Easter Leftovers?

What to do with the leftovers of a delicious Easter dinner? Well, try making a Ham, Potato and Leek Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 cups thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 large russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 2 cups ham, diced
• 1/4 cup cream or half and half (optional)
• Salt to taste
• 3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chives or dill, chopped

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks, cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken broth, potatoes and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
   
   
2. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 25 minutes or until vegetables are very tender. Using a blender or food processor, working in batches, process until smooth.
   
   
3. Stir in diced ham and cream. Season to taste with salt. Garnish with parsley, chives or dill.

Nasir Likes his Stuffed Shells

Sometimes you forget about the simple foods that are so enjoyable until someone brings it up to you. This time it was stuffed shells reminded to me by someone I went to elementary school with.

Italian Stuffed Shells


Ingredients:

• 1 box jumbo shells (27 in a box)
• 1/2 lb. sweet Italian sausage
• 2 pkgs. chopped spinach
• 2 eggs
• 1 lb. ricotta cheese
• 1 lb. Mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 tsp. onion salt
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Boil shells in water until tender, but not completely done.
   
   
2. Fry and crumble sausage in pan. Drain and set aside.
   
   
3. Thaw spinach and press between paper towels to remove excess water.
   
   
4. Place spinach in a colander.
   (incase you don't know what one is)
   
   
5. In a large bowl add cheeses, nutmeg, garlic and onion salt.
   
   
6. Beat the two eggs until frothy and pour into the cheese mixture. Mix well.
   
   
7. Stir in the spinach.
   
   
8. Stuff the cheese and spinach mixture into the shells.

And as in the recipe for Gorgonzola Cream Sauce, the sauce will be the make or break for the shells.

Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1/4 c. chopped onion
• 1/2 clove garlic
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 1 (16 oz.) can whole tomatoes
• 1/2 c. tomato sauce
• 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Pepper to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• Crumbled, cooked sausage

Directions:

1. Let this mixture simmer for 20 minutes.
   
   
2. Stir sauce and pour over the stuffed shells.
   
   
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

When you bake the shells, try adding more cheese ontop of the shells like a Chicken Parmigiana. Also, try using more cheeses, Asiago, Ricotta, Cottage. Try experimenting with what you're putting in the shells. Once you get the basic recipe down, there is a lot of room for new variations.

Chicken Stew

Recently I've been eating a good amount of stews and this recipe has caught my eye for something that would be rather easy to try.

Chicken Stew with Onions, Tomatoes, and Dijon

Ingredients

• 1 whole head garlic
• Olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• One 3-4 pound whole chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces (2 breasts, wings, thighs, legs)
• 6 medium red onions (about 2 pounds)
• One 28 to 32 ounce can good quality whole peeled tomatoes, drained
• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• A pinch of chile powder
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 3 Tbsp old-fashioned whole seed Dijon mustard (or 1/4 cup regular Dijon mustard)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
   
   
2. Peel away the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. Using a knife, cut off 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top of cloves, exposing the individual cloves of garlic. Place garlic head on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle olive oil over the garlic, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap the garlic head with the foil and place in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes or until the flesh of the cloves are light brown feel very soft when pressed with the tip of a knife. Set aside to cool. (See how to roast garlic.)
   
   
3. While the garlic is roasting, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot (with lid) or Dutch oven, on medium high heat. Rinse the chicken pieces in cold water then pat dry with paper towels. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
   
   
4. Brown the chicken pieces, starting them skin-side down, cooking them a few minutes on each side, working in batches so that you don't crowd the pan.
   
   
5. While the chicken is browning, peel and quarter the onions. Remove chicken from pan when nicely golden with tongs or a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate. Discard any fat and oil beyond about 1 Tbsp left in the pan. Put the onions in the pot and cook them until softened, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
   
   
6. Add the tomatoes to the pot, the thyme, bay leaves, and ground chile powder. Put the chicken pieces on top of the tomatoes. Pour in the wine and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 40 minutes, stirring from time to time so that the vegetables don't stick.
   
   
7. After the garlic has cooled enough to handle, squeeze out the roasted garlic from the cloves into a small bowl and crush with a fork. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to serve with the chicken stew.
   
   
8. When the chicken has cooked, add the mustard to the pot and stir to blend. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook uncovered for 10 more minutes, or until the sauce is thick enough to cling to the meat. Remove bay leaves. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve stew over rice or pasta, with the garlic paste on the side.
Serves 4 to 6.