Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Winner! Stuffed Shells Two Ways, Ricotta Veggies

Hows your week going? Mine is going very well! It is already Wednesday!! Quick review of the last couple days:

Monday: Work, Body Step launch at the second gym I teach at, yummy dinner (more on that below)

Tuesday: Work, cleaned, taught Body Step (too much step for me this week!), relaxed!

Today: Took Body Pump this morning, work, maybe a little shopping??


I decided to make a few takes on Stuffed Shells this week. The first followed my usual recipe (prior to sauce topping/baking...not sure why I didn't take any finished pics?):



The next was my take on Rachel Ray's Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Shells.


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups part skim ricotta
3/4 cup shredded part skim mozarella
1/4 cup parmesean cheese
1 egg or equivalent in egg whites (I went with the whites)
Cooked spinach (I took 2 cups fresh spinach and put it on the stop with a little olive oil for a few minutes until wilted)
1/2 a 15 oz can artichoke hearts chopped
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 box large shell pasta, cooked
Pasta sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Place a layer of pasta sauce in the bottom of baking dish. Mix together first 7 ingredients. Stuff shells with mixture, top with more sauce. Bake for 40-45 minutes.

Picture, pre-sauce and bake:


I wasn't in the mood for pasta so I also made a veggie bake. I mixed together 1 cup fresh spinach, 2 cups chopped peppers, artichokes (from can), 1/4 cup part skim ricotta, 1/2 cup pasta sauce. Baked at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Doesn't look very pretty but tasted AWESOME!



Ok, ok now for the winner of PETA's Vegan College cookbook determined based on a random number generator:

LilVeggiePatch!! Who noted: "I love vegan chocolate chip pumpkin bars... I made them at least five times this fall! I've also wanted to try out the vegan marshmallow fluff that MIA-Erin used to rave about." Congrats! Send me an email (itzyskitchen at gmail dot com) and I will have your prize to you.

Have a good one






36 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fabulous Stuffed Shells!! I had spinach and artichokes last night! The veggie bake looks great as well, that is one of my favorite combos veggies, sauce and cheese.

Em said...

looks yummy...as always. It does feel like this week is going by faster than last week. We are already over the hump! Hope the down hill slope of the week goes well for you :)

Balance, Joy and Delicias! said...

both recipes sounds delicious!!! Ricotta!!! I miss u! :D

Unknown said...

love the addition of spinach and artichokes!

K from ksgoodeats said...

Spinach artichoke is one of the best combos ever!! Both your dishes look fantastic!

Hope you have a great Wednesday!! It's finally Lost night ;)

Sharon said...

Oh wow, those look soooooo tasty!!!!!!!!

vanillasugarblog said...

ok now I'm hungry! those sound so good for dinner tonight!

Danielle said...

Wow those stuffed shells look great!

Fitnessista said...

the stuffed shells look so good! i need to make those for the pilot- i haven't in forever
you're so good at healthifying rachael rizzle recipes :D
congrats to katie! the cookbook is fantastic :D

Bridget said...

YUM! Can you please send over one of those stuffed shells right now, thank you:) That is one of those things I never grew up with, so I never make, but when I have someone elses I alwyas LOVE them!!

Krista said...

Those shells look fabulous!

Diana said...

I've never seen a shells recipe that calls for artichoke hearts before -- it sounds great! Makes me hungry for pasta. :)

I Run for Fun said...

Love the look of those shells. I am drooling again!

Maria said...

I have't made stuffed shells in a LONG time. Looks good! Glad your week is going well. Tomorrow is my Friday and I am SO excited about that. My dad is driving out from IL to spend some time with me, he is worried:) I can't wait to see him!

Holly said...

mmm - those shells look super yummy! And so does the veggie bake. What a great idea!

Michelle @ Find Your Balance said...

Your shells look awesome! I don't know why I've never made stuffed shells...I love 'em :-) By the way I'm hosting a recipe carnival in honor of Mother's Day and would love if you decide to contribute!

Esi said...

Hope you got some good stuff shopping! Stuffed shells sound really good.

Heather said...

yum! everything looks so good :)

LK- Healthy Delicious said...

those stuffed shells look fantastic with the spinach!

Juliana said...

Great stuffed shells...look really yummie.

Anonymous said...

Looks delicious! :)

Evelyn Fisher said...

the spinach stuffed shells look super

Anonymous said...

mm....fat and plump and stuffed beyond capacity with cheese! Just the way I like it! and with spinach and artichokes? talk about bonus items!

amanda said...

yayyy for the big winner!
those stuffed shells look incredible!

Evelyn Fisher said...

oh and surgery is on May 4th. I made sure it was scheduled after the Kentucky Derby.

Diana said...

Hey, we never judge a veggie bake by its cover. The words veggie and bake belong together, IMHO. :)

Hope your week is going great!

Diana said...

okay I know I already commented on these, but when I opened your blog and saw the picture again, I immediately went, "Mmmmmm."

Hope you are having a lovely Thursday! :)

Anonymous said...

These stuffed shells look excellent! The spinach and artichokes are a perfect addition!

Recipe man said...

wow these stuffed shells look so good with that quality ricotta.
yum!

Anonymous said...

Those look taste - I miss ricotta, it's so creamy!
Yay Katie!

Aggie said...

You are so creative with your dinners...I love that veggie bake!! It sounds awesome! And of course...I can't resist stuffed shells!

Lori said...

I haven't made stuffed shells in forever. These look so great!

Getting caught up on my reading after my travels. Hope you are doing well!

The Blonde Duck said...

I've never tried stuffed shells, but those look really good!

Sweetie Pie said...

The shells look amazing! I love the creamy filling, and the addition of artichokes is brilliant!

Sara said...

I have never made stuffed shells before, those look so good!!

Have a great weekend!

priscilla joy said...

Your dinner looks soo good! Sounds like a good week! Have a great Saturday night Erica!