I’ve been doing a lot of self-exploration and reflection lately, and one of the things I’ve been thinking a lot about is my fear of failure. I think on some level, everyone is afraid to fail – that’s pretty normal. No one WANTS to fail at something or do something wrong or bad. It’s natural to want to get things right and be successful.
I’ve realized that for me, fearing failure can sometimes become so immobilizing that I want to quit the thing I’m afraid of failing at or never try in the first place. Anyone else ever been there?
This past weekend, I started to doubt my ability to learn and grow and become better at food photography, cooking, and baking. I got this gnawing feeling in my brain that I should give up. It gave me a lot of anxiety and made it difficult to accomplish the goals I had set out to accomplish for The Jewish Vegan.
I had a long conversation with my partner where I talked through my fears. I came to the realization that my fear of failing was holding me back. Is it possible that I might fail? Yes. But does that mean I shouldn’t try? Heck no! Between now and my possible failure (or success!), I will have learned so much. Failure can help you grow, too. Yes, it sucks to fail, but that doesn’t mean that what you were doing wasn’t worthwhile.
(I do want to note that there is privilege in being afforded the opportunity to fail and learn from it. Folks of privileged identities face less risk for failing than do folks of marginalized identities.)
I don’t think that my fear of failure will ever entirely disappear, but I feel more energized to push through my fear and take risks. I’ve realized that even if that risk doesn’t pay off in the way I thought it would, I will have still gained something.
One of the new things I am trying is interesting flavor combinations, which I’ve tried out here in this Vegan Stuffed Shells recipe. To me, the mushroom, spinach, and cheesy ricotta flavors really play well together in this dish.
The other great thing about this dish is that it’s a quick dish to make – just 30 minutes total and about half of that is waiting for the shells to finish cooking! This is also a fun dish to make with kids as they can help stuff the shells (as long as you don’t mind a little mess and a few split shells!). Lastly, the use of tofu and cashews in this dish means that it’s got the added benefit of being packed with protein.
I used a 9in pie dish to cook these shells, but you can use any baking dish you have. My pie dish fit 12 shells, so if you’re planning to make more, you will need more dishes. You’ll also want to make sure to use enough sauce to coat the outside of the shells before baking, otherwise they might get a bit crunchy in the oven. Lastly, feel free to try different leafy green veggies in your shells for a different flavor or texture! I think kale might be a good option to consider because it would add a really interesting texture.
I would love the hear what you think of this recipe and any changes you made. Let me know in the comments or message me at @thejewishvegan on Instagram. And, as always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out. Now, let’s get started!
Vegan Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 12-16 jumbo shells
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup baby bella mushrooms finely chopped
- 1 cup spinach roughly chopped
- 1 jar your favorite marinara sauce
Ricotta "Cheese"
- 1 block firm tofu
- 1 cup cashews raw, unsalted
- ½ cup water
- ½ tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tbsp yellow miso paste optional
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Cook the jumbo shells according to the package directions. Once cooled enough to touch, separate them so they won't stick together on a plate. Set aside.
- In another pot, boil the cashews for 15 minutes.
- While the shells and cashews are boiling, heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. When hot, add the mushrooms and cook until browned (about 4 minutes).
- Add the spinach and cook, covered, until wilted. Set aside.
- On a plate, use a fork to smash the tofu completely. It will be completely crumbled when done. Transfer to a bowl.
- Add the cashews and the ½ cup water into a blender and blend until smooth. Add the lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and yellow miso paste (if using) and blend until combined. Add the salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the cashew sauce, mushrooms, and spinach to the bowl with the tofu and combine. Mix thoroughly and add more salt and pepper, to taste.
- In a baking pan or pie pan, spread a thin layer of marinara sauce along the bottoms of the pan.
- Spread a layer of marinara sauce inside one of the shells, then fill the shell with the ricotta mixture. Place in the pan and repeat until the pan is filled with shells (or you run out of shells).
- Spread additional sauce on the outside of the shells that are visible and in the spaces in between the shells. The gaps do not need to be filled with sauce, but you should try to make sure that exposed shells have some sauce on them.
- Place the pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and let cook for approximately 10 minutes before serving.
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