back to basics - stuffed shells

Stuffed shells are scrumptious. A creamy filling inside tender pasta swimming in a sea of tomato sauce and baked with plenty of vegan cheese. My family loves stuffed shells but the process can seem overwhelming. I believe that is mainly because stuffing of the shells can be overwhelming - it can be messy and time consuming.

Here is the easiest way to make them, by following the directions below. Use your favorite tomato sauce recipe (or brand), your favorite tofu or nut ricotta recipe and mix a blend of vegan cheese for optimal melting ability. 

Mangia! Mangia!

The Process:

Step 1. Spread your tomato sauce on the bottom of a casserole pan. Arrange the COOKED shells on the tomato sauce.

Step 2. Place the filling inside a zip top bag, twist the bag and snip one corner, about 1-inch across. The opening should be large enough to squeeze out enough filling to fill the shells.

Step 3. Fill the shells using your homemade piping bag.  

Step 4. Sprinkle with the vegan cheese blend, cover the pan with foil to melt the cheese. Bake in a 400-degree oven for about 15 minutes, uncover and bake for 5 more minutes. 

The Result: Easy Baked Stuffed Shells

back to basics - fast and easy brown rice

Brown rice is something we all know we should include in our diet in lieu of white rice. This is more challenging to do in the sense that when brown rice is traditionally cooked, in the proper ratio of water to rice, the rice takes almost an hour to cook and at times is not cooked properly. I've had brown rice that was overcooked, undercooked, mushy, hard as a rock, etc. 

Here is the perfect way to cook long grain brown rice every single time. It turns out fluffy, each grain separate, tender and, best of all, is ready in around 20 minutes.  

Long Grain Brown Rice - Fast and Easy

The Process:

Step 1. Bring a pot of water to boil, about 1.5 quarts of water per cup of rice. Season the water with salt and add the long grain brown rice. Continue to lightly boil the rice until it is tender. Start checking if the rice is tender after 15 minutes of cooking.  

Step 2. When the rice is tender drain it.

Step 3. Return the rice to the hot pot it was cooked in and cover with a kitchen towel and then with a lid.

Step 4. Allow the rice to steam (using its own residual heat) for 5 minutes. This step absorbs excess moisture and leaves each grain fluffy.

The Result. Perfectly cooked brown rice in about 20 minutes.