National Doughnut Day Free Doughnut at Krispy Kreme

Fiesta Enchilada Bake

Made this recipe tonight. It was in the Publix flyer from Sunday's paper; so easy, had all the ingredients on hand and everyone loved it.  

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/fiesta-enchilada-bake/b56e7d1d-601a-4994-9962-379ba3891989


 Fiesta Enchilada Bake

Ingredients

1 1/4

lb lean ground turkey

1

box (8.8 oz) Old El Paso® taco dinner kit

2/3

cup water

2

cans (10 oz each) Old El Paso® enchilada sauce

1/2

cup sliced green onions (8 medium)

2

cups shredded Cheddar cheese (8 oz)

3

cups shredded lettuce

1/2

cup sour cream 

 

 

 

Directions

• 1 Heat oven to 325°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In 2-quart saucepan, cook ground turkey over medium-high heat 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink; drain. Stir in seasoning mix from dinner kit and water. Cook as directed on box.
• 2 Pour 1 can of the enchilada sauce into baking dish. Break taco shells from kit in half; layer half of the shells over sauce, overlapping if necessary. Top with turkey, onions and 1 cup of the cheese. Layer remaining shells over cheese. Pour remaining can of enchilada sauce over shells, coating well.
• 3 Cover dish with foil. Bake about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Remove foil; sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese over top. Bake uncovered about 15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Top individual servings with lettuce, sour cream and taco sauce from kit.

General Tso's Chicken

We made this recipe tonight and it was so yummy and flavorful!  We used chicken thigh meat instead of breasts; we find it doesn't dry out as much as white meat and we added steamed broccoli when we added the chicken into the sauce. It did not turn out too spicy at all just very sweet with a  little taste of spice.

http://passionatepennypincher.com/2013/08/general-tsos-chicken/

Ingredients

• 4 cups vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into cubes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• pinch pepper
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons green onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 red chili peppers, cut finely
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 3 tbsp chicken broth
• 1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari sauce
• 4 tbsp peanut oil
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons corn starch
• 1/4 cup water

Instructions

1. Heat 4 cups oil in deep fryer or sauce pan.
2. Beat egg and add chicken cubes in bowl. Sprinkle with salt, 1 tsp sugar, and pepper, then mix. Add in 1 cup corn starch a little at a time until the chicken is coated on all sides.
3. In batches, drop chicken into hot oil, cooking until golden brown and beginning to float (about 2-3 minutes.) Remove chicken and allow it to cool on paper plates while cooking the next batch.
4. Cook until all chicken is cooked, and let it drain on paper plates.
5. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in wok or large skillet over high heat.
6. Stir in green onion, garlic, and red chili peppers.
7. Cook and stir until onion is translucent and garlic and chili peppers cook through.
8. Add 1/2 cup sugar, ginger, chicken broth, vinegar, soy sauce and peanut oil.
9. Bring ingredients to broil and cook for 3 minutes.
10. Dissolve 2 tsp of corn starch into water and stir into boiling sauce.
11. Return to a boil and continue to cook until sauce thickens, about 1 more minute.
12. Add cooked chicken to boiling sauce and reduce heat to low.
13. Cook for a few minutes to reheat chicken and so that the chicken begins to absorb some of the sauce.
14. Serve over rice or noodles.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps or Thai Tacos

I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com and we loved it. My boys renamed it Thai tacos and said we should have it more often than regular tacos.

I have included the recipe and the link back to it and some changes I made to suit our family.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into large dice
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 5 dashes hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco®)
• 1 teaspoon Asian (toasted) sesame oil
• 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter

• 3 tablespoons hot water
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 5 dashes hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco®)
• 6 large leaves of iceberg lettuce
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 1 tablespoon chopped green onion, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Cook and stir ground chicken in a large skillet until the meat is crumbly and no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Drain excess grease. Stir red bell pepper into chicken; cook and stir until pepper is slightly softened, about 5 more minutes.
2. Whisk 1/2 cup soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger, 5 dashes hot pepper sauce, and sesame oil in a bowl; pour over chicken mixture. Cook and stir chicken mixture with sauce over low heat until flavors have blended, 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Mash peanut butter with hot water in a small bowl until smooth; stir 3 tablespoons soy sauce and 5 dashes hot pepper sauce into the mixture. Set dipping sauce aside.
4. Form lettuce leaves into cup shapes and fill with chicken mixture. Top lettuce wraps with shredded carrots, sprinkle with green onion and cilantro, and a spoonful of peanut dipping sauce.
5. I made a few changes; I used smooth peanut butter not crunchy and not as much as the recipe called for and diluted it out more to make it real smooth. Also, I used Siracha for the hot sauce and lots more cilantro for topping. (but our family really likes cilantro) I also added some minced garlic when I added the grated ginger. Also, the recipe calls for 6 large lettuce leaves but I found a head of iceberg gives you many more lettuce "wraps" than 6 and the filling goes a long way. I served the wraps with Jasmine rice and edamame.

