Recipe: Creamy Tomato Basil Spinach Tortellini Soup

We are continuing our Autumn Soupfest. This is a favorite soup of mine: Crockpot Tomato Basil Soup. I changed it up tonight for a number of reasons: 1) I needed to speed up the process and make it on the stove; 2) I had some fresh tortellini and spinach in the fridge; and 3) I wanted to lighten up the calorie count.

I accomplished number 3 in two ways. First, instead of cream I used evaporated milk. Second, I skipped the roux.  I put some of the cooked veggies in my blender to thicken the soup without adding flour and fat.

The ending soup was delicious. Absolutely delicious! I can't wait to have the leftovers tomorrow. Just as pleasing was the fact that the soup wasn't damaging to my diet. There are a lot of ingredients, but it was fairly easy to put together. Here's the recipe for you:

Creamy Tomato, Basil, and Spinach Tortellini Soup
Olive oil
Large onion, diced
2 large carrots, diced
4 celery ribs, sliced
1 red pepper, diced
4 Tbsp. fresh basil, finely chopped (or 1 Tbsp. dried)
1 Tbsp. fresh garlic, chopped (or 1 tsp. dried)
6 cups fresh spinach, chopped (or one 10-oz. pkg. frozen, thawed)
2 cans diced tomatoes (I prefer the petite diced), with the juice
4 cups vegetable broth
Freshly ground pepper to taste (I like a lot!)
1 can evaporated milk
1 9-oz. package refrigerated tortellini (optional)
Parmesan cheese, optional

Cover the bottom of your soup pot with olive oil and heat on the stove top.
Add onions and carrots.
As the onions become translucent, add the celery, red pepper, basil, and garlic.
Saute just 4 or 5 minutes.
Add spinach, tomato, vegetable broth, and pepper.
Bring to a boil.
Then turn down to low and let it simmer, until the carrots are tender.
Put half of the soup into your blender. Let it cool a little bit so you don't get scalded. Blend and add back to the pot.
Add the evaporated (NOT condensed!) milk.
Once the soup is warm again, add the fresh tortellini (I used spinach and cheese tortellini). Heat through for about 5 minutes.
Serve.
Enjoy all the rave reviews!

The kids added fresh Parmesan to their bowls. I skipped the cheese myself -- it was delicious enough without any extra help (or calories!).

Recipe: Roasted Tomato and Kale Soup

Sorry, I was too hungry to take time for a prettier picture!

The leaves have fallen, the air is cold and crisp, and soup is on the stove. My husband loves soup and looks forward to this time of year as I'm making it several times every week. The following recipe is one I created last night when I couldn't decide between Tuscan Bean Soup and Roasted Tomato & Rosemary with Kale and Potato Soup. What I ended up with was delicious in addition to being thrifty and calorie friendly. I hope you like it too ...

Roasted Tomato and Kale Soup
Olive oil
Large Onion, diced
Garlic, minced
2 large carrots, diced
3 celery ribs, thinly sliced
Small bunch of fresh basil, finely chopped (could substitute dry)
Oregano (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Handful of spinach, chopped
Handful of kale, chopped
Can of roasted tomatoes
Can garbanzo beans (cannellini or other white bean would work nicely too), drained and rinsed 
4 cups vegetable broth

Heat olive oil in your stock pot and add the onions and stir.
As the onions start to become translucent, add the garlic, carrots, celery, basil, oregano, and pepper.
When they've cooked just 3 or 4 minutes, add the spinach, kale, and can of tomatoes (do not drain).
While that heats up, put the drained beans in the blender with some of the vegetable broth. This will give your soup a nice thick texture and a delicious flavor as well as being healthy.
Pour the bean puree and the rest of the broth into your stock pot.
Let simmer, covered, on low for an hour.

Delicious served with crusty bread or fresh Parmesan.

Really good the next day as leftovers!

Lenten Recipe: Roasted Navajo Soup

Ash Wednesday is around the corner. If you're looking for Lenten recipes, you'll find quite a few if you look to your right in the sidebar under Labels: Lenten / Meatless Recipes.

Here is a nice hardy soup I came up with sometime ago that is perfect as winter seems to hang on here in the north:

Roasted Navajo Soup

2 medium sweet potatoes
2 red, yellow, or green peppers
1 large onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 (15 oz.) can of tomatoes
1 Tbsp. canned chipotles in adobo sauce
1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained
6 cups vegetable broth
1 (4 oz) box of wild rice prepared an hour ahead of time (optional)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a large baking sheet with oil.

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes.

Stem and seed the peppers and cut into 1-inch pieces.

Cut the stem and root ends of the onion, peel, and slice into wedges.

In a toss the veggies with the garlic, oil, cumin, salt, and pepper.

Spread on the prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes. Stir well and continue to roast another 10 to 15 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are fork tender.

In a blender puree the tomatoes, chipotles, cilantro, roasted vegetables, and black beans. You may have to do this in batches.

In a soup pot, combine the puree with the broth and prepared wild rice (optional). Simmer for 15 minutes until warm throughout.

Optional: Serve with sour cream, plain yogurt, and or tortilla chips.

Variations: You could replace the wild rice with a white or brown rice. Or even skip the rice put the beans in whole instead of making them part of the puree.

Recipe: Winter Root Pudding

My friend Patsy gave this sweet potato recipe to me years ago. It is absolutely delish!!!! My kids love it as it's pumped full of sugar and fat, which is why we save it for special occasions like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and birthdays.

Winter Root Pudding
3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 c. melted butter
3 eggs beaten
1/3 cup milk
1 Tblsp. vanilla

Topping:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1/2 flour
1/2 cup butter, softened

Mix together and pour into a 9 x 9 pan, which has been sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle on the topping. Bake at 350 for 25 to 35 minutes.

Recipe: Mixed Green Salad with Pecans, Goat Cheese, and Dried Cherries

This is an awesome salad. It's so beautiful and delicious that it's one you'll want to make whenever you go visiting. I first tasted it when my friend Lynette brought it for a gathering at my home. Now I'll be making it to take to my friend Linda's house for Easter.

Ingredients
1 pound mixed greens (I like to add some baby spinach too)
1 small to medium red onion, sliced thinly
4 - 6 oz. crumbled feta cheese (I buy a block of it and crumble myself - cheaper & only a few seconds of extra work)
1/2 cup dried cherries (craisens work okay and are cheaper)
1 cup sugar coated pecans
1 green pear (optional)
Light raspberry vinaigrette

Directions
Make your sugar coated pecans and raspberry vinaigrette ahead of time.

Place mixed greens in a very large bowl. Add the feta (goat cheese), dried cherries, red onions, and pecans. Toss with 1/4 cup of the dressing or to taste.

Optional
Core and thinly slice your green pear and place on top of the salad for a pretty finishing touch.

Recipe: Homemade Refried Beans

Here is my simple recipe for refried beans for days when you're in a hurry:

Ingredients
1 teaspoon corn oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 dash Tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Heat the oil in skillet. Saute the onions until clear. Add the garlic, beans and spices and saute until heated through. Remove from heat and mash with a potato masher until smooth. If the beans are too thick, you can thin them out with a little bit of picante sauce.

If you want to make a bean dip, only drain one can of the black beans and add the liquid from the other can to the pot.

Pinto beans will also work and are the traditional bean, but I like the black beans.

If you have time, here is a thriftier choice made with dry beans:
FRIJOLES REFRITOS DELICIOSO!!! REFRIEDBEANS

When I make refried beans with dry beans, I make a LOT at once and freeze them.

Note: Refried doesn't mean to fry twice. The prefix "re" in Spanish means thoroughly or very. Authentic refried beans use lard or bacon drippings.

Split Pea Soup Recipe

Thrifty homeschool member Margaret Mary has a split pea soup recipe over at her blog. Go check it out. Very thrifty and yummy too!

Tex-Mex Casserole

Super Easy Tex-Mex Casserole

2 c. cooked rice, brown or white
1 1/2 c. salsa
1 tsp. chili powder
15-oz. can black beans, undrained
1 c. frozen corn
tortilla chips
8 oz. Colby jack cheese, shredded, separated

Preheat oven to 350.

Spray casserole dish with Pam.

Combine the first 5 ingredients and 1/2 of the cheese, in the casserole dish. Top with crunched up tortilla chips and remaining cheese.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes.

Refried Bean Soup

My friend Colleen gave this recipe to me years ago and I still make it. Sometimes, I have homemade refried beans and broth in the freezer and will use that. I'll post recipes for the beans and broth over the next week.

If I use this recipe as my main course, I double it.

Refried Bean Soup

2 tsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) vegetable or chicken broth
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) Mexican style stewed tomatoes
1 can (16 ounces) fat-free refried beans
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
black pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a 4 1/2 quart Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Saute onion and pepper until tender.

Add the garlic, broth, and stewed tomatoes. Stir. Raise the heat to high. Stir in the refried beans and the cumin. Stir well. Cover and let the soup come to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and stir occasionally for 5 to 7 minutes or until ready to serve.

Variation: Add a can of black and/or kidney beans.

Cheese Enchiladas with Green Sauce

This recipe has way too much fat and is labor intensive, but it is so delicious that I still make every once in a while. Even my green-hating children like this dish. (Don't tell your kids it's green because of the spinach!)

I got this recipe originally from Betty Crocker's Vegetarian Cooking (long OOP), but as usual I've made adjustments. This serves 6, so double if you have a large family.

Sauce
10-ounce fresh spinach (about 6 cups) or a 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained.
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup veggie or chicken broth
1 4-ounce can diced green chilies, drained
1 3/4 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Cheese Filling
2 cups grated mild cheddar cheese
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese (pepper cheese if you like spicy)
1/2 c. sour cream
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley (I prefer fresh, but dry is okay)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

8 6-inch corn or wheat tortillas

Preheat oven to 375

First mix together the ingredients for the cheese filling.

Next make the sauce:
Wash spinach, cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain, pat dry, and chop. (If you use frozen, cook spinach according to package instructions and drain well)

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add flour and stir mixture 2 minutes; be careful not to brown. Gradually whisk in milk and
broth. Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in spinach, chilis, cumin, and red pepper.

Now prepare your enchiladas:
Spray rectangular baking dish with Pam.

Heat the tortillas in an ungreased skillet for about 30 seconds so they don't crack when you roll your enchiladas. Cover with a tea towell so they don't dry out.

Dip each tortilla into the green sauce, making sure both sides are completely covered. Spoon about 1/4 c. of the cheese filling onto each tortilla. Roll the tortilla around the filling. Place seam side down the baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Bake until cheese melts and enchiladas are heated through, about 25 minutes.

You could garnish with fresh cilantro, lime wedges, or green onions.

Lenten Meals Around the World

Suburban Banshee over at Aliens in this World is posting tons of Lenten recipes from around the world. Very cool! You could tie in your Lenten meals with your social studies. I love homeschooling!

Vegetable Oven Omelet

My friend Linda has chickens and so always has an abundance of eggs at her house. This recipe is for her.

I love omelets, but I never make them. Too much of a pain when you have children. Instead, I make my omelets in the oven.

Vegetable Oven Omelet
1 c. shredded pepper jack cheese (4 oz.)
3 c. of your favorite veggies, chopped
2 med. tomatoes, chopped
3 c. shredded Cheddar cheese (8 oz.)
2 c. milk
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
8 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 and spray a large casserole dish with Pam. Layer the first 4 ingredients, in the order listed, in the casserole.

Beat milk, flour, salt, and eggs until frothy. Pour over cheese.

Bake uncovered until eggs are set, about 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes, then cut and serve.

(For a smaller family, click HERE for a similar recipe that uses half the ingredients.)

Spaghetti Primavera

I seem to be on an Italian kick here.

I first got this recipe many years ago from one of those little Pillsbury cookbooks you find in the check out lane at the grocery store. I've altered it just slightly.

My favorite veggies for this dish are red bell peppers, broccoli, zucchini, and carrots.

Spaghetti Primavera
12-oz. pkg. spaghetti
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
6 c. of your favorite veggies (or what you have leftover in the fridge)
1 c. milk (if you don't care about fat then use 1/2 and 1/2)
1/2 c. butter
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning to taste
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, separated
2 med. tomatoes, cut into wedges (peeled, if you're picky)

While your spaghetti is boiling, saute the garlic in a large skillet with the olive oil. Add your veggies and saute until they're tender crisp, about 5 to 10 minutes.

