Slice of Southern

Friday, September 9, 2016

One Pot Tortellini with Sausage and Spinach in a Tomato Basil Sauce

Do you ever get a craving for something that you think is strange?

Well I do. Every now and then I crave marinara sauce, or meat sauce. Any red Italian sauce actually. I know, I think it's strange too. It's not the pasta that I'm craving (although who doesn't crave pasta!) but it's actually the sauce. I know this because I can have a delicious chicken Parmesan dripping with marinara and be perfectly satisfied without any pasta.

So this 'red sauce' craving hit me big time over the long holiday weekend. I mean I was rooting through my food on hand looking for anything I could make that a red sauce would go on. I only had 1 can of diced tomatoes on hand! How could that be??? I'm always stocked, but not on the day the craving hit. Figures....but I did find a jar of a yummy tomato basil sauce in a jar that I had hidden away. So it hit me that will make a variation of a one pot dish that I love, Ravioli Florentine which is a family favorite.

Oh boy, no ravioli to be found in the frig or the freezer, but I did find some tortellini. Bingo! Substitution time, and with a few alterations on the original dish I came up with a winner!

Adding a nice Italian turkey sausage to the sauce gave it some body and wonderful spicy flavor. The flavors of fresh basil add a fresh taste that jazzes it up. Just look at this meaty sauce!

All in one pot. Don't you love that? Plus the clean up is a breeze and I hate doing dishes! This would work great as a weeknight meal as it can be done in 30 minutes. So the result is we both loved it, and it satisfied my craving...until next time.

Enjoy!

One Pot Tortellini with Sausage and Spinach in a Tomato Basil Sauce

serves 4

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 lb turkey Italian sausage, casings removed (about 3 links)

1/2 (24 oz) jar tomato basil sauce

1 (14.5 oz) can finely diced tomatoes

1/4 cup water

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 (9 oz) pkg refrigerated cheese tortellini

2 cups packed fresh spinach, roughly chopped

salt & pepper to taste

2 Tbsp basil, chopped

Heat olive oil in a large skillet medium heat. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds then add sausage using a wooden spoon to break it into pieces as it browns. Cook until it is cooked through, about 6-7 minutes.

Add in tomato basil sauce, tomatoes, water, and seasoning and bring to a simmer. Add tortellini making sure they are covered in the sauce. Cook on medium low about 10 minutes until pasta is tender. Stir occasionally. Add spinach and season with black pepper and salt if needed. Cook several minutes until spinach has wilted. Remove from heat and sprinkle with chopped basil.

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Greek Chicken Salad (2 Ways)

Yum

Hi there! I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day yesterday.

Phew! I'm actually glad it's over. We ate way too much carbs yesterday! I wasn't my intention but little things kept sneaking in to the menu and they added another level of carbs to the menu. I am so ready for a salad today.

SALAD TO THE RESCUE

salad #1

I did double duty yesterday while we were grilling a wonderful juicy steak and snuck on a couple of chicken breasts to grill for today's salad. Love doing that. Today we are gravitating toward Greek flavors. This Greek Chicken Salad can be served two different ways. I like mine to be about the chicken and array of Mediterranean vegetables along side, all covered with a delicious vinaigrette. MGG loves same but wants some sort of lettuce mixed in with his vegetables to make it fuller. Same salad two ways!

salad #2

The flavors of the Mediterranean really shine in this salad. The marinade doubles as a salad dressing which makes things easy, and the lemon and oregano flavors pop in your mouth! The chicken comes out juicy and so tasty and is perfect next to the cucumber, tomato salad mixture. If you like olive, throw them in. This is a versatile salad.

It's hearty and easy to make. Again, you can cook the chicken ahead and throw this together in no time at all. Overall it's a great 30 minutes meal that you could make any weeknight.

So Greek Chicken Salad is saving the day today, with a great low carb meal.

Enjoy!

Greek Chicken Salad (2 Ways)

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 large skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut in half to make four cutlets

4 Pita Bread, cut into eighths

Tazatziki (store bought)

Marinade / Dressing:

¼ cup olive oil

juice of 1 lemon ( 2-3 Tablespoons )
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

Fresh ground black pepper

For Salad #1:

3 Persian or 1 English cucumber, halved lengthways and sliced thick

1 pint cherry tomatoes (I used orange and red)

1 orange bell pepper, sliced into strips

½ red onion, sliced thinly

1/4 c Feta cheese, crumbled

For Salad #2:
1/2 head of romaine or red leaf lettuce, torn
all other ingredients listed in Salad #1

Whisk together all the marinade / dressing ingredients in large, shallow dish. Pour out ⅓ cup to use as the dressing; reserve in the refrigerator for later.

Add the chicken to the marinade and evenly coat; cover and allow to marinade for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

To a large bowl, add all vegetables and toss. Set aside.

Heat a outdoor grill to medium-high heat. Add chicken, discarding the marinade to the grill. Cook 5-6 minutes per side until cooked through (180 degrees) Remove from the grill and allow to rest 5 minutes. Slice the chicken and arrange on plates. Add dressing to the salad and toss. Sprinkle with feta cheese. Add salad to the side of the chicken and add several pieces of pita bread to each plate. Drizzle with any remaining dressing and serve with the tzatziki.

adapted from Café Delites