For my mother, with love and hugs
My name is Gina and I am the daughter of the ever so famous Spicegirlfla! For a special treat for my mom I decided to create my own post in dedication to her. Since she is in the process of moving our family to Atlanta she has not been able to post for quite awhile. I know how much she is missing her blog, riding her bike and being away from those she was close to in Florida. My mom needs to feel settled and right now her whole world has changed. She’s been looking and looking for a place to live that will feel just right for her. In the meantime, as she commented already, she is in temporary housing and all her belongings are in storage. I just can’t imagine her living without her cookbooks and food processor!
With the help of my fabulous photographer, Michelle, we created what I believe will be one of her best posts yet. :) I do hope that makes her smile as she’s been a bit sad. Virtual hugs from any of her readers would certainly help too!
Since moving to college I have become extremely interested in cooking healthy (and inexpensive) meals for my roommate and me. I am constantly searching through food and fashion blogs looking for inspiration. I had an entire fridge filled with food that needed to be consumed before my first trip to Atlanta. I searched through tons of food blogs to find the perfect recipe to make and I stumbled onto a healthy recipe for stuffed peppers. I had never prepared this dish so it intrigued me even more! These are insanely simple to make and probably one of the most delicious meals I have made thus far.
Stuffed Peppers
Adapted from allrecipes.com
- 4 green bell peppers, tops removed, seeded
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- Italian seasoning to taste
- garlic powder to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees . Wrap the green bell peppers in aluminum foil, and place in a baking dish. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from heat. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the turkey until evenly brown. Set aside. Heat oil in the skillet, and cook onion, mushrooms, zucchini, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and spinach until tender. Return turkey to the skillet. Mix in the tomatoes and tomato paste, and season with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stuff the green peppers with the skillet mixture. Return peppers to the oven, and continue cooking 15 minutes.
My new temporary roommate and photographer, Michelle, was craving mozzarella sticks. Being broke college students and just beginning our intense summer workout schedule, I scoured the internet looking for the best mozzarella stick recipe. This was our end result:
Baked Mozzarello Sticks
Adapted from everycollegegirl.com
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12 sticks of string cheese in your choice of cheese, go for the low sodium kind if you want to be extra healthy
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp of flour
- 5 tbsp of bread crumbs
- 2 tbsp of parmesan cheese
- Olive oil, or cooking spray
Cut the cheese sticks in half, making 24 slices, then freeze the slices in the freezer until completely frozen. Beat the egg in a small bowl. Use a separate bowl to combine the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. To bread the cheese sticks: First dip the frozen cheese stick into the flour, then into the egg, then into the bread crumb mixture. Once all of the 24 sticks are coated, place them on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil coated with a few drops of olive oil or sprayed with cooking spray (this will keep cleanup to a minimum, and keep the sticks from sticking!) Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for about 4 minutes, or until crisp. They need to be watched closely so they don’t melt completely!
Thank you for supporting my mother’s blog and sending her your love!
Roasted Sausages, Peppers, Potatoes and Onions
Notice the lovely baking/serving pan? Anyone who knows me even just a little bit would certainly be surprised to see me roasting in a foil pan, no less serving my meal in it!! Well, this is how living in corporate housing goes.
My son and I packed up our cars and moved last Thursday….to Georgia! It’s definitely been a whirlwind time, beginning in March when I flew up to Georgia to look at the area, chat about my new job opportunity and before I knew it, I quit my job, my home was put up for sale, sold in three weeks and I start my new job on Monday! Until I can find a home here, I will be staying at a very nice furnished home. And it is very nice, except if you are like me, and many of you are, the kitchen, while spacious enough contains the very, very basic of utensils and cooking equipment.
Allow me to share my drawer with you…
And here are the pots and pans I will be using….
A toaster, coffeemaker, two glass bowls, and a knife set that even an amateur would never cut their finger on or cut much of anything else is also a part of my kitchen tools. I’m not complaining really. I love a challenge and I’m taking this on to cook, bake and create in my new minimalist kitchen!
