Monday, May 3, 2010

Stuffed Shells Florentine




1 lg. jar spaghetti sauce or homemade sauce (See my lasagna)
1 pkg. jumbo stuffing pasta shells
1 1/2 lbs. cottage cheese or Ricotta (I used cottage cheese)
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 pkg. frozen spinach, cooked
1 lb. shredded Mozzarella cheese

Cook shells according to package directions, but a few minutes less, so that the shells will be slightly firm. Drain. (Be sure not to overcook shells. This can be done up to two hours ahead. Just put on a cookie sheet.)

Combine cottage cheese, Parmesan and half of the Mozzarella, eggs, parsley, italian season, spinach and salt and pepper. Mix well. Pour 1/2 of sauce into bottom of 9x13 pan. Stuff one shell at a time with mixture. Arrange stuffed shells on top of sauce, seam side down. Pour remaining sauce over top. Sprinkle 1/2 Mozzarella over the top. Cover with foil.

Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Remove foil, turn oven to broil and broil till cheese browns.

Peanut Butter Nutella Cookies


Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup peanut butter (I used crunchy, but you can use smooth)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Approx. 1/4 cup Nutella

Preparation
1. Combine margarine, peanut butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Blend together very well.

2. Add flour, baking soda and salt with mixer. If using Nutella, just drizzle it on top of the dough (use more or less to suit your taste) then swirl it through the dough with a butter knife. Chill dough 15 minutes in the refrigerator. Roll into balls by hand.

3. Place on greased cookie sheet. Using a fork, press down the balls and create a criss cross pattern. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven until edges are very lightly browned (about 7 to 10 minutes). Don't overbake.