Shells Green with Envy

Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells

Made: May 13, 2013

Ingredients
- 1 (12-ounce) box uncooked jumbo pasta shells
- 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
- 2 cups fresh chopped spinach
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (15oz) container ricotta cheese
- 1 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 (5oz) package shredded Parmesan cheese (about 1 2/3 cups)
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 (26oz) jar prepared spaghetti sauce

Instructions
- Cook shells according to package directions
- Be careful not to overcook them or they will tear easily when trying to fill them
- Drain and set shells out individually on a cutting board or baking sheet so that they don’t stick together
- Preheat oven to 350 F
- Lightly grease two 9x13 baking dishes
- In a large bowl, combine chicken and all the rest of the ingredients except mozzarella and spaghetti sauce
- Stir in 1 cup mozzarella
- Spoon into shells
- Spread half of spaghetti sauce into prepared baking dishes
- Arrange shells over sauce; top with remaining sauce
- Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil
- Bake, covered, for 40 minutes
- Uncover, sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella
- Bake for 5 to 10 more minutes

I had a lot of filling leftover, but I only made 14 shells since we're a small family of 4. I used a Garlic and Onion pasta sauce to go with this and topped it with some shredded cheese. These shells seemed a lot smaller than others I've seen, but they were perfect for us!

(Recipe used: Paula Deen via Facebook)

Sweet Southern Oven Frying

Baked Chicken and Pineapple Casserole

Made: February 18, 2013

Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2-2 1/2 pounds whole chicken legs (thigh & drumstick)
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 2 cans crushed pineapple, drained
- 1 1/2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 1 cup crushed Ritz or Saltine crackers
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 F
- Grease a 13x9 baking dish or coat with cooking spray
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat
- Lightly season the chicken all over with salt and pepper
- In batches (if necessary), place the chicken in the hot oil and cook, turning once, until golden brown (about 8 minutes)
- Transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined plate to drain
- In a small bowl, toss toghet the pineapple and hot sauce
- Spread evenly on the bottom of the prepared baking dish
- Place the chicken on top of the pineapple
- In a small bowl, combine the ccrackers, butter anc cheese
- Scatter the mixture over time the chicken and pineapple
- Bake until topping is melted and golden and the chicken is just cooked through (about 45 minutes)

I only made a small portion, so I used 1 can of pineapple and I didn't drain so the juice could soak into the chicken. I made 2 quarters total and opted against the hot sauce. I also served this with spinach & a pasta side. It was quite flavorful, but I cooked the chicken for about an hour since my chicken wasn't done in 45 minutes.

(Recipe used: Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible)

Mardi Gras

King Cake Cupcakes

Made: February 12, 2013

Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 2/3 cups flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons soft butter
- 2/3 cup milk, at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia; OR 1 teaspoon vanilla + 1/8 teaspoon lemon oil
- 2 large eggs

Icing
- 3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (half of an 8-ounce package) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon lemon oil
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk, enough to make a spreadable icing
- colored sugars, preferably purple, yellow, and green

Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 FL
- Lightly grease and flour a muffin tin, or line the muffin tins with papers, and spray the insides of the papers

Cupcakes
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt
- Add the butter and beat with an electric mixer at low speed, until the mixture looks sandy
- Combine the milk and vanilla and add, all at once
- Mix at low speed for 30 seconds, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds
- Scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl
- With the mixer running at low speed, add 1 egg
- Increase the speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds
- Add the second egg, again beating for 30 seconds
- Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, and beat briefly, just till smooth
- Scoop the batter by heaping 1/4-cupfuls into the prepared muffin tin (A muffin scoop works well here)
- Bake the cupcakes for 23 to 25 minutes, until they've domed, and are a light golden brown around the edges
- They'll spring back when pressed gently on top, and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven, and place on a rack to cool completely before icing

Icing
- Combine the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and lemon oil in a medium-sized bowl, and beat them together until light and fluffy
- Add the sugar gradually, beating well
- Beat in the milk a little at a time, until the frosting is a spreadable consistency
- Spread each cake with icing, and immediately dip in gold, purple, and green sparkling sugars, covering about 1/3 of the cupcake with each color sugar

I followed this one really close to the recipe; only a couple of changes. I couldn't find lemon oil anywhere. So I used lemon juice in the batter with the vanilla and extract in the icing. Also, I didn't use a full 2 cups of powdered sugar. It was getting a nice consistency, so I used 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon of milk. I also didn't have or could find yellow sugars, so I just used green and purple I had. I never had King Cake before, but these cupcakes were quite delicious!