I did pack my spices and bottles of vinegar and such that were open, artisanal pastas and baking ingredients. A quick shopping trip to get some ingredients and be able to wake up with a cup of espresso (I did bring my own Moka pot and espresso cups) on the first morning began the challenge. I really should have taken Geni’s advice to pack an emergency baking box as she did when her kitchen floors were being remodeled, but alas I did not. Our cars were filled with clothes and such that could carry us through for hopefully only a two month period. My Florida home will be packed and put in storage until my new place is bought.
So, please be understanding, my posts will be staggered here and there, my photos will not be containing cute little bunnies or fancy platters, but I will continue to cook from my heart. And tonight’s dinner was from my heart, a simply, rustic meal that made me feel like I was home with my family. In a unfamiliar area, where everything seems overwhelming until I find my bearings and way, food brings comfort. I think we all can agree on that! And at times like this, when I’m far away from those that I was close to, I appreciate so much to be a part of this connected blogosphere community of friends that make me feel like I’m not so alone after all!
Roasted Sausages, Peppers, Potatoes and Onions
1 pound potatoes, cleaned and cut into bite size chunks
2 bell peppers, I like to use 1 red and 1 yellow, seeded and cut into bite size pieces
1 medium onion, cut into bite size chunks
Olive oil, about 3 tablespoons
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Dried oregano
1 pound Italian sausage (I used chicken sausage)
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the potatoes, peppers and onion into one large roasting pan or two pans as the vegetables should not be crowded. Drizzle on oil and sprinkle on salt, pepper, dried oregano and mix well. Roast veggies for about 30-40 minutes, stirring once or twice until lightly browned. Prick each sausage in several places and place on top of the veggies. Roast for an additional 15-30 minutes until sausage and veggies are cooked through. Serve hot with fresh rustic bread. Makes about 4 servings.
Strawberry and White Chocolate Biscotti
Would you rather be a Princess or a Queen? The young, pretty girl who really doesn’t know what she wants in life but has endless fairytale imagination or the Queen, whose been there, done that and definitely knows what she wants!?? Transitioning from the Princess to the Queen is somewhat of an awakening moment. It’s a time when you realize the years have brought you to a different stage in your life. Or it can be when you realize your daughter has assumed your former Princess title and pushed you into Queendom!
I was pondering this the other day as I snuck into the kitchen to do some baking therapy and refill my biscotti jar. Between purging and packing I was not at all feeling like a Princess or a Queen! But I was thinking how several of you have commented on my being the Queen of Biscotti. Not the Biscotti Girl or Biscotti Princess, but the Queen. I do accept and thank you kindly.
With that, I felt I had to create something different, something special. I’ve always wanted to try out a biscotti recipe using fresh fruit. I assumed it would turn out to be softer biscotti due to the moisture of the fresh fruit versus using dried fruit. Liqueur, of course, would have to be included and a touch of chocolate is always nice.
The royal result was fabulous! So much so, I’m sneaking back in the kitchen to make a repeat batch this week as my son, coworkers and friends just loved them. They were crisp and flavorful, a perfect berry spring biscotti!!
Strawberry and White Chocolate Biscotti
3 cups all purpose flour (I used whole wheat/white flour)
2 teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ½ tablespoon Fragoli Wild Strawberry Liqueur or Chambord (to make your own strawberry liqueur see recipe below)
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 full cup strawberries, diced small
1 tablespoon strawberry preserves
Preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with slipat or parchment paper. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, soda, salt, sugar and cardamom. In a small bowl, beat together the eggs, oil and strawberry liqueur. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and stir to combine. Add in the diced strawberries, strawberry preserves and white chocolate. The mixture will be dry and crumbly in appearance. Use your hands to knead together the dough; it will be sticky. Divide the dough in half and form two logs on the cookie sheet. This dough will not roll, so you will need to wet your hands to form the logs. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven, reduce the temperature to 325 degrees and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Slice the biscotti logs diagonally, about ½ inch thickness. Place the slices upright on the cookie sheet and return to the oven. Bake for 15 minutes at 325 degrees. When done turn the oven off and keep biscotti in the oven for 35 minutes to cool and crisp up nicely. Makes about 36 biscotti. Store in a covered container for up to one month.
