Mex-Tal Stuffed Shells

Does your family often argue over the dinner menu? The dish I have here today will cover the fight for both Mexican and Italian in one easy dish. I have always been afraid of trying to produce the perfect stuffed shell. Good thing for this recipe! The ooey-goodness of the melted cheeses and sauce cover any flaws that happen when you fill up the shells.

(See, you can't see that a shell was split in half while being stuffed!)

15 Jumbo Pasta Shells

1lb Ground Beef

1 (10 ounce) can Enchilada Sauce

8 oz Tomato Sauce

1 teaspoon Minced Garlic

¼ teaspoon Dried Oregano

1/2 teaspoon Dried Basil

¼ teaspoon Ground Cumin

½ cup Refried Black Beans

1/8 teaspoon Cayenne

1 cup shredded Italian Blend (or Mexican Blend) cheese

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Drain and set aside. In a large skillet over medium heat brown ground beef until no longer pink. Drain any excess fat. Stir in garlic, oregano, basil, and cumin. Stir in 1/2 can of the enchilada sauce. Stir in refried beans. Set aside.

3. Fill each cooked pasta shell with the beef mixture. Coat an 11 x 7 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and pour the remaining can of enchilada sauce with can filled with water evenly over the bottom.

 Place each shell into the bottom of the dish. Pour the tomato sauce over the tops of the shells. Sprinkle with cayenne over top.

4. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. During the last few minutes of cooking, uncover and sprinkle the tops of the shells with Colby-jack cheese. 

Bake until the cheese has melted. Let rest 5 minutes before digging in.

Shrimp Arrabbiata ala Terri

I bet you all thought I had forgotten about you. You were mistaken. I have just been so busy working at the new Bistro that I barely see my computer much less my own kitchen! I have completely run out of my freezer foods I had stocked up. And with my current one day a week off I do not see it getting replaced anytime soon. But, never fear, I plan on cooking up at least one meal a week now and getting them posted for all to enjoy.

This recipe is a HUGE winner today with my hunny. Allergies prevent me from even tasting it due to the shrimp, but he does have a great pallet so you can take it from him that it is something that will be cooked often in our home. Its quick, easy and uses canned and dried foods most people already have in the kitchenns. The sauce is pretty versatile as long as you do not mind spicy foods. I'm betting it would go great with some Chorizo or Linguisa!

16 oz Angel Hair Pasta, dry
1 tsp Garlic Salt
16 oz Tomato Sauce
4 oz Tomato Paste
2 tsp Oregano, dried
2 tsp Basil, dried
1lb Shrimp, deviened and shelled
2-3 tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 cup White Onion, chopped
2 tsp Garlic, minced
2 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
Garnish Parsley Flakes 
Garnish Parmesan Cheese

1. Cook pasta to package directions, adding garlic salt and 1 tsp basil to water.

2. Meanwhile, in large skillet over med heat, add 1-2 tbsp oil and saute shrimp for 2 minutes each side. Remove to a bowl and keep warm.

3. In saucepan add tomato sauce and paste and stir in oregano, basil and red pepper flakes. Heat to just simmer and remove from heat.

4. Meanwhile, in same skillet add 1 tb evoo and saute onions 3 minutes and add garlic, saute 1 minute then add the tomatoes and saute two minutes more. Pour in tomato sauce mixture and remove from heat.

5. To serve, place herbed pasta on plate, then shrimp, then sauce and top with parsley flakes and Parmesan cheese.

Tomato Basil Spaghetti

After another hurried Wednesday shopping in two towns, I came home feeling like I was dead to the world. I actually walked blisters onto my feet! But, dinner MUST go on! So I pulled up my big girl panties and continued on into the kitchen.

I was hankering for spaghetti but since it was a bit late in the day, I opted for something not quite so heavy and came up with this little number that was silky smooth and brought to mind grilled cheese sandwiches and my days growing up. The sauce was basically a soup I cooked my pasta in! Oh yum... I should have tried this a long time ago!

Now, I used my leftover meatballs from my "Almost Ina's Wedding Soup" recipe which is a mix of ground chicken and pork sausage. I had tucked them away in the freezer for a day like this, when I just didn't have too much energy. But you could always use the premade frozen kind you can find in your grocers freezer or opt out of the meat all together. This serves about 4.

1 can Tomato Soup
2 tsp Basil, dried (or 2 tbsp fresh chopped)
1/4 cup Cream Cheese, softened
Meat Balls (2-3 per person)
Salt
1 lb Spaghetti

1) In large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Drain, reserving 1-2 ladels of pasta water.

2) In blender, add your soup, basil and cheese and puree until the cheese is fully incorporated into the soup mix.

3) In large skillet, heat the meatballs according to package directions. If you are using leftover homemade meatballs, add 1 tbsp oil to skillet, place meatballs in it and cover. Cook on medium low until heated through. Add the tomato sauce from the blender and gentle heat the sauce and the meatballs.

4) Add in the pasta and toss to mix it with the sauce. The pasta will continue to cook and absorb the sauce. Remove to plate when pasta is cooked (only about another 3-5 minutes).

Cowboy Cacciatore

While I was surfing the web yesterday morning I came across a recipe for Chicken Cacciatore that had my mouth salivating. So off I ran to the kitchen to whip it up to have it in time for my dinner. But of course I wouldn't have all the required ingredients in my cupboard! After all, this was two days before market day. Why would I have the things I needed? 

Oh, not to fear! I whipped up this dish instead! It tastes like a cross between a chunky red sauce and chili. It is great being creative! 

Thanks to the Crock Pot site! This recipe makes about 6 servings. Don't forget to see what recipe I started with and how it ended up!

(I used Ziti Pasta in this)

6 Chicken Thighs, boneless & skinless (breasts will work too)
2 tbsp Olive OIl
24oz Jar Spaghetti Sauce (any variety)
8oz can Tomato Sauce
1 can Tomato Soup
1 tsp Basil, Oregano, thyme, dried
1 tsp Sea Salt
2 tsp Garlic, minced
1 White Onion, diced fine
1 can Rotel Tomatoes with Green Chilis (chili starter)
30 Pepperoni slices, quartered
6oz Sliced Mushrooms
1/4 cup Red Wine

1) In large skillet heat oil and brown chicken on both sides.

2) In large Crock Pot lay chicken on bottom and fill with remaining ingredients. There is no order to this, You can even mix it all in a seperate bowl before pouring over the chicken.

3) Cook for:
Low 5-7 hours
High 2-3 Hours
Best served over hot cooked pasta.

West Texas Goulash

It's Makeover Monday and today we are making over an old standard in many kitchens that we all grew up in... Goulash. I'm sure you remember it with the elbow pasta swimming in stewed tomatoes and ground beef. I still have nightmares over it! To this day I have a had time eating both cooked tomatoes as well as elbow pasta.

So I went on a web search (again) to find something more along our tastes. Nope... nothing looked good to me. The closest I came was when I went to the Moms Who Think website and found THIS little number. But it still wasn't quite right. That is why I have remade it to fit my own taste buds with a bit of spice to make my hunny happy. This recipe feeds about 4.

1 lb Ground Beef
1 tbsp Worechestershire Sauce
1 Carrot, peeled and diced
4 Mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
3 tbsp Garlic, minced
1 tbsp Paprika
1 tbsp Cholula
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tbsp Parsley
1 cup Spinach, chopped
1/2 cup Sun Dried Tomatoes, sliced in half
3 cup Beef Broth
2 cups Egg Noodles
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1/2 cup Mozzerella, shredded
Crushed Red Pepper (Optional)

1) In large skillet brown beef with carrots. Drain off grease, return to pan. Add mushrooms, garlic, paprika, chalula, cayenne and parsley, stir and cook until veggies are tender. Add tomatoes, noodles and broth and cook 8-10 minutes, until noodles are tender. Dump all into a collander to drain any excess grease or liquid.

2) In same skillet, add in sour cream and stir over med-low heat until it becomes liquidfied, then add in the mozzerella and stir to melt. Pour in noodle mixture and toss to incorporate sauce with the rest of the ingredients.

3) Serve warm with a sprinkling of Crushed Red Pepper if prefered.

Ziti Pizza Bake

One night I was just too tired to make dinner. Yes, truly its so! I had found some personal sized pizza shells on my last shopping trip and thought to pull those out and make us a quick treat. I loaded up one with lots of pepperoni for my guy, but none for me since I'm allergic to the pepper part. Which means I had LOTS of pepperoni left over. So, I came up with this great baked pasta dish that was yummy and flavorful. Not to mention how quick and easy it was!

This recipe makes about 6 servings... unless my hunny is around then it drops to about 3.

1lb Ziti Pasta, raw

1 cup Speghetti Sauce

1/2 cup Pasta Water

1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped

1 tsp Garlic, minced

30+ Pepperoni Slices, sliced in half

1 cup Spinach, fresh and stemmed

1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

Salt & Pepper to taste

1) Preheat oven to 350. Line casserole dish in foil and spray with live Olive Oil.

2) In large pot cook pasta, drain (reserving 1/2 cup of the water) and set aside.

3) In same pot, whisk together the sauce and pasta water, add in peppers and let cook 3 minutes, stirring often. Add in garlic and pepperoni and stir. Add in pasta and and spinach, toss to incorporate all ingredients and pour in prepared casserole. Sprinkle with parmesan and then mozzarella.

4) Bake, uncovered about 10 minutes until cheeses are bubbly. Then plate up!

Turkey and Bowties

Left over turkey this year? Tired of serving it the same old ways? Well, do I have a dish for you! This is a great twist on Turkey and noodles that will "wow" your family with its flavor! Serve this up for 4 or you can always expand it for more!

