Lovin' the stuffin'

It's a known fact that while Dave is so not Italian, he loves the Italiano ! So he does not care what kind it is, just as long as it's Italian!  

Admittedly, I could really only make spaghetti when I met him.  Had rarely gone off into other types of pastas so I have branched out!  I decided to try stuffed shells the other day.  I mean how hard could it be?  Turns out, I can handle stuffing some shells too!

STUFFED SHELLS

20 JUMBO SHELLS
1 LB ITALIAN SAUSAGE
1/2 CUP CHOPPED ONION
1/2 CUP CHOPPED GREEN OR RED PEPPER
1 CLOVE GARLIC, PRESSED OR MINCED
1 JAR (16 OZ)  OF FAVORITE PASTA SAUCE (OR MAKE YOUR OWN)
1 CUP RICOTTA
2  C MOZZARELLA CHEESE
1/2 CUP PARMESAN
1 EGG
Italian seasoning
garlic salt
ground pepper


1.  Boil shells until al detente.  Rinse and cool.
2.  Brown sausage- drain grease.  Season sausage with Italian seasoning and add onions,  peppers, and 1 cup sauce.  Allow to simmer. Add garlic at the end so that it does not burn.
3.  Combine riccotta, 1/2 cup mozerrella, and 1/2 cup parm with egg. Set aside.
Spread one cup of sauce on botton of 9x13 casserole.  Stuff shells with cheese/egg mixture and place on top of the sauce.
4.  When all shells are filled, top with remaining sauce and add more mozzarella.  Cover and bake at 350* for 30 minutes.  Remove cover and continue baking for 5-8 more minutes.

 Needless to say, this was a hit!  Very much Dave approved! 

Many of you know I love the low carb diet... I lived that way before a certain Yankee entered my life.  While I have thoroughly enjoyed every bite that led to the pounds I have added since I married the Dave, I do hate that I have excess in places I don't want excess!  Oh well...

So every now and then I attempt to 'drop' a few fast by low carbing it.... however, the low carb diet can be expensive and boring!  I mean, how many pork rinds can one person eat?  So of course, Pinterest is a WHOLE new area of low carb recipes and I have found some beauts.  Today, I saw Grilled Cabbage for a whole 4.4 net carbs... sounded good and easy. 

I am the griller in the family- Dave will joke it's because the grill is simply an 'extension of the kitchen' but if you know me (and my Yankee), you know the boy is handicapped.  Dave is color blind so since color is a HUGE issue in cooking, it's little wonder he doesn't cook much.  The menu was burgers - patties for me, buns and fries for Dave.  I decided to try out the grilled cabbage.  I must say, this was pretty darn good and VERY filling....

 Grilled Cabbage

1 head cabbage, cut into 8 wedges
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 Tbsp EV Olive Oil
1/2 tsp. Garlic salt
1/2  fresh ground pepper
Old Bay seasoning
1/4 cup chopped onion

1.  Mix the butter, olive oil, and seasonings together.
2.  Place Spread mixture on the cut sides of the wedges, sprinkle with onions,  and place cut side down on heavy duty foil. Fold up into a packet.
3.  Grill over medium heat for 20-30 minutes.  I went ahead and put these on as the grill heated.

I was very happy with these... even though the recipe is NOT Dave tested (hates cabbage), this was good!  Enjoy!

Belinda