Springy Shells

Source: Pioneer Woman

Springy Shells

16 ounces medium pasta shells (or other short pasta)
1 pound asparagus, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (avoid tough parts)
1/2 pound broccoli, cut into small florettes
1/2 pound zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini), diced
1/2 cup frozen peas
3 green onions, sliced (white and light green parts)
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
20 to 22 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Extra olive oil, for drizzling

Cook pasta until extremely al dente—with still quite a bit of bite.
Melt butter with the olive oil over medium-low to medium heat, then add in the garlic.
Add the asparagus to the pan and cook for five minutes. Sprinkle in a little salt. Add the broccoli and cook for one minute, then add the zucchini and cook for one or two more minutes. Add the frozen peas and green onion, stir together, then turn off the heat. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, eggs, salt, and pepper until well combined.
To assemble, butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Add half the pasta, then spread 1/3 cup of the ricotta mixture over the surface. Sprinkle 1/3 of the Parmesan over the ricotta, then 1/2 of the vegetables. Repeat with the rest of the pasta, the rest of the ricotta, and another 1/3 of the Parmesan. End with the rest of the vegetables and the rest of the Parmesan.
Drizzle with a couple of tablespoons olive oil, then bake for 25 minutes on 350 degrees or until nice and hot.

I served with crusty French bread and chilled lemonade. :o)

Potato and Turnip Cakes

I used sweet potatoes instead of russet potatoes. Mine didn't stick into patties very easily, so I cooked them more like hash browns. They still tasted yummy! I ended up using 4 medium sweet potatoes and 7 small turnips.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 pound russet potatoes (about 2 medium)
• 1/2 pound white turnips (about 1 large)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Directions

1. Coarsely grate (with a box grater or a food processor fitted with the grater attachment) potatoes and turnips, all scrubbed, trimmed and peeled. Squeeze to remove as much moisture as possible; transfer vegetables to a medium bowl. Toss with coarse salt and ground pepper.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Form potato mixture into four tightly packed patties; place in skillet, flattening gently with a spatula to a 3/4-inch thickness. Cook patties, turning once, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes per side (reduce heat if patties start to brown too quickly, and add more oil to skillet if necessary). Transfer to paper towels; sprinkle with salt.

Spinach & Gruyere Quiche

I halved this recipe to make just one quiche, and I was still able to use ALL of the spinach in my box in one pie (about 14 cups of chopped leaves). Very yummy!

Ingredients

Serves 10

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 shallots, minced
• 3 bunches flat-leaf spinach, thick stems removed and leaves roughly chopped
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 8 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
• 1 recipe Basic Pie Dough, fitted into two 9-inch pie plates
• 8 large eggs
• 3 cups half-and-half
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks set in upper and lower thirds. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium. Add shallots, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add as much spinach to skillet as will fit; season with salt and pepper, and toss, adding more spinach as room becomes available, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Transfer spinach mixture to a colander. Press firmly with the back of a spoon to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Divide spinach mixture and cheese between prepared crusts. Place each crust on a separate rimmed baking sheet.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Dividing evenly, pour egg mixture into crusts.
4. Arrange baking sheets on racks, and bake until center of each quiche is just set, 55 to 60 minutes, rotating sheets from top to bottom halfway through. Let quiches stand 15 minutes before serving. (Or cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate up to 1 day. Reheat at 350 degrees until warm in the center, 30 to 40 minutes.)

Chicken Stir Fry Wraps

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally and thinly sliced
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 large red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, mixed with 1 tablespoon water
• 12 to 16 Boston lettuce leaves (about 2 heads)

Directions

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over high heat. Add half the chicken; cook, stirring constantly, until opaque throughout, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.
2. Add remaining tablespoon oil to pan, along with the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until onion is tender and golden, about 4 minutes (reduce heat if browning too quickly).
3. Reduce heat to medium; add garlic, ginger, and red-pepper flakes; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds.
4. Stir in soy sauce, vinegar, and cornstarch mixture; remove from heat. Add chicken and any accumulated juices; toss to coat. Serve in lettuce cups.

Warm Spinach Salad with Fried Egg and Potatoes

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 baking potatoes (about 1 pound total), scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 bunches flat-leaf spinach (2 pounds total), thick stems removed, leaves washed well and roughly torn
• 2 ounces Parmesan, shaved with a vegetable peeler
• 4 large eggs

Directions

1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium. Add potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until potatoes are tender and browned, 12 to 14 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine remaining 2 tablespoons oil with vinegar, mustard, and shallot; season with salt and pepper, and whisk to combine. Add spinach and Parmesan (do not toss); set aside.
3. When potatoes are done cooking, immediately transfer to bowl with spinach and dressing (reserve skillet). Toss salad until spinach is slightly wilted, and divide among four plates.
4. Heat skillet over medium, and gently crack eggs into skillet without breaking yolks; season with salt and pepper. Cook until whites are almost set, about 1 minute. Cover, turn off heat, and let stand until whites are just set but yolks are still soft, about 2 minutes more. Top each salad with a fried egg, and serve immediately.

Spinach & Bacon Salad

3 eggs

7 slices thick cut, peppered bacon

1 small red onion (or 1/2 large onion)

1 package white button mushrooms (about 12 mushrooms)

8 ounces baby spinach, washed, dried, and large stems removed

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Dash of salt

Cook eggs: cover with water, bring to a boil, then turn off heat and allow to sit in water for 20 minutes. Drain off water and add ice on top of eggs.

Fry bacon until crispy/chewy. Remove to a paper towel. Remove 3 tablespoons grease and set aside. Add 2 add’l tablespoons of grease to a separate skillet over medium heat.

Slice red onions very thinly, then add to skillet. Cook slowly until onions are caramelized and reduced. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Slice mushrooms and add them to the same skillet. Cook slowly until caramelized and brown. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Chop bacon.

Peel and slice eggs.

Make hot bacon dressing: Add 3 tablespoons bacon grease, vinegar, sugar, and Dijon to a small saucepan or skillet over medium-low heat. Whisk mixture together and heat thoroughly.

Add spinach to a large bowl. Arrange onions, mushrooms, and bacon on top. Pour hot dressing over the top; toss to combine.

Arrange eggs over the top and serve.