Tomato, Spinach & Basil Tortellini Soup

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basil, dinner, food, foodie, lunch, recipe, soup, spinach, tomato, tortellini

While roasted cherry tomatoes and fresh picked basil may sound like July ingredients, my garden has continued to produce both. And this cold wet autumn weather calls for soup.

Tomato, Spinach & Basil Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:
2 pints cherry tomatoes, 1/2 sweet onion (chopped), 1 c. fresh basil (chopped), 1 lb. tortellini (I used goat cheese), 1 qt. water, 2 c. spinach (chopped), 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar, olive oil, fresh ground sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper

Directions:
At the bottom of a stock pot, brown onions in olive oil. Add cherry tomatoes and slowly roast. Add vinegar, spinach and basil, stir until wilted. Pour water, salt & pepper into pot and bring to a boil. Add fresh tortellini and simmer for about 6 minutes. Serve hot!

Garnish with fresh basil and mozzarella pearls.

How is the weather where you live? What foods are you eating?

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Salmon Florentine

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cream sauce, food, foodie, gouda, recipe, salmon, spinach

Gouda, salmon, spinach and pasta are four food items that always hit the right spot for me. While deciding what to make for dinner, this dish was a no brainer.  Paired with a house salad, focaccia bread, steamed asparagus and a glass or Riesling and I’m in heaven.

Salmon Florentine

Salmon Florentine Ingredients:
2 (4-8oz.) salmon fillets, 2 Tbsp. butter, 1 shallot (minced), 1. c. white wine, 2 c. baby spinach (chopped), 2 c. baby spinach, 1 c. gouda (shredded), fresh ground sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper

Salmon Florentine Directions:
Rinse fillets and marinade for about 3 minutes in white wine. Melt shallots in butter, add salmon to sear bottom. Remove salmon from pan, season with salt and pepper and bake at 375°F for about 12 minutes.  Pour wine into pan and simmer. Add cheese and cream and simmer until thickened. Add spinach until wilted and remove from heat. Place salmon over linguini and pour sauce over salmon fillet.

What’s for dinner tonight?

Sausage & Gnocchi Soup

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carrot, dinner, food, foodie, gnocchi, lunch, recipe, sausage, soup, spinach, tomato

Today I have the urge to bake… and drink a mimosa. Yet I have no eggs, milk or juice in the house and I do not want to run out to the grocery store. I even looked through a few vegan cake recipes. What’s a young wifey to do? Make soup or course!… Then drink the champagne…

Sausage & Gnocchi Soup

Ingredients:

olive oil, 1 lb. ground turkey sausage, 1/2 dice yellow onion, 1 Tbsp. minced garlic, 1 shredded carrot, 2 c. chopped spinach, 2 diced tomatoes, 2 Tbsp. tomato paste, 6 c. chicken or veggie stock, 1 batch of gnocchi, fresh ground sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper, fresh grated pecorino romano cheese

Directions:
At the bottom of a stock pot, sauté onion in olive oil. Add ground sausage and break into small pieces, cook until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic, salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes. Add tomato paste, stock, carrot, tomatoes, and spinach to pot and bring to a boil. Allow gnocchi and simmer for about 4 minutes, or until gnocchi puff and begin to float. Top with fresh grated cheese and serve with hot focaccia bread.

Moral: If life doesn’t give you milk. eggs or juice, make soup! haha

I hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend!
What’s on your stove/in your oven today? 

Poached Eggs with Sautéed Spinach & Maple Gorgonzola Sauce

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breakfast, brunch, cream sauce, egg, food, foodie, gorgonzola, maple syrup, poached eggs, postaday2011, recipe, spinach

Normally I start my 12 Days of Christmas (2010 and 2009) countdown today, but I’m going to be a little behind this year. There’s still a few things I want to share before then.  I was excited to have a house full of people after Thanksgiving to try at least one new brunch recipe on. I tried to follow a recipe I saw in my MIL’s magazine! I had planned to follow the recipe, but I decided to interpret the picture instead.

