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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Cucumber Week, Day 2: Italian Cucumber Salad

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cucumber, food, foodie, recipe, salad, side dish, tomato

Yay! For my 500th post!!!!

Our local deli serves the cucumber and tomato salad that inspired this cucumber salad recipe. Although I can never actually taste the cucumbers or tomatoes in theirs, since it’s drenched in bottled Italian dressing. Since it uses two veggies that are ripe in the garden right now, it was the perfect choice for us!

Although Pumpkin’s mostly outgrown his sous chef stage, he mixed together the dressing, while I sliced the veggies. 🙂

Italian Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:
2 cucumbers, 8 roma tomatoes, 1/2 c. fresh grated cheese (I use pecorino romano), 1/3 c. white vinegar, 3 Tbsp. olive oil, 2 Tbsp. sugar, 1 Tbsp. minced garlic, 1 Tbsp. parsley, 2 tsp. marjoram, 2 tsp. basil, 2 tsp. oregano, 1 tsp. sage, fresh ground sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper

Directions:
Slice cucumbers and roma tomatoes and set aside. Mix together remaining ingredients. Pour dressing over veggies and toss. Serve chilled.

Cucumber Week:
Pickled Cucumber Salad, Italian Cucumber Salad, Greek Cucumber Salad, Creamy Dill Cucumber Salad, Bleu Cheese Cucumber Salad, Salmon Cucumber Salad, Spicy Cucumber Salad

What’s growing fresh in your garden this week?

Tomato & Dumpling Soup

Tags

dinner, dumpling, food, foodie, lunch, matzo ball, recipe, soup, tomato

Often when people refer to dumplings in soup, everyone has a different idea. Whether your ideal is rivels, gnocchi, homemade egg noodles or matzo balls, they’re all equally delicious! Tonight, I couldn’t decide whether I wanted tomato soup or matzo ball soup when I decided to combine them. Last time I made this with rivels, but dumplings? Genius!

Tomato & Dumpling Soup

Italian Matzo Ball Ingredients:
1 c. matzo meal, 4 eggs, 1/4 c. olive oil, 1/4. grated Pecorino Romano cheese, 1/2 tsp. oregano, 1/2 tsp. basil, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, pinch of marjoram, pinch of sage, fresh ground sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper

Italian Matzo Ball Directions:
Mix all ingredients together well. Chill mixture in the fridge for about 20 minutes. Keeping hands wet, roll mixture into small balls. You can decide how large you want them, but keep in mind they will puff.

Tomato Soup Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 c. chopped onion, 1 Tbsp. minced garlic, 1/2 tsp. chili powder, 1/2 tsp. cumin, 28 oz. canned of diced tomatoes, 1 c. vegetable stock, 2 c. milk, fresh ground sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper

Tomato Soup Directions: 
Brown onion in olive oil at the bottom of a stock pot. Add remaining ingredients except matzo balls and milk and bring to a boil. Pour soup into a food processor and blend until smooth. Return soup to pot and add matzo balls, cook until balls begin to float. Add milk until and stir until soup is well heated. Serve hot.

I dare to call these matzo balls, since I probably broke some Kosher rules. This soup is so filling, I wouldn’t have it any other way though! Maybe I should’ve taken some picture along the way to share. The final picture looks like meatballs in sauce, oops. But I like my soup thick and my matzo balls larger…

What warmed you up tonight? 

Sausage & Gnocchi Soup

Tags

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? 

Tomato, Spinach, Cream Orzo Lunch

Tags

garlic, lunch, meatless dish, orzo, pasta, pasta recipe, pasta topping, recipe, risoni, sauté, side dish, side dishes, sides, spinach, tomato, tomatoes, vegetarian

Yesterday, I wanted to whip up a quick hot  lunch. Due to the steam I couldn’t get a focused picture, Hubster and I were too hungry to wait for it to cool down.

Spinach Tomato Orzo

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 bag baby spinach, 1 clove garlic minced, 12 Roma tomatoes (I actually used grape Roma), fresh romano pecorino, 1 box of orzo, 1/2 c. cream, fresh ground sea salt, fresh cracked pepper

Directions:
Cook orzo according to package directions. Slice tomatoes and set aside. In a sauté pan over medium heat, heat olive oil and garlic. Add spinach to oil until wilted. Add tomatoes just to heat. Remove from heat and stir while add creaming, salt and pepper. Pour sauce over orzo, and top with fresh shavings (or grate, if you prefer) of romano pecorino.

Serve hot!

Side dishes often make great lunches. Do you have a favorite side dish you eat as a meal?

Chick Pea and Cauliflower Curry

Tags

cauliflower, chick peas, curry, curry vegetables, ethnic, ethnic cooking, ethnic cuisine, Ethnic Food, Garbanzo beans, Indian cuisine, Indian food, tomato, vegetarian, vegetarian recipe

The past few weeks I’ve been on a hiatus due to a much-needed vacation. Originally, I planned to leave a few posts in the queue, but pre-vacation preparations left me with very little time. Also, since I seem to be the queen of camera trouble, my camera battery is completely drained, I have to order a new one, so it may be a while until I have more photos. At least my parents are visiting for a few days, and they’ve been kind enough to share their camera with me. So this month is lacking in posts…

I have a new Butter Chicken recipe I’ve meant to try, but there’s just not enough time to prep it the night before so it can marinate. At a new supermarket I found Butter Sauce in a jar, and thought I’d give it a whirl. Unfortunately, it wasn’t what I was hoping. It serves me right for not making it myself. I served it with seasoned lentils over rice, chick pea and cauliflower curry and puppodums.

The winner of the night was my chick pea and cauliflower curry. My curry vegetables were delicious! My recipe below is an estimate, since I usually eye things better than measuring them, when first creating a recipe.

Chick Pea & Cauliflower Curry, Butter Chicken, Rice with Lentils

Chick Pea and Cauliflower Curry Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. butter, 1 Tbsp. minced onions, 2 tsp. ground ginger, 1 Tbsp. ground cumin, 2 large tomatoes, 1 can Garbanzo beans, 1 bag frozen cauliflower, 2 Tbsp. curry powder, 1 Tbsp. tomato paste, 1 c. water

Chick Pea and Cauliflower Curry Directions:
Over medium-low heat, melt butter with ginger and cumin and soften onions. Cut tomatoes into thin strips and add to butter. Allow tomatoes to completely soften (about 8 minutes). Add cauliflower, chicken peas, tomato paste, curry powder, and water. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer covered for 15 minutes. Serve hot.

*If you like it spicier, add more cumin.

There were no leftovers of my curry. I didn’t get my fill, I might make another batch tonight.

What is your favorite curry dish?