2 cup

3 sage, 3 basil, 3 oregano leaves, diced

3 sprigs thyme, leaves stripped backward

salt and pepper

1 stick unsweetened, unsalted butter

1/2 - 1 pound Italian sausage

1.5 cups ricotta cheese

2 cloves crushed garlic +1

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil + 3 bruised sage leaves

2 rounded tablespoons, parmigiano cheese

Preheat the oven to 375-degrees. 

Bruise some sage leaves and crush garlic, and place in 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil to infuse the oil. 

In a medium bowl, add the sausage, ricotta, salt and pepper, one diced garlic clove, the diced fresh herbs and the mozzarella cheese, and combine them thoroughly.  

Boil four quarts water in a large pot over high heat.  When the water boils, liberally salt the water, as it the what?  Yes, only chance to season the pasta!  You got it!  Boil the shells until just before al dente, just before done. Strain and shake the strainer to release the water retained inside the shells.  You will need to work on the shells while they are a bit hot, so please be careful.  You do not want them to cool quickly and harden; defeats the purpose.  

Using a teaspoon, generously fill each shell with the mixture. 

i used a round glass baking dish but you can use a baking pan or even an oven safe round skillet.  Add the sage and garlic infused evoo to the baking dish you plan to use.  Add the room softened butter and place it into the oven to melt the butter, about six minutes.  Remove the baking dish and use a whisk to combine the butter and evoo.  Remove some of the now herb infused butter and evoo.  Place the shells in the baking dish and drizzle each shell with some of the butter/evoo.  Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese and bake for 30 minutes.  

Liberally salt the boiling pasta water. 

Stuff the pasta shells with the sausage, herb and cheese mix. 

The aroma of the garlic and sage infused evoo and butter will be infatuating, and the aroma of the sausage mixing with it will blow your mind.  

The cheese is melty and gooey and the shells start to get golden brown but not hard because of the bubbling (now) brown butter.  After removing the dish from the oven, I garnished with fresh oregano.  

I served myself and my diner, and added a little more parmigiano and garnish and devoured it with some vino and laughs.  How fun!  Great date night or dinner with friends dish. 

As always, my friends, Thank You for your visit to my humble blog.  I always appreciate your time!

Now, Please, Go Cook Something For Someone You Love!

~Martin
In-House Cook 

Yazzy

Sweet Italian Sausage Bruschetta Bites

Sweet Italian Sausage Bruschetta Bites

Your husband or your kid comes home and surprises you with a guest coming.  You have don't have enough to feed Everybody dinner, so you think, "Let me fill them up on bites".  Perfect idea!  Why not my Sweet Italian Sausage Bruschetta Bites?

Send the kid or husband to the store (or wife, hey!) to get a baguette, scallions and a roll of Italian sausage if you do not already have it on hand.  Mind you, any ground meat will be perfect for this.  You might even try lox or salami!  There are not limits.

Ingredients

1 pound sweet or mild Italian sausage

2 scallions, washed and sliced thinly at angle

baguette or your favorite small loaf

parmigiano, grated

aged balsamic vinegar, to drizzle

salt and pepper

exrta virgin olive oil for drizzling

Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 375-degrees. 

In a medium bowl, add the sausage, scallions and salt and pepper and mix well.  Form the sausage into generous pillows to top each baguette slice.  

Add a lining of foil to a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray.  Place the sliced baguette onto the baking sheet.  Add the sausage pillows to each baguette slice.  Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake for about twenty-five minutes. 

Remove the pan when done and before letting cool, add the grated parmigiano to soften.  Allow to cool a few minutes prior to serving.  

The sausage will be juicy and aromatic!

Drizzle with aged balsamic prior to serving. 

The aged balsamic and the meat juices will mingle and like evoo and balsamic when making Caprese.  You can garnish with greens, such as Flat-Leaf Italian Parsley or small fresh basil leaves.  

As always, I Thank You for your viewership!  I am always grateful for your visits!

Now, Please Go Cook Something For Someone You Love!

~Martin
In-House Cook

Hearty Stuff on Fritos

Hearty Stuff on Fritos

My usual ancient family secret recipe, Stuff on Fritos, is usually not very grande.  But this time, I added more chiles and onion to the mix to make it chunkier, healthier and with more fresh herbs than ever. This is a perfect thirty minute or less mid-week meal that easily serves four-six.  It is inexpensive (depending on the meat you use) and is quite flavorful.  Here's a list of ingredients.....