Strawberry Liqueur
2 cups quality vodka 40% alcohol by volume (80 proof)
1 pound organic strawberries, chopped
¼ cup agave or ½ cup sugar (plus more depending on your preferred sweetness)
½ vanilla bean, split
Combine all into a 2 quart glass container. Allow to seep in a dark cupboard or closet for about a month, shaking every so often. Strain well into a large bowl, pressing the strawberries to release all their juices. Pour the liquid into a glass bottle, seal and allow to set for 3-5 months. The drunken strawberries can be used as an adult dessert topping to cheesecake or shortcakes!
Cilantro Grilled Lamb Chops with Strawberry Cilantro Salsa
Remember my post a few weeks back on my prepped foods for weekend guests? Well, cilantro oil was one I had mixed up to have on hand for drizzling over hummus, adding a touch to my green eggs for an unexpected surprise taste, mixing a dash into my vinaigrette for a unique twist and as a flavored oil for a quick sauté of shrimp. The final use for the cilantro oil was in this recipe for these cilantro grilled lamb chops and a strawberry cilantro salsa.
In my previous post I roughly detailed how I make the oil. As with most of my prepped foods I keep on hand they are just pulled together with the ingredients and methods I’m familiar with. Just as I’m writing this now, I did a google search and found that Emerile Lagasse has a cilantro oil recipe. He used it to drizzle over a pork loin…another nice idea! My cilantro oil has garlic, scallions, and olive oil versus his use of canola oil and cayenne. He also blanched the cilantro, which I do not, and honestly I wouldn’t even have the time for that step! Plus, he strains his oil…okay, this is beginning to really look like a totally different oil, but I wanted to share his version as well. As for the use of cayenne, I would prefer to leave it out and add it to the final recipe should it require a bit of heat.
The strawberry salsa added a nice spring time balance to the lamb chops. The cilantro complimented the sweet strawberries balancing the taste perfectly. Quick and easy dishes are on my plans for the next few weeks as I’m busy purging for a garage sale!
Cilantro Grilled Lamb Chops with Strawberry Cilantro Salsa
1 rack of lamb, cut into chops or 6 individual lamb chops
Cilantro oil, recipe below
Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
Strawberry Cilantro Salsa, recipe below
Rub the cilantro oil over the chops and allow to marinate for at least one hour in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature (about 20 minutes) before grilling. Preheat the grill or grill pan as I use indoors. Sear the chops about 2 minutes, flip over and sear for another 2-3 minutes for medium rare, 3-4 minutes for medium. Thickness of the chops also determines the searing time; this is based on ¾ inch cut. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Serve with Strawberry Cilantro Salsa. Makes about 3 servings, 2 chops each.
Cilantro oil
1 cup packed fresh cilantro, stems removed
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 large scallion, roughly chopped
½ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Rinse cilantro well and pat dry. Add all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth. Pour into a bowl or glass oil bottle and store in the refrigerator until needed. Will last up to 2 weeks. Bring to room temperature before using.
Strawberry Cilantro Salsa
1 cup strawberries, diced small
½ cup cucumber, diced small
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon cilantro oil
½ teaspoon agave or sugar to taste if necessary
Combine all in a medium bowl. Cover and allow flavors to blend for at least 30 minutes.
Italian Edamame
Edamame is one of those fun to eat appetizers. Grabbing a pod and squeeze biting it to release the little bean in your mouth. It becomes one of those mindless snacking foods; chatting and snacking away. It’s also a great stress reliever which I for one can attest to right now as I eat a bowl of these for my dinner.
I can finally share with you the reasons behind my overblessed life right now. I’ve been traveling out of state this past month for a new job spending last weekend house hunting. With mixed feelings, happy…, no sad, excited…, no scared, worried…, no confident …., I turned in my resignation at my current job this morning and put my house up for sale tonight. Wish me luck; I’ll be moving and starting my new job in just a few weeks!
Nervous, you bet! I’ve had a major life change once before, really didn’t think I’d be doing it again. At least not on my own. Again. I guess we never really know where our journey in life will lead us. It’s time for me to give my dreams a new beginning.
