Creamy Tortelini Soup

Keep this recipe on stand by for the next chilly night.  I made this a couple of months ago and was really impressed with how great it was.  No one has to know that you used canned soup as a base.  This is a tasty and filling soup.  The best part is it's on the table in no time!

Creamy Tortelini Soup

2 whole Large Cloves Of Garlic Minced

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 cans 10 3/4 Oz Cans Of Condensed Tomato Soup (I used the traditional Campbell's Soup in the can)
½ cups Sun Dried Tomatoes, Chopped Or Two Tablespoons Of Sun Dried Tomato Paste
1-½ cup Milk
2 cups Half-and-half
2 cups Chicken Stock
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
½ teaspoons Salt
½ teaspoons Pepper
2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
1 whole 9 Oz Package Of Cheese Filled Tortellini
½ cups Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Saute garlic with the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat until golden brown.
When the garlic is done, add tomato soup, tomatoes, milk, half and half, chicken stock and spices. Bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, prepare tortellini as directed.  When done, drain and add to soup.  Ladle soup into bowls, top with parmesan cheese and serve with crusty bread.

Enjoy!!!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

I had bread bowls and I had broccoli...  what to do, what to do?  I turned to the ever so popular Pioneer Woman for inspiration & came upon this recipe.  I could eat soup anytime of year.  This soup was incredibly simple to make and oh so delicious!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 Onion, Diced

1 stick 1/2 Cup Butter
1/3 cup Flour
4 cups Whole Milk
2 cups Half-and-half
4 heads Broccoli Cut Into Florets
1 pinch Nutmeg
3 cups Grated Cheese (mild Cheddar, Sharp Cheddar, Jack, Etc.)
Small Dash Of Salt (more If Needed)
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Chicken Broth If Needed For Thinning

Melt butter in a pot over medium heat, then add the onions. Cook the onions for 3 to 4 minutes, then sprinkle the flour over the top. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute or so.  Slowly add in milk and half-and-half, stirring while adding. Add nutmeg, broccoli, salt, and black pepper.

Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender.  You will want to stir periodically.

At this point you can pick your consistency.  I wanted a good amount of texture to my soup, so I decided to go with some pureed, some chopped, and some left as is.  You could absolutely leave it all as is, or blend it all up nice and smooth.  If you choose to blend it, make sure to use caution.  Always blend hot liquids in smaller batches.  Or is you're lucky and have an immersion blender just use that.

Once you're satisfied with your consistency and everything is back in the pot and the heat is back on, stir in cheese and allow to melt.

Taste seasonings and adjust if needed.  At this point I added a little hot sauce, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Serve in a bread bowl if desired.  But this soup is tasty enough to be served in a regular ole bowl with some crackers.  Enjoy!

Yum!

What is this delightful looking pasta you ask?  Stay tuned...

Meatless Monday: Black Bean Avocado Burritos

By no means am I a vegetarian.  Honestly, I could never give meat up.  well, red meat maybe, but never chicken or pork.  Hello, can you imagine a life without bacon?!?!  It would be a dull, sad, lonely place.  Having said that, once in awhile we like to have a tasty meatless meal.  Why, I'm not actually sure, but if done right you don't even miss the meat in a dish.

These burritos were just right.  Easy, tasty, and guilt free.  You can adjust and customize these about 100 different ways, but here's what I did:

Black Bean Avocado Burritos

1 cup cooked brown rice

1 cup black beans

Pico de gallo or fresh salsa

1 avocado

tortillas (the bigger the better for folding purposes)

a bit of cheese (I used Monterey Jack)

Pre heat panini maker.

While rice is cooking, heat and season beans.  I use a can of plain black beans, mostly drained with a little bit of water.  Add a spoon full of salsa/pico de gallo, some salt, pepper and garlic.  In a separate dish, smash your avocado.  I like to keep it simple, with just a little salt, pepper, garlic and cumin.

Into a tortilla add, rice, beans, salsa, guac, and cheese.  Roll, tuck and fold ends to make a nice little burrito.  Repeat until burritos are assemble.  Place 2-3 into the panini maker at a time.  Enjoy!

Meatless Monday: Veggie Patty Parmesan

Sometimes on a hot day I just don't feel like going to the store after work.  Yesterday was one of those days!  Dinner time is so much easier when you prepare in advance.  Someday day I'll be that person who has my meals planned out a week in advance.  But not today.

My first thoughts yesterday evening included: I don't know what to make for dinner, we have nothing for me to make, and finally I give up!  After a few moments of pity party, inspiration hit me. We purchased THESE Veggie Patties at Costco the other day.  They are Don Lee Farms Veggie Patties. I was pleased to see that the ingredient list did not include anything that sounded like it came from a chemists lab.  Mr. B is quite please with them and takes them to work for lunch.  He always eats them as a burger, on a bun, but I got inspired to do something a little different with them for dinner. 

With the addition of some whole wheat pasta, fresh spinach, some marinara sauce, and a little Parmesan cheese, I threw together a Veggie Patty Parmesan.  It was easy as can be and dinner literally came together in 15 min!

Veggie Patty Parmesan

(This was for 2 servings.  Could easily be changed to serve more!)

2 Veggie Patties

2 cups (+/-) Marinara Sauce

1 cup Whole Wheat Pasta

2 large handfuls of fresh spinach, roughly chopped

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Cook veggie patties according to directions.  While patties are cooking, boil pasta.  Once pasta is cooked and drained, toss in a pot with 1/2 of the marinara sauce and the spinach.  Divide into individual servings on plates.  Place cooked veggie patty on pasta, top each patty with remaining marinara sauce, and a sprinkling of cheese.  In fifteen minutes you have a tasty meal that you can feel good about.  Enjoy!

 

Simple Roasted Artichokes

I typically go with the standard boiled, or steamed artichoke.  This time I wanted to try something a little different.  Simple Roasted Artichokes!  I think the great thing about this method, is you aren't limited to how many you can prepare based on the size of your pots.  No need for 2 or more pots on the stove just to seam your 'chokes.  This would be the perfect method for feeding a crowd.  (And with artichokes on sale here for .99 each, who could resist!)  Just wash & trim your artichokes - I always cut the tops with a serrated knife, cut the stem, and then trim the individual leaves with kitchen shears.  Then lay each artichoke on a large section of foil, drizzle with olive oil (I used this lemon olive oil & it was tasty!), and season to your taste.  If you are in the mood, you can shove a whole, peeled garlic clove in the top.  Then just wrap the whole artichoke up and repeat with the next.  Place into a preheated 425 degree oven, on the rack, and cook for an hour.  Carefully remove from oven and let set for 5 or so minutes.  Unwrap and Enjoy!

Easy Cheesy Skillet Lasagna

I saw this recipe on Pinterest from The Realistic Nutritionist and thought it was a little too good to be true!  "Easy Skinny Skillet Lasagna - 275 calories & 3 fat grams per cup, 7 WW points"??? Well I love cheese & I love lasagna.  With a short list of ingredients and an even shorter prep/cook time, I was sold.  Glad I gave this one a try!  It was too simple to taste that good!  The great part, you could add all sorts of goodies if you so desire.  I think next time I'll add sliced zucchini and fresh spinach.  Give this one a try, everyone at your table will be glad you did!  Enjoy! 

Easy Cheesy Skillet Lasagna

Serves 4

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Recipe adapted from Weight Watchers One Pot cookbook

1 1/2 Tbls extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (14.5 oz) cans Italian diced tomatoes
1/4 cup tomato sauce
3 basil leaves, chopped
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup part skim mozzarella cheese
3 Tbls Parmesan cheese
About 6 ounces lasagna noodles, broken into thirds & fully cooked
2 tsp parsley (dried or fresh)

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook until garlic is fragrant, about one minute. Add in diced tomatoes and let reduce slightly about 2 minutes.  Add tomato sauce, basil, salt and pepper. Cook mixture until it thickens up a bit, around 5 minutes.

Add noodles to skillet and stir into the mixture well. Add scoops of ricotta cheese over the noodles; add in mozzarella and Parmesan. Stir in parsley. Cook about 2 more minutes, or until mixture is thick.

Serve immediately with additional basil or parsley.

Nutritional information per 1 cup:
Calories: 275
Fat: 3 grams
Carbohydrates: 42 grams
Fiber: 9 grams
Protein: 15 grams
Weight Watchers Points Plus Points: 7

Jalapeno-Jack Grits

The past couple of weeks have been quite a blur.  We lost my beautiful grandma on Feb 20th.  She was the heart of our family and I have a hard time imagining my world with out her smiling face.  As far back as I can remember are memories of grandma and I in her kitchen.  Me sitting on the stool watching her at the stove.  As I grew older, me standing beside her learning some of her signature dishes.  Cooking has always been a huge part of me, and she is one of the reasons why.

I meant to post this recipe right after Valentine's Day, but it seems so fitting to share it now.  Grandma, a true Southern Belle, introduced me to Grits when I was was just a little girl.  We called it "Georgia Ice Cream".  It was often a part of our breakfast routine.  While these grits are a little different from our regular breakfast ones, thay are outstanding.  Don't be afraid of the Jalepeno, they aren't really spicy at all.  But oh so flavorful.  Enjoy!

