Shells, Shells, everywhere. And all are stuffed with meat.

Hello, you. 

            Yesterday was Monday. I started the day off by riding with Don to the Mazda dealership where my old car was being repaired. With the suspension fixed, she rode like a dream. I love my car, but it is on the old side. Living in a big, wealthy city like D.C.  reminds me of that fact as luxury cars roll past. But I buoy myself up,  saying (so I says to myself, I says) "You know what? If this were 1989, my car would be so rad, so take that". I highly endorse maintaing a false sense of superiority. 
          

            Later on in the day, after working on school work and taking an unplanned nap, I decided to go for a drive before starting dinner. It was a pleasantly grey D.C. afternoon, with a cool breeze. Perfect day for driving with the windows down and the sunroof open. It was bliss. I sat there at a stop light on Rhode Island Avenue, counting my blessings. My wonderful partner, our sweet dogs, my friends and family, Apple products, and that face wash I like so much. Out of nowhere, in the opposite lane, a dump tuck screeched to an emergency stop. 
               It startled me. It startled the driver, too. After a few seconds, the driver and I made eye contact. He made the universal gesture for "What's Up", and I nodded back. Just then, he twisted his face up for a huge sneeze, and then expelled a mouthful of sunflower seeds. Again, we are both startled. I felt rather odd just sitting there as he composed himself. It was kind of gross, and I felt like I had walked in on him using the bathroom (which makes me feel very, very, very awkward). After a moment, he laughed. And the next thing he said was the best part of all. 

"Ha, that was gross."

              You're right sir, that was gross. But you acknowledged it, to a stranger, and then he upped the ante by speaking to that stranger. It was weird interaction, but the memory made me laugh several times  later in the evening. Thank you. And then I went home and got down in the kitchen. 

               And now for a terrible segue, I like the idea of stuffed dishes. Chicken, fish, pasta or desserts, I am in favor of sticking more ingredients inside of one thing to make it that much better. So last night, I decided to make Stuffed Shells with chicken, shrimp and a lot of other goodness. It is a little time consuming, but totally worth it.

Stuffed Shells

A Jake Stewart Original

Ingredients

• 16 oz box of large pasta shells
• 4, 3-4 oz thin cut breasts
• 1/2 pound of large shrimp 
• 4 oz of goat cheese
• 1/3 cup of nonfat greek yogurt
• 4 Tbsp of McCormick Italian Blend Seasoning
• 1 Tbsp of Mrs Dash Table Blend Seasoning
• 1/2 Tbsp of fresh cracked black pepper
• 2, 1/4 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 large red onion
• 1 baby portobello mushroom
• 1 red bell pepper
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 2 1/2 cups of good quality spaghetti sauce
• 1/3 cup of grated parmesan
• 1 cup grated low fat mozzarella 

Preheat oven to 450˚ 

1 - Mix Italian seasoning, Mrs Dash, black pepper and olive oil in a small bowl, this the meat marinade. Place chicken in large ziplock bag and coat with half of the marinade. After shrimp have been cleaned, place them in another large ziplock bag and coat with the left over marinade. Marinate the shrimp & chicken in fridge for 1 hour or longer. 

2 - Using outdoor grill or skillet, cook chicken on a medium heat for about 7-8 minutes. Set aside to cool. 

3 - Using a large frying pan, heat two tablespoons of olive oil. Dice red onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Next, dice bell pepper and mushroom. Add to the onions, continue to sauté for another 5 minutes. Using a garlic press, crush all 4 cloves of garlic. Add garlic to the pan, sauté for about 30 seconds. Then remove pan for heat to prepare for the next step.

4 - Remove shrimp from bag and dice into small pieces. Place pan back on medium heat, and add shrimp to the onion/pepper mixture. Sauté for about 4-5 minutes, until shrimp is opaque. Lower heat, and add the goat cheese and greek yogurt to the pan, gently combine. Chop chicken and add the chicken to the pan. Mix well. 

5 - Add four cups of water to pot and bring to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of sea salt. Once boiling, add shells to pot. Boil for 7-8 minutes or al dente. Drain in colander. Allow to cool. 

6 - Once cooled, begin stuffing shells. Place the cooked shell in the palm of your hand, and open the shell. Place about 2 Tbsp's of the stuffing mixture inside. 

7 - Spray Pam Non-Stick cooking spray in a 7 X 11 pyrex pan. Line shells up in the baking dish. Once full, mix spaghetti sauce and parmesan cheese in a separate bowl. Ladle out about two tbsp's onto each shell. Then cover with the mozzarella. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese it browned. And then enjoy!

Bonne Chance, Mofo.