Spinach & Sausage Stuffed Pasta Shells

Wow, Pinterest has really good recipes!  This is my adaptation of another recipe I found on there.  I have frozen half of these since this recipe makes way more than 2 people can eat.  We'll see how the frozen ones turn out in a few weeks!

Spinach & Sausage Stuffed Pasta Shells

1 lb hot sausage, browned

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 c frozen spinach, cooked and drained

3/4 cup ricotta cheese

16-18 pasta shells, cooked and drained

1 cup mozzarella cheese

1 can diced tomatoes with basil and oregano

Brown sausage with garlic, drain.  Cook shells according to package directions and drain.  Add cooked shells to a bowl of ice water to cool.  Return sausage to skillet, add tomatoes and spinach, heat for 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in ricotta.  Stuff shells with a fork and place in a greased glass baking dish.  Cover with mozzarella cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Adapted from http://www.inspiredtaste.net/

Strawberry Yogurt Cake

This is another great recipe I found on Pinterest.  This cake is very moist and delicious.  It will make a great spring time cake.  Enjoy!

Strawberry Yogurt Cake

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

2 tbsp lemon juice, divided

zest of 1 lemon

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

8 oz. vanilla Greek yogurt

12 oz. fresh strawberries, diced

1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Sift together the 2 ¼ cups of flour, baking soda and salt. Mix in the lemon zest and set aside.  With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 1 tbsp of lemon juice. Alternate beating in the flour mixture and the yogurt.  Toss the strawberries with the remaining ¼ cup of flour. Gently mix them into the batter.  Pour the batter into the Bundt pan. Bake in the preheated oven 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  Allow to cool at least 20 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Once cooled whisk together the remaining tbsp of lemon juice and the powdered sugar (add a little more lemon juice if too thick). Drizzle over the top of the cake.
Adapted from http://aspicyperspective.com/

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

I have recently discovered some good slow cooker recipes.  I absolutely love having dinner ready when I get home from work!  This is a great soup that cooks all day and can be frozen for later.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 chicken breasts
2 cans Ro-Tel
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
1/2 large onion, chopped
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp chile powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp dried cilantro
Put chopped onion, cans of beans, rotel, corn, chicken broth, water, and spices into slow cooker and stir to mix. Place chicken breasts in mixture, making sure they are submerged. Cook on low 8-9 hours. Before serving, shred the chicken breasts with two forks (they should fall apart easily).  Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream.