Cheese Stuffed Shells with Fennel

A NEW FAVORITE JUST IN TIME FOR FALL!    

Cheese Stuffed Shells with Fennel                                                 

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

2 Tablespoons EVOO

3 medium size fennel bulbs, thinly sliced

1 medium sweet onion

12 oz Jumbo shells

2 cups fresh ricotta cheese

8 oz Italian Fontina cheese, shredded

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup fresh parsley

2 large eggs, beaten

3 cups marinara sauce

1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 375.  Melt butter in heavy sauce pan.  Add the fennel and onion and cook over medium heat until just starting to carmelize or take on color (about 15 minutes.)  Remove vegetables from heat to cool.  In a large pot of boiling water, cook the shell pasta till al dente (do not over cook.)  Drain and cool with water to stop cooking.  Pat the shells dry and set aside.  Fold the ricotta,1 cup of the Fontina and the  fresh parsley into the fennel and onions and season with salt and fresh cracked pepper.  Stir in the eggs.  In a separate bowl, mix the marinara with the heavy cream.  Put 1 1/2 cups into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  Stuff the shells with a heaping tablespoon of the filling and put the shells atop the sauce side by side.  Drizzle 1 cup of the remaining sauce on top of the shells and sprinkle the parmesan cheese.  Finally, top with the remaining Fontina cheese.  

Bake the shells about 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with the remaining sauce.  Return to the oven and cook another 10-12 minutes.   Bella!

Food from the Heart!

I can't think of much more fun than creating food from the heart with someone you love. What a great time I had on Valentine's Day with my beautiful young nieces! Hair pulled back, just the right aprons, and everything mise en place!

Thanks Stevie and Sydney for making my Valentine's day very special!

Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes

42 cream filled Oreos; 30 left whole and 12 coarsely crumbled
2 lbs Philadelphia Cream Cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 275. Line standard muffin pans with paper liners. Place one whole cookie in the bottom of each muffin liner. Beat the cream cheese until smooth, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add the sugar and beat until combined. Add vanilla. Drizzle the eggs a little at a time to combine, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Fold in crumbled cookies by hand. Divide the batter among the liners, filling each almost to the top (I use an ice cream scoop for this...works perfectly!) Bake until set, rotating the muffin pans in the oven halfway through. Approximate cooking time 20-22 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Refrigerate in muffin pans at least 4 hours before serving.

Enjoy!

Note: Mise en place, a French phrase defined by the Culinary Institute of America as "everything in its place." It refers to the practice of getting organized and having everything premeasured and available for final preparation.

Brrrrr, it's cold outside!

It's cold outside and I just can't seem to get warm! My nose is cold, my toes are cold and I am just way tired of winter! What better way to warm up than with a hot cup of homemade soup...unless, of course, you can savor that great soup in front of a fireplace with a snuggle buddy!

Thick and Creamy Potato Soup
8 servings

6-8 medium russet potatoes, diced
1 medium vadalia onion, small dice
1/4 cup celery, small dice
8 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
2 oz. butter
Salt/Fresh ground pepper to taste

4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
4 oz. applewood bacon, fried and crumbled

In a large sauce pan, add the first five ingredients and bring to a boil. Allow to cook until potatoes are tender, about 25-30 minutes. After potatoes are tender, remove and reserve one cup of the potatoes. Puree remaining potatoes in the sauce pan with a hand-held immersion blender. Return to medium-low heat and stir in heavy cream and sour cream. Add the reserved potatoes. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in butter just before serving. Top soup with shredded cheddar cheese and crisp applewood bacon.

Enjoy!

Valentines Day!!

It's not too late to order your chocolate covered strawberries or cherries for that special Valentine. The fruit is double dipped in 70% cococa Lindt chocolate for that intense cocoa flavor. Choose from milk chocolate or dark chocolate. Have your Sweetie's name added atop the chocolate for fun!

Orders accepted through February 12th.
843 422-7483

The Signature

Everybody has that tried and true recipe that they can always go to for success. You know, the one that without a doubt will be a hit everytime. That recipe for me is a marinated chicken salad. It's just simply good food. It has made me "popular" at baby showers, birthdays, bridal showers, and even an occasional wake. It has been the dish I have always been happy to call "my own", afterall, for me it is The Signature.

The key to this recipe is not only the marinade but it is also the quality and freshness of the ingredients, and in particular, of the chicken breasts. My local source, without fail, for undoubtedly the freshest quality poultry of any kind is Fresh Market.

Today is my first official day of "business" and it is the day that the Zonta Club of Bluffton discovered My Signature dish...a creamy, lemon kissed chicken salad, chocked full of slivered almonds and crisp celery piled high atop a buttery, flaky croissant.

That said, this might be the only recipe I won't be willing to share...lol. I do, however, look so forward to sharing many other recipes and tips. Follow me and please feel free to share your thoughts and ideas. Hopefully, there is a Signature chicken salad croissant in your near future. Catering: 843-422-7483