Spinach Tortellini Soup

I'm still dieting and I was tired of eating the same thing OVER and OVER again until I found this bad boy! Spinach Tortellin Soup, light, refreshing, low fat, low cal and HUGE on the flavor level. This soup is easy to make and perfect for anyone who is looking to eat well without losing great taste and flavor in their meals.

2 cans of chicken broth
garlic, minced
onions, chopped small
1 bunch of spinach
1 package of tortellini (I use 3 cheese tortellini)
1 teaspoon of dry basil
salt & pepper

Optional: Franks Red Hot Sauce

First things first, dice your onion. I use 1/2 of a yellow onion.


Add your onion and garlic (1 tablespoon of garlic) to your pot and let the heat sweat out the liquids in the onion.

Add your chicken broth.

Add your basil, salt & pepper.

To add some color, I use one big dollop of tomato paste, freeze the rest.

In another pot, bring water to a boil and add your tortellini cooking them for only 5 minutes, do not cook them longer than 5 minutes as you are going to add them to hot soup which will do the rest of the cooking for you.

Your soup base should be at a boil now, add your clean spinach to it.

As you can see, the spinach adds lots of color and taste to the broth.

Now add your tortellini to the broth.

For additional flavor, I highly recommend adding a splash or two or three or four to the soup. I did and it added lots of extra taste!

As with any soup, add more, add less just make sure you taste taste taste as you go. This soup is AWESOME the next day.

Oyster Stew/Soup

Growing up, my father would make oyster soup and us three girls would fight over a bite! Of course, not everyone likes oysters but if you do, you must try this soup. In North Carolina, this dish a huge hit and they call it, "Oyster Stew". Soup or Stew, if your a fan of the oyster, you must try this easy, flavorful soup.

1 8 oz can of oysters, broth and all
1 cup of milk
1 tablespoon of butter
salt and pepper

I start off by putting the milk in a small pot and add the butter, cook until the butter is melted and then add the oysters. Remember, you get a lot of the base flavor from the liquids found in the can of canned oysters...don't drain, ADD TO YOUR SOUP!

Add pepper and a pinch of salt...serve with crackers and enjoy!

-Jenifer

Spinach, White Bean and Turkey Sausage Soup

Another one of my favorite food blogs is Closet Cooking. Kevin is an amazing cook and has great photos! You have to go check him out. I cannot get enough of what he makes. I have mentioned in the past that I'm trying to stick to a South Beach Diet type of eating. When I saw his post for this soup, I nearly jumped for joy. It's perfect for Phase 1. No carbs, no sugar. I quickly ran out and bought the ingredients and made this soup. The taste is amazing and almost indescribable. It had such a refreshing clean taste to it and the sausage loads it with tons of flavor. Try it out. I don't think you'll be disappointed!

Spinach, White Bean and Turkey Sausage Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound Italian turkey sausage (casing removed and crumbled)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion (chopped)

2 cloves garlic (chopped)

1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

4 cups chicken stock

1 (19 ounce) can cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)

1 teaspoon oregano

1 bay leaf

1 bunch spinach (chopped)

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the sausage and cook until no longer pink and set aside. Heat the oil in the same pan. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and red chili pepper flakes and saute for another minute. Add the sausage, stock, beans, oregano, and bay leaf and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the spinach and simmer until it wilts. Add the lemon juice and remove from heat.

Mexican Soup

It's a fact, when you have a new addition to the family, cooking is next to impossible. Between feedings, naps, diaper changes and the impossible shower...meals at times are based truly on convenience. Last week, my sweet Gillian kept Bart and I up a few nights in a row, all night long. I asked Bart to please call his mom over so she could come and help us out, all I needed was one night of rest. She did come to help and she came bearing gifts, one particular was this soup. It was so easy to make, Triston did the majority of the work. It's SO good, perfect for winter dinners and perfect for leftovers. Because I'm nursing, I couldn't eat this particular meal to avoid a fussy baby however it sure did please the rest of the family. (I did take a small spoonful bite and boy oh boy, it's delicious!)

Ingredients:

One can of the following:

pinto beans

chili beans

corn (drain all liquids)

Rotelle tomatoes (mild or hot)

diced tomatoes

beef broth

1 pound of ground beef

1 onion chopped

1 package of taco seasoning mix

1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch Dip Mix

1 cup of water

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Brown the beef and add onions. Let the onions sweat out it's liquids for 3-4 minutes before adding the meat/onions to your crock pot.

Start adding all the cans, such as the tomatoes.

Pinto beans.
Rotelle Tomatoes and corn (remember to drain all liquids out of the corn before adding).

Add beef broth.

Add the taco and ranch packets.

1 cup of water.

Stir and let simmer for an hour or so until flavors are well blended.

Serve with homemade tortilla chips or if you are pressed for time, store bought tortilla chips.

Enjoy!

