Tortellini Soup

A couple of weeks ago I came home and started to cook my mother’s recipe for Tortellini Soup. It takes almost two hours and has lots of ingredients in it that most people would never think to put together, but if you have the courage to put it all in the pot you are rewarded with a fabulous and hearty soup. Because of the fresh zucchini it is great in the summer time, but I prefer to make it in the fall and winter when the oven can be on for a couple of hours and the sausage and pasta can stick to our ribs with pleasure. That day my dear husband walked into the house a half hour before it was finished and declared after a long inhale “Oooohhh! Tortellini soup!” I said that I didn’t remember telling him that I was going to make it, to which he replied “No you didn’t, but I know that wonderful smell instantly.”

Mother Molly’s Tortellini Soup

2 lbs Italian sausage links, sliced
1 cup chopped onion
Minced fresh garlic
Pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups beef broth
1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasonings (oregano, basil, parsley, etc.)
1 ½ cups carrots, thinly sliced
1 can whole tomatoes, peeled
15 oz can kidney beans, drained
6 oz. ripe (black) olives
1 cup fresh green zucchini, sliced
1 cup fresh yellow Summer Squash, sliced
16 oz cheese filled tortellini

Oven 400˚: Roast onion, garlic, sausage, and olive oil for 30 minutes in a very large heavy pot.
Turn Oven down to 325˚: add broth, 2 cups water, seasonings and carrots for 30 minutes.
(then) add tomatoes, beans, olives, and zucchini for 20 minutes.
(then) add tortellini for 5 minutes longer than package suggestion until cooked.
Makes enough to feed a small village, and is one of those recipes that just gets better over the next couple of days.

Enjoy!

OMG Good Goulash

OMG Good Goulash

It is January in Michigan and we all need some warming hearty food to keep us through the midst of winter. This is just what the snowmen ordered!

Sauté 2 small or 1 large yellow onion in canola oil over medium-low heat
Add one pound of fresh ground beef (Or moose or buffalo or turkey). Brown and drain off fat
Add one can stewed tomatoes
Add 2 tsp. “Better than Bullion” brand beef broth in 2 cups hot tap water.
Add some chopped cauliflower (I put in a whole head)
Add salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, and anise seeds

Simmer for 20-30 minutes

Add whole grain macaroni or rotini pasta, which states to cook it for 10 minutes, but you should cook it for 20 minutes. Put 1 or 2 tablespoons of unbleached white flour in a small container with about a ½ cup of cold water, seal with a tight lid and shake it really good until there are no lumps. SLOWLY add this flour water a splash at a time to the goulash until it reaches the right thickness. The amount of thickness is completely up to you, as this is a very personal decision.

Enjoy!

Russian "Conquor the World" Soup

This is the healthiest soup I have ever eaten. Every time I make it I get the overwhelming desire to conquer the world! And this is the perfect fall harvest soup to gear you up for a long winter.

Ingredients:1-1/2 cups thin sliced potatoes
1 cup thin sliced beets
4 cups stock water (water that the beets and potatoes are cooked in)
1-1/2 cups chopped onion
2 Tblsp. butter
Large Dash: caraway seeds, salt, pepper
1 can tomato puree
1 large carrot (or some mini carrots)
3 cups chopped cabbage
2 or 3 Tblsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tblsp. Honey

Cook potatoes, beats and 4 cups water in saucepan until tender, about 20 minutes. Save the water. Sauté onions in butter in a large kettle. Add spices, carrots and cabbage. Then drain the stock water from the beets and potatoes into the large kettle, and cook covered until it is all tender, about 20 minutes. Add everything together and cook another 30 minutes.

Garnish with sour cream, dill weed, and/or chopped tomatoes.

I don’t know why this is so much better when you cook it in two pots, but it is. I’ve tried it in one pot a couple of times, and it’s just not the same, probably because the onions don’t get properly sautéed. Enjoy!

Leek Potato Soup (Very French!)

My husband prefers this soup hot, but it was designed to be a refreshing meal on a hot summer day.

Ingredients:1 lb Leeks – washed and sliced
½ cup diced onion (one medium sized onion)
¼ cup butter (not margarine or any fake butter!)
1 lb. potatoes, pared and cubed
Dash: Sea salt and white pepper
3 cups chicken broth (Better than Bouillon brand)

Melt butter, sauté leeks and onion for 5 minutes. Do not brown them! Add potatoes, salt, pepper, chicken broth. Simmer 20 minutes until potatoes are very soft. Remove from heat and put into blender 2 cups at a time. Blend on low until smooth. BE CAREFUL! IT’S HOT!

Refrigerate until cool (or eat it hot like my dear husband). Before serving add a dollop of fresh whipped cream or a tablespoon of half and half, and sprinkle chives onto the center of the bowl for a garnish. Make a double batch for leftovers; it will keep in the refrigerator for a few days.

I also use this recipe without the cream in it for starting and ending my liquid fasts. It's also great for upset stomachs and when you're sick with something like stomach flu.

Keep this one handy, and enjoy!