So when I pulled out my edamame to prepare it for dinner in the usual manner - steamed and salted, I started thinking about new beginnings. Change. Why just salt? Why not garlic? Why not pour in some of this wine I’m sipping? Maybe I’ve had too much wine…
Change is good. Change is exciting. And you’ll never know until you taste it…or do it.
Italian Edamame
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 -2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 -2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup white wine or prosecco
1 pound edamame, frozen
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the garlic and dried oregano, saute until soft, do not burn the garlic. Pour in the wine or prosecco, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer. Allow wine to reduce slightly, drop in edamame and simmer for approximately 5 minutes. Plate in a large bowl. Top with grated parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Flatbread
I thought I’d share with you how I use some of the prepped foods I had previously posted. As I mentioned before, each week I like to prepare different mixes of ingredients that I can use to compliment recipes or meals I’ll make through the week. Some of these can be purchased, as in marinated artichokes or sun-dried tomatoes. But to me, the flavor cannot ever compare to homemade nor do they have the personal touches that I like to add.
The sun-dried tomatoes I prepped for my friend’s visit included fresh basil, chopped garlic, freshly ground black pepper, salt and olive oil. I ended up processing these ingredients into a dip with crudités, adding a bit more olive oil and veggie broth to my desired dipping consistency. A chunkier version was used as a spread for a Panini and the remaining mix I chopped up smaller, mincing the garlic and adding it to my basic flatbread recipe.
This is how I cook and how I love to eat. Simple, easy and creative. I don’t believe in a pantry full of ingredients, though I must confess….mine is quite full at the moment! But mostly it’s storing basic ingredients; quality canned tomatoes, Arborio rice, polenta, quinoa, dried beans, oatmeal, dried fruits; you get the idea…nothing store bought prepared.
I served the flatbread with a mixed salad, using the marinated mozzarella I had made as well. The flatbread was brushed with the garlic and crushed red pepper olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt mixed with bits of sun-dried tomato. As an appetizer, flatbread with a hummus spread was delicious too!
Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Flatbread
1 teaspoon yeast
¾ cup warm water
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped *
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
¼ cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
2 ¼ cup white wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
Garlic oil or plain olive oil for brushing and kosher salt (or sun-dried tomato sea salt) for sprinkling on top
Combine the yeast and warm water in a large bowl or stand up mixer with dough hook attached. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes. * If the sun-dried tomatoes were not previously marinated, soak them in hot water for about 5 minutes to soften. Add in the drained sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and fresh basil stirring to combine. Mix in the flour and salt and knead by hand or dough hook until smooth, about 10 minutes by hand, 5 minutes by mixer. Place the dough in a well-greased bowl and allow to sit for one hour, slightly covered with plastic wrap or a towel away from any drafts.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. When dough has risen, divide in half and flatten to about ¼ inch thick either in a round shape or rectangle. Brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle on the salt. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until brown and crisp.
Reuben Quesadilla with homemade thousand islands dressing
I’m all about classic recipes but sometimes I like to change things up a bit. Especially when I have a lot of leftovers and don’t want to keep repeating the same thing. I always start with the corned beef dinner, followed by corned beef hash the next morning and lunch is the much anticipated Reuben on rye bread. At this point, since I cook like I have a husband and five children, but really only have one son at home who is not a big eater like most 19 year olds boys are, I still have some leftover corned beef to use.
One year I made a Reuben pizza, cut into squares, it was a really neat appetizer. This year, feeling like I didn’t need all the pizza carbs with summer around the corner, I decided to use tortillas and make quesadillas!
As for the sauce, you can always purchase a bottle of thousand islands dressing. I just can’t get myself to do that, so I’ve been following Ina Garten’s recipe, substituting the ketchup for chili or cocktail sauce. Ina had served this dressing for a dip for roasted shrimp. I also like to saute my sauerkraut slightly to remove any excess moisture, warm and slightly caramelize before assembling my Reubens.