Jenifer

Several Meals and Ideas from one Ham Bone

I cannot tell you enough how giddy I get when I bring home my Honey Baked Ham Co ham bone. It means easy meals for at least half a week, if not more. My mother-in-law, Donna, turned me on to this. I went to her house one night and had some pinto beans. The flavor was amazing. I asked her how she made them and this is when she revealed to me the "wonders" of the ham bone. But not just any ham bone...a ham bone from the Honey Baked Ham Co. I immediately ran out and bought one and have been hooked ever since. We have a Honey Baked Ham Co right down the street from our house so that helps but if you have to make the drive, it's completely worth it.

The Ham Co carries frozen ham bones. You can buy them in all different sizes. Every couple of months, they will run a special where you can buy a ham bone of any size and of any price PLUS one of their many soup mixes...both for $9.99. So when they run this sale, I buy a few ham bones for the freezer and I buy HUGE ones.

The one I bought last week was over $15.00 but since they were running the special, I got the ham bone plus a Split Pea Soup mix for $9.99.

You should have seen this thing...it was GINORMOUS!

It had so much ham on it. And the crust...OH, the crust. If any one of you have had a ham from the Honey Baked Ham Co...then you know what I'm talking about. The yummy crusty goodness all over the outside. This is just perfect for making soups or beans because you don't have to do much with it. All the spices and flavors are already all over the ham bone. Today's post I will show you how I made 4 meals with one ham bone.

So I bring my ham bone home. I thaw it out. First thing I do is make a Ham Sandwich...YUM! I ate it so fast I completely forgot to take a picture. Next thing I do, I cut off a large portion of the ham and cut those portions into small chunks and then I make my Split Pea Soup with that. You can make a home made split pea as well, but this mix I buy from them is amazing and even comes with a little seasoning packet. Total, it takes 2 hours, but you just put it in the pot and leave it and it does the rest for you. Very tasty.

I put my ham bone back in the fridge for the next day. I put my pinto beans in a pot and soak them over night. The next day I place the remaining ham bone in with the beans and simmer all day. The smokiness of the ham bone and all the yummy spices from the crust on the outside of the hambone, make these beans absolutely amazing. Best part? They are super easy! Beans and cornbread anyone?

The next day (after I have beans again for lunch, with cheese and sour cream, whoa Nelly, grab the Beano), I put my pinto beans into a pot, heat them up, add some milk, butter and a little bit of salt and pepper...and start smashing away to make my refried beans. I fry up a few corn tortillas. And waa-laa...Tostadas.

The next day for lunch, I pull out my smashed refried beans and make Bean and Cheese Burritos. I once again, gobbled it up so fast I forgot to take pictures.

So there you have it folks. One Ham Bone, 4 meals...wait a minute..let's recap:

1. Ham Sandwich
2. Split Pea Soup
3. Beans (with cornbread)
4. Beans for lunch (with cheese and sour cream)
5. Tostadas (refried beans)
6. Bean and Cheese Burritos
7. Left over ham for Zim

Seven meals! With one ham bone. It doesn't get any easier than this. Try it out, you will not be disappointed.

New England Clam Chowder

Mmmmmm...SOUP! I love love love soup. And I have to say...this is by far one of the best recipes I've made since I started this whole crazy cooking thing. It was really easy. The consistency was right on...not too thin and not too thick. And the best part...the taste! It was so yummy. I am lame and used canned clams, but I will for sure use fresh clams next time and compare the two. I'm sure the fresh are out of this world.

New England Clam Chowder

2 cups Russet Potatoes (peeled and cubed 1/2" x 1/2" pieces)

1 stick butter

2 Tbsp diced green onion (bulb only)

1/4 cup flour

2 cans minced clams (6.5 oz with juice)

1 tsp sea salt (or to taste)

16 oz Half and Half

1/2 cup whole milk

1/3 cup clam juice

3 - 4 strips bacon, cooked and coarsely chopped

Fresh Parsley (minced for garnish) (really adds to the flavor)

Place potatoes in saucepan and cover wih water, cook on medium heat until tender. Remove potatoes from heat, drain and set aside. In 2 quart saucepan on medium low heat melt butter, add diced onions, cook until onions are slightly clear in color. Add flour to butter and stir briskly. Mixture will start to thicken. Add half and half a little at a time whle stirring briskly. Mixture will be creamy and will look like thick cream. Place salt, clams and juice, potatoes, bottled clam juice and milk with mixture. On medium low temperature bring chowder to a slow boil. Turn temperature down to low, add bacon, and let chowder simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Enjoy!

Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 rotisserie chicken or at least 3 cups of chicken
3 cans of chicken broth (you can use chicken cubes to make broth)
1 green onion
1/2 red onion
a couple splashes of Tobasco Sauce (I like Frank's hot sauce)
1 can of tomatoe sauce, 8 ounces
1 couple corn tortillas, minced so tiny
garlic (minced)

This delish soup doesn't call for too many ingredients

Shred chicken, dice red and green onions as well as garlic. Dice tortillas.

Add all ingredients to the broth and let simmer. Add hot sauce to your liking, less if you like mild, more if you like heat to your soup.

Simmer until all ingredients blend well together. Top with tortilla chips and a dollop of sour cream.