2 cups Bowtie Pasta, uncooked
1 tbsp Butter
2 tbsp Olive oIl
2 Carrots, peeled, diced
1/2 cup sliced Mushrooms
1/2 Red Bell Pepper, sliced
1 cup Turkey, cooked and chopped
1 tsp Garlic, minced (or 1 clove)
1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
1/2 tsp Basil, dried
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 cups Spinach, ribboned
1/2 cup Gryuer Cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Mozzerella Cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

1) Preheat oven to 350. Line casserole dish in foil and spray with olive oil.

2) Cook pasta according to package. Drain.

3) Meanwhile, in large skillet heat oil and melt butter. Add carrots and saute until tender crisp, about 5-10 minutes. Add bell pepper, mushrooms and cook until mushrooms brown up, about another 5 minutes. Add in garlic, red pepper, basil and salt and pepper; remove from heat. Stir in spinach and add cooked pasta, gryuer and mozzerella. Pour all into foil lined pan. Top with Parmesan.

4) Bake 15 minutes until cheese has melted.

Shrimp Scampi ala Texas

1 lb Spaghetti, cooked al dente, drained
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Butter
1 lb Shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined
1 tbsp Garlic, minced
1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
1 tbsp Parsley, dried
1/4 cup White Wine
1/8 cup Lemon Juice

1) Heat oil in large skillet and melt the butter. Add shrimp and saute 1 minute. Add garlic and red pepper. Let saute 2 minutes or until shrimp turns a nice pink color.  Sprinkle in the parsley.

2) Stir in the wine and lemon juice and let simmer 3 minutes then drop in the pasta. Let cook until the pasta absorbs the liquid and serve while hot!

Chicken and Portabella Mushroom

Unlike in the big city, finding pre-made items at the local grocery store is almost impossible. Take ravioli for instance... if I like Chef Boy Ar Dee, I wouldn't have a problem. Unfortunately, my taste buds would go on strike for eating something like that out of a can. So what's a girl to do??? Hunt down some great recipes and twist them up to make her own dish that screams West Texas!

This turned out so well that one of our birds, Greedy Gut (yes, that really is what I call him), had to have some too. He paced on the bottom of his cage, squeaking to get our attention. When that didn't work, he climbed to his perch and began pacing again. I felt so bad for him I finally brought him a part of the dough. Want to see what a bird looks like after eating this? Just scroll on down to the bottom.

For the Dough:


2 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 cup Hot Water


For the Filling:


1/2 large Portabella, diced small
1/2 cup Mozzerella, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 tsp Basil, dried
1/2 tsp Oregano, dried
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
1/2 cup Chicken, cook (such as Rotisseri)
2 Eggs, seperated

1) In large bowl mix flour, salt and water with a spoon. The batter will be crumbly. Transfer to a floured surface and knead with your hands until it begins to form a ball. Wrap in plastic and let rest in fridge for about 20-30 minutes.

2) While dough rests, shred chicken and place in large bowl with remaining ingredients, except one egg. Mix thoroughly.

3) In small bowl, beat remaining egg and 1 tbs of water to make a wash.

4) When dough is ready, Pull off a small amount and roll out flat until it is about 1/16th" thick, and in a rectangle about 12x4". Brush with egg wash.

5)  Place a spoonful of mixture in three seperate heaps, gently pull dough to cover them, and press down around mounds to seal. Trim off excess dough and set aside. Finish with the dough and mixture.

6) In a large pot of boiling salted water drop the ravioli in a few pieces at a time and boil about 5 minutes. I like to let mine float to the top and leave them about another minute, just to make sure the inside is heated through. Remove ravioli to plate and keep warm.

7) Now all you have to do it smother it in your favorite sauce or eat it plain!

Kielbasa With Polish Sauce over Pasta

My family loves a good sausage dish. So while taking a trip over the internet to find new and interesting recipes for sausage, I found this one that only had a few ingredients I was unable to find. But no fears... I AM the master (or mistress?) of improvising! Enjoy this Polish turned West Texan dish! Serves about 4.

12oz Dark Beer

1 1/2cup Water

2 tbsp Garlic, minced

1 lb Kielbasa

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper

2 tbsp Butter

2 tbsp Flour

2 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar (Plain White Vinegar works too)

1 tsp Sugar

1 tbsp Corn Starch

1 tsp+ Water

2 Tbsp Parsley, dried

2 cup Pasta, cooked and kept warm

1) In saucepan over medium heat mix beer, water, garlic, kielbasa, red pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover, simmer about 25 minutes. Turn meat periodically, to coat. 

2) Remove meat to plate and let cool. Slice meat into 1" slices.

3) In large skillet melt butter, making sure not to burn it. Add flour and cook 4-6 minutes, stirring constantly, until light brown. Add vinegar and sugar, stir. Add remaining beer mixture and more salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer. 

4) In small bowl mix corn starch and remaining water, add to beer mixture and whisk well to incorporate. Simmer mixture until it coats the back of a spoon, about 10-15 minutes. Return sausage to pot and cook another 5 minutes.

5) Garnish with parsley. Serve over any variety of cooked pasta. The sauce works best with a ridged pasta... something that can grab and hang on tight to the sauce.