   
   

   
   

   http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-lettuce-wraps/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=chicken%20lettuce%20wraps&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e13=A%3aSearch%20Results-List%28control%29&e7=Home%20Page

New recipes for using lots of veggies

We have been receiving a weekly produce delivery and have been trying out new recipes to use all the fruits and vegetables. 
Here are two new recipes that we used last week; that were wonderful.  The Braised Mustard Greens were awesome even my boys were saying, "I love mustard greens!" (mustard greens can be bitter if not cooked correctly and this recipe does not have any bitter taste just wonderful flavor). The soup is a wonderfully rich winter soup that uses so many vegetables.

Hoppin' John Soup With Rice

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons vegetable or extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
• 1 1/2 cups rice
• 1 quart plus 3 cups chicken stock, divided
• 1 package (4 links) andouille sausage, casings removed and diced
• 5 ribs celery, chopped
• 2 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
• Hot sauce, to taste
• 1 pound frozen black-eyed peas
• 1 28-ounce can stewed tomatoes

Preparation

Place a medium-size saucepot over high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Add rice and stir to coat in the oil. Add 3 cups of the chicken stock and bring up to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium, place a tight-fitting lid on the pot and cook the rice until tender, about 18 minutes. 

Once the rice is cooking, place a large soup pot over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO. Add the andouille and cook until brown and crispy, about 4-5 minutes. Add the celery, green bell pepper, onion, bay leaf, sweet potato and hot sauce to taste. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring every now and then, until onions start to get tender. Add black-eyed peas, stewed tomatoes and remaining quart of chicken stock. Turn the heat up to high and bring up to a bubble. Once bubbling, lower heat down to medium and simmer for 10 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender.

To serve, place a large scoop of rice in a soup bowl and add enough Hoppin' John to almost cover the rice. Give it a stir to combine. By cooking the rice separately, you never run the risk of the rice getting mushy on you and it will be waiting for you whenever you are ready to eat!

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/hoppin-john-soup-with-rice/

Braised Mustard Greens

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 3 bunches mustard greens, trimmed and chopped
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• Coarse salt
• 2 cups chicken broth

Directions

In a large skillet over medium high heat brown bacon and render its fat. Add chopped greens to the pan in batches and turn until they wilt, then add more greens. When all of the greens are in the pan, add vinegar and cook a minute. Season greens with sugar and salt. Add chicken broth to the pan and cover. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer greens 15 to 20 minutes then serve.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/braised-mustard-greens-recipe/index.html

Our new favorite thing-Red Tractor Produce

For 2 Saturdays now, my sons have looked anxiously out our front door windows for....  PRODUCE!

We started getting a weekly produce delivery from a local company  called Red Tractor Produce and it has been great for our family to try new fruits and veggies and new recipes. They send out a weekly email with the items available that week with a short survey for you to decide which fruits and vegetables you would like included in your box. They have a $20 or a $30 box that they put together according to your preferences. So far, we have been impressed with the quality of all the items we have received. 

Here are some pictures of the boxes we have received so far and the link to their website. 

Here is the link to their website; which answers lots of questions about their service. http://www.theredtractorproduce.com/

If you decide to sign up for their service, I would love to refer you for a referral credit. Please send me a comment if you want more information or would like to have me refer you.   Thanks.

My family enjoyed this salad tonight for dinner. I also added cucumber slices and cherry tomatoes to our salad and we had corn on the cob on the side. 

Buffalo Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 2 hearts romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 cup shredded carrots, available in pouches
• 2 ribs celery with greens, chopped
• 1/2 cup ranch dressing
• 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
• 1 package, 3/4 to 1 pound, chicken tenders, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 turn of the pan
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Salt and black pepper
• 1/4 cup hot sauce

Directions

Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat.

Combine lettuce, carrots and celery in a salad bowl. Combine ranch dressing and blue cheese crumbles in a small bowl.

Add oil and butter to hot pan with the chicken. Season with salt and pepper and sear for 2 or 3 minutes, then add hot sauce. Reduce heat a little and cook 5 minutes more.

Toss salad with dressing and season with salt and pepper. Top salad with Buffalo chicken and serve.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/buffalo-chicken-salad-recipe/index.html

With cooler weather coming our way, Chili and different types of soups are always yummy. I made this recipe tonight that I found in a Better Homes and Gardens article with different types of chilis. 
I think it would be a great recipe to make after the holidays also to use up leftover turkey since you can use chicken or turkey in it. I used shredded rotisserie chicken meat tonight and it worked fine. 

Spicy White Chili

• 2 cups chopped onions
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 4 1/2 ounce can diced green chiles
• 3 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 15 ounce can white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 14 1/2 ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 5 cups cubed cooked turkey or chicken
• 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers, shredded

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven cook onions and garlic in hot oil over medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often, until tender. Stir in green chiles, chili powder, oregano, and cayenne pepper; cook for 1 minute. Mash one can of the beans. Add all beans and broth to ingredients in Dutch oven. Bring to simmering. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes.

2. Stir in the turkey; cook about 10 minutes, until heated. Stir in cheese until melted.

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/chili/spicy-white-chili/

I found this recipe in Food Network Magazine and my whole family loves it.  You can put the chicken korma inside a pita or just serve the chicken mixture over Jasmine or Basmati rice with pita or flatbread on the side. I also served marinated/pickled cucumbers and carrots with our meal.

Chicken Korma

Recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

• 1 large red onion; 1/2 chopped, 1/2 sliced
• 1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
• 3/4 pound ground chicken
• 1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt, plus more for garnish
• 1/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
• 4 pocketless pitas
• Chopped cashews and/or hot sauce, for garnish (optional)

Directions

Puree the chopped onion in a food processor with the ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup water.
Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onion and cook until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the spice paste and cook, stirring, until slightly dry, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the chicken and cook until opaque, breaking up the meat. Mix the yogurt with 1/4 cup water, add to the pan and simmer over medium-low heat until the meat is cooked through, 2 to 3 more minutes. Add the peas and cilantro and season with salt.
Meanwhile, heat another skillet over high heat. Brush the pitas with oil, season with salt and toast in the skillet, about 1 minute per side. Divide the chicken mixture among the pitas. Top with more yogurt and cilantro. Garnish with cashews and/or hot sauce, if desired

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/chicken-korma-recipe/index.html

Eggrolls; Repost

Homemade eggrolls

I have been making homemade eggrolls for a long time and I don't really have a recipe anymore. They are pretty easy; just time consuming because it takes a while to fry them all.
I use browned ground turkey, cole slaw mix and lots of different spices and sauces for my filling.





I place the browned turkey meat in a large bowl with the bagged cole slaw mix and added any of the following spices and sauces to taste.

• Lite soy sauce
• Ginger
• Sriracha
• Hoisin sauce
• Any type of stir fry sauce (I like House of Tsang Szechauan Spicy Stir Fry Sauce)
• Ponzu sauce

I find that after frying the eggrolls the flavor seem to blanch out a little so don't worry if you taste your mixture and think it seems a little spicy.
I use the eggroll wrappers that you can find in the produce section. I find that less is more when filling the wrappers because if you try to add too much and make them "fat" that the wrapper tends to tear and then the filling leaks out when fried.



I roll the eggrolls on a floured surface like a cutting board or baking sheet so they won't stick. Place a small amount of the mixture on the wrapper and fold up the bottom point and then tuck each end in and roll up and toward the opposite side. I keep a small bowl of water by the floured pan to moisten the flap as I seal the eggroll; making sure to have a good seal so none of the filling comes out in the fryer.











Fry the eggrolls in vegetable oil until golden brown and crispy. Serve with duck sauce and hot mustard. Here are some pics of the finished product.

This weeks menu

This week's menu was a combination of easy meals for busy nights with after school activities and "use up what is in the fridge and freezer" cooking.

Sunday:Sausage, spicy mac and cheese and okra

  Recipe for Spicy Macaroni and cheese posted here: http://busymommasmenu.blogspot.com/2012/09/spicy-macaroni-and-cheese.html

Monday:Fish, FF and oriental slaw

Tuesday:Grilled Chicken salad and crescent rolls

Wednesday: Spaghetti with italian sausage,creamed spinach and cheesy bread

Thursday:Breakfast for dinner

                                        Biscuits with sausage gravy, scrambled eggs, sliced cheese and raspberries

Friday:Tacos

Saturday:"Bite night"/Appetizers  for College football

                                       

Last week my family and I were channel surfing and ended up watching an episode of The best food I ever made; http://www.foodnetwork.com/the-best-thing-i-ever-made/index.html on the Food Network. The episode we saw had several yummy dishes we wanted to try so last night we made Spicy Macaroni and Cheese; recipe courtesy of Sunny Anderson.
It was so yummy but beware it is filling so you can eat just a little bit. It makes enough to fill a 2-quart baking dish so it would be great to take along on a pot luck dinner.

Spicy Macaroni and Cheese

Recipe courtesy Sunny Anderson

Prep Time:

15 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

55 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups elbow pasta, cooked until almost al dente
• 8 ounces Cheddar, 1/2 cubed, 1/2 shredded
• 8 ounces Colby cheese, cubed
• 8 ounces Monterey pepper jack cheese, cubed
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 4 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1/4 cup finely grated onions
• 4 slices bread
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Special equipment: 2-quart baking dish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, toss together the pasta with the cheese cubes and pour into the baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, dry mustard, nutmeg. Add the sour cream, egg, heavy cream, half-and-half and onions. Pour over the pasta and cover with the shredded Cheddar. Bake uncovered until the top is just beginning to brown, about 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the bread into crouton-size squares. In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter, add the bread cubes and toast until golden. Sprinkle the bread cubes on top of the macaroni and cheese and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes more.


 http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/spicy-macaroni-and-cheese-recipe/index.html

Chickadilla Soup or Chicken Tortilla Soup

I had no idea what to throw together for dinner tonight and didn't want to go to the store AGAIN so I remembered a recipe I recently saved from a magazine.
It is a slow cooker soup and I had almost all the ingredients on hand in my pantry or fridge. I did make one substitution so we'll see how it turns out. I used Rotel zesty tomato and green chili sauce instead of the mild enchilada sauce the recipe had in its ingredient list.

The recipe was in a Kashi ad so I checked out their website www.kashi.com/family and they have a great recipe section!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Created by Kashi

Put a south-of-the-border twist on chicken soup with tomatoes, beans, enchilada sauce, green chilies, cumin, chili powder and cilantro. This bold-flavored soup is slow cooked in a crockery cooker.
Preparation Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: 205 Minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cans (15 oz. each) organic black beans or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cans ( 14 1/2 oz. each) diced organic tomatoes
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• 1 can (10 oz.) mild red enchilada sauce
• 1 package (10 oz.) frozen organic whole kernel corn
• 1 can (4 oz.) diced organic green chilies
• 1/2 medium organic onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh organic cilantro
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• Bottled hot pepper sauce, sour cream, organic lime wedges, chopped organic avocado, shredded cheddar cheese or chopped fresh organic cilantro (optional)

Directions

1. In 6-quart crockery cooker combine broth, beans, undrained tomatoes, chicken, enchilada sauce, corn, chilies, onion, 1 tablespoon cilantro, cumin, chili powder and pepper. Cover and cook on low heat setting for 6 to 8 hours or on high setting for 3 to 4 hours.
2. Remove chicken from crockery cooker. Cover cooker. Shred chicken. Return chicken to mixture in crockery cooker. Cover and cook on high heat setting for 15 minutes more.
3. Ladle into serving bowls. Serve with KASHI Pita Crisps Original 7 Grain with Sea Salt and/or other serving options.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups, Calories 140, Total Fat 1.5g, Total Carbohydrate 20g, Dietary Fiber 5g, Sugars 4g, Protein 13g

Fiber One® Nutty Clusters & Almonds

Everyone is trying to get healthy and get more fiber these days. Fiber One cereal just came out with a new flavor of their cereal; Fiber One® Nutty Clusters & Almonds.  

This cereal has lots of crunch and sweetness and helps you get lots of fiber and whole grain to start your day.

Contains 11 grams of fiber (43% of the Daily Value), 23 grams of whole grain (at least 48 recommended daily), and 180 calories per serving

Chock full of delicious crunchy nut clusters, real sliced almonds and whole grain flakes

General Mills and Myblogspark.com have provided me with a coupon to share with you so go to http://bit.ly/Fiber1NCAcoupon to download a printable coupon for $1.25 off one box of Fiber One Nutty Clusters & Almonds cereal today!

Progresso's New Light soups and coupon

Who is ready for FALL and COOLER weather? I am!! I love cooking and eating soups in the fall and winter. 
Progresso has two new Light versions of their great soups out to try. 
I like Progresso soups and enjoy the Chicken Pot pie flavor so am interested in trying the lighter version of this flavor and the Creamy Baked Potato with Bacon and cheese.

Want to try these lighter versions?
MyBlogspark.com and Progresso.com has provided a coupon you can download to try them out.

Then grab your soup soon and download a printable coupon for $1.25 off the purchase of 4 cans of Progresso® soup today!

Garlic Cheesy Bread with Dinner

Friday, we had Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs and salad.  I thought the meal was a little boring and wanted to jazz it up a bit. I had a roll of Pillsbury refrigerated pizza dough in the fridge and came up with an idea.

I rolled the dough out on a greased cookie sheet and spread some butter and garlic on it before baking. I baked it for about 8 minutes, then took it out of the oven and let one of my boys put mozzarella cheese all over the bread and some additional garlic butter. I baked the bread for an additional 6 minutes until the cheese was melted and the bread was slightly brown.

I cut the bread lengthwise to make cheesy bread sticks and they turned out yummy!

Publix Grape Magazine

I know it is still HOT here in Florida, but fall is just around the corner. I am looking forward to cooking soups, stews and chili soon.
I received my Publix Grape magazine in the mail recently and it had several yummy chili themed recipes that I can not wait to try out on my family.  It is a free publication about wine and food.

If you don't get the Publix Grape magazine, here is the link to sign up to have it mailed to your home.

https://www.publix.com/clubs/common/WineGuideNewsletter/ProgramLanding.do

I have been told that my blog posts have been missed...

I have been told lately that there are a few people out there missing my blog posts and wondering what we have been having for dinner lately. I got out of the habit of blogging I think, because I got a little bored with meal planning and felt like we were having the same meals all the time. Also, I have been stretching our food dollar and using what we have on hand instead of going to the store and making extravagant meals all the time. So here is my first post in a long time and an example of using what you have on hand to make a yummy side dish.



Tonight we are having "Breakfast for dinner" which there are endless possibilities to do with that theme, but we are having omelets (with whatever veggies and deli meat and cheese we have on hand), turkey sausage and deconstructed baked potatoes (see below).

Deconstructed Baked Potatoes

This dish was made using lots of bits and pieces so I do not have exact measurements.

A handful of new potatoes or a couple of medium baking potatoes

Any of the following toppings:

bacon pieces, jalapenos, scallions, cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar cheese, butter, salt and pepper

Cook your potatoes in the microwave and then dice up in a small casserole dish and then combine with any of the above toppings and mix up to make a sort of hash. It is so yummy and goes great as a easy side dish.

Tortellini and White Bean Soup

Ingredients

• Preparation1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 ribs celery, sliced 
• 1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained 
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth 
• 1 8-oz. package fresh cheese or meat tortellini
• 1 15-oz. can white beans, drained and rinsed
• Salt, optional
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1. 1. Warm oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add celery, tomatoes and oregano and cook, stirring occasionally, until celery begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, 2 minutes longer.
2. 2. Stir in broth and bring soup to a boil. Carefully add tortellini and beans and cook, stirring occasionally, until soup is heated through and tortellini are tender, about 7 minutes. Season with salt, if desired. Divide soup among 4 bowls, sprinkle each with 1 Tbsp. Parmesan and serve immediately.

This was so easy to prepare and I already had most of the ingredients on hand. You could always add a little sausage or ham to the soup for flavor and added protein. I served it with garlic bread and a salad.

Source: All You magazine  http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/tortellini-white-bean-soup-50400000120131/