Shells with Crispy Pancetta and Spinach

This isn't the healthiest dish in the world. For the sauce, instead of using 1 cup cream, I do half cream and half 2% milk...to make it JUST a bit less fatty. I also use the part skim ricotta cheese, instead of whole milk. I love asiago cheese, but if you don't have any, a good quality parmesan also works well.

p.s....the only place that I've found in Longmont that sells pancetta is the King Soopers in south Longmont.

Shells:
1 (12-ounce) package jumbo shells pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound thick-cut pancetta, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 pounds frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta
1 cup grated asiago cheese
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup cream
2 cups grated asiago cheese, plus 1/4 cup
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

For the shells: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.

Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Remove the pancetta from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large bowl. Add the spinach, ricotta cheese, asiago cheese, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Stuff the shells with about 2 tablespoons of the spinach mixture each and place the stuffed shells in a large, buttered baking dish.

For the sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to very low and add the 2 cups asiago cheese, parsley, and pepper. Stir until the cheese is dissolved. Pour the sauce over the shells. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup asiago cheese. Bake until golden on top, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

EGG ROLLS

This is a recipe for the filling of egg rolls, but since I'm usually short on time, I make it without wrapping it into egg roll wrappers, and we eat it as a meal by itself. It's got a lot of cabbage, so just make sure to keep bean-o on hand. :)

8 ounces ground pork or hamburger
1 t fresh ginger
1 clove garlic minced

Cook above ingredients until meat is brown. Add:

¼- ½ head cabbage finely chopped
1 can chopped water chestnuts
3-4 finely grated carrots
½ onion chopped

Cook and stir for several more minutes.

Mix in seperate bowl, and then add:

¼ cup soy sauce
4 t cornstarch
2 t sugar

Cook and stir. Cool. Wrap in egg rolls and fry or serve alone.

Crock-Pot Ham & Scalloped Potatoes

I like this one because it's SUPER easy and cheap. Throw a liner into the crock pot and clean up is easy too!

3-1/2 inch think slices deli ham (or more, if you have a hungry family)
7 medium potatos, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1-2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
salt and pepper, to taste


Put half of ham, potatoes and onion in crock pot.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then add grated cheese.
Repeat with remaining half.
Spoon undiluted soup over top.
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

Greek-Style Turkey Burgers

I've made this with different kinds of ground turkey. It didn't taste as good when I used the lower fat, lighter turkey. The one that seemed to work best for me was the kind that just comes in the 1 lb tube (80/20 I believe).

The Greek salsa that you put on top tastes amazingly similar to what they put on top of falafels in Jerusalem. I LOVE it!

Ingredients
· 1/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs
· 1 egg white, slightly beaten
· 1 tablespoon milk
· 1 package Italian dressing mix
· 1 pound ground turkey
· 4 pita bread rounds, or 4 whole-wheat hamburger buns, split and toasted
· 1 recipe Greek Salsa
· crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. In a medium bowl stir together bread crumbs, egg, milk, ½ package Italian dressing mix . Add turkey; mix well. Shape turkey mixture into four 6-inch-long by 1/2-inch-thick oval patties or four 1/2-inch-thick round patties.

2. Place patties on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat for 11 to 13 minutes or until no longer pink (165 degrees F), turning once halfway through broiling time.
( I have to cook them a bit longer than this to get them cooked all the way through)

3. Serve the burgers in pita bread rounds. Top with Greek Salsa and sprinkle with feta cheese. Makes 4 servings.
(these kind of thicken as they cook, so I cut them in half and put them on the pita. Or, just make sure you flatten them pretty good when you shape them into patties)

Greek Salsa: In a small bowl stir together 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons olive oil, and and the other half of the Italian dressing mix. Stir in 1 cup finely chopped tomato, 1/4 cup finely chopped cucumber, and 1/4 cup finely chopped, pitted kalamata or ripe olives. Makes about 1-1/3 cups.
(I used another T of vinegar, a T or two of water, and less olives in mine)

Trail Mix

I've never made this with the pumpkin seeds, but it tastes great without them!

1 bag (6 ounces) slivered almonds
1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a foil lined baking sheet, combine almonds, pumpkin seeds, and coconut. Bake for 10 minutes or until coconut is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool thoroughly. Combine toasted coconut mixture with dried cranberries and chocolate chips.