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!

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: Light Raspberry Vinaigrette

Some raspberry vinaigrettes taste too strong for me. I suppose because they are so heavy on the raspberry or because they include Dijon mustard. Now, personally, I love Dijon but I'm not sure it belongs in this recipe. Here is a lighter version. It is sweet, but in my opinion it has just the right amount of raspberry flavor:

Ingredients
1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon Tabasco (optional)
6 Tablespoon sugar
2 Tablespoon dried parsley (or 6 T. freshly chopped)
1 cup olive oil

Directions
Mix well. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Note: Try it in this recipe and you'll impress all your friends.

Recipe: Sugar Coated Pecans for Salad

I have an awesome recipe for salad that includes candied pecans. Store bought cost way too much money. Instead, purchase pecans when on sale (I found bulk pecans for half price this week via Easter sales) and make your own. Then store in an airtight container. Once you've made these, you'll never want to put plain ole' nuts into salad again.

This is the recipe I use for salad pecans:
Ingredients
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups pecan halves
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter

Directions
Preheat oven to 300°F

In medium sized bowl, combine egg white, water, and vanilla, Beat until foamy. Stir in pecans with wooden spoons until they're well coated with the egg white mixture. Set aside.

In another bowl, combine sugar and salt. Pour over the moist pecans and stir to coat evenly. (I do all this in my Kitchenaid mixer bowl.)

In preheated oven, gently melt butter in jelly roll pan. Carefully remove pan from oven and stir nuts into melted butter. Spread nuts evenly and bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, making sure they don't burn.

Remove from oven and spoon to wax paper to cool.

I put the jelly roll pan immediately into the sink with hot water for easy cleaning.

Once cooled, break up the pecans.

Variation
If you're making the sugar coated pecans just for nibbling, you may want to add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon to the sugar mixture.

The Sneaky Chef Part Two

Not everyone agrees that The Sneaky Chef works or that it is anywhere near a good thing. Gosh, I didn't agree with it at one time.

I did everything right. Everything the experts, even Dr. Phil, says you should do in developing good eating habits. And it worked wonderfully with five out of my seven kids. It worked somewhat with one of them and not at all with the last.

Mr. Super Picky Eater is six-years old and a tough nut to crack. I'm not a short order cook and so if he doesn't eat what I make then he doesn't eat all. He chooses not to eat at all. He just isn't that interested in eating period. Even with foods he likes, he doesn't eat much.

If he doesn't like something, well, let's just say that he has an overactive gag reaction. And that's not appetizing to anyone.

Rob and I have incredibly healthy eating habits ourselves, so we're modeling correct behavior. We rarely eat fast food or junk food. I offer foods multiple times, patiently. I breastfed forever and introduced good food from the beginning. I offer a wide variety. None of it worked with this one child. Part of the problem I think is that textures bother him in addition to the taste and color. Yes, I know, it's probably in his head. But the kid has got to eat. He's on the small side and I'm concerned. The doctor only recommends what I've already done. That and a multi-vitamin.

So, The Sneaky Chef is a final option for me. No, I'm not going to make chocolate chip cookies for him everyday because it has bean puree in it. But, if I'm making cookies for the family anyway, why not add something healthy to it. Especially if it makes the food taste as good if not better (as with the lasagna and mac 'n cheese).

I'll still have salads, fruits, and vegetables for dinner. But when the menu calls for a dish that hides the purees well, I'm going to add it. Just as I substitute whole wheat flour in bread recipes, brown rice in casseroles, and applesauce in brownies.

Tonight was taco night. I do a whole taco bar -- ground sirloin, black beans, colby/jack cheese, avocados, brown rice, lettuce, sweet peppers, homemade salsa, taco shells, and tortillas. It's a feast and it's one meal Mr. Super Picky Eater looks forward too. He'll eat a tortilla with meat, cheese, and sour cream.

The Sneaky Chef has a recipe for tacos that calls for purple puree (blueberries and spinach) mixed in with the taco meat. Now, this one was a challenge for me. I normally just brown the meat and season it with cumin, garlic, sea salt, and pepper. To hide the purple puree, I would have to add tomato paste.

I served it reluctantly, worried the kids would reject it because it was so different. And it wasn't a pretty color. Not red as one would expect from taco meat but brown. The kids all commented on the color but they tried it without me having to coax them (probably because I do offer such a wide variety of foods to them). The reviews were mixed from, "It's sooooo good!" to "It's not too bad." Mr. Super Picky Eater was in the "It's soooooo good" camp so I considered it a resounding success.

Do I like being sneaky? No. Not at all. But Rob and the older kids all know what I'm doing. The littles are off playing while I'm cooking so they don't notice what's going on and I'm not going to go out of my way to tell them. Once Mr. Super Picky Eater is a little older and has been eating this way for a while, I'll casually mention to him that his favorite dishes are filled with yumcious vegetables and fruits. It's my hope he'll then be more willing to try them on his own at that time.

The Sneaky Chef Works!

