Tag: recipe

Vegetable Cheese Tortellini Soup Recipe

This soup is light yet flavorful! Even got the double thumbs up from Becki and Lexi! Thanks ladies for a fun lunch date!

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked dried tortellini (I used spinach tortellini, but you can use any dried variety)*
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
4 carrots, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
5 oz fresh spinach
1 head broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 bay leaf
10 cups water

Directions:
1. Boil dried tortellini for 10 minutes, strain.
2. Using the same pot, water saute onion and carrot for 4 minutes.
3. Add celery, all spices and chicken broth. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add the 10 cups water and cooked tortellini. Boil for 7-10 minutes.
5. Turn off heat, add the broccoli and spinach, stir to push under the water. Put lid on pot and let sit for 5 minutes.

Dried vs. Cooked Tortellini* Note: Don’t use more than one cup dried tortellini because it swells up a lot and will continue to absorb water during cooking process. You can see a dried tortellini (in left spoon) becomes quite large after cooking (in right spoon). The first time I made this soup, I made the mistake of putting in two cups of dried tortellini and had to add several cups of water to compensate for the tortellini swell!

Serve with crusty bread. For a little extra love, after ladling soup into individual bowls, add drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

I’ll see you at the table!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

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I want my children to have a love affair with vegetables and fruit. So when they like a veggie dish, my heart beats with joy! Roasted Brussels Sprouts are a hit in our home and even a favorite at extended family dinners too.

These are best served right out of the oven, so plan your meal accordingly.

Ingredients:

  • 2 lb Brussels sprouts, cut into thirds
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Optional: 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper if you want a little heat

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
  2. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper
  3. In a large bowl, toss the Brussels Sprouts with olive oil until coated.
  4. Spread the Brussels sprouts on the parchment paper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  5. If you want to add some serious heat, add the cayenne pepper (or for the real-heat-crazies add a teeny-tiny sprinkle of Ghost Pepper Salt).
  6. Bake for 30 minutes. Check for crispiness and then bake for 10 more minutes.

Serve immediately. Enjoy!

I’ll see you at the table!

 

Turkey Spiral Casserole

I find it very helpful to have dishes that I can make better all in one part, pan, baking dish. This casserole was inspired from a recipe that I got at Costco of all places! In typical Jennifer fashion, I’ve added some additional ingredients to really pack in the additional nutrition.

Serves 6
Ready in 55 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cups spiral pasta, cooked and drained (you can use macaroni too)
1 – 12.5 ounce can Harvest Creek diced turkey, drained (this is the turkey you can buy at Costco, any canned turkey will be good)
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a cheddar and Jack cheese combination, you could also do just Swiss cheese for a bolder flavor)
1 – 10 ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
one soup can of water
half white onion, diced
2 cups broccoli, small pieces
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In medium pot cook pasta until done.
3. Using a large mixing bowl to combine the turkey, cheese, soup, water, onion, broccoli, and black pepper.
4. Softly fold in the cooked pasta and transfer to a 9 x 13 baking dish.
5. Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes or until it is hot and bubbly.
6. Combine the Parmesan and bread comes in a small bowl then evenly spread out over the top of the casserole. Broil for about five minutes or until a nice golden brown color.

Serve with a large green salad. Enjoy!

I’ll see you at the table!

Mexican Chicken and Beans Crock Pot Recipe

I love the crock pot! It makes my life a little bit easier when I can put together a yummy dish and have less “standing in the kitchen” time. I originally found this recipe on about.com, but in my typical fashion I’ve added additional things to the recipe.

Serves 4
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 5.5-6.5 hours

Ingredients:

  • 1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts
  • 1 can (12 to 15 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
  • 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained
  • 1 can (4 ounces) mild chopped green chile pepper (omit for less spice)
  • 1/2 white onion, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1-14 oz can chipotle fire roasted tomatoes (or 1 cup chunky salsa)
  • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin

Directions:

  1. Add all ingredients to the crock pot. Stir to blend ingredients.
  2. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 hours, or until chicken is tender.

Serve with warmed tortillas and your favorite Mexican garnishes; such as, chopped cilantro, sour cream, shredded cheese, lime, guacamole and salsa. We eat a lot of salad at our house, so this goes well with salad. You may even want to serve with a Spanish Rice dish too. It is a great dish by itself as well. Either way, I’m sure you’ll enjoy!

I’ll see you at the table!

Recipe: Hummus Tacos

As much as I love to cook, there are days that I want something quick and easy to eat, but still healthy! Today’s

Today’s lunch: Hummus Tacos.


Ingredients per taco:
1 small size tortilla – wheat roll better than corn
1/4 cup hummus per taco
3 tomato slices per taco
1/4 avocado per taco
2 lettuce leaves
Directions:
Tortilla on plate. Spread hummus down middle. Stack tomato, avocado and lettuce. Fold like taco and enjoy! I usually have two for lunch with some fruit on the side. Enjoy!

Recipe: Breakfast Smoothie

Breakfast is served! Start your day off healthy: good fuel in = good output
Spinach, apple juice, avocado, peach, berries, cantaloupe, water, ice