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.

Glorious Pumpkin Muffins

Sometimes, a dish astounds me. Like, I can't even believe for one second that I made something that tastes so fantastic.

That was my reaction to these Pumpkin Muffins with Brown Sugar Streusel. They are an absolute MUST for your fall baking.

I found the recipe thanks to Pinterest. It's from a great site called Dinner at the Zoo.

I followed the recipe very accurately, but I did bake them exactly three minutes longer than the recipe called for. When I did the toothpick test, it was obvi they were not fully cooked. Three more minutes did the trick. A large cookie dough scooper works perfectly to distribute the batter into each muffin tin. I opted to line the muffin tin with paper liners rather than using cooking spray. The muffins came out nice and easy.

I let the muffins cool for a good hour or so before finishing with the glaze.

These treats taste like they came from the fanciest of posh bakeries. But YOU can make them! Yay!

Pumpkin Muffins with Brown Sugar Streusel

From dinneratthezoo.com

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

For the muffins:

2 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. salt

Cooking spray

For the streusel:

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup butter melted

For the glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp. heavy cream or milk

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

For the muffins:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray or use paper liners.

2. Place the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil in a bowl. Whisk until smooth.

3. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract and salt to the bowl. Stir until just combined.

4. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups.

For the streusel:

1. Place the flour, brown sugar, melted butter and pumpkin pie spice in a medium sized bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined and coarse crumbs form.

2. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the muffins.

3. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

4. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the glaze:

1. Whisk together the powdered sugar, cream and vanilla extract. Drizzle over the cooled muffins.

2. Serve or store the muffins in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Margherita Pizza

 Homemade pizza night is popular at my house.

Pre child, I would make some more outlandish pizzas. But these days I usually stick with the classics such as Margherita style. Just some mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil. This is as fresh and pure as it gets.

My tips for making Margherita pizza are as follows: Remember to space out your fresh mozzarella and tomatoes so that the pizza doesn't get soggy. The more garlic the better. Fresh basil at the end is key. Let your pizza rest for a few minutes before serving.

Margherita Pizza
Pizza dough, 1 ball
Fresh tomatoes, regular or plum, sliced
Fresh mozzarella, not in water, sliced
10 or more cloves of garlic, minced
12 to 20 basil leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Drizzle olive oil over a heavy rectangle baking sheet pan. Using a paper towel, grease the entire pan. This is to prevent the dough from sticking.

Roll out pizza dough on a well-floured surface with a rolling pin. You will need to turn the dough frequently so that it doesn't stick as you roll it out. The dimensions of the rolled out dough will be about 17 inches by 11 inches. Fold the dough in half and fit gently onto the baking sheet. 

Poke the dough all over with the tines of a fork. This prevents the dough from getting air and puffing up. Cover your stretched dough with a clean kitchen towel until you’re ready to make the pizza. I usually stretch the dough in the morning and let it rest covered until I make it for dinner.

When you are ready to make the pizza: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Remove kitchen towel. Place tray with pizza dough in oven and bake for 5 to 7 minutes to lightly brown the bottom of the crust. (You can check to see if the bottom browned by gently lifting with a spatula). Remove browned crust from oven.

Scatter chopped garlic all over the crust. On top of the garlic, alternate tomatoes and mozzarella. (IMPORTANT: Do not overlap tomatoes and mozzarella. This will lead to soggy pizza). Be sure the tomatoes and mozzarella are side-by-side, not on top of one another.

Drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 15 to 18 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Remove pan from oven and top pizza with whole basil leaves. After about five minutes, cut and serve.

Greek Chicken Meatballs

I grew up knowing one way and one way only when it comes to meatballs: the Italian-American meatballs and "gravy," or tomato sauce - whichever you prefer to say. My grandmother's recipe is amazing. 

But while the traditional style is near and dear to my heart - and probably the best in my opinion - I do like to get creative with the meatballs I make.

For this Greek meatball recipe, I used chicken. It features lots of seasonings, fresh parsley, garlic and feta so the meatballs are packed with flavor. Make a tzatzki style sauce on the side to dip them in. This is perfect for an appie party or a game day menu.  Mine omits cucumbers since The Husband does not groove on them. 

Last time I made this dish I went with a whole Greek theme with hummus, pita, veggies and kalamata olives. It was a fun din!

Meatballs are great to mix the night before so that the flavors marinate before cooking.  The dipping sauce can also be made in advance. I always love a recipe you can prep ahead.  This is also a healthy twist on a meatball as the little guys are baked, not fried.

This is perfect for an appie party or a game day menu.

Tzatziki Sorta Sauce
10 ounces Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
Parsley, chopped
2 scallion greens, minced
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, and gently stir together with a spoon until well blended. Refrigerate if made well ahead.

Greek Chicken Meatballs

(Makes about 30)

1 pound ground chicken

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup red onion, minced

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. ground coriander

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

3 ounces crumbled feta

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix gently until well combined. Set aside for at least an hour so that flavors marinate.

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with Pam.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix gently until well combined. Set aside for at least an hour so that flavors marinate.

Roll into 1-inch wide meatballs. Line up evenly on baking sheet.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until evenly browned.