Reuben Quesadillas
2 8 inch tortillas, your choice, I used a whole wheat
1/2 cup leftover corned beef
1/2 cup swiss cheese, grated
1/4 cup drained sauerkraut
Thousand Islands dressing, recipe below or use store-bought
In a large skillet, saute the sauerkraut until warm. Add in the shredded corned beef and warm gently. Remove and set aside. Either add a touch of olive oil or spray the skillet. Place in the tortillas, layer on the cheese, sauerkraut and corned beef, about 1 tablespoon of dressing on each and more cheese. Fold over the tortilla and cook until golden brown, turing once. Serve with additional dressing if desired.
Thousand Islands Dressing
Adapted from Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chilli sauce (or cocktail sauce – which I like to use when dipping in the roasted shrimp or ketchup as Ina uses)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon capers, minced
1 teaspoon gherkins, minced
1 tablespoon sweet pickles, minced
Pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Mix all together. Keeps for about a week in the refrigerator.
Irish Breakfast Shot
It seems like everyone is a bit Irish come St. Patrick’s Day! I will definitely be making my corned beef dinner, complete with potatoes, corn, cabbage and Irish soda bread. And everything will be a bit more “green”.
When my kids were little, I’d start their day with green milk, green pancakes and dress them in green! I’d scatter gold coins around the house and share funny little Leprechaun stories about hidden pots of gold at the end of the rainbow. No longer having little kids around, I can now enjoy more “adult” green fun! And what better way to start the day than a shot of Irish Breakfast!
Thanks of course, to Ken for sharing this experience! I’m so not the shot type of gal, really, and whiskey is hardly my choice of alcohol so you must believe me when I tasted this and absolutely loved it!! The mix of flavors in these shots creates the taste of PANCAKES in your mouth!! So true and so amazing, everyone who tried it said the same thing! Okay, maybe you’re thinking there’s a subliminal process going on here, like if I told you it tasted like pizza would you then taste pizza??
I hardly doubt that but I think it’s up to you to try to decide for yourself! So here’s how it’s done…
For one serving – fill 1 shot glass with 1/2 shot of Jameson Irish Whiskey and 1/2 shot of Butterscotch Schnapps. Fill the 2nd shot glass with 1 shot of orange juice. Take the Whiskey/Butterscotch shot first, followed by the orange juice shot. Within minutes, the aftertaste will make you feel like you just had pancakes and syrup!!!
Now I realize after a few shots you may want a bit of food. Keeping with the green Irish theme, here’s a great, easy recipe for green eggs!
Shred 1 to 2 zucchini, squeezing to release any moisture and water. Saute the zucchini until soft. Mix in 4 eggs, feta cheese, salt and pepper and gently scramble the eggs until set. Serve as is or drizzle with a bit of cilantro oil!
This post is all about happy, good news! I’m announcing today my Saucy Mama Giveaway Winner!!! And the winner is…..
Congrats Geni! Thank you for your support, your tweets and votes for my entre into the Saucy Mama Cooking with Mustard Contest.
Saucy Mama will be contacting you directly to ship you your prize!
I love having family and friends visit. My little villa, as it is referred to, truly is little! I have a beautiful view of a lake in the back that opens my patio and home to a bit more spaciousness, but inside we are all comfy and close! So with that, it’s difficult to invite as many family and friends as I’d like. Though sometimes I think if I did have more room, I’d be hosting a bed and breakfast every weekend!!
My friends Ayesha and Ken are visiting this week. They are definitely my top foodie friends. Ken prepared the Blueberry Basil Vodka Lemonade that has remained one of my top posts and favorite drinks!! Can’t wait to see what drink he’ll be sharing on this trip! (No pressure whatsoever Ken!) Eating out is definitely in the plans as there are great places to dine in the Ft. Lauderdale/Miami area and getting to the ocean views and hot spots are always what my guests and I like to do. So what I do plan for is prepping food for quick bites and appetizers to go with Ken’s drinks. Ayesha is my cooking partner; we love to go out but we also love to get into the kitchen and create fun dishes together.
I’ve simply prepped a few things that she and I will be able to use in whatever we’d like to make. These prepped ingredients are also some of the things I do normally just to have on hand to add to recipes.
