Chicken with Chickpeas

Some people collect stamps. We collect cookbooks. The cookbook doesn't have to be popular. It doesn't have to have a celebrity chef attached. It just has to be interesting. I like the cookbooks that come with stories attached to each food. I rarely cook straight from a recipe anymore, but I like the cookbooks for inspiration, and they keep me company in the kitchen.

Several years ago, while on a visit to my aunt, I came across her well leafed copy of Claudia Roden's cookbook "The Book of Jewish Food: An Odyssey From Samarkand to New York." Paging through the recipes that span the world...I knew I had to have this coobook. We finally found the cookbook reasonably priced at a Half Priced Books and quickly got to work deciding what to cook first.  To be honest, I have only made maybe three recipes from this cookbook, but cookbooks to me are more for inspiration rather than cooking straight from them.

On a whim...we randomly opened to a sephardi section of the book - and blindly pointed to a recipe. In a "pick a card any card" fashion, our finger landed on the Chicken with Chickpeas recipe. The first time I made the recipe, I followed it to a T, and it was amazing. The next couple times, I slowly adapted it.  This past shabbat, I made this dish for Friday night dinner...and then and there, my husband and guests insisted I make it again during the week to be eaten and posted to the blog. I laughed...and I obliged.


Chicken with Chickpeas - adapted from "The Book of Jewish Food: An Odyssey
From Samarkand to New York." by Claudia Roden
Ingredients:

1.5 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. ginger paste
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 whole chicken, cut up
1.5 cups of cooked chickpeas
lemon zest (from a whole lemon)
juice of 1 lemon
10 cardamom pods, cracked
salt
pepper

In a large dutch oven, saute the onion until soft. Add in the turmeric, garlic, and ginger and sautee until fragrant.

Add in the chicken pieces and brown the chicken.  Turn them over after about 8 minutes.

Add in the chickpeas and the cardamom.

Add in about 4 cups of water.  Bring the mixture to a boil. Turn down the heat and cover.  Cook for about an hour.  Serve with rice.  Enjoy!

Categories: chicken, dinner, fleishig, gluten free, main course, poultry, shabbat

Curry Turkey Burgers

The hubster did the Trader Joe's shopping this weekend, and excitedly brought home a package of ground turkey. I'm not usually a fan of turkey, so I kind of shoved it to the back of the fridge.  Today was the day. Had to use it or freeze it. Burgers sounded good for today. I've been on a curry kick and these burgers hit the spot. I served these with some curried sauteed onions and mushrooms and broccoli on the side, but they would be excellent with a side of  baked sweet potato fries.

Curry Turkey Burgers
Ingredients:

1 lb. ground turkey
1 small onion, chopped
1 tbsp. garlic paste
1 tbsp. ginger paste
2 scallions, chopped
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 tsp. dried coriander
1 tbsp. curry powder
salt
pepper

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl.

Form into patties. This recipe mkde me around 8 small burgers.

Fry the burgers on medium-high for a few minutes on each side. Transfer to a 425 degree oven to finish cooking, around 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

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Homemade Spaghettios

My daughter loves to get me to reminisce about the past. When I try to get her to eat certain things, she brings up my past food transgressions. As in, "Savta said you loved Kraft Dinner when you were my age.." or lovely tidbits like, "Savta said that you always refused to eat meat." Well....


I can't complain about my past.  We were raised well and fed even better.  Those Kraft Dinners were at our pleading and probably only served between the ages of 5 and 6. One of those forbidden foods that I remember well were Spaghettios. That ring shaped pasta from a can. It probably would taste awful to me now, but I do remember being a little twerp and enjoying it. Sprinkled with "parmesean" from a can - we gobbled that stuff up.


While wandering the aisles of Trader Joe's a while back, I spotted some anelletti (ring-shaped) pasta. I knew I had to try making a copycat recipe of the spaghettios...well at least make it better. I vaguely remember Spaghettios being gloopy and had a somewhat sweet & tinny tomato taste. I didn't want to recreate that part, but wanted to just recreate that warm comfort food aspect I remember. I wish I had my parent's white vintage Denby bowls with the green leafs. That would really bring the dish home.