"Mom! This is the best lasagne ever!" That's one of the nicest things a mom can hear just after, "Mom! I love this macaroni and cheese! It's totally the best!"

I used to think I was a brilliant mother. My children ate healthy food and never complained. It surely must have been my superior mothering skills. And then came my fourth child, Mr. Picky Eater. He would go to great extremes to avoid eating anything other than pizza, pbj, and macaroni & cheese. I would find food hidden in the heating vent, under the legs of the dinner table, and inside pockets. Today, at nearly 13 he no longer hides food and even eats green food now and then.

Then came my seventh child. Mr. Extreme Picky Eater. He's six-years old, stubborn as all get out (wonder where he gets that from), and doesn't like to eat anything that even sniffs of healthy.

Enter The Sneaky Chef by Missy Shase Lapine. Have you heard about this book? It's an old idea amongst mothers -- hide healthy food in cherished foods. My mother used to put carrot puree in chocolate cakes when I was a little. Though this is not an idea I first welcomed. I want my kids to make healthy choices when they get older and I'm not sure if hiding their carrots in chocolate cake is the way to do it.

However, Mr. Extreme Picky Eater has pushed his mother her wits' end. I borrowed The Sneaky Chef from the library. I'm in love. I ended up ordering it from amazon.com because it's one I need to have on hand.

Last night I made cheese lasagne. I substituted part of the ricotta with mashed tofu. I also added orange puree to the tomato sauce. The orange puree is made by boiling carrots and sweet potatoes until soft and then pureed with a little water in the blender.

The kids loved it! They raved about it! Mr. Picky Eater and his brother Mr. Extreme Picky Eater raved about it more than anyone else. They were absolutely pleased I didn't put in chopped spinach as I usually do. It was tasty, no green, and yumcious!

I used only half of the orange puree, so today I put the remainder into our boxed macaroni & cheese. Again -- they raved about it! They exclaimed that it was totally the best ever. It gave the mac 'n cheese a sweet bite to it.

I'm hooked. As my picky eaters get older I'll let them in on my tricks. But for now, shhhh!

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.

Making Homemade Broth

The following are more guidelines than recipes. Substitute away with what you have on hand or in your garden. It really isn't that hard to make broth -- throw a bunch of stuff in a pot with water, boil it to death, and delicious broth is created.

Simple Broth
I hate to throw anything away, so I often make my own homemade broth from leftovers and the discards of cut-up vegetables from other dishes. I keep them in the freezer for the next time a recipe calls for broth or stock. Besides, homemade broth tastes tons better than bouillon cubes and water. The following recipes are just a base, use whatever veggies, herbs, and bones you have and improvise. The best stock comes from the freshest ingredients.


Vegetable Broth
2 large leeks
2 large celery stalks, including leaves, halved
1 large onion, cut into chunks
3 large carrots, quartered
2 garlic cloves
salt to taste
1/2 Ib. green beans, cut in half
3 quarts cold water
1/2 cup firmly packed fresh parsley sprigs
3 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dry)
1 bay leaf
8 peppercorns

Cut roots off leaks; remove and discard coarse outer leaves. Split lengthwise and clean well. Add vegetables, garlic, and water to stockpot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and skim any foam from the surface. Add parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Cover and simmer at least one hour, but longer is better. Strain broth and discard veggies. Season to taste with salt. Cool uncovered in sink or cooler surrounded by ice. (I do it this way so I don't heat up my fridge and spoil my other food.) Cover and store in fridge for up to 4 days or freeze up to 6 months. Makes 10 cups.


Beef Broth
3 to 4 Ibs. beef bones
2 quarts cold water
2 large onions, halved
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, halved
1 stalk celery with leaves, halved
3 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dry)
1 bay leaf
6 peppercorns

Preheat oven to 400. Place bones in roasting pan and bake for 30 minutes, turning once. (This part is optional) Discard fat. Transfer bones and remaining ingredients to a large stockpot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 4 hours. Skim the foam off the top. Strain the stock. Cool uncovered in sink or cooler surrounded by ice. Store in fridge for 4 days or in freezer for 3 months. To de-fat the stock, place in fridge until the fat hardens on the surface, then remove and discard.


Chicken Broth
3 Ibs. chicken backs, necks, and/or wings
3 quarts of water
1 onion, quartered
2 stalks of celery with leaves, cut up
2 large carrots, quartered
2 tsp. fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh Thyme (or 1 tsp. dry)
8 peppercorns
salt to taste

In a large stockpot bring all of the ingredients to a boil. Reduce and simmer, partially covered for at least 1 hour, longer is better. Skim the foam off the top. Remove chicken and strain stock. (The chicken meat can be used in chicken salad.) Cool uncovered in the pot in sink or cooler immersed in ice. To de-fat the stock, refrigerate until the fat hardens on the surface, then remove and discard. Store in fridge for 4 days or in freezer for 3 months.