Ingredients

Red, orange and yellow bell peppers, slivered

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

fresh sprigs of lemony thyme, oregano

2 small cans fire roasted diced green chiles 

1 bunch fresh cilantro

1 package Taco seasoning or my Mexican Spice Mix

1 cup finely grated Oaxaca cheese

1 bag large Fritos Scoops

1 can refried beans

3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

I must admit that I made this dish in late May when I was quite ill, and I purchased the onion and peppers prepackaged at the grocery store and chopped and sliced them accordingly.  

In a large, high-sided skillet, add the cooking oil over medium-high heat. While the oil heats up, open the fire roasted chiles cans to have them ready, as well as the refried beans can.  

Once the oil begins to ripple, it is hot enough to start sauteing.  Add the onion, garlic and peppers to the skillet and saute four minutes.  Use a spatula to move the veg to ring the inner perimeter of the skillet. Add the meat you are going to use.  I used a ground ribeye steak, perfectly lean and marbled, both.  I broke up and seared the meat several minutes before adding the dried spice blend (I used my own) and added some extra dried lemony thyme. I also added some fresh thyme and torn oregano. Add a splash of water or Mexican beer and simmer for eighteen minutes over low heat, uncovered to reduce the liquid.  Next, return the heat to medium-high and add one can of roasted chiles and the refried beans and combine gently but thoroughly for a few minutes to heat up the beans. Serve over your favorite chips (my family has always served it over Fritos), top with some of the roasted green chiles from the other can, sour cream, if you like, and garnish with fresh thyme, oregano and torn fresh cilantro.  I love to add both chunky salsa and a hot sauce.  My favorite cheese is Oaxaca, which is a Mexican mozzarella, made in the state of Oaxaca, and it is super hard to grate finely without freezing the ball a bit.  You could simply serve it chunked, as well.  It is sooo good, and a perfect addition to the massive flavors already on the plate!  Enjoy with your favorite garnishes!

Now I cannot wait to make this again!

Doesn't it look good?

As always, my friends, Thank You for your time and consideration!  I am always grateful for your every visit!

Now, Go Cook For Someone You Love!  

Maybe some Stuff on Fritos????

~Martin

In-House Cook

Simple Spatchcock Chicken Dinner

Simple Chicken and Rice Dinner

*Spatchcock Chicken

Every once in a while I like to buy a whole chicken or two that are on a great sale to oven roast.  In a previous recipe post or two, I have stuffed the chicken, rubbed herb garlic butter under the skin and oven roasted over a bed of onions in my cast iron skillet. For this chicken dinner, I spatchcocked a whole chicken.  I used my culinary scissors to cut out the spine and spread it all out. You may crack the breast as you lay it out. I froze the spine to use for chicken stock at a later date. I created a butter and mayonnaise rub which included:

Lemon Zest 

Fresh Sage

Fresh Oregano

Fresh Thyme

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

salt and pepper

20 cloves roasted garlic

extra virgin olive oil

2 rounded tablespoons mayonnaise

3 tabs room softened butter

Preheat the oven to 425-degrees. 

Smash three roasted cloves of garlic and combine it with all of the other ingredients.  Generously rub the mixture under the skin as much as possible and atop the skin. Add salt, pepper, a dozen or so garlic cloves and a drizzle of evoo atop the chicken. 

Place the chicken on a a rack in a roasting pan lined with foil and add to the preheated oven for fifteen minutes uncovered.  Afterward, reduce the heat to 350-degrees and roast, covered with foil, for an hour. 

Chicken Finished. Mayo and butter really generously slathered under and atop the skin provides much extra moisture and helps with the flavorful skin crisping process. 

Forty minutes prior to cutting and serving the chicken, prepare you side dish or dishes.  I served with saffron flower scented rice.  

Use a boning knife and a cleaver to efficiently sever the wings, legs and thighs from the main carcass. Use the boning knife to remove the breasts from the carcass. I garnished with a little fresh rosemary for a beautiful presentation. 

I served two prime choices of chicken meat with some roasted garlic cloves, rice, and drizzled with plate with roasted garlic, lemon and rosemary infused evoo.  Delicous!

While it takes about an hour and a half to prep and cook, you have almost an hour of free time to relax or catch up on your family, the news, fav tv shows and tasks.  

As always, friends, Thank You for your time and consideration.  Now, Go Cook For Someone You Love! And give your dog and/or cat a bunch of extra love and kisses.  They deserve it.  

~Martin

In-House Cook

Sauceless Pasta with Chicken

Sauceless Pasta with Chicken

So, it's Friday night.  Long week and you are tired but you want something delicious, healthy and decadent for dinner just because you survived the rat race.  This is the dish for you!  Sauceless Pasta with Chicken. 