Here is what I came up with....nothing gourmet...just an attempt.


Homemade Spaghettios
Ingredients:


Anelletti Pasta - about 1/2 lb.
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup onion, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2.5 cups of tomato sauce (I used a roasted garlic marinara sauce)
3 tbsp. half & half
parmesean
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used a mixture of cheddar and mozarella)
2 tsp. italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste


Cook pasta in salted, boiling water according to the directions on the package. Cook the pasta until it's al dente.


In a pot, heat the olive oil and the butter together.


Saute the onion and garlic in the pot. Once soft, add in the tomato sauce. Slowly stir in the rest of the ingredients. Taste test the sauce.  Stir in the pasta.  Serve the pasta with a sprinkling of parmesean.  Enjoy!

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Meatless Monday: Baked Salmon Patties

So it's kind of meatless. Does fish count? In searching around through other Meatless Monday recipes, I came across many posts that included fish. I hope you like this.

I make salmon patties about once a month. If I don't have leftover baked salmon, I like to use the canned salmon from Costco, the Kirkland brand. It's boneless and skinless and tastes very good.

Baked Salmon Patties
Ingredients:

1 can of salmon or use leftover baked salmon
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. dried, mixed herbs (I like using an Italian seasoning)
1 egg
1 tbsp. horseradish sauce
1/4 cup bread crumbs (or to desired consistency)



Preheat oven to 425.

Spray a baking sheet with oil spray.

Mix up all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Form patties into balls and flatten. I get about six small patties from this mixture. Place on baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Flip and bake for another 5-7 minutes. Enjoy!

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Couscous and White Bean Salad

When shabbat comes, I like making a variety of salads. I love looking at the assorted colors on my table. It's just pretty, and it tastes good too. I had the chance to get to the vegetable market during the day this week. It's a rare opportunity. With the crazy weather around the world, the vegetables and pricing have been all over the place. Green peppers are $2/lb, while the usually expensive colorful peppers are now .99/lb. My favorite veggies were all pretty cheap this week. Love when that happens.

One of the salads we enjoyed with this past shabbat lunch was a couscous and white bean salad. It's an easy salad to make. I prepare the couscous on Friday before shabbat starts and then add the rest of the ingredients Saturday morning when everybody is in shul. Like all of my dishes, it can be tweaked. Use the veggies that make the most sense to you.

Couscous and White Bean Salad
Ingredients:
1.5 cups whole wheat couscous
1.75 cups boiling water
2 tsp. olive oil 1 can of white beans, drained
1/2 cup orange pepper, chopped
1/2 cup yellow pepper, chopped
3/4 cup seedless cucumber, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 shallot, minced

Dressing Ingredients:
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. dijon mustard
3 cloves of garlic, mashed
2 tsp. honey
a couple of squeezes of fresh lemon juice
salt
fresh ground pepper

In a bowl, pour the boiling water over the couscous and cover for 5-8 minutes. Uncover the couscous and fluff with a fork.

Sprinkle in the two teaspoons of the olive oil.

Mix in the various chopped veggies.

In a separate bowl, whisk up the dressing ingredients. Mix the dressing into the salad and let the salad sit for about an hour before serving. Enjoy!

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Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cooookies! Did someone say cookies?

I took a day off work today to get some appointments out of the way, and then lo and behold, two of those three appointments got cancelled. Doctors get emergencies? Who knew? Anyhow, I had lots of time to kill and no plans.

I got my shabbat shopping and a Target run out of the way and I still felt like I had endless time. I decided to knock out the shabbat desserts. I first made an apple crisp. Easy peasy, right. But then I had leftover flour, brown sugar, and oats. They are useful to have around, but not in the amounts I had. A cup or two here and there. These leftover ingredients screamed cookies to me. I love a good oatmeal cookie. Always, always with chocolate chips and never with raisins. I also had some peanut butter at the bottom of the jar begging to be folded in to the cookie. Voila! The cookie was born!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (Pareve)
Ingredients:

1 cup earth balance or butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups flour
3 1/2 cups oats
2 tbsp. coconut milk or regular milk
3/4 cup peanut butter - creamy or nutty would work
1 + bag of chocolate chips (I had a 1/2 cup or so chocolate chips left in a bag begging to be used)


Preheat the oven to 360.

