It's been about a year since my first Joy of Cooking post, and I've come a long way since then. (You can read about it here.) In fact people even refer to me as a good cook. And Josh can vouch for that. It's amazing what a year and some good quality time in the kitchen can do. I can honestly say that I love cooking now.
Although my cooking skills have drastically improved, I still have my moments. Like the time I unsteadily wedged the strainer in between two dishes and ended up dumping a pound of pasta down the sink. At that point I just gave up on dinner. Or the time, no every time, I make rice and it turns out soggy. I still can't figure out why that is.
One recipe that turns out every time I make it is tortellini soup. It's really easy and inexpensive to make- two things I always look for in a recipe. And the best part is that it looks as pretty as it tastes. It's not one of those recipes that looks like art in the cookbook and then looks like a sloppy mess when you try to recreate it. Josh and I love this soup:
Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
1 tbsp. olive oil
½ cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. dried oregano
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, with juices
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
9 oz. tortellini, any variety (fresh or frozen)
3 cups fresh baby spinach, loosely packed
Salt and pepper
Grated Parmesan, for serving
Directions
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions to the pan and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Mix in the oregano and diced tomatoes. Add the broth to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil. Add the tortellini to the pot and cook according to the package directions. One minute before the tortellini is fully cooked, stir in the spinach. Remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm with grated Parmesan as desired.
*Source: Annie's Eats
So good! You should try it.
So proud of you (and not just for cooking!)!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful picture! I need to try that soup. Maybe I'll turn the thermostat down to 50 and make it!
ReplyDeleteOh how I understand the cooking excitement, if that's what you call it. :) With rice, at least the kind we make, it's a 1/2 cup of rice to 1 1/3 cup of water. Bring it all to a boil, and then drop it to a simmer with a lid for 20 minutes. Then remove it from the heat and remove the lid for about 5 minutes. It should work out. :)
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