Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup

Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup

1 lb Italian sausage, removed from casing

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 red bell peppers, diced

1 bay leaf

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes 

8 cups chicken broth

2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes

2 cups fresh cheese tortellini 

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

Salt & pepper to taste

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and scramble fry until nicely browned approximately 7 minutes. Remove sausage from pan and place on a paper towel lined plate. 

In a large pot heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion & cook until tender approximately 3 - 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook an additional 3 minutes. Stir in the peppers, bay leaf and red pepper flakes and cook until peppers are soft approximately 3 minutes. 

Add the broth and tomatoes, lower the heat to medium low and simmer 30 minutes. Add tortellini and cook until tender approximately 5 - 7 minutes. Add sausage and heat through. 

For some variation, add corn and/or spinach. Use a different type of pasta instead of tortellini to make a lighter version. Add cream cheese to make a rich creamy broth. 

Remove bay leaf and serve. 

Bruschetta BBQ Pork Chops

Bruschetta BBQ Pork Chops

4 boneless pork chops

3 Roma tomatoes, diced

1/2 red onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

Fresh basil, cut into thin strips

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded or thinly sliced

Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat grill on high for 10 minutes. 

Mix tomatoes, onion, garlic, salt & basil in a colander, drizzle with olive oil, mixing well and let sit to drain. Stir occasionally to moisten and add additional olive oil as needed. 

Season pork chops with salt and pepper, lightly baste with olive oil and grill for 3+ minutes per side depending on the thickness of your chops. Remove meat at 140 degrees. 

Top chops with cheese and place under broiler for approximately 1 minute, until the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. 

Top with a heaping spoonful of the bruschetta mixture and serve. 

Jalapeño Dip

Jalapeño Dip

4 oz can diced jalapeños, well drained or 2 jalapeño, seeded and diced small 

8 oz package cream cheese, softened

1 cup sour cream

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded X 2

1 heaping tsp of minced garlic 

Using a hand mixer, combine cream cheese and sour cream. Add cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and jalapeños, mixing well. Spoon into an 8 X 8 greased baking dish. 

Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese evenly over the cream cheese mixture. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until breadcrumb topping is golden brown. 

Serve with bread or crackers. 

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

3 lbs red peppers (8-10) halved & cleaned of seeds & membrane

5 cloves garlic, in peel

2 cups onion, chopped

2 tblsp olive oil

2 large sprigs fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

4 cups chicken broth

1 tsp hot sauce

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Place cleaned red pepper halves skin side up & garlic cloves on a foil lined cookie sheet. Set oven on broil and cook red peppers and garlic for 15 to 20 minutes or until the pepper skin has blackened. Place in a large ziplock bag to steam for approximately 10 minutes. 

Add oil to a large pot and heat over medium heat. Add thyme, bay leaves and onion & sautée for approximately 10 minutes or until onion has softened. Add broth, hot sauce, salt & pepper. Squeeze garlic cloves out of the peel into the pot. Peel the charred skin off the pepper & add to pot, discarding the skin.  

Reduce heat, cover and simmer another 20 minutes. Remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Using a hand held immersion blender, blend until smooth. 

Add additional salt to taste and serve hot. 

Pulled Pork

Pulled Pork

6 lb pork shoulder roast

1 cup barbecue sauce

4 cloves minced garlic

2 tbsp Montreal steak spice

Few drops liquid smoke

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh fennel green top parts

Cut open roast like a book and scores the meat. Mix next 6 ingredients and cover roast with mixture. Roll meat and tie with butchers string. Spread additional barbecue sauce over roast. 

Place in a roast pan and top with fennel. Bake in a 300 degree oven for approximately 6 hours. 

Remove the fennel and string and shred the roast into the pan juices. Cook for an additional 1 - 2 hours. 

Serve on toast or buns. 

Tater Tot Casserole

Tater Tot Casserole

1 lb lean ground beef

1 can cream of mushroom soup

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced

6 strips bacon, crumbled

1/2 cup French fried onions

1 small pkg tater tots

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat an 11 x 7 inch with no stick spray. 

Press ground beef into pan and place tater tots evenly on top. Add cream of mushroom soup spreading to cover evenly. Sprinkle peppers, bacon and French fried onions over soup. Top with 1 cup of shredded cheese. 

Bake for 30 minutes. 

Remove from oven and gently stir casserole breaking ground beef into chunks. Top with remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese. 

Bake for an additional 30 minutes and serve. 

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Cream of Broccoli Soup

1 tbsp vegetable oil

3/4 cup onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups chicken broth

500 gram pkg frozen cut broccoli

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp worchestershire sauce

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 cup old cheddar cheese, shredded

1 can diced potatoes (optional)

Salt

Pepper

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, cook and stir about 5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and cook 2 additional minutes. 

Add broth and broccoli and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer approximately 5 minutes until broccoli is tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and purée with a hand mixer until desired consistency is reached. 

Stir in milk, worchestershire sauce, mustard, potatoes, salt and pepper. Add cheese and cook, stirring over low heat until cheese is melted and potatoes are warmed through. 

Serve, garnishing with additional cheese if desired.