Cream the butter with the sugars until smooth.

Add the vanilla, cinnamon, and eggs. Beat some more.

Add the rest of the ingredients slowly, one by one. Mix well with an electric beater or mixer.

Drop by rounded spoonful on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for around 8-9 minutes for yummy chewy cookies.

Enjoy!

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Crab Spring Rolls: Well, actually Krab (Surimi)

Some people window shop for their next pair of Jimmy Choos or their next evening dress. Don't get me wrong...I do that too. I also window shop our next meal. When I pass by an interesting menu, I get ideas for what to cook next. So much of what is out there that is tasty, is not served at kosher restaurants. I get tired of the bland and boring options out in kosherland. So I wander the ethnic restaurants paired up with ethnic grocery stores to find kosher options for my home.

I love a good Spring/Summer roll when I'm in an Asian restaurant. I love the fresh flavors inside. It's so easy to make. You can change up some of the veggies, if you'd like. Play with it a bit. I don't know why it's never on kosher restaurant menus, but it's so good and the ingredients are readily available.


Crab Spring Roll (Using the Surimi Sticks)
Ingredients:

Spring Roll wrappers (found in your asian food section, or in a Vietnamese or Thai store)
Bean thread noodles or rice vermicelli noodles, cooked
Surimi Sticks
Avocado, sliced
Seedless Cucumner - sliced lengthwise
Red or Green leaf lettuce
Cilantro, chopped


Prepare all your filling ingredients.

Soak the spring roll wrappers in warm water. Soak one at a time. They are very easy to rip and hard to handle until you get the hang of it. Soak it for about 30 seconds, until the wrapper has a soft, leathery texture.

Lay the wrapper on a plate or cutting board. Fill the center of it with your filling, like you would do with sushi. Leave space around it to allow for folding.

Fold the bottom edge towards the center, and then fold the top edge down. Roll the wrapper jelly roll style. Be gentle and squeeze like ingredients in like you would with sushi. Slice the roll at an angle and serve with dipping sauce of your choice. I like mine dipped in peanut sauce.

Enjoy!

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Meatless Monday: Veggie and Cheese Quesadillas

As you all know, I love easy recipes. I also demand tasty recipes. Emphasis on the flavor. Anything that works out well that my kids will eat is extra special in my book. I have two daughters, and as far as eating habits go - they are night and day. One kid is extremely adventurous, and the other one is very limited. It can get frustrating...for me. I have two rules when it comes to dinner time. One is that the food must be tasted. Even if it's "weird" and "funny looking." We often have surprise hits with the picky kid. The second rule, is that the food must be balanced. Dinner is not just the pasta. There has to be a veggie and a protein included in the meal.

One meal that works in our house are quesadillas. I always have tortillas and cheese lying around. It is one of those meals that can be a "build-your-own." There is no right or wrong recipe for this. Use whatever is lying around the house. The kids like it because they can pick what they want to go in to their quesadilla. My daughter might choose a totally tame one made up of just egg and cheese, and us adults will opt for a more sophisticated variety.

I whipped up a veggie and cheese quesadilla tonight, with a bit of soy sausage thrown in for protein. Fast, easy, and tasty! Hope you like it.

Veggie and Cheese Quesadillas (serves 4)

2 tsp. olive oil or vegetable oil
1 small onion
4 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
5 baby bella mushrooms, chopped
1/2 ground soy sausage or 1/2 cup black beans (use what you have)
2 tsp. cumin
salt (to taste)
1.5 cups of shredded monterey jack/cheddar blend
4 tortillas

In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes.

Add in the rest of the veggies and beans or soy sausage. Cook for 5 minutes. Add in the salt and the cumin. Do a taste test. Cook veggie mixture until veggies are softened.

Remove the mixture to a bowl and wipe out the pan

Back in the saute pan, heat a drop of oil or spray the pan with the oil spray.