Jalapeño-Jack Grits

Adapted from Epicurious
1/2 Tbls Butter
1/2 Tbls Olive Oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped (or 1/2 large onion)
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch strips (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch strips (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 tablespoon minced seeded jalapeño chili
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup quick-cooking grits
1 1/2 cups grated hot pepper Monterey Jack cheese (about 6 ounces)

Heat butter & olive oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, peppers, jalapeño, and garlic; sauté until peppers are tender, about 5 minutes.

Bring stock and cream to boil in heavy large saucepan. Add grits in thin stream, whisking constantly. Whisk until grits are cooked and mixture thickens, about 6 minutes. Add sautéed pepper mixture and cheese; stir until cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper.

Note: Always use care when handling jalepenos (and other hot peppers). The white membrane that the seeds are attached to packs the heat.  I usually cut this part out when I remove the seeds.  I always protect my hands when doing this.  A finger in the eye after touching one of these bad boys is NO fun!

Green Beans with Feta

This wonderfully simple side dish was the star of our dinner last night!  It was based on a recipe found in one of my new Cooking Light cook books.  I'll tell you what I did to make it shine & what I would have done had I made the time to go to the grocery store to make it even better!

Green Beans w/ Feta
1 bag of frozen petite french green beans (you can regular green beans or fresh Green beans, this is what I had on had)
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbls butter
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt & pepper to taste
Crumbled Feta

Boil green beans for approx 5 min (until tender), drain & set aside.  Preheat a saute pan, add butter, onion & garlic.  Add beans, salt & pepper.  Toss to coat.  Cook until onions are translucent.  (At this point is where I would have added a toasted nut such as walnuts, pine nuts, or slivered almonds.  I didn't have any, so I skipped that step.)  Transfer to serving dish & top with feta.  Enjoy!

Couscous Pilaf

We love couscous! I don’t usually do much to it when serving it as a side dish, but when I saw this recipe I decided it was worth a try.  I had everything on hand except for the pine nuts. It was great without, but I will definitely add them next time. I love toasted pine nuts in couscous. Enjoy!

Couscous Pilaf
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion (I used red onion)
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper (I used the roasted red bell peppers in the jar)
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup uncooked couscous
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted (since I didn't have any I topped with a little feta)

Preparation
1. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper; sauté 7 minutes.
2. While vegetables cook, bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually stir in couscous. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Stir in onion mixture, salt, and black pepper. Sprinkle with nuts.
Calories 225, Fat 5.5g

You say po-ta-toe...

I love potato salad.  I love many variations of it too.  This is an outstanding one that I turn to often.  It is a Barefoot Contessa recipe that I keep on hand because it never disappoints!  The great thing about it, is it doesn't have 10 million ingredients in it, yet it always gets rave reviews!  Thank you Ina!  From her kitchen, to mine, to yours... Enjoy!

Potato Salad
3 pounds small white potatoes
Kosher salt
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red onion

Place the potatoes and 2 tablespoons of salt in a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender when pierced with a knife. Drain the potatoes in a colander, then place the colander with the potatoes over the empty pot and cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel. Allow the potatoes to steam for 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, dill, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Set aside.
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in quarters or in half, depending on their size. Place the cut potatoes in a large bowl. While the potatoes are still warm, pour enough dressing over them to moisten. Add the celery and red onion, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Toss well, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Serve cold or at room temperature.

A Very Vegan Dinner…

Alrightie, so last Thursday we had the much anticipated vegan dinner. Yep, vegan... that means no meat, & no dairy! So, on the menu we had Black Bean Quesadillas with Corn Salsa, Spanish Style Quinoa (for more on quinoa see previous post) & a Simple Green Salad. Um, how do you

make quesadillas without the cheese/dairy product?? Well, I found these cheddar flavored “Veggie Shreds” (basically soy cheese) in the produce department over by the tofu and decided to give it a whirl. And what do you know, it wasn’t too bad. (Don’t worry cheese, you will always be my number one!) All in all this dinner turned out great! We were all exposed to new things. The quinoa very well may be my new BFF, the quesadillas were awesome & the corn salsa was too simple to be that good! And the best thing about this dinner is it doesn’t have to be vegan. We had a vegan dinner guest, but you can change it up to suit your tastes. You can for the real thing and toss on the Mexican blend real deal cheese! You could even add some grilled or shredded rotisserie chicken to the quesadillas. Also, if you aren’t ready for quinoa, stick to your favorite Spanish rice. Vegan, Vegetarian, Carnivore, how ever you like it, you can’t go wrong with this one! Enjoy!

