Tortellini Soup

From: Rochelle

This was one of my FAVORITE soups growing up. . . which actually surprises me now because it is loaded with veggies! It is a broth base, loaded with lots of yummy vegetables, is flavorful, and my favorite. . . has tortellini in it! This is a great winter-time soup that is tasty and will also help with those new year's resolutions!

Tortellini Soup 

Ingredients:

2 Cans	Chicken Broth
1	Med Red Pepper- cut in long sticks
1	Large carrot- chopped
1	Stalk of celery- chopped
1	Stalk of broccoli- chopped
1/4 lb	Spinach- cut into long strands (I sometimes just use frozen spinach)
1	Small onion-chopped
2 t	Olive Oil
1 2/3 C	Water
1/2 t	Basil
1/4 t	Salt & Pepper
1	Bay Leaf
1 pkg (9 oz)	Cheese Tortellini (found in the freezer section)

Sauté onion till tender, about 5 minutes. Add broth, water, and all vegetables except broccoli and spinach. Boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Add noodles and broccoli, simmer for 8 minutes. Add spinach and remove bay leaf. Serve.

Yield: 4 servings

Easy Breadsticks

From: Rochelle

I LOVE breadsticks. Olive Garden breadsticks are my biggest weakness-- yikes! These breadsticks are made with whole-wheat which makes them healthy and they are done in less than 30 mins! Enjoy!

Easy Breadsticks

1 C	Warm Water
3 T	Brown Sugar
1 t	Salt
1/4 C	Oil
3 C	Whole-Wheat Flour
2 1/2 t	Yeast

1. Mix all the ingredients together to form a dough. Knead thoroughly to fully mix the ingredients.
2. Roll out on a floured surface and knead a few more times. Shape into a square. Roll out into a rectangle. If you roll it thinner, you will have crispier breadsticks. I like mine nice and soft and fluffy, so I like leaving mine 1/4-1/2" thick. 
3. Using a pizza cutter, slice the dough into 3/4 " strips.
4. You can twist the strips, but I like mine just straight with slashes cut with a knife for decoration. Let rise for 20 minutes in a warm spot. I like putting mine in a warm oven, it speed it up and makes the really rise!
5. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10-15 minutes.
6. Once they come out of the oven, brush with butter and sprinkle with garlic salt, parsley, and parmesan cheese.  You can also top with other seasonings like Italian dressing seasoning pouches, or actually mix an herb of your choice IN the dough like thyme or rosemary.

ENJOY!

Ravioli with Zucchini

From: Rochelle

At this time of year, EVERYONE's garden starts producing WAY too much Zucchini than one knows what to do with. I LOVE Zucchini grilled, roasted, even raw. This dish is SO easy and SO yummy .  . and, it uses Zucchini! I got this recipe from my Fast & Healthy Cookbook (by Pillsbury). I love that cookbook! Everything I make from it is WONDERFUL and full of flavor! Enjoy this wonderful light summer dinner idea.

Ravioli with Zucchini

From Fast & Healthy, Pg. 234

1 (9 oz) pkg. refrigerated cheese or beef filled ravioli (I got some WAY yummy beef ones that were on sale!)

3 C Zucchini, julienne-cut

1/2 C green onions, sliced

1 med. red bell pepper, coarsely chopped

1/2 t garlic powder

1/2 t dried basil leaves ( I get the basil from Christopher Ranch in a jar; it tastes fresh, but lasts a  LONG time in the fridge).

1/4 t Salt

1/8 t Pepper

1/4 C Water

1/2 t low sodium chicken-flavor instant bouillon

1 oz (1/4 C) shredded reduced-fat Mozzarella Cheese

1. Cook ravioli to desired doneness as directed on package.

2. Meanwhile, spray large nonstick skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add zucchini, onions, bell pepper, garlic powder, basil, salt and pepper. Cook and stir 3 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

3. Drain ravioli; rinse with hot water. Add ravioli, water and bouillon to vegetable mixture; mix gently. Cook over medium-low heat for an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Add cheese; toss gently to combine. 

