Stuffed Shells

Back when I was a kid, my mom would make certain dinners on the rare occasions when we left her alone long enough to actually cook something interesting for dinner.  I was never a big fan of pasta, but I loved these shells because of the delicious cheesy filling.  Plus, they're in perfect serving size portions.  It's like easy lasagna.  Also a great way to feed a big group or stretch out dinners for the week.

Note: Use whatever pasta sauce you like.  I used vodka sauce because it's my favorite, but any jarred sauce will work.

Stuffed Shells

1 pound mild Italian sausage

1 (24-ounce) jar pasta sauce

2 (15-ounce) containers whole milk ricotta

1 large egg

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

¾ pound zucchini, grated

1 (12-ounce) box jumbo shells

In a large skillet, brown the sausage over medium-high heat, discarded excess fat once done.  Pour in the jar of pasta sauce, and combine.  Spoon approximately 1/3 of the sauce into the bottom of a 13x9-inch glass baking dish.  Set dish and remaining sauce aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, Parmesan cheese, and ¼ cup of mozzarella.  Put the grated zucchini in several layers of paper towel, and squeeze over the sink to remove excess water.  When zucchini is somewhat dry, add it to the ricotta mixture.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cook the shells according to the box directions, then drain.  Taking care with the hot shells, stuff each one using a tablespoon with ricotta mixture until full.  Place each shell on top of the sauce in the baking dish, fitting as many shells in as possible.  You may not use all of the shells, but try to only use unbroken shells for the best presentation.  Once all shells are stuffed, spoon the remaining sauce over the top, then sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese.  Spray one side of a sheet of aluminum foil with Pam or olive oil, then put the foil, sprayed side down, on top of the baking dish and bend in the sides to cover.

Bake 30 minutes, covered, then remove the foil and bake an additional 5 to 7 minutes so the cheese finishes melting and browning.

Makes 8 servings

Asian-Marinated Flank Steak

I had some flank steak in my freezer, with every intention of trying to make some fajitas, but that never came to fruition.  Then, with my anxiety about it starting to get freezer burn, I decided to just pull it out and improvise.  After some googling around for ideas, I came up with the marinade below, which also uses some of my canned pineapple juice, so it's a win all the way around.

Asian-Marinated Flank Steak

1½ pounds flank steak

6 ounces (¾ cup) pineapple juice

¼ cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons sriracha

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon sesame oil

4 to 5 cloves garlic, minced

1 knob ginger, peeled and grated

1 bunch green onions, cut in 3-inch pieces on a bias

Cut the flank steak into 3 or 4 large pieces.  Combine all of the remaining ingredients in a gallon Ziploc bag, then add the steak.  Marinate for 1 to 2 hours in the refrigerator, turning the bag every 30 minutes.

Once done marinating, pat the steak dry, and grill for 6 minutes per side or until medium rare.  While the steak is cooking, you can cook the marinade down in a separate pan until reduced and slightly thickened.  Slice the steak, and serve it over rice with sauce.

Makes 4 servings

The Spruce Eats: Classic French Cornichon Pickles

When I went to the store yesterday, and I saw these little tiny cucumbers for sale, you can bet I was instantly thinking about how I would put them into jars and make the cutest little pickles you've ever seen.  I was afraid it was going to be quite a process, but these little pickles came together very easily.  Now I just have to wait a month before I can see how delicious my handiwork is!

Note: I chose not to include the onion.

Classic French Cornichon Pickles

From The Spruce Eats blog

2 pounds fin de meaux cucumbers (2 inches long is best)
½ cup kosher salt, divided use
2 cups distilled white vinegar
2 cups water
1 tablespoon white onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and halved
1 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped
1½ teaspoons black peppercorns
2 cloves
2 bay leaves

In a large bowl, toss the cucumbers in ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of salt.  Arrange the cucumbers in a single layer on paper towels or clean kitchen towels to allow the salt to draw the moisture out of the cucumbers. Let sit for 90 minutes, then rinse the cucumbers thoroughly.

Sterilize two pint jars, along with their lids and rings, and keep them hot until ready to fill with the pickling mixture.

In a medium, non-reactive saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the vinegar, water, and remaining 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil.

Divide the onion, garlic, dill, peppercorns, cloves, and bay leaves between the two sterilized jars.  Pack the cucumbers into the jars, leaving ½-inch of headspace.  Fill the jars with the hot vinegar mixture, leaving ¼-inch headspace from the top of the jars.

Tap the jars to remove any air bubbles, cap the jars, and process them for 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.  Cool the jars and store them in a cool, dark place for at least 3 to 4 weeks before opening.

Makes 2 pint jars