The “green” bottle is Cilantro oil. Fresh cilantro, garlic, scallions, salt and pepper are blended with extra virgin olive oil. This can be made up to one week ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. I’ve used it as a pesto for seafood, swirled into gazpacho or salsas and added to vinaigrettes for an intensity of flavor. The other oil bottle contains whole, sliced fresh garlic and crushed red pepper. I love to infuse olive oil with various flavors including lemon peel and dried herbs. I prefer not to mix a lot of herbs, keeping it mostly simply flavored. Make sure to use the oil within the week and while fresh herbs look so pretty in the bottles, the moisture they contain is prone to bacteria growth so use those within a day or two.
The other jars contain marinated cheese, beans and sun-dried tomatoes. These can be served on the side for meals, mixed into salads and served on an antipasto salad. Sun-dried tomatoes are mixed with salt, pepper, garlic slices and olive oil.
These tomatoes are also good mixed into a frittata or layered in a Panini. The bean relish has chopped celery, andouille sausage, garlic, scallions, olive oil, salt and pepper. This relish is great served as is on the antipasto platter or processed into a chunky puree for a dip or Panini spread.
Fresh mozzarella is cut in cubes and tossed with pepper, crushed red pepper and fresh basil. We can use these on the antipasto plate or top grilled pizza.
Hummus is always a good recipe to have on hand for dips or spreads. I will vary the flavors added in; sometimes heated with spices for a more intense hummus or lighter versions that we can use for breakfast spread on bagels.
My biscotti jar and granola jar are always filled as well and I make sure to pick up various cheeses and jams. Guava and cheese quesadillas are fun to make with Mojitos or Margheritas. The guava paste gives these a nice sweet taste.
Spinach Stuffed Shells and an Award!
Do you ever experience a period of time when you just can’t get caught up? As I mentioned before, I’ve been very overblessed lately with a lot going on. And I do want to apologize to all my “friends” out there for my not visiting you all as often as I like to. I’m certain my life will resume to its normal busy routine very soon… I do hope.
Yet, I’m one of those people who constantly take on more and more. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ll say or feel that enough is enough; I’m the one that when offered an opportunity, jumps right in. Someone recently mentioned to me that how at the day when they relax in front of the TV, I’m still going either baking or cooking, going for a walk or bike ride, doing chores, working on a project…etc, etc! Ouch..I suppose that it is true about me!
Which leads me to the Food Bloggers Unplugged Award I received from Granny at Grannys Parlour. She mentioned that I write about food like every dish is an exotic dance! I just love that Granny! This is indeed a thought-provoking award as the recipient is challenged to answer several questions about themselves. I thank you Granny and hope anyone new to Grannys Parlour will stop to visit her; she’s a gardener, creative chef, product tester and all around unlimited source of knowledge. (I stole her words as that is exactly what I find in reading her posts!)
(If you’re hungry for a great recipe, simply pass by all the Q&As and you’ll find my Spinach Stuffed Shells recipe below!)
So, who is Spicegirlfla anyway??…. Food Bloggers Unplugged
1. What, or who inspired you to start a blog?
It was my daughter, as many of you already know, that inspired me to start this blog. When she left for college, specifically moving off campus into an apartment, she began asking for some of my recipes and I began thinking about how I could best give these to her. Since I knew she follows hundreds of fashion blogs, the idea to create my own blog would fit in easily to her lifestyle and she’d smile seeing her mom online!
2. Who is your foodie inspiration?
I cannot think of one person as I’m am inspired every where I go; restaurants, coffee shop or bakery, cookbooks galore and watching all the Food TV chefs. I am particularly drawn to Michael Chiarello with his relaxing, casual way of cooking Italian food and his Napa Valley twist is definitely one of my favorites.
3. Your greasiest, batter-splattered food/drink book is?
Greasiest?? Batter splattered book??? Oh no…never!! Honestly, I must have about 300 cookbooks. And I cherish each and every one of them. I’ll make notes on the pages, changes I’ve made, who I’ve made it for, comments on likes and dislikes, etc. BUT, I never let them get dirty nor are they out while I cook. They are more for inspiration, for curling up in my favorite chair and reading. (Of course, baking requires specific amounts; I mostly bake biscotti and cheesecakes so those I have pretty much down pat!)
