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Pasta, Quick and easy recipes, Soups & Stews, Vegetarian

Easy Tomato Tortellini Soup

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This easy Homemade Tomato Tortellini Soup will change your life. That is if you love tomato soup but have never made it from scratch like this before. It’s creamy and super healthy for you. Not to mention absolutely delicious! 

And trust me it does not compare in any way to the canned stuff. But you are just gonna have to try it for yourself to see.

What Is Passata tomato sauce 

Passata is a tomato purée made from fresh, tomatoes that are bottled for use.

I like to use “Passata Sauce” in this soup because it basically is uncooked tomato puree without seeds or skins and works so well when making this type of soup.

Of course you can always use fresh tomatoes and blend them into a puree in the blender as well.

Totally up to you!

So if your craving some basic tomato soup, but also want a hearty meal as well.

Then this recipe is going to be one of your go to tomato soups going forward. Trust me! It’s mine.

Easy Tomato Tortellini Soup

Is a versatile recipe but what makes it EASY is that we are using pre-made pureed tomatoes.

Passata bottled tomatoes to be exact which are fresh tomatoes that have been uncooked but bottled

HOW TO MAKE Easy Tomato Tortellini Soup

  • Start with a bottle of PASSATA TOMATO PUREE SAUCE 
  • Then to add a bit more of a tomato base, I will use a can of tomato paste which blends out well when added to the vegetable stock. See recipe card below for all the steps!

HOW LONG DOES HOMEMADE TOMATO SOUP LAST?

You can freeze this up to 6 months but will want to eat it within 24 – 48s hours so the tomatoes don’t spoil in your fridge.

Also keep in mind, as with all my recipes. If you want to make more or less of this soup, simple adjust the serving size in the ingredients section above and the servings will automatically adjust for you. This soup can store in the fridge for up to 3 days and or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes: You can always use chicken stock in replace of vegetable if desired. 

I am so thrilled you are reading one of my recipes, if you made this recipe i’d love to hear about it! Thank you very much for reading and until next time see ya in the kitchen. Don’t want to miss a recipe? Sign up for our NEWSLETTER delivered right to your inbox every Month!

 

 

Date Night, Dinner ideas, New Year's, Pasta, Quick and easy recipes, Toddler recipes, Vegetarian

Mushroom Pasta without Cream

This Mushroom Pasta without Cream is a healthy option to making pasta that uses either milk or stock instead of heavy cream. Also it can be made vegan by using a vegan parmesan cheese if desired. Fettucine 

You can also make this dish non vegan simply buy using regular parmesan cheese. 

Made with tender sauteed portobello mushrooms along with fresh vegan parmesan cheese and parsley.

Your sure to find this dish absolutely delicious! 

I’m so excited to share this delicious recipe with you guys today.

I made it a point to pick up some vegan parmesan cheese from whole foods yesterday, along with some these amazing Portobello Mushrooms.

Because I really wanted to make another vegan dish for my vegan readers out there. So I hope you give it a try and let me know what you think?

Now I will be honest, I prefer real parmesan cheese.

However for this dish I wanted to try the vegan variety, the kind I picked up is right below… and hats off to all you vegan eaters out there.

I could commit to eating this type of cheese substitute more often myself. It was pretty good and much better than I expected!

Also, I had my partner try this dish with the vegan cheese and he has given it a passing approval. 

And he has even asked me to make it since then again for him so he could test it again! Ha and I know what that means. He loved it! 

And for a meat eater that says a lot about how good this dish actually is.

Because there is no meat in here whatsoever. But don’t be fooled it’s filling and those mushrooms are super healthy for you.

Packed full of B-complex vitamins and riboflavin which are amazing minerals for maintaining healthy red blood cells. I hope you give this recipe a try because it is absolutely delicious! 

You can always double up the recipes and make it into a few meal preps to enjoy throughout the week.

Just simply use my recipe adjuster above if you plan to make more than two dishes and it will calculate the ingredient ratio automatically for you. 

In order to make this dish low fat and vegan, I will simmer this dish in a quality vegetable stock and then simply will season with salt and white pepper to taste.

However you could always add some cream to the stock as well, which will make it non vegan but very creamy. 

Pretty simple one pot dish that is sure to impress!

Don’t have Portabella Mushrooms on hand?

Go ahead and use regular instead and prepare them the same way. Almost any type of mushroom will go well with this dish. Bone Appetit!

I am so thrilled you are reading one of my recipes, if you made this recipe i’d love to hear about it! Thank you very much for reading and until next time see ya in the kitchen. Don’t want to miss a recipe? Sign up for our NEWSLETTER delivered right to your inbox!

 

Quick and easy recipes, Seafood, Skip the takeout

Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Skillet

This Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Skillet is an easy low carb meal made with shrimp, chorizo sausage, bell peppers, kale and is ready in less than 30 minutes! 