(Recipe used: King Aurthur Flour)

Luck from the South

South Georgia Caviar

Made: December 31, 2012

Ingredients
- 2 cans (15oz) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
- 1 can (15 oz) corn kernels, drained
- 1 can (14.5oz) spicy diced tomatoes
- 2 cups chopped red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped jalapeno pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 bottle (8oz) Italian dressing
- 1 jar (4oz) chopped pimientos, drained
- Tortilla chips or crackers for dipping

Directions
- In a large serving bowl, mix together the black-eyed peas, corn, tomatoes, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, onion, Italian dressing and pimientos
- Cover and refridgerate for at least 2 hours or overnight to let the flavors come out
- Serve with tortilla chips or crackers for dipping

I didn't quite make this to the recipe; but I used it as inspiration to make my own little salad suited for my likes and to try something new for the New Year; since it's heard that black-eyed peas bring luck for the new year.

Ingreidents
- 1 can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
- 1 can corn kernels, drained
- 1 can stewed tomatoes - Italian recipe
- Salt & Pepper

Directions
- In a large skillet, mix together the black-eyed peas, corn and stewed tomatoes
- Season with salt & pepper
- Heat throughout over medium-high heat until the stewed tomatoes have softened
- Chill for 4 hours
- Serve with chips or crackers

 I think it came out quite nice and flavorful. I used stewed tomatoes because it's said to bring wealth for the new year if eaten with black-eyed peas and the corn represents gold for wealth. I hope it brings you lots of health and wealth for the new year as well!

(Recipe used: Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible)

A modern touch to fried chicken

Buttermilk pan-fried chicken

Made: August 18, 2011

Ingredients
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 cup flour
- 3 tablespoons oil

Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F
- Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray
- Season both sides of the chicken 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- Stir together the buttermilk and egg in a shallow dish
- Combine the flour with the cayenne and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 pepper
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat
- Dip the chicken in the buttermilk mixture and then coat in the seasoned flour
- Carefully place the chicken in the hot oil
- Cook for 2 minutes on each side
- Remove from the pan and place on the baking sheet
- Bake until cooked through but still juice (155 F); 6-8 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken
- Drain on a paper towel lined plate

I have to work on my breading and frying, but these turned out pretty well for my 2nd attempt at fried chicken. :D I thought the buttermilk made them super creamy and moist, but the breading kept on coming off when I was flipping the chicken and moving it into the pan. :/ But overall, I was concerned about the doneness of the chicken. My first piece was still pink on the inside and I didn't think that it would cook all the way through in the couple minutes in the oven.

So I put it back in the pan for an extra 2 minutes per side and it seemed to work out better with the doneness throughout the chicken breast. I also cooked them in the oven for 10 minutes to make sure. They were still nice and juicy and perfectly done in the middle! :D

(Recipe from: Modern Hospitality)

Sufferin' succotash!

Creole Succotash

Made: August 18, 2011

Ingredients
- 1/2 cup fresh slices (1/2 in thick)
- 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 cup fresh or frozen lima beans
- 1/2 cup corn kernels
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon black better
- 15 grape tomatoes, halved
- Salt & ground pepper

Directions
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil
- Boil the okra sliced for 1 minute.
- Drain & rinse the slime off the okra.
- Bring more water to a boil in the pot & repeat the boiling and rinsing process; set aside.
- Melt the butter in the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the lima beans, corn, onion, garlic, okra & pepper to the pan & cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent & the beans are tender (5 min)
- Add the tomatoes and cook for 1 minute to heat through.
- Season to taste with salt & pepper.

I didn't use okra or the garlic. Rob is the only one who eats that, so I used lima beans, corn & onions only. I didn't feel like I cooked the lima beans enough, but they did give a crunchy contrast instead. :D I also used Roma tomatoes since I love the taste of them. They're bigger than the grape, but also gave it the extra flavor. :) I do have to limit the onion flavor, it's all I smelled when I cooked it.

(Recipe from: Modern Hospitality)