Poached Eggs with Sautéed Spinach & Maple Gorgonzola Sauce

Ingredients:
1 dozen eggs, 2 shallots, butter, 1 bag of baby spinach, nutmeg, 1/3 c. sweet onion (chopped), 8 oz. block of cream cheese, 1/4 c. gorgonzola cheese, thyme, 1/2 c. heavy cream, 3 Tbsp. pure maple syrup, 1 tsp. fresh thyme, 6 English muffins

Directions: 
Saute butter, spinach, shallots and nutmeg over medium heat until spinach is wilted. Set aside and keep warm. Cook onions until translucent. Add cream cheese, cream, gorgonzola, maple, and thyme and cook until well blended. Toast muffins and poach eggs. Top muffin with egg, spinach and sauce.

Everyone said it was good, or they just fibbed as to not insult me. Either way, I really enjoyed trying something new for my family & friends. I think this would be perfect for a Christmas brunch!

What’s on your breakfast plate?

Smokey Walnut Spinach Pesto

Tags

dinner, easy meal, food, foodie, garlic, gouda, pasta, pesto, postaday2011, quick & easy, quick meal, recipe, side dish, spinach, walnut

Exhausted tonight, I needed something that was quick to make for dinner. The fridge and pantry were sparse and I had some fresh spinach that needed to be used. Pesto it is! After all, pesto doesn’t have to be pine nuts and basil.

Smokey Walnut Spinach Pesto

Ingredients:
1 lb. linguini, 1/2 c. olive oil, 1/2 c. walnuts (toasted), 1/2 c. smoked gouda, 2 c. fresh baby spinach, 1 clove of garlic, lemon zest, fresh ground sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper

Directions:
In food processor blend together ingredients. Cook pasta according to package directions. Pour sauce over fresh hot pasta and toss to coat. Sprinkle with fresh grated cheese and serve.

I’m hoping to bake again tomorrow… What are your Friday plans?

Sausage, Pepper & Spinach Cannelloni

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cannelloni, dinner, food, foodie, pepper, postaday2011, recipe, ricotta, sausage, spinach

My final project is submitted and the online discussions are closed. Now I can finally spend time making things from scratch again! Hubster’s belly will be so happy!

Sausage, Pepper & Spinach Cannelloni

Ingredients:
1 batch of cannelloni, 1 lb. ground (turkey) sausage, 2 c. ricotta cheese, 1 c. chopped white onion, olive oil, 1 c. parmesan cheese, 1 egg, 1 Tbsp. crushed garlic, 2 c. fresh baby spinach, 1 red pepper, fresh cracked black pepper, fresh ground sea salt, tomato sauce (or crushed tomatoes or diced tomatoes)

Directions:
Parboil fresh cannelloni and then rub with olive oil. Oil a glass casserole dish. Preheat oven 350°F. Brown onion, garlic and sausage in frying pan. Once meat is cooked, set aside to cool. Cut peppers into long strips. Add peppers and spinach to pan until softened, set aside. Mix together ricotta, eggs, parmesan, salt, pepper and sausage mixture. In cannelloni, layer pepper strips and spinach. Spoon on ricotta mixture and gently roll cannelloni to create a tube. Place stuffed cannelloni in baking dish seam side down. Pour sauce or tomatoes over pasta and bake for 30 minutes.

Fresh cannelloni recipe to follow tomorrow…

Serve hot and enjoy!

What’s on your dinner table???

Chicken, Spinach & Pepper Sandwich

Tags

chicken, food, foodie, hoagie, hometown, lunch, postaday2011, provolone, recipe, red pepper, roasted red peppers, roll, sandwich, spinach

Back home there’s this pizzeria and it makes the most delicious chicken sandwich I’ve ever had. Part of what makes them so fantastic, are the local Amoroso rolls. Unfortunately, I can’t get them here. So I do my best with what I’ve got. I know this is easy and you don’t really need a recipe, but I just wanted to share my hometown favorite.

Chicken, Spinach & Pepper Sandwich

Ingredients:
rolls, chicken breasts, marinade (I like to use Italian or balsamic vinegar),  baby spinach, roasted red peppers, provolone cheese

Directions: 
Use chicken into small bite size pieces and marinate overnight. Cook chicken in a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat. Once chicken is finished, add spinach and sauté. When chicken is wilted, add roasted red peppers to warm. Top with provolone and heat until melted. Stuff the yumminess into a roll and enjoy.

Is there a sandwich that you just love?