The combination of Cajun and old bay seasoning provides a wonderful combination of flavors that is sure to tantalize your taste buds.

Quick and easy to prepare too, and is a healthy choice to refuel your body after a long hard day.

Absolutely delicious and healthy stir fry! 

This dish can be on the table in less than 20 minutes, I kid you not!

I like to use green and orange bell peppers along with kale to give this dish it’s beautiful vibrant colors, however you can use pretty much any vegetable you have on hand for this dish.

Simply sauté some sausage and shrimp on the side first, then the vegetables separately. Bring everything back together and sauté to combine the flavors for the most delicious skillet dinner. 

Can weeknight dinners get any better than this?

Bursting with flavor this skillet is sure to become on of your family’s favorite meals!

 

Note: You can also add celery, spinach or snow peas and can be served over rice if desired.

I am so thrilled you are reading one of my recipes, if you made this recipe I’d love to hear about it! You can post a review, picture below or via Instagram and let me know how it turned out.Don’t want to miss a recipe? Sign up for our NEWSLETTER delivered right to your inbox every Month!

 

Date Night, Dinner ideas, New Year's, Quick and easy recipes, Vegetarian

Creamy Tuscan Gnocchi

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This Creamy Tuscan Gnocchi is made with sun dried tomatoes, kale and parmesan cheese. 

This Creamy Tuscan Gnocchi recipe contains no cream, so is on the lighter side and is  absolutely delicious! So if you are looking for a decadent gnocchi dish minus the excess calories? Then you have come to the right place. 

If you want to make it with cream and the vegetable stock you can as well. However, just be sure to half the vegetable stock so there is not to much liquid.

Also, be sure to sauté the sun dried tomatoes for a minimum of 2 minutes in vegetable stock, this really helps to bring out the flavors. Do this before adding back in the cooked gnocchi.

I have really started to appreciate Italian cuisines more so over the past few years, before I used to prefer Greek. I guess with time my tastes change and I’m so grateful to be able to dabble in all the amazing flavors that the World has to offer.

I could just eat this type of food everyday, nothing really compares to pillowy soft gnocchi.

And when it is tossed in a creamy sauce it’s so good, it will have you craving it often.

The nice thing about this recipe is that it can be whipped up in under 20 minutes.

Which can make for a quick and tasty weeknight meal in no time. 

Go ahead indulge no guilt here!

This recipe would be perfect for a romantic dinner idea, think Valentines day or New Years.

Also you can add some cooked shredded chicken to this or cooked bacon if desired.

As for me I like it just like this, I’m also a huge sun dried tomato lover SO I will add even more sun dried tomatoes to my dish when making it just for myself.

This recipe can be made vegan instead of just vegetarian as well. 

However you would want to replace the sour cream with a vegan options of course.

I will leave that all up to you, I hope you give it a try either way!

Sprinkle some fresh parmesan cheese on top before serving and you will be in Gnocchi heaven…

Bone appetite!

Here are some other Gnocchi recipes that you will love

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Date Night, Dinner ideas, New Year's, Pasta, Quick and easy recipes, Vegetarian

Mushroom Ravioli

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This Mushroom Ravioli has a fantastic balance of flavors that is not at all overpowering but rather savory. 

This type of Ravioli is defiantly for those with a more sophisticate palette. 

Let’s face it most of us had our first taste of Ravioli from a can, sorry Chef Boyardee. 

You were okay as a kid, but now I have refined my taste and require my Ravioli made the real way. 

WHAT IS MUSHROOM RAVIOLI 

It is an Italian dish that is cooked on the stovetop.

DINNER FOR 2

Be sure to add the goat cheese, because it really blends with the vegetable stock.

Along with some butter and balsamic vinegar base to create the most delicious blend of flavor. 

WHAT GOES WITH MUSHROOM RAVIOLI

A glass of white wine or white grape juice!

HOW TO MAKE MUSHROOM RAVIOLI RECIPE

Start with a pre packaged ravioli like Olivieri mushroom 

MUSHROOM RAVIOLI SAUCE RECIPE

  • Butter
  • Olive oil
  • Fresh sliced mushrooms
  • Goat or parmesan cheese
  • Garlic powder 
  • Onion Powder
  • Salt n pepper to taste

Go ahead and add some spinach to this dish if desired, that would go really well in here too. 

WHAT TO MAKE WITH RAVIOLI RECIPE

  • Spinach

 

I am so thrilled you are reading one of my recipes, if you made this recipe i’d love to hear about it! Thank you very much for reading and until next time see ya in the kitchen. Don’t want to miss a recipe? Sign up for our NEWSLETTER delivered right to your inbox!

