Vegetable Stuffed Shells

In the mood for some creamy cheese filled carb boats? Me too!

But I HAVE to make the standard stuffed shells recipe a bit more healthy. This is normally considered an "easy weeknight, everynight" dish. But come on? Who's waistline can afford that much gooey goodness all the time?

Which means, make the most of your vitamins and watch your serving size and there should be no guilt on a normally considered indulgent dish. 

Bring on the Veggies!

Vegetable Stuffed Shells                         Serves 4

16-18 Jumbo pasta shells (wheat is best)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 zucchini, shredded about 1 1/2 c
1/2 c yellow onion, diced
1 {2 lb} bunch of fresh spinach, roughly chopped
1 small carrot, finely shredded
1 1/2 c part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 c Asiago cheese, shredded
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

1 c mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 jar marinara sauce or 1 1/2 c homemade pasta sauce

1. Cook pasta shells according to the package directions. Drain and set aside when done. Meanwhile start your filling.

2. In a medium saucepan add a little bit of oil. Sautee garlic for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add onions and sautee another minute. Add carrots an zucchini and sautee until tender and all water is evaporated out of the pan. Add spinach and sautee until wilted.

3. Pre-heat oven to 350F. Transfer veggies to a large bowl, combine with the rest of the ingredients (ricotta-pepper). Lay out a shallow roasting pan, spread 1/2 c of sauce on the bottom of the pan. Stuff your shells and place in the pan.

4. Drizzle 1/2 c marinara sauce over the shells and sprinkle 1/4 c mozzarella cheese on top. Cover with the lid or aluminum foil, bake for 30 minutes.

5. Enjoy!

Note: I noticed the zucchini was deviously hidden in these shells. If you have a child that hates green things (like mine), peel the zucchini and omit the spinach.

Calories calculated using Sparkrecipes Calculator: 460 calories for 4 shells

Pot to Crock: Italian Chicken and Onions

I am starting a new set of recipes called "Pot to Crock." Definiton: Start with one pot and cook in the crockpot, and done! 

I own a crockpot but hardly use it. I know some of our bloggers out there live by them and are hardcore believers. I see them as lazy cooking (sorry!).

The food tastes blander, vegetables all end up tasting the same instead of having their own character flavor. I am not a fan.

But, I decided to give it a go and for the rest of the year I'm dedicating at least 2 nights a month to experimenting and creating crockpot meals that I, (and my tastebuds) can approve of.

Starting with this one:

Italian Chicken and Onions                           Serves: 6-8
Inspired by SkinnyTaste

6-12 chicken thighs and drumsticks (or one picnic pack)
salt and fresh black pepper
1/2 tbl rosemary, dried 
1/2 tbl marjoram, dried
1/2 tsp sage, ground
2 tbl olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 celery stalk, chopped
1 carrot, chopped into coins
pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 cup white or blush wine
2 cups low sodium, fat free chicken broth
4 ripe tomatoes, slices then quartered
1/2 tbl bay leaf, crushed
1 package of Egg Noodles (Optional)

Do all your prep work first!

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place a large heavy pot on medium-high heat. Add 1 tbl olive oil then add the chicken and sear until browned on all sides, about 6-7 minutes on each side. Cook about 4-6 pieces at a time. Move chicken to the crockpot.

2. In the same large pot, drain any remaining chicken fat and sauté garlic, onions, and all the spices in remaining oil. Saute until golden, about 3 minutes. Add chopped celery and carrots and saute until soft. Add the wine and chicken broth, scraping any caramelized bits from the bottom. Pour over chicken in crockpot.

3. In the same large pot, add chopped tomatoes and bay leaves, cook until tomatoes are soft and begin to break down. Add to crockpot and stir all together, moving some chicken pieces from the bottom.

4. Cover with lid and cook on low for 4-6 hours taking the lid off the last 30 minutes so some of the juices can evaporate out.

5. In the same pot, boil egg noodles according to the package directions. Serve with noodles or fresh warm bread.

Using SparkPeople Calculator: 136 calories per serving.  (If serving 8, noodles not included in calculation)

Foccacia Bread

Just this summer I made my first trip to Panera Bread, yeah, I know. I was not in love with how much things cost there, but once I tasted the food...mmmm!

My favorite meal there is a turkey sandwich made with Asiago Focaccia bread...wow! I've never had Focaccia bread and I had a taste of Asiago before when making a homemade 5 cheese macaroni. Now I can't enough of that cheese! I am currantly hunting down more recipes to use it.

Today I was craving this sandwich, so I thought I might as well just make my own, I had everything I needed, so why not?

I grabbed my best baking friend, my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook and found a basic recipe. So here it is, with a few of my adjustments added.

Focaccia Bread          Italian pronunciation: [foˈkattʃa]

1 tsp sugar
4- 4 1/2 c flour
1/2 c warm water
1 tsp yeast
1 c warm water
2 tsp course salt
1 tbl olive oil

1. First you need to make a sponge. Combine sugar with 1/2 c water and dissolve. Then slowly add 1/2 c flour with 1/2 c warm sugar/water and yeast. If you want to make this an herb bread add half teaspoon each of your favorites: dried basil, oregano, rosemary or Italian seasonings. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let sponge stand 30 mins to overnight at room temperature to ferment.

Bubbles=fluffy soft bread

2. Gradually stir in 1 cup warm water, the salt and flour until the dough comes together. Turn down dough on a lightly floured surface. Knead stiff dough until smooth and elastic (8-10mins). Place in a lightly greased bowl, turning once. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until double in size.

3. Turn dough onto a well-floured sheet, gently, pressing with your fingertips stretch out dough into a circle about 11in diameter. Place an extra large bowl upside down over the dough to cover it; let rest 30 mins.Don't stretch the dough too roughly or dough will deflate, you want to keep bubbles intact.

4. Pre-heat oven 475F. Uncover dough and make 1/2 inch deep indentations every 2 inches in dough with your fingertips or spoon handle. Brush dough with olive oil (this helps preserve moisture), and give a few grinds of course salt. Use a microplane or a fine grater to grate enough Asiago cheese to cover. Clean off flour around bread.

To make this bread with more of an Italian flare, add some sliced olives or dried onion just before baking. Focaccia is closely related to pizza and flatbread dough and can be topped accordingly to be enjoyed in a new way.

Ideally this bread should be baked on a bread stone, but I don't own one. I think I'll add that to my growing list of kitchen tools that I want ;)

5. Bake for 20 mins for a light brown crust or up to 30 mins for darker crunchier crust. Check your bread after 8-10 mins to pop any potential large air bubbles with a knife. Cool on a wire rack about 15 mins. Serve warm with some olive oil (herb olive oil?) for dipping.

This can be cut into fourths to make excellent sandwiches. I enjoy topping a slice with meat and vegetables and eat it open faced (less carbs that way and my hard work lasts longer!)

Also...just as a word of warning. Make sure you know where your young children are at all times when making this bread, or you might just end up with this kind of situation!