In a tortilla, place some of the cheese over half of the tortilla. Put 1/4 of the mixture on top and sprinkle with more cheese. The cheese works like a glue. Fold the tortilla over and transfer to the hot pan. Cook for a few minutes and then flip. Cook on the other side for a couple minutes or until desired crispness. Cut into wedges and serve.

We devoured ours with some rice and veggies. Enjoy!

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Glazed Corned Beef with Potatoes

Another shabbat dish with no pictures for proof.

We did eat this and it was good.

And if a vegan eats this hunk of meat, you know it's really good.

There's a custom to eat smoked meats on Purim. I have no idea why or where this custom came from, but I can't complain. I liked smoked meat and it results in discounts on corned beef in our local kosher market. Coincidentally, it times out well for the custom of corned beef on St. Patricks day. This year it played out really well, with St. Patricks Day falling a day away from Purim. Of course my purchase had nothing to do with either holiday, it just worked out that way. I saw corned beef. I drooled a bit. I saw it was on sale, and in the basket it went.

I am not a boiled meat kind of gal. I like some oomph thrown into everything I eat. Glazed corned beef it is. It just works.

Glazed Corned Beef
Ingredients:

1 - 3 lb corned beef (or more, it's what they had that fit in my budget)
1 large onion, cut up
2 potatoes, chunked
pickling spice - 2 tbsp

Mustard Glaze:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 ketchup

In a large pot of water, boil the corned beef with the potatoes, onions, and a cheesecloth pouch filled with pickling spice.

Cook the corned beef in the water for a bit over an hour.

Preaheat oven to 350

In a small mixing bowl, whisk up the glaze ingredients.

Transfer the cooked corned beef to a roasting pan. Lay the potatoes and onions around it. Pour the glaze over the roast. Cover the pan with foil and cook in oven for a half hour. Uncover and cook for another 20-25 minutes. Slice meat against the grain. Serve with cabbage or egg noodles or whatever you are in the mood for. Enjoy!

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Baked Five Spice Chicken

This Friday was a rare Friday that I had some extra time to burn. I took a rare vacation day. Let me tell you - I am totally jealous of all of you who either take Fridays off or work from home on Fridays. That lifestyle would be totally amazing. My 10:30 hair appointment felt so bizarre, so unlike me, and so luxurious! By noon, I started thinking about the coming Shabbat. In a perfect world, Shabbat meals would be totally planned out and mostly cooked by Thursday night. Alas, this is my world. I buy the ingredients on Thursday without a menu in mind. It works for me. For the most part, Shabbat is put together in the better part of the hour right before Shabbat. Having so much time this Friday for Shabbat planning was like a spa day in my eyes. Around 2pm, I pulled out the raw chicken I had purchased the day before. A whole, cut up chicken. What to do, what to do. I opened my overstuffed spice cabinet and some garlic powder and five spice powder containers flew down at me and hit my forehead. Well...if it smacks you in the head....turn it into a dinner? Isn't that what they always say? I guess it could work...and it did! The five spice melded into the chicken beautifully! Sorry for the lack of pictures. It was Shabbat, and the chicken was devoured.


Baked Five Spice Chicken
Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, cut up
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. dry sherry
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. minced ginger
2 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 tsp. five spice

Place the chicken skin side up in a baking pan.

Mix up the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Whisk.

Pour over the chicken. Cover the the chicken and marinate for an hour or two.

Preheat oven to 375.

Bake chicken covered for 40 minutes.

Uncover chicken and continue baking until done. Let the skin get crispy.

Enjoy!

Categories:

Red Lentil Coconut Curry

We got home at 5:30 p.m and my daughter promptly asked me what was planned for dinner. I honestly had no clue. My mind was drawing a blank. The kids had pasta last night. Couldn't do that again. I knew that they would object to fish or meat tonight. I wasn't in the mood for a fight. What to do, what to do. I didn't want to pull out the fish sticks or soy nuggets. I only use those when I have no options.

I quickly threw on some rice to cook. That's easy enough. I then thought back to earlier today and the yummy smells of thai food that my coworkers ordered. Yummy coconutty curry smells. I had to do something with that! I quickly put together a makeshift red lentil curry dish. Packed with protein and amazing flavors. This recipe can easily be played with and adapted. Add whatever veggie you see fit to the dish. Totally fit the craving bill for today!



Red Lentil Coconut Curry
Ingredients

1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1.5 tbsp. ginger, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
.5 cup red pepper, chopped
.5 cup green pepper, chopped
1 small potato, diced
1 small sweet potato, diced
handful of mushrooms, chopped
1.5 tbsp. curry powder
red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
salt
pepper
2 cups dry red lentils
1 can coconut milk
3.5 cups vegetable broth

In a large pan, saute the onion, garlic, and ginger over a medium-high heat.

Add in the chopped veggies and cook for a few minutes.

Add in the spices and stir.
Stir in the coconut milk. Add in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cover. Cook until the lentils are done, around 30-40 minutes. 
Add more salt or cayenne to taste. 
Serve over basmati rice. Jasmine rice would also work.

Enjoy!

Categories: curry, dinner, easy, gluten free, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian

Meatless Monday: Vegetable & Pasta Frittata

What do you do with your leftovers? Do you ever turn them in to a new fresh meal? I have to admit - I am not good with leftovers. I hate dealing with them. I will try and pawn them off on anyone else in the household to send for lunch. Otherwise, they just sit and fester in the back of the fridge and then I toss them all come Friday morning. I hate wasting. I really do, but it gets to a point that I can't stand to look at the same meal twice, or at least multiple days in a row.

One thing that does get used up is pasta. There is always something that can be done with pasta. When I have leftover spaghetti or angel hair pasta lying around, I like to take whatever else is sitting in my fridge and turn it into a frittata. So good, so healthy, and so easy.

I learned this frittata trick from my mom on one of her visits. You see, when my mom comes to town, she takes over my house...and my kitchen. I love her dearly and I love all that she brings to my household. It makes things easier for me. Anyhow, several years back, she introduced me to the frittata. She looked at the lonely mound of pasta staring at her from the fridge and asked us why we let it sit unused. Shame on us, right? I had never had a frittata before. Never thought it could be applied to pasta. Lo and behold, after she worked her dinner magic - this frittata was damn good! Served with a salad, we were filled up! Awesome!

So here it is, a dinner a I turn to once in a while that seems to make everyone happy. The best part of this recipe, is that it is very flexible.Enjoy!

Vegetable and Pasta Frittata

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 small onion or 2 shallots, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 leek, chopped

6 mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup green pepper, diced

1/4 red pepper, diced

1 tomato, chopped

1 scallion, chopped

2 cups (approx.) of cooked spaghetti/linguini/capellini - anything really

6 eggs - beaten

red pepper flakes (to taste - I like things a bit spicy)

a few basil leaves, chopped

salt

pepper

1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used a blend of mozzarella and cheddar)

parmesan cheese - grated

Preheat oven to 400.

In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil. Saute the onion and garlic. Cook until soft.

Add the other veggies. You really can use any veggies with this dish. I just use what I have on hand. Cook a few minutes - maybe 5.

Stir in the pasta. Make sure that the pasta is mixed in well with the veggies. Cook for a minute.

Add in your beaten eggs, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and the basil. Let it set for 30 seconds or so. Add in the cheese.

Now transfer the pan to the oven and bake for around 10 minutes or until the eggs are completely set and the cheese is melted to your preference.

Serve a slice with a salad or soup and maybe a nice hunk of crusty bread. This dish is perfect for any meal of the day and so easy! Enjoy!

Categories:

Meatless Monday: Pasta with Sauteed Veggies and White Bean Sauce

So two years ago, in the infancy of this blog, I did a white bean hummus that when thinned out - doubled as a pasta sauce. I blanked it out of my mind. I don't think I have made it since. So maybe it was some sort of deja vu that propelled me to make this similar but different dinner tonight. Who knows? Whatever inspired me - this dinner was awesome. It didn't take long either.

Pasta with Sautee Veggies and White Bean Sauce


Ingredients:
1 box of pasta
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
8 oz. of sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup of red pepper, chopped
1/4 cup of green pepper, chopped
1 can of white beans
3/4 to 1 cup of veggie broth
salt
pepper
red pepper flakes (to taste)
1/4 cup of basil, chopped
1/8 cup chopped parsley
parmesean


Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box.

