Tortellini Soup with Spinach and Tomatoes

This easy pot of Tortellini Soup with Spinach and Tomatoes has very few ingredients, but is packed with flavor.

You can easily double the recipe for a bigger crowd. I have recently been under the weather, so I'm hoping this perks up my spirits and appetite.

I used chicken broth and bouillon because that's all I had, but you can totally make this all vegetarian. If I had veggie stock and bouillon on hand, I totally would have gone that route.

Tortellini Soup with Spinach and Tomatoes

(Makes 4 to 6 servings)

8 ounces frozen cheese tortellini

1 small onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

4 cups low-salt chicken or vegetable broth

2 cups water

1 chicken bouillon cube or 1 vegetable bouillon cube

5 ounces baby spinach, chopped

1 (14.5 ounce) can low-salt chopped tomatoes

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. fresh basil, chiffonade

Salt and pepper to taste

A pinch of sugar

Serve with grated parmesan cheese

In a soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally for five minutes to soften. Add garlic. Cook a minute more.

Add broth, water, bouillon, pinch of sugar, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. 

Add tortellini. Cook for 20 minutes or follow the instructions on the package of tortellini.

Stir in tomatoes, cook for 5 minutes. Stir in spinach and basil. Stir to wilt, about 2 minutes. Let soup rest for a few minutes. Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. 

Shrimp and Grits

Shrimp and Grits is one of my favorite dishes when we visit down South. Since travelling isn't really in the cards these days, I thought we could take a culinary trip right from my kitchen in Jersey.

I researched this dish from a few sources as it has so much history. I liked Bobby Deen's tip to use Canadian bacon in lieu of regular bacon since it is a leaner cut of pork. 

I like to season my shrimp with Old Bay for extra flavor. Top with fresh chopped scallions for a bit of brightness before serving. 

Shrimp and Cheesy Grits

Makes 4 servings

Shrimp:

1 lb. cleaned, peeled and deveined shrimp

1 Tbsp. Old Bay seasoning

1 Tbsp. olive oil

3 Canadian bacon slices, diced

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup seafood stock

1/4 cup 1/2 and 1/2

Salt and pepper to taste

Green tops of 3 scallions, chopped

In a large bowl, toss shrimp with Old Bay seasoning.

In a large pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil and diced Canadian bacon. Brown for a few minutes. Be careful because the bacon can pop and spatter.  Carefully remove to a small plate and set aside.

In the same pan, add bell pepper and onion. Cook for 5-8 minutes to soften vegetables. Add garlic. Cook another minute. Add stock, wine and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer for five minutes. Add 1/2 and 1/2. Stir until combined. 

Gently place seasoned shrimp into simmering broth. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes. Shrimp should be pink and opaque. Return Canadian bacon back to pan. Stir. Cover and set aside until ready to serve.

To serve: Spoon a mound of grits (recipe below) onto a dinner plate. Top with a scoop or two of shrimp and broth. Garnish with chopped scallions. 

Cheesy Grits

Makes 4 servings

1 cup Quaker Quick 5-minute Grits

4 cups water

Salt

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

2 Tbsp. butter

In a medium pot with a lid, bring water to a boil. Add salt. Slowly add grits stirring while pouring them in to the boiling water. I like to stir with a whisk, but a wooden spoon works just fine. Cover with the lid. Reduce heat to low. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Stir occasionally during the cooking period. If a thicker consistency is desired, cook a few minutes more uncovered and continue to stir. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese and garlic powder. Once incorporated, stir in butter. Add a pinch of salt, if desired. 

Everything Bagel Dip is Everything

This is it. This is the dip YOU NEED for your fall get togethers. Everything Bagel Dip. It's four ingredients. It goes with chips, veggies, crackers, pita. Whatever your heart desires.

And you can make it ahead. Which always is a pro for yours truly, the ultimate prepper.

Healthy Everything Bagel Dip

From runninginaskirt.com

Makes 4 servings

8 ounces whipped cream cheese

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 tsp. onion powder

2 Tbsp. everything bagel seasoning, plus extra for topping

1. Carefully fold together all ingredients. Put in a bowl and top with extra everything bagel seasoning.

2. Serve with bagel chips, pretzels, carrots or other crisp veggies.

Fish Taco Fiesta

Mexican night is always a hit at my house. Especially when it's taco bar style. My son was obsessed with fish tacos when he was 4/5. I decided to resurrect them recently, even though our taco night has been chicken based in more recent years. My son loved them, once again. Yay!

The chipotle crema I serve with fish tacos is absolutely a must. Chipotle in adobo seems to last forever stored in the fridge. You can find a can of them in your Mexican aisle at the grocery. The crema adds so much flavor to the fish. I love it!

Any white fish will do, but we usually go with cod. I serve with a variety of toppings, black beans and rice. My black bean recipe is below. It's so delish!

Fish tacos:

Marinade:

(From closetcooking.com)

2 lbs. cod filets

2 Tbsp. chili powder

2 tsp. cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Juice of 1-2 limes

(Makes 8 servings)

Whisk chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, oil and lime juice together to make marinade. Rub all over cod filets. Marinate filets for 20 minutes.

Preheat grill pan over medium high heat. In batches, grill cod five minutes per side. Remove to a covered dish. Repeat until all of the cod is grilled. Using forks, flake the fish. 

Chipotle Crema:

(From mylifeasamrs.com)

2/3 cup 1/2 and 1/2

3 Tbsp. sour cream

1 chipotle in adobo sauce

Juice of 1/2 lime

Salt and pepper

Add all ingredients into a blender. Puree on high until well combined. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve. 

To serve and assemble:

Tortilla shells, soft or hard

Prepared fish (recipe above)

Chipotle Crema (recipe above)

Pico de Gallo salsa

Shredded lettuce

Chopped jalapeno

Chopped scallions

Mexican blend shredded cheese

Lime wedges

Place 1/3 cup fish on top of a warmed taco shell. Top with 1 Tbsp. crema and your favorite toppings and salsas. Serve with rice and beans. For my black bean recipe, see below.

Black Beans
1 1 lb., 13 oz. can of Goya black beans, drained and rinsed in a colander
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. hot pepper sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lime, optional

In a pan over medium heat, add oil. Once oil is heated, add jalapeno, garlic and onion. Saute for about 4 to 5 minutes. Add beans, cumin, hot pepper sauce and salt and pepper. Cook for about five more minutes. Add cilantro and lime juice. Cook for another minute.