Shells | Adventures in Thyme

Greek Lamb Shells

Have you heard the song by Meghan Trainor “It’s All About That Bass”? I love the beat and the chorus “I’m all ’bout that bass, ’bout that bass, no treble” but I don’t sing it like that, no for me it goes something like this, “It’s all ’bout the sauce, ’bout the sauce, nothing else”. That’s why I love this recipe for Greek Lamb Shells so much, they’re delicious, but the Tzatziki sauce knocks it out of the park.

Here’s what you’ll need for the Lamb shells:

Container of Vegetable Stock
16 oz ground lamb
7 oz Feta (we use a sheep/goat combination brand by Mt. Vikos)
10 oz chopped spinach (we use the frozen option, just thaw and squeeze out the water)
1 small shallot finely chopped
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
dash of granulated garlic
Box of large pasta shells

Tzatziki:
1 small container Goat Yogurt
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
3 or 4 large fresh Basil leaves, chopped fine
1/2 tablespoon Shallot, chopped fine
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 or 2 cloves of Garlic, chopped fine, if you want

For the Tzatziki, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and let it sit in the refrigerator for an hour to a day or two to let the flavors combine.

In a skillet cook the lamb until done. Drain off most of the oil, and put the lamb into a bowl. Into the skillet cook your shallot until translucent, then add the spinach. Stir for a few minutes to separate the spinach then add the meat back into the skillet. Add all the herbs/spices/salt and stir the mixture well. Turn off the heat and set the skillet aside to cool.

While it’s cooling, heat a pot of water to boiling and add the pasta. You’ll cook the pasta to almost al dente, the shells will finish cooking in the oven. It’s also time to get your oven pre-heating to 400 degrees F.

Just before the shells are ready add your feta to the meat mixture stirring well.

Pour the shells into a strainer and run cold water over the shells. This will stop the cooking process AND you won’t burn your fingers when you stuff them with the meat.

Now for the fun part.. into a baking dish pour enough of the vegetable stock to cover the bottom, maybe 1/4 inch or so, then stuff the shells and place them (opening side up) into the dish. Cover with tin foil and bake about 30 mins.

Serve with Tzatziki Sauce and pecorino cheese.

Tacos made with shell pasta by D Fenwick http://dfenwickphotography.com

Taco Shells

With all the frantic holiday planning and preparations this time of year, it can be difficult to cook something “interesting” for a weekday dinner. A study in 2009 found that the average cook relied on just nine recipes they rotate through, with fast recipes chosen more often over healthy ones. Today’s recipe is one of our quick and easy mainstays, but with one little change: we’re replacing tortillas with pasta shells! OMG this is good! Let’s get cookin’!

1 lb ground meat (we used beef)
1 packet taco seasoning (we used Mild, but you can also find Spicy or Gluten Free at your grocers)
1 15 oz can of tomato puree
1/2 package of pasta shells
~2 cups of grated cheese (we used dairy free cheese in Monterey Jack and Cheddar flavors)
Salsa
Optional: sour cream, cilantro, green onions, hot sauce

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9×13 baking pan by spreading a thin coating of butter to keep the pasta from sticking.

While the beef is browning in a skillet, heat a pot of water to boiling for the pasta. When the beef is done remove excess oil and add the Taco Seasoning but omit the water. Stir. After the seasoning is incorporated add in the tomato puree and stir to combine evenly. Once it begins to bubble remove from heat and set aside.

Cook your pasta until almost done (so on the chewier side of al dente), remember – you’re going to bake the shells later. Once the pasta is ready pour into a sieve and cool with cold running water (your basically stopping the cooking process).

Now it’s time to combine all the parts: Fill each shell with a tablespoon or two of the meat mixture then place into an even layer in the baking pan. When all the shells are full, sprinkle the cheese over the top, then bake about 15-20 mins or until the cheese melts.

Serve topped with salsa, sour cream, cilantro, green onions, and/or hot sauce.

Enjoy!