62: Cheesy Mexican Stuffed Shells

Who doesn't love a good Mexican meal?  One of our favorite restaurants is La Fonda - random factoid about us.  Anyway, when I saw this recipe for Mexican Stuffed Shells I knew it was a must try.

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef
3 tbsp cream cheese
Small bottle of taco sauce 
~1 cup Shredded Cheese
sour cream
1 1/2 cup of salsa - I used homemade (2 tomatoes, 1 diced garlic clove, 1 tbsp cilantro, about 1/4 onion diced, S&P)
1 package of taco seasoning - I used homemade (some Mexican chili powder, paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, S&P) 
About 20 jumbo shells

The How To:
Preheat oven to 350
In a medium frying pan cook the group beef, add the taco seasoning 
Once the meat has cooked add in the cream cheese until the cheese melts
While you are waiting on the meat, boil the noodles for about 8 minutes, and then drain
Grab a 9x13 dish and pour half the salsa along the bottom, then stuff each shell with the meat mixture and place on top of the salsa
Cover the stuffed shells with the taco sauce, rest of the salsa, and shredded cheese
Bake for about 15 minutes, until cheese melts
Top with sour cream and serve!

What's not to love about this dish.  It was really great. I served mine alongside some refried beans, and it went together great. This dish is Will approved! 

61: Spicy Shrimp Stir Fry

Mondays are always nuts, so I figure that is the perfect time for a fast/easy seafood dish. Tonight I chose a spicy shrimp stir fry.

Ingredients:

6 oz soba noodles
3/4 lb shrimp (tails removed)
1 large red pepper (sliced)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp red pepper flakes (to taste)
2 tbsp sesame seeds
Olive oil

The How To:
Boil the soba noodles for about 6 minutes, drain
Heat some olive oil in a large skillet
Cook red pepper and shrimp for about 8 minutes
Add the soba noodles to the mix, and turn heat to low
In a separate bowl mix honey, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, red pepper flakes, and garlic
Pour the mixture over the shrimp/noodle mix and let it cook for about 6 minutes
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve

I served this alongside some steamed edamame for more asian flair and it turned out delicious.  This dish is Will approved!

When I make this again, I will add some broccoli, mushrooms, and onions to the red pepper/soba mixture and I think it will be 10x better.

60: Beer Mac & Cheese

For anyone that knows me, you know my favorite food is macaroni and cheese.  For anyone that knows Will, you know his favorite drink is beer.  So when I saw this recipe I knew it was a must try.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups pasta - any shape
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup skim milk
1 cup beer (I used bud light, but I guess whatever would work)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
pinch of paprika
S&P 
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 cup panko

The How To:
Preheat oven to 375
Boil pasta for about 8 minutes
While pasta is cooking grab a medium saucepan and add butter
Once butter has melted add flour, and whisk to create a roux - about two minutes
Add milk and beer and keep stirring until it starts to boil
Add cheese and stir until cheese has melted and sauce begins to thicken (for about 5 minutes) 
Stir in S&P, paprika, and nutmeg
Drain noodles once done cooking and add to a medium casserole dish
Pour cheese sauce over the top and stir to combine
Top with panko and a little extra cheese
Bake for 25 minutes
Enjoy! 

Will loved it, but said he'd prefer it without the panko.  I'll be honest, I prefer my regular sans beer and sans baking way.  Call me old fashioned.

  

59: Roasted Mushrooms

Will is not a big mushroom fan, but I am always trying to get him to try (and like) them. You can see some examples here, here or here.  Sometimes it goes better than others, so I knew I was taking a risk when I wanted to try out these roasted mushrooms.  I figured if he hated then, that just meant more for me :)

Ingredients:

1 pack of portobello mushrooms
olive oil
1 tsbp capers
2 garlic cloves, minced
S&P
1 tbsp butter, cut into little cubes
some fresh lemon juice

The How To:
Preheat oven to 450
Grab your skillet (cast iron preferred) and add mushrooms, oil, capers, garlic, S&P and butter.
Roast the mushrooms for about 15 minutes, stirring twice
After cooking, squeeze a little lemon juice over the top and then eat til your heart is content.

Will said.. "eh.. they're alright, but I definitely don't love them as much as you do" while I was just gushing away.  I LOVED them.  I don't even care that he didn't like them - they were so easy and delicious I would recommend these to everyone with taste buds (that means you)

One day, he will start to like mushrooms.. I am determined. 

58: Baked Balsamic Chicken

Who doesn't love chicken... 
I saw this recipe and decided to try it out!

Ingredients:

1/4 all purpose flour
S&P
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts - cut in half 
olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 cup chicken broth (low sodium)
~2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
~2 tbsp honey
dash of dried parsley 

The How To:
Preheat oven to 405.
In a medium size zip lock bag, combine flour, salt and pepper
Add chicken and shake! (It's like a make your own shake and bake)
Cook chicken for 35 minutes.
When the chicken has about 10 minutes left - grab a medium sized pan
Heat olive oil, and saute onion and garlic for about 3 minutes
Add the remaining flour mixture and stir for about a minute
Add chicken broth, balsamic and honey and let it simmer
Once chicken is finished cooking, add the chicken to the balsamic mixture and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes
Sprinkle with parsley and serve

Will and I both agree that this is a homerun.  I am sure this meal will be making another appearance.

57: Scallops and Apple Cider Glaze over Greens

Generally Will and I both really like seafood.  But, today I learned a valuable lesson -- When I send Will to the store to get scallops -- always specify that I mean SEA scallops.  I made the dish anyway, but it definitely didn't turn out like I thought it would.  It was inspired by this recipe. 

Ingredients:

3/4 lb SEA scallops (although I used bay scallops - gross)
S&P
Olive Oil
1 tbsp butter
1/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 apple, chopped
1/4 onion, diced
9 oz kale, chopped

The How To:
Rinse and dry the scallops - season with S&P
Heat some olive oil in a medium pan and sear scallops for a couple minutes before flipping
Once cooked - remove from heat 
In a bowl, mix apple juice and apple cider vinegar and season the mix with S&P
Pour in the same pan you cooked the scallops (with the scrappings left in the pan)
Let it begin to heat/boil while you begin the kale mixture...
Grab another pan, and heat a little olive oil
Saute the onions for a couple minutes, then add apples for about 2 additional minutes
Add kale and saute for about 3 more minutes
Serve the scallops on the spinach/kale mixture
Top with apple cider glaze

If this dish had been made with sea scallops it would have tasted much different.  But bay scallops have a much more fishy taste and are just not good.  it was also a little watery/runny for me.  Needless to say this dish was NOT Will approved.  It was a dish gone bad.. 

Will took the first picture and then decided he could do better.  HA!