I used chicken breast thin slices for this dish.  I marinated them simply in lemon zest, lemon juice, fresh basil and oregano and dried Italian seasoning.  I marinated them for thirty minutes, but if you can marinate them longer, the longer the better. I placed three tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (evoo), the herbs and lemon and seasoning in a zip bag, shook the bag until each piece was covered and let it sit in the frig.  

Meanwhile, I prepared the rest of the dish.  

Ingredients

one pint cherry or grape tomatoes

1 red small red onion, slivered

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped + 20 cloves, halved

fresh basil and oregano, torn

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

spaghetti or fettuccine

1 small package pancetta

1 lemon, juice and zest

1/4 cup evoo

2-3 tabs butter

1/4 cup wine or vinegar

1/2 teaspoon ground  black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 leaves fresh basil and 2 sprigs thyme and oregano

      *dice the basil and oregano leaves, strip the thyme

In a small bowl, add the lemon juice and zest, the evoo, the vinegar, the black pepper and salt, and fresh herbs.  Use a whisk to thoroughly combine the ingredients. This is your pasta flavor base in a bit. Set this bowl aside. 

In a small skillet, crisp up the pre-diced pancetta. 

Add four quarts of water to a pot over high heat. 

Rinse and combine the pint of tomatoes, onion and garlic. 

Top, crisped pancetta bits. Center, fresh tomatoes. Here, marinating the onions, tomatoes and garlic in the vinaigrette. 

At this time, add the tomatoes, onion and garlic to the marinade in a bowl.  

Remove the chicken from the zip-lock bag and gently sear them in the same skillet the pancetta had been crisped in. 

Oven baked thin chicken breast strips, seasoned simply with Italian seasoning and fresh garlic. 

Bring the pot of water to a boil and liberally add salt. It is the only chance you have to season the pasta.  Boil the pasta just until al dente, Follow the directions on the packaging.  Here is the easy but tricky part.  I know, I just messed you up.  Have a strainer in the sink ready for the pasta. Before you strain the pasta, save half a cup of the starchy pasta water. Strain the pasta. Reduce the heat to low.  Now....

Add two tabs of butter to the pasta pot. 

Add two tablespoons of evoo to the pasta pot. 

Add the tomatoes and all the marinade to the pasta pot.

Add the starchy half cup of water. 

Use tongs to toss the pasta with the rest of the ingredients until everything is coated.  The aroma will be amazing. 

Add parmesan cheese and the pancetta to the mix and toss well. 

Serve however you wish, family style or individually.  Place one or two pieces of chicken to each plate and remove the garlic. 

Garnish with oregano, thyme and basil. 

The pancetta adds a salty bite!

As always, friends, Thank You for your time and consideration!  I truly appreciate your visit.  Now, Go Cook Something For Someone You Love!❤

~Martin

In-House Cook

Breakfast in a Cup!

Breakfast in a Cup

If you are like me, you love, even crave breakfast at any time.  I have a fantastical (I made up a word), flavorful on-the-go breakfast treat for you!  The recipe is short, the ingredients list is short, the effort is truly minimal.  Let's get to it, shall we?

Ingredients

1 package puff pastry dough

flour

12 eggs

12 slices bacon

salt and pepper

a kitchen herb for greenery, such as oregano 

grated cheese (Your favorite; I used Parmesan)

Olive or Canola Oil spray

*You will need a muffin tin, pizza cutter and skillet

Preheat the oven to 375-degrees. 

Pre-partially cook the bacon, about half way. The oven will do the rest. 

Add flour to a pastry marble or your baking surface and roll out the pastry dough just a little. You want the dough pliable but not so thin that it tears. 

With the pizza cutter, cut each of the two pastry dough sheets into six squares of rectangles. Plan ahead first!

Spray the muffin tin with non-stick olive oil or canola oil spray.  Lay out the pastry square and press it into the muffin cup. Take a strip of bacon, place it inside the pastry dough like a ring. Add a tablespoon of cheese.  Crack an egg into the muffin cup onto the cheese, bacon and dough. I added fresh oregano to each egg yolk so it'd stand out. Add a pinch of salt and pepper over each egg yolk.  Spray the overhanging pastry dough. 

Bake for 18 - 20 minutes until the eggs are done. The pastry dough will be nicely golden brown.  At the twenty minute mark I add more cheese atop of the yolks and let it melt for five more minutes. 

Remove the muffin tin and allow the breakfast cups to rest five minutes.  Use a knife or a pie spatula to pop them out of the tin.  Line a basket with a thick paper towel and place them in it to serve your family as they (and probably You, too) head out the door to a busy day!

As always, Thank You for your time and viewership!  I hope you enjoyed this easy tasty recipe.  Please share your views about it.  I'd be appreciative!

Now, Go Cook Something For Someone You Love!❤

~Martin

In-House Cook