Creamy Spinach Tortellini Soup

AKA: The Soup, Upvote Soup

Source: Reddit

Ingredients

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• ⅓ cup all purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp dried basil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans petite diced tomatoes
• 1 to 1 ½ lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 4 cups frozen cheese tortellini (or fresh)
• 3 cups packed spinach 
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup heavy cream (or ½ &½)

Stovetop Instructions

1. In a large stock pot, heat 3 Tbsp olive oil over medium high heat.  Sauté onions garlic until onions are clear and starting to soften
2. Sprinkle in flour and basil into the pot, cook for 1-2 minutes.  Then add tomato paste, broth, tomatoes, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, then down to a simmer.
3. Cook and shred chicken thighs. 
4. While pot is simmering, add tortellini and Parmesan cheese.  Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until Tortellini is cooked through.
5. Bring down heat to low, stir in spinach and warmed cream.
6. Enjoy

*Can sub Italian sausage for chicken

*Can sub flavored tomatoes

Crockpot Instructions

1. In a Microwave safe bowl add onions, flour, basil, garlic, tomato paste and drizzle with olive oil.
2. Microwave for 5 minutes, stirring every 90 seconds or so. (The mixture will be pasty and look weird, but don't worry it will be okay in the end.). Add this mixture to the slow cooker.
3. Add broth, tomatoes, chicken, salt & pepper and stir
4. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours (or until chicken is very tender.)
5. Add Tortellini and spinach, parmesan, and warmed cream.  (Cold cream can curdle!)
6. Shred chicken and add back, put lid on and cook on HIGH for about 10 more minutes, until pasta is cooked through.  
7. Ladle into serving bowls and enjoy!

Instant Pot Instructions

1. Turn IP on to sauté, on the highest setting.  Heat oil in the bottom of the pot.  Add the diced onion and stir for a couple of minutes.  Add in garlic and stir until onions are translucent.
2. Add in basil, tomato paste. broth, tomatoes, chicken, salt & pepper.  Give a quick stir.  Manual pressure cook for 15 minutes on HIGH.  Vent pressure when it timer beeps.
3. Remove chicken and cut or shred, add back.  Stir in pasta, spinach, parm, warmed cream. Heat on sauté to reheat quickly.  One tortellini is cooked through, serve. 

Chocolate Mousse Pie with Joe-Joe's Crust

Source: Trader Joe's Cooking Blog

Serves: 12

Prep and Cook Time: 15-29 minutes, not including chill time

Chill Time: 4 hours or overnight

Ingredients

• 28 Joe-Joe's Cookies (2 rows out of the package) (Or sub Oreos)
• ¼ cup melted unsalted butter (10-20 seconds in microwave or low heat on stove)

Filling

• 12 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 14 oz Coconut Milk (light or regular, or coconut cream)
• 4 T. pureed Avocado

Instructions

• Preheat to 350º
• Crush cookies in a food processor until fine crumbs. Pour melted butter and pulse until combined.  Press crumbs firmly into a pie plate, using a glass to press and compact 
• Bake crust for 5-7 minutes.  Cool completely.
• Melt chips on stove or microwave. (Zap for 1 min and then in 30 sec increments, stirring in between, until smooth.
• Immediately blend for 20-30 seconds in blender until smooth: coconut milk, avocado and melted chocolate
• Put filling in crust, chill for 4 hours or overnight.  
• Optional: Serve with whipped cream and/or strawberries.

Captain’s Choice

Source: Gordon Tester

• Fish
• Ranch Dressing
• Onions
• Peppers
• Montreal Steak Seasoning
• Cayenne Pepper
• Black Pepper
• Parmesan cheese

Sprinkle fish with Montreal Steak Seasoning, place in a greased baking dish.  Surround with sliced peppers & onion.  Cover with ranch dressing, sprinkle with parm and add a dash of cayenne over the top and a sprinkle of black pepper.

Bake at 350º for 15-20 minutes, depending on how thick the fish is.  

Cucumber Sandwiches
Source: Pampered Chef

• 1 large cucumber
• fresh dill weed
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 package dry Italian dressing 
• 1 refrigerated Italian loaf dough in tube

1. BREAD: 
1. Preheat oven to 350º.  
2. Grease a bread tube and put the bread dough into it.  
3. Bake upright for 25-30 minutes.  
4. Cool and slice into thin slices.
2. SPREAD:
1. Let cream cheese come to room temp.
2. Cream cream cheese, spice packet and mayo together.
3. Chill for at least 6 hours.
4. Spread on bread slices.
3. CUCUMBER:
1. Peel and score edges with a fork.
2. Thinly slice.
3. Place one slice on top of spread on each bread slice.
4. DILL:
1. Top with a dill sprig on each cucumber.