Makes: 4 (1 Cup) servings

Spaetzel with Thyme-Browned Butter

From: Rochelle

Austin found this recipe in our "Williams-Sonoma" new American Cooking cookbook. We had never heard of Spaetzel before, but it is a German dumpling-like noodle. We made a few adaptions, but it turned out really good! Both Austin and I said that it seemed like something you would get at a fancy restaurant. Perhaps Valentine's dinner? ; )

Spaetzle with Thyme-Browned Butter


2 C All purpose flour
2 Eggs
1/2 C Cream
1/4 C Milk
2 T Parsley
2 T Thyme
1/4 t Salt
1/4 t Ground Pepper
1/8 t Nutmeg
1/2 C Unsalted Butter

1. In a bowl, stir together the flour, eggs, cream, milk, 1 tablespoon of the parsley, the teaspoon of the thyme, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Beat until the dough is smooth and elastic.

2. Fill and large pot three-fourths full of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a steady simmer.

3. Scoop out about 1/4 cup of the dough and press it through a colander or ricer directly into the simmering water. (You bascially need something with big holes that the batter and drip through. ) Simmer until the dough pieces remain floating on the surface, about 2 minutes. Lift out with a slotted spoon, draining well, put into a serving dish, cover, and place in a low oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining dough. The spaetzle may be kept warm in a low oven for 10-15 minutes before serving.

4. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter with the remaining thyme. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, just until the butter turns from yellow to medium brown, about 7 minutes. (Be careful. If cooked too long, the butter may burn, but if not cooked long enough, it will lack the nutty flavor characteristic of brown butter. )

5. Drizzle the spaetzle with the thyme-brown butter, sprinkle with the remaining parsley, and toss to mix. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and serve immediately.

 In case anyone was wondering. . . . we coated the asparagus with salt, pepper, olive oil, and a little bit a thyme and roasted them under the broiler.  SO good!

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

From: Haley

Rochelle and I must be thinking along the same lines here :) just this last week I made a healthy version of mac and cheese as well using a baked butternut squash. It's so delicious, you can't stop eating it! Bon appetite!

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

6 T. butter

6 T. whole wheat flour

6 C. fat free milk

Make a roux with the butter and flour and then gradually add the milk until you have a thick white sauce.

1 package fat free cream cheese

1/2 C. parmesan cheese

1 C. cooked ground beef (optional)

1 butternut squash, baked and pureed*

Mix in the cheeses until melted, then add the other ingredients. Serve over noodles!

* I cut my butternut squash lengthwise and placed on a cookie sheet and baked in the oven at 375 for about 1 1/2 hours. You just need to make sure it's really cooked through to get the nice smooth texture you want for this recipe.

Thai Mac n' Cheese

From: Rochelle

I love Thai food. It is probably my favorite kind of food. I could eat it every day. Last night, dinner rolled around, and I thought, "I'm in the mood for Thai food." SO, I made this recipe up based on what we had available, and I think it turned out pretty darn good. I used whole-wheat pasta to add fiber and nutrients. The best part about this recipe is the pumpkin puree gives it the "cheesy" color with out all the calories and adds lots of nutrients! Your family will never know!

Thai Mac n'Cheese
2 C Whole-Wheat Pasta  (I used shells, but macaroni, spaghetti, or even served over rice would be good)
4-5 Turkey Bacon Strips
1/4 Onion-Chopped
1/2 Red Bell Pepper-Chopped
3-4 Garlic Cloves-minced
1 C  Pumpkin Puree (You can substitute this for any squash puree)
1 can  Coconut Milk
1/2 C Water
1/2-1 C Frozen Peas
1/2 C Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1-3 t Dried basil
Salt & Pepper to taste
Red Pepper Flakes (optional . . . unless you're feeding Austin, then it's a must :)



1. First get the pasta cooking while you are preparing everything else.

2. I used a pan with a 2-3 inch lip all the way around. Cook the turkey bacon until crispy. Turkey bacon doesn't really get crispy in the pan. I usually cook it until it start to brown a little and then flip, brown. Then take it out, place it on some paper towels, and let sit as I work on the rest of the meal. As the bacon sits, it becomes crunchier. Then chop or crumble. Set aside.

3. After taking the bacon out, in the same pan, saute onion and bell pepper. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Turn heat down, and add pumpkin puree, water, and coconut milk.  Add frozen peas, salt and pepper, and basil and bring to a boil. If you want to add red pepper flakes, add them now.

4. At the last minute, right before serving, add the bacon, cooked pasta, and cheese. Coat the pasta with the sauce, and enjoy!!