Black Bean Quesadillas w/ Corn Salsa

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
2 cups chopped plum tomatoes (I used a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas (I used whole wheat, low carb tortillas)
3/4 cup (3 ounces) preshredded Mexican blend cheese (I used the Veggie Shreds)

Salsa:
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 red bell pepper, chopped (I used the roasted red bell pepper in the jar)
To prepare the quesadillas, preheat the broiler.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; saute 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, 1/2 cup cilantro, and beans; cook 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Place tortillas on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Top each tortilla with 1/2 cup bean mixture and 3 tablespoons cheese; fold in half. (My tortillas were small, so I kept them round & just topped with another tortilla.) Lightly coat tops with cooking spray. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese melts and tortillas begin to brown. Cut each tortilla into 3 wedges.

To prepare salsa, combine corn and remaining ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve with quesadillas.

Calories: 420, Fat: 14.4g

As for the Spanish Style Quinoa, I turned to my favorite Sassy Little Chef and asked her for tips on how she makes her Spanish Rice.  Since this is how I used to make Spanish Rice.  But honestly, now that I know how easy it is to make it your self, I'll probably ditch the bag of ingredients I can't pronounce & stick with the real stuff.  Since it was also the night for the big Quinoa Experiment, I just substituted quinoa for the rice. It totally turned out & it was Fantastic!  So far, after experiment #1, it seems true that anything rice can do Quinoa can do better for you!  But if you want her recipe, you’ll have to ask her for yourself. ;)

Quinoa??

OK, so I'm more than intrigued.  I've been hearing the mention of this Quinoa stuff (pronounced Keen-wah) pop up here & there for a while now... Wolfgang Puck had me completely entranced on QVC as he was rather successfully selling me on why I should purchase his pressure cooker.  A counter full of brightly colored pressure cookers each filled with a great looking meal all made in front of my very eyes in like 7 min!  One contained Quinoa, hmmm, I think I've heard of that before, sorta looks like couscous, I love couscous - I need the phone! Where's my wallet?  Do I want the red one or the teal one... Thumbing through a cookbook, oh there's that Quinoa stuff again.  Then on Monday my hairdresser was telling me how much she loves the stuff.  She cooks with it all the time & It's her new favorite thing. 

Well at this point I was intrigued, I just had to investigate!  I even went I bought a box.  The more I'm reading about this stuff the more I'm learning of it's awesomeness!  I haven't even tasted it yet, but people seem to love it!  It may be new to me, but it has been around for like 6000 years.  The Incas held this this stuff sacred, and called it chisaya mama or mother of all grains.  Quinoa's protein content is very high (12%–18%). Unlike wheat or rice it contains a balanced set of essential amino acids, making it complete protein source. It is a good source of dietary fiber, it's gluten-free, wheat-free and considered easy to digest. (thank you Wikipedia!)

In addition to protein, quinoa features a host of other health-building nutrients. Because quinoa is a very good source of manganese as well as a good source of magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus, this "grain" may be especially valuable for persons with migraine headaches, diabetes and atherosclerosis. (the worlds healthiest foods)

And as for the taste... Quinoa has a light, fluffy texture when cooked, and its mild, slightly nutty flavor makes it an alternative to rice or couscous.  I read one blog that said, "Anything rice can do, quinoa can do better!"

So, who's intrigued?  Anyone else have any experience with it?  Do tell!  Favorite recipes you care to share with me?  I'm making it tomorrow night, so stay tuned...

Fresh Corn Tomato Salad

So this is one of this recipes that I've made so many times I don't even really need a recipe for it any more.  I've made a couple changes to over the years, but it's basically remained the the same.  I believe it is a Bobby Flay recipe that I found it on the Food Network site.  If you are looking for a change from your usual green salad, this is super simple to make.  It is a wonderfully light and fresh summer salad.  I would only attempt to make this with fresh corn by the way.  This is one place that canned or frozen corn does NOT belong!  Enjoy!

Fresh Corn Tomato Salad

3 Tbls white wine vinegar
2 tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup EVOO
6 ears fresh corn, husked
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1 bunch scallions (white & Green), thinly sliced
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into cubes
1 ½ cups fresh basil
½ bag fresh baby spinach
3 Tbls balsamic vinegar

Whisk the vinegar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream, to make a smooth dressing.

Shear off the corn kernels with a sharp knife over a bowl. Toss in the tomatoes, scallions, and mozzarella. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to coat. Cover and let set for 15 minutes or up to 2 hours. Before serving, tear or chop the basil & spinach over the salad, drizzle balsamic and stir.