In a small saucepan combine the milk, butter, and spices. Heat until butter melts and remove from heat. Stir in 1/4 c. of the Parmesan, saving the 1/4 c. for later.

In a large serving bowl, combine the cooked pasta and sauce. Gently fold in the vegetables. Garnish with the tomato wedges and top off with the remaining Parmesan.

Risotto

Another favorite classic Italian dish at my house is Risotto. This is a rice dish made with Arborio (or more simply, medium grain rice). It is a more time-consuming recipe than most rice dishes. Instead of just dumping the water and rice into a pot and forgetting about it for 20 minutes, you gradually add broth as it's absorbed by the rice. Even though you do have to watch it for 20 min., it is very easy to make and the you end up with a nice creamy dish.

Like Frittata, this dish is versatile and you can easily substitute ingredients, but you always use Parmesan cheese.

Here is a very basic recipe for risotto.

Here is a recipe for Risotto Primavera. (Personally, I leave out the icky peas.)

If all you have in your pantry is long grain rice, it'll still work but the medium or short grain is better. I've never tried it with brown rice.

UPDATE: I tried it with brown rice. DON'T do it. It was a total failure. The brown rice takes too long to absorb the liquid so it evaporates before it cooks the rice.

Have It Your Way Frittata

My family loves Frittata. If you haven't had this Italian egg dish before, its kind like an oven omelet. My favorite is spinach with Swiss cheese and the runner up is broccoli with cheddar cheese.

The recipe I use can be found HERE. I cut this out from USA Magazine years and years ago and used it so often that it finally fell apart. This is a very basic recipe that you can modify to your tastes.

Going Vegetarian

One way to save money on your grocery bill, in addition to improving your health, is to cut back on meat consumption.

Also, during this time of Lent, many people abstain from meat for spiritual reasons.

Over the next month, I plan to post a vegetarian recipe each day to help those of you who need a little help going meatless.

Recipe: French Toast Pudding

When I find that I have a loaf of French bread too stale to serve, I make bread pudding. You can do this with just about any type of bread. If it's fresh then just cut it up and let it sit out a few hours uncovered to get stale.

I never quite make bread pudding the same. It all depends on what leftovers I have on hand. I might throw in sliced banana or chocolate chips.

If you've never made bread pudding, I encourage you to give it a try. Here is a simple, easy recipe for you to start. I serve it with dinner in place of bread, even though it could be served as dessert. If any is leftover, reheat in the microwave for breakfast.

French Toast Pudding
16 oz. loaf of bread, cut into cubes and stale
5 eggs
2 cups milk
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
brown sugar
butter

Preheat oven to 350. Put the cubed bread into a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, mix eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla. Pour mixture over the bread. Stir very well making sure to coat all the bread cubes. If you have time, let the mixture sit long enough to soak up all the liquid. (You could even mix this up ahead of time and put in the fridge to bake that evening.) Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with Pam. Pour the bread and egg mixture into the dish. Sprinkle brown sugar all over the top. Place thin dabs of butter all over the top of that. Bake for 45 minutes.

Cheap and Easy: Red Beans and Rice Recipe

Dry beans are thrifty but time consuming. By cooking them in the crock pot you save time and aggravation. This recipe is from Cooking Light Magazine.

Easy Crockpot Red Beans and Rice

INGREDIENTS
3 cups water
1 cup dried red kidney beans
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 (14-ounce) package turkey, pork, and beef smoked sausage, thinly sliced (such as Healthy Choice)
1 bay leaf
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups hot cooked long-grain rice
1/4 cup chopped green onions

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine first 12 ingredients in an electric slow cooker. Cover with lid; cook on high heat for 5 hours. Discard bay leaf; stir in salt. Serve over rice; sprinkle servings evenly with green onions.

YIELD: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup bean mixture, 3/4 cup rice, and 1 tablespoon green onions)

You can't get easier than that! Note: Don't change the type of bean as different dry beans need different times to cook.