Seafood, Soups & Stews

Thick New England Clam Chowder Recipe

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This may be the best Thick New England Clam Chowder recipe you have ever tried.

This is my go to recipe for New England Clam Chowder soup.

It is out of this world delicious!

WHERE DID NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER ORIGINATE 

It is said to have originate in NYC and was introduced by the French, Nova Scotian, or British settlers.

And this here is truly an authentic clam chowder recipe. 

I know because this is my favorite soup in the whole wide World.

I will eat this all day everyday if I could.

An when I say my version it’s quick to make, I mean it. 

WHAT IS NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

It is a milk or cream based clam chowder vs a tomato like another famous chowder called the Manhattan we have all known to love as well.

It is also thicker and made with butter, potatoes, pork in this case bacon, onions and clams.

WHAT DOES NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER TASTE LIKE

Creamy, thick, sweet and salty. 

HOW IS NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER MADE

It is really easy rather, you are simply adding everything to one pot to cook.

Dicing and chopping will take the majority of the time then let the pot do the rest.

Want to save some time with this soup?

Simply use frozen yet clams, there will be no shucking here.

You can have a huge pot of this soup ready to serve in 30 minutes time. 

This soup takes me right back to my childhood, where I used to eat this soup religiously.

I hope you give it a try!

However my family never made it from scratch so I had to settle for the canned stuff.

You know the soup that has way more potatoes than clams? 

Oh the things we remember eh!

My parents used to buy those cans for me by caseload because, they knew I would go through a case in less than 2 weeks.

Well looking back I sure was missing out, now I know how to make real clam chowder.

Long gone are the days of eating thick clumpy chowder from a can and having to add extra cream to it to make it creamy.

Clam chowder soup should be creamy and smooth and filled with clams and there juices. 

Not thick and clumpy and filled with mainly potatoes.

And please don’t add carrots to it, why do some people do that anyway? it’s so so wrong.

Yes there are some people who still prefer a thicker chowder and that is fine, feel free to omit the vegetable stock of that is you.

But please don’t add canned clams, using fresh or frozen is best.

The trick to making the best clam chowder is using fresh or frozen clams and cooking them for just a few minutes at the end to prevent them from becoming rubbery.

HOW TO MAKE NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER SOUP

  • So what are those secret ingredients?
  • Simply Old Bay Seasoning and some Red Wine Vinegar that we will splash in at the end.
  • The Red Wine Vinegar will give it that extra oomph and help tie this soup all together.
  • And clam juice (See below the kind I used for this recipe)

CAN NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER BE FROZEN

Most defiantly! 

I hope you give it a try and if you do I would love to know what you think, just let me know in the comments below.  

Keep in mind if you wanting a lower fat clam chowder, you can always use all milk and omit the cream.

I would not recommend that personally but if your on a diet of some kind then by all means, it’s your chowder.

Don’t mistake this clam chowder with any other and definitely not it’s counterpart named the Manhattan clam chowder.

Which is good but made with a tomato stock rather than cream. I now make this soup in big batches so that I can enjoy it over a few days 🙂

What soup is your go to in the colder months?

I am so thrilled you are reading one of my recipes, I appreciate every single one of you! If you made this recipe i’d love to hear how it turned out!  Thank you very much for reading and until next time see ya in the kitchen. Don’t want to miss a recipe? Sign up for our NEWSLETTER delivered right to your inbox!

Dinner ideas, Pasta, Quick and easy recipes

Pumpkin Hamburger Mac and Cheese

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Looking for an awesome way to use Pumpkin puree? Well look no further than this delicious Pumpkin Mac ‘ N Cheese with Hamburger recipe. 

If you and your family like boxed hamburger helper, then trust me you have not tried nothing yet.

Because I do to but this stuff is does not even compare!

It gives it that extra creaminess everyone craves with a health benefits of pumpkin! 

So I hope the next time that craving hits for some good old mac n cheese? or some gold old fashion hamburger helper.

You think of this recipe instead, because it’s that much better and healthier for you.

Plus adding in the pumpkin helps to stretch out the meal even further.

So if your feeding a bunch of little ones, you will ample to serve.

This recipe definitely cannot compare to any of the box stuff I just mentioned above.

And that is because this is homemade and you have the say in what kind of ingredients are used.

Also we are adding a whole cup of Pumpkin puree which gives it so much extra flavor. 

Did you know Pumpkin puree is very good for you? It’s true, for one it helps to regulating blood pressure and is good for the heart.

Not The mention is packed full of feel good fiber, potassium, and vitamin C. So this Mac n Cheese is actually very good for you.

Once this recipe has been cooked, feel free to add 1 cup of panko bread crumbs on top along with some more cheddar cheese and bake it in the oven at 400 f for 15 minutes for something extra special.  Totally depends on the time you have and what kind of dinner your wanting to serve!

Also you can go ahead and bake two batches. Just double the recipe with my easy to use recipe adjuster above and then simply use two baking pans.

Comfort food made Healthy!

I am so thrilled you are reading one of my recipes, if you made this recipe i’d love to hear about it! Thank you very much for reading and until next time see ya in the kitchen. Don’t want to miss a recipe? Sign up for our NEWSLETTER delivered right to your inbox every Month!

Curries

Thai Carrot Soup

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This Creamy Thai Carrot Soup is made with lots of carrots and has hints of thai flavors incorporated into it.

PLUS it is simple to make, trust me I have tested this recipe a few times. And have come up with the easiest way to make this from scratch. There is no peeling of the carrots here and everything is pretty much done in one pot.

Minus the blending of the carrots at the end. But it is so worth it because it turns into the most delicious creamy carrot soup ever!

Have you ever tried Red Thai Curry before? If you have then you will recognize some of those flavors here. This soup is not boring by any means, and it does not taste just like carrots.

Rather all the ingredients here only enhances the carrots. Which have linked with benefits for heart and eye health, improved digestion, as well as reduced risk of cancer.

Now there are plenty of ways to make this kind of soup, so I’m going to give you a few options here and let then you decide what works best for you.

I have experiment with a few carrot soups in my day, and I have found most of them bland to be honest. That is probably why people sometimes add potatoes and other elements to it. But not I! 

I prepare this soup the exact same way I would any “Red Thai Curry” minus the fish stock.

With the addition of 8 carrots. If you are not as much of a carrot fan, then you can also half the amount of carrots and add one sweet potato to the stock. “Cubed” of course, then you will want to blend that along with the carrots.  

IS CARROT SOUP HEALTHY

YES, carrots have been linked with plenty of benefits for heart and eye health, improved digestion, as well as reduced risk of cancer. Being that their is 8 whole carrots in this soup you are getting a whole lot of those benefits. 

WHY IS CARROT SOUP HEALTHY FOR YOU

  • Because it is packed full beta-carotene, fiber, vitamin K, potassium and antioxidants 
  • They are a weight loss friendly food and have been linked to lower cholesterol levels and improved eye health
  • The list goes on and on as to the benefits of carrots.

HOW TO MAKE THAI CARROT SOUP 

  • You will start by washing and chopping the carrots, do not remove the skin. It is very healthy for you as that is where most of the nutrients are stored. 
  • Then in a large pot you will want to saute the Red Thai Curry Paste in a little bit of oil for 2 minutes or until fragrant. 
  • Along with the fresh ginger. 
  • Then you will add the coconut milk along with the vegetable stock.
  • Add the cubed carrots, star anise and sugar.
  • Place the lid on the soup and simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes or until the carrots are fork tender.
  • With a ladle remove the carrots and place into a blender, along with 1 cup of the stock.
  • Blend until completely creamy and smooth.
  • Pour back into the pot, cover and simmer 5 more minutes. 
  • Serve into bowls, then crush up some cashews and parsley and garnish.
  • Squeeze half a lime over each bowl and enjoy!

WHAT IS THAI CARROT SOUP

  • Red Thai Curry consists Coconut milk, Vegetable Stock,  Red Thai Curry Paste, Ginger, Sugar, Star Anise and lots of Carrots. 
  • Traditionally Red Thai Curry paste is made in a mortar and is comprised of shallots, garlic, green chilies, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves among some other ingredients and spices. 
  • How the Red Thai Curry that I use and HIGHLY recommend has all that in it. (see below)

The ONLY brand I will use!!

Also if you’re feeling under the weather, this is the perfect soup to make. 

Just simply go ahead and add more ginger to this soup as it carries a ton of antibacterial properties.

And has been proven to help people get better much faster. 

So you have two options when preparing this dish, either you can make the Red Thai Curry from scratch with the traditional Thai ingredients.

By crushing it all together in a mortar or you can buy the premade “Red Thai Curry Paste” which has all this in the paste, and is much easier. 

This is the method we highly recommend, as it’s much easier. We hope you give it a try,  and let us know how it turned out for you. 

CAN CARROT SOUP BE FROZEN

Definitely, just make sure you are placing it in a freezer friendly container. 

You really you cannot go wrong with making this soup, it’s healthy and also an excellent recipe to keep on hand when you have a ton of carrots. 

If you love Thai food as much as me, then you will want to try my other thai dishes! All are AMAZING and really are some of the best ways to make Thai at home in a fraction of the time. 

I am so thrilled you are reading one of my recipes, if you made this recipe i’d love to hear about it! Thank you very much for reading and until next time see ya in the kitchen. Don’t want to miss a recipe? Sign up for our NEWSLETTER delivered right to your inbox every Month!