19 September 2010

spinach and tomato tortellini soup and some meal planning

It's Austin Restaurant Week again and we're about to head out to Sullivan's Steakhouse for their ARW prix fixe menu. I promised Colby that we wouldn't eat out for awhile after this and I'm sort of trying to think about starting to eat healthy, so menu planning was in order.

Monday
lunch: spinach and tomato tortellini soup
dinner: chicken with mustard sauce, steamed broccoli, quinoa

Tuesday
lunch: broccoli + quinoa wrap
dinner: habanero chicken, spanish rice, grilled zucchini

Wednesday
lunch: spinach and tomato tortellini soup
dinner: spaghetti squash lasagna

Thursday
lunch: chicken fajitas
dinner: Korean tacos

Friday
lunch: bulgogi wrap
dinner: salmon and potato hash with poached eggs

And since, it seems, it's been forever since last I posted a recipe, here's how to make my stupidly easy (and cheater) spinach and tomato tortellini soup.

1/2 medium onion, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 medium celery stalk, diced
2 T olive oil
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
32 oz (or so) stock (I used chicken, but vegetable stock works well too)
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
9 oz package tortellini
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 c lightly packed baby spinach
salt+red pepper flakes, to taste

In a large sauce pan or stock pot or some sort of cooking vessel heat olive oil.

Add in onion, celery, and carrots with about a 1/2 tsp of kosher salt. Sweat until the celery and onion become translucent and the carrots soften (about 5-6 minutes).

Add in tomatoes (liquids and all), crushed garlic, and stock and bring to a boil.

Add in the tortellini for however long they need. (I used a refrigerator package, so they only needed 4ish minutes.)

Reduce heat and add in the cannellini beans and spinach and stir until the spinach has wilted.

Season with salt and crushed red pepper flakes to taste.

So okay, fine, I've sort of semi-hoed this up, but it's better than going out for lunches this week .

No comments: