Conchiglioni stuffed with ricotta, shrimps and zucchini

Once I bought the pasta in a store close to home and for big order received box with two huge conchiglioni. Conchiglione is the pasta in the form of shells, can be of different sizes, our were really giant. Such conchiglioni you can even eat one for two persons) 

In general, after searching on the internet and asking friends (oh yeah, Italians love to talk about food, men and women tak about recipes and restaurants), we chose a recipe by which never cooked. But I will tell you right now that it so delicious that we will cook it when we have guests. 

Ok, What you need:

• Conchiglioni (big ones - then one per person, medium - it can be two or even three, if you have a giant like in the photo - for two Conchiglioni all the ingredients have to be multiplied by two) 
• ricotta, about 200-250 grams 
• 200g of prawns 
• 1 medium zucchini 
• 1 clove of garlic 
• dry white wine 
• pinch of turmeric 
• olive oil, salt, pepper 
• cheese for sprinkling on top and bake in the oven (what you like, I took Parmigiano) 

So, to start, put the water in a large saucepan and when it boils put conchiglioni. They have to swim freely in the water. Boil them "al dente" - is very much !!! it is important because you have to put them then in the oven. Usually on the package you can find indicates (we boiled our conchiglioni 20 min)

Grate zucchini, chop peeled shrimps (leave one for each of the shells), clean the garlic. 

While the shell is cooking, fry the garlic and then remove it from the oil. 

Then add shrimps, after a minute pour a bit of wine. And a minute later put the zucchini, salt, pepper, and a couple of minuted you can turn off. If you poured a lot of oil (as my husband loves), then strain through a sieve into a bowl and let it cool. 

 Mix with ricotta. 

The remaining shrimps you should fry in olive oil for a minute, add a pinch of turmeric.

 Then take away shrimps and add a little of wine. Stew it for 1-2 minutes.

By this time, your shells have to be ready. Put them in a baking dish, pre-greased and Stuff. Sprinkle with cheese and bake in the oven at 200 degrees until golden crust.

Serve on a plate, first pouring the sauce with turmeric. Then put the shell and decorate it with the prawn. 

Bon Appetit)) 

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I'm so glad to write about great news! My T-shirts were included in the book named "Art Without Waste: 500 Upcycled and Earth-Friendly Art & Designs" - published in the United States and dedicated to designs, made with recycled and upcycled materials or Earth-Friendly matherials. Patty K. Wongpakdee wrote me in August of 2013, when I made my first few t-shirts and tanks, I was surprised and delighted. So it mens that people love and appreciate my creations and ideas . 

Well, the book is published, it took a year and finally in October I got it. Two of my t-shirts are printed on one of the first pages) I hope that you will be happy for me and who already bought my T-shirts and tanks, can proudly tell friends about this book)

Fried rice with vegetables and eggs

The other day I had some boiled rice. So I made ​​a dish that I like so much in the japanese and chinese restaurants - fried rice with vegetables and eggs. Usually you can take it with fish, chicken or other meats. I decided that since I'm on a diet, it will be without meat)) 

Fried rice is easy to  prepare and does not require much time. 

You will need: 

• boiled rice, basmati rice is better, but any is ok - 350g for two portions - the rice should already be cold! 
• 1 onion 
• 2 cloves of garlic 
• 1 carrot 
• half or a quarter of a paprika 
• green peas (I used frozen)
• 2 eggs 
• teriyaki sauce 
• sesame seeds
• oil, salt, pepper 

Better use, of course, wok, but I don't have it, so I used ordinary frying pan. 

Squeeze out the garlic and finely chop the onion, then fry them until onions became lightly golden and transparent. 

I pulverize carrot in a blender. You can cut it small pieces. Then add it into the pan. 

Then finely chop the paprika and add to the pan.  After a minute - put green peas. 

Add the rice and mix well. I also add a teriyaki sauce and sesame seeds. 

At this time, beat up two eggs, and fry them muddling constantly. 

Then add to the rice. 

That's all done! Bon appetit!

Rice, potatoes and mussels - Riso, patate e cozze

Yes, this plate is called very simple - Rice, potatoes and mussels. It has a short name too - tajeddha - with an indescribable accent on last "DDHA", like somewhere there "r" is hidden, but this name is in dialect))  In other dialect it's called teglia

So it is very tasty, I can't say that it is very simple to cook, but in general, it's a simple enough and it is typical plate of Salento, where I'm living. Salento - this is the south of the Puglia region, the heel of italian shoe) Here indescribably mixed traditions since ancient time of Romans and Greeks, left their trace Messapi, we are not talking about Turks ... Well, in general, it's the pot of cultures. That, of course, has left its mark in cousine too. 

Tajeddha has to be cooked in the oven or better in the wood oven. We cook it in the oven at the beach house. 

At this time, I disn't cook it - because I had to made photography, so the recipe is not my original. The difference I will explain too. There are many different recipes, each women has it's own) Some women add even sliced ​​zucchini. 

You will need (honestly, never know exact proportions, because we always prepare  tajeddha for 20 people). 

• potatoes, 
• Arborio rice (better not parboiled ) 
• onion, 
• cherry tomatoes 
• mussels, 
• parsley, 
• grated cheese (which is available - Parmesan, Grana Padano, or similar), 
• Pepper, salt and olive oil 
• garlic (in my recipe) 

Nuance about mussels - we order the mussels already opened, but if you have them closed, throw them for a minute in the pan with a little of water and they will open. Remove one half. Water do not throw out - you will need it. 

Peel the potatoes and cut it into thin slices or semi-round, if potatoe is big. 

Mix it in a bowl with grated cheese 

finely chop the parsley

Mix it with the potatoes and season with a little olive oil, pepper and chop a few tomatoes. Leave on for half an hour. 

I my recipe: I mix the potatoes with sliced ​​garlic, olive oil, tomatoes - put more tomatoes than on the photo - and quite a bit of parsley and a little salt. I add a little water to make broth, which we then use too. 

Cut the onion into thin half-rings 

Put it in water

Thus, we begin to prepare the form for oven. Grease the bottom with the olive oil and put a thin layer of the onion. 

Then a thin layer of potatoes

Then mussels

Sprinkle the rice. It is important to cover the mussels with rice. I prefer to use normal rice for risotto, not parboiled rice - because it better absorbs the taste of food. Parboiled rice is better as a simple garniture. But the women who cooked prefeir parboiled. 

Then, in the same order put all the second time, without onion. Finish with potatoes on the top and cover with cheese. Pour salted water or water from the mussels till the level of potatoes. 

Cook on 200 degrees for about 45 minutes - 1 hour, see by yourself when potatoes are cooked. 

That's what we've got) 

Do you like mushrooms?

Do you like mushrooms?

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