In a sauce pan, sautee the onions and garlic in the olive oil. Add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. I added about a quarter of a tablespoon. I like things spicy. Remove half of the onions and garlic to a plate once soft. Add in the other chopped veggies and about half of the white beans. Add in the basil. Once cooked, move this veggie mixture to a bowl.

In that same pan, add a teaspoon of olive oil and and toss in those onions and garlic that you put aside. Add in the rest of the white beans, and a smidge more of that basil. Cook for a minute or two. Add in the broth. With an immersion blender, puree the white bean mixture. Mix the veggies that you already sauteed in to the puree.

Serve this over pasta with a sprinkling of chopped parsley and parmesean. Enjoy!

Categories:

Mushroom and Tofu Curry

Everything tastes good as a curry. Almost everything.

On any given night, I know that if I can't figure out a thing to make - I can always put together a curry. Just a few veggies, some ginger, garlic, and spices - is all it takes. Curries are very forgiving and adaptable. It doesn't have to be too complicated. Cook it all up and throw over some yummy basmati rice and you're good to go. It's that easy.

Tonight's dinner was mushroom and tofu curry over basmati rice. Yum!

Mushroom Tofu Curry
Ingredients:

2 tsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. ginger - paste or minced
1 green chili chopped
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. coriander powder
1 tsp. garam masala
10 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 package of firm tofu, drained and chopped up
1/2 cup of vegetable broth
1/2 package frozen, chopped spinach (optional - I added it because I needed to use it up)
1 large tomato, chopped
handful of toasted and sliced cashews
salt

In a large saute pan or wok, heat the pan on medium-high. Add 1 teaspoon of the oil and toast the mustard and cumin seeds for 3o seconds.

Add in the other teaspoon of oil and add the onions, garlic, ginger, and chili pepper. Saute for a few ,more minutes, until the onions are soft. Add in the spices.

Add in the tofu and mushrooms. Sautee for about 5-7 minutes, until the mushrooms are cooked through. Add in the tomatoes and spinach. Add in the broth. Taste and see if it needs anything. Here is where I will add more chili powder or extra spices and salt. Toss in the cashews and stir.

Serve over some steamed Basmati rice. Enjoy!

Categories:

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup with Pistou

Tonight was a night like any other. With not much time, I needed to execute a decent dinner for two starving children.

I try not to serve ready-made processed food, but I do take the liberty to have shortcuts lying around in wait. I am not ashamed to have some easy, ready-to-go meal starters. Tonight's meal starter was on of those boxed organic soups. I love them. They aren't good on their own, but used as a base to something - they work out well. I usually just buy the vegetable broth cartons to keep on hand, but a recent trip to Trader Joe's had me buying some other flavors to play with.

A quick scan of the pantry and freezer when I got home this evening revealed the perfect quick fix for tonight. We had creamy tomato tortellini soup with a basil pistou. I had everything ready to go! Dinner came together in less than a half hour and the kids were ecstatic with full bellies. I served the soup with some good crusty ciabatta bread and some chopped veggies. Everyone is happy tonight.

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup with Pistou
Ingredients:

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 carton of tomato soup (I used the boxed Trader Joes)
1 can of chopped tomatoes
2 cups of vegetable broth
1 cup of milk
2 tsp. italian seasoning
1/4 cup chopped basil
salt (to taste)
pepper
red pepper flakes (optional)
1.5 cups of small tortellini
1/2 cup pesto (I prepare in large batches and then freeze in ice cube trays)
Parmesean Cheese, grated


Directions:
In a soup pot, heat the olive oil on medium-hight heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 5 minutes on medium.

Add in the canned tomatoes, vegetable broth, milk, and the boxed soup. Add in the spices. With an immersion blender, puree the soup.

Bring the soup to a boil. Add in the tortellini. Let cook for 15-20 minutes or until the pasta is done. If using fresh tortellini, this will only take about 5 minutes.

Serve the soup in a bowl with a spoon of pesto and some grated parmesean cheese. Enjoy!

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