Fish Broth
2 to 3 fish bones and/or fish heads, well rinsed, cut into 4-inch pieces.
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
1/4 cup fresh parsley
2 celery stalks with leaves, quartered
4 fresh thyme sprigs (or 1 tsp. dry)
1 medium onion, quartered
1 bay leaf
1 large carrot, halved
6 whole peppercorns
1 lemon slice
salt to taste
2 quarts water

Combine fish, celery, onion, carrot, and lemon in stockpot. Add enough water to cover. Stir in wine. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Skim off any residue. Add parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Simmer 30 minutes, skimming surface as necessary. Strain broth. Season with salt to taste. Cool uncovered in sink or cooler surrounded by ice. Cover and store in fridge up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month. Makes 6 cups.

Preserving Herbs

My friend Linda S. writes:

I found this web site on how to preserve herbs and thought you might be interested in it...it is as simple as I had hoped it would be!
Harvesting and Preserving Herbs for the Home Gardener

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!

About: Super Bowl Food

About: Superbowl Recipes and Quick Party Food Tips

Recipe: Faux Lil' Smokies

From Thrifty Homeschooler Member Sarah:

Our favorite to have at any party is little smokies. Instead of using the true little smokies I use cut up hot dogs. In a slow cooker I mix together 1 bottle barbecue sauce (I use a sweet hickory flavor but you can use whatever kind you would like.) To this I add 1 jelly jar (usually grape but have used blackberry when no grape in the house.) add 2 packages of cut up hot dogs (20 hot dogs total). Leave on low.

Recipe: Chili Cheese Dip

From Thrifty Homeschool member Michelle:

Here's an easy one:

Chili Cheese Dip
1 block of cream cheese (8 oz)
1 can Hormel chili, any flavor or about 1 cup of homemade chili
Salsa (use the chili can and fill it about 3/4 full of salsa..about 1 cup)
1 cup of shredded cheese, whatever type you like
tortilla chips or corn chips

In a deep dish pie plate (I use my glass one), layer cream cheese, chili, salsa and top with cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven until bubbly. Serve with chips! Yummy, easy, quick and relatively inexpensive!

Recipe: Avocado Black Bean Dip

My friend Julie makes the most awesome avocado dip whenever we have a get together. Everyone loves it! And avocados are on sale for $1 this week.

I don't exactly have Julie's recipe, but here's how I make it:

Avocado Black Bean Dip

2 avocados, mashed
1 tsp. lime or lemon juice
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen or fresh corn
1 jalapeno (2 if you really like spicy), chopped
1 can chopped tomatoes, drained well
salt, pepper, and cumin to taste

Mix it all up and enjoy!

Recipe: Hot Chicken Wings

From a Thrifty Homeschooler member:

My family's favorite Super Bowl recipe is hot chicken wings.

1 large pack of wings
1 tbsp. butter
1 medium size bottle of hot sauce (I use Frank's)

Cut the wings at the joints, throw out the tips. Line a large shallow pan with foil and lightly coat with oil. Put the butter and all the hot sauce in a pot and heat just till the butter melts. Put the wings on the pan; skin side up, brush on sauce, then flip them over, brush sauce on backs. Put the wings in oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Take the wings out, pour off the fat, turn the wings over, coat the skin side again. Back into the oven for 30 minutes. Take out, pour off the fat, put wings into a dish, coating with sauce as you put them in. Serve with Marie's blue cheese salad dressing and celery sticks. The wings come out crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, hot and delicious.

I hope those who choose to try my recipe enjoy it as much as my family and friends do. Bon Appetite.

Super Snacks For the Super Bowl

The theme of my grocery store's ads this week is The Big Game. They have loads of snack makings on sale, such as avocados, cheese, and salsa. But they're also advertising party platters that cost a bundle. For example they have a Mexican layered dip for $11.99 that I could make for a quarter of that price.

So, for the rest of the week, I'll be posting easy, inexpensive, snacks for your Super Bowl Party. If you have a favorite to share, leave it in the comments and I'll bring up here.

First, here's that Layered Mexican Dip Recipe:

8 oz. sour cream
1 c. colby/jack cheese, shredded
Green onions, chopped
Black olives, chopped
Tomatoes, chopped
Bean dip
Guacamole dip
Salsa
Lettuce, shredded
Tortilla chips for dipping

Reserve 1 heaping tablespoon sour cream for garnish, mixing remainder with 1/2 package taco seasoning. Layer in plate in this order: bean dip on the bottom, guacamole, sour cream mixture, salsa, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, green onion, black olives; top with dollop of plain sour cream. Dip from outer edge to center.

There are about a million versions of this dip. You could google "Layered Mexican Dip" or just make up your own, using your favorite items.

Stretching the Icing

If you use the store bought cake frosting, whip it up a couple of minutes with your mixer. It'll double in size and go twice as far. Plus, it'll be lighter and fluffier. And, hey, if you're on a diet, it's a good thing as you'll use half the icing and take in half the calories!

Emergency Kitchen Substitutions

Do you ever find yourself all geared up and ready to make a favorite recipe but then discover you're staring at an empty container of a needed ingredient? Ugh. You don't want to run out to the store right now. So what do you do?

Find out here: Emergency Kitchen Substitutions by Debora Taylor-Hough