4. Tell us all about the best thing you have ever eaten in another country, where was it, what was it?
Oh my….I’ve never left the country…how sad is that! Believe me, it’s my dream one day to do so and Italy would be my dream come true trip!
5. Another food blogger’s table you’d like to eat at is?
Just one?? That’s too hard, I’d much rather plan a progressive dinner party! Starting with a cocktail with Jed and Liz at Sportglutton while getting updated on sporting events, followed by appetizers and a stroll through the farmy with Cecilia at The Kitchens Garden, an Italian family dinner with John at From The Bartolini Kitchens and a to- die-for dessert with Geni at Sweet & Crumbly. (Don’t worry Geni, I won’t spend the night as I know you don’t like overnight guests, but I’m sure we will stay up very late chatting!!)
6. What is the one kitchen gadget you would ask Santa for (money no object of course)?
A gas stove! (that’s a big gadget!) But first, I’ll need relocate to a city that has gas…
7. Who taught you how to cook?
I’d say, of course, my mother, though she passed away when I was 16. Through my memories and her handwritten recipe book, I’ve tried to recreate many of her dishes. From there, I took classes at Loretta Paganini School of Cooking and personal chef training through the USPCA. My very favorite training was with a chef that would take a small group of students from morning to night, shopping, dining and cooking together!
8. I’m coming to you for dinner what’s your signature dish?
I’m not sure I have a signature dish, but more a style of cooking. You’d most likely have an Italian /Mediterranean dinner. We’d start out with Prosecco or wine and anti pasta with grilled and marinated veggies, olives and Margherita flatbread. A gorgonzola salad with mixed greens and balsamic dressing is a favorite that brings back many memories for me. My new love of mushrooms would have you enjoying Veal Marsala, sauteed spinach and a side of angel hair aglio olio pasta. An espresso with a shot of liquor, biscotti and an Amaretto liqueur tiramisu.
9. What is your guilty food pleasure?
Gelato….any flavor…any time!
10. Reveal something about yourself that others would be surprised to learn?
I am a successful survivor of thyroid cancer and a firm believer that every day is special. Each day presents itself as a new beginning and I am always thankful and grateful for all the blessings I receive every day. I also feel that being with those you love, those that mean the most to you, is one of the most important things in life.
Finally…tag 5 other food bloggers with these questions…like a hot baked potato…pass it on…..
John, From the Bartolini Kitchens
Charlie at Hotly Spiced
Georgie at GeorgieCakes
Betsy at Bits and Breadcrumbs
Dudut at My Twisted Recipes
Congrats to you all….And, now to the recipe……
Stuffed shells have always been one of my daughter’s most wanted requests when she was growing up. They also were one of my favorite dishes for family gatherings as they could easily be prepped ahead, even frozen for that matter, and baked just prior to the dinner or party. For entertaining and family gatherings, I normally did not include the spinach, but when serving for dinner for my kids, I’d add it in as a way to sneak in veggies!
There’s definitely a lot of green going on inside these shells with 20 oz of spinach so it’s important the spinach is chopped small. If you like a bit of spicy heat, I love to add in crushed red pepper but this time making it for my niece and daughter, I left it out. We actually ate out almost every night that they were in town, so having these on hand in the fridge provided quick little bites whenever hunger hit.
Spinach Stuffed Shells
Approximately 25-30 jumbo pasta shells, cooked al dente
3- 4 cups homemade Italian sauce or jarred
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 10 oz packages of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (or prepare fresh spinach by quickly dropping in boiling water to wilt)
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
Pinch of crushed red pepper, optional
2 teaspoons fresh basil, chopped
1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated (plus additional for topping and serving)
1-2 teaspoons Kosher salt and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, well drained spinach, egg, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread a generous amount of sauce on the bottom of a 13 x 9 pan, or as I did, two or three smaller pans. Fill each shell with about 2 tablespoons of filling and place in pan. Pour sauce over the shells, just enough to cover them, save remaining sauce to serve. Sprinkle on additional parmesan cheese, cover loosely with foil and bake for about 30 minutes. Let stand for about 5-10 minutes before serving. Can be prepped up to the baking time and refrigerated overnight until ready to bake. Serves about 8-10 depending on appetites.
