Friday, August 10, 2012

Quick & Easy (and Healthy) Dinner: Tortellini Primavera

I'm on the search again for quick and easy and healthy recipes, since Tuesday marked our start back into the hectic lifestyle of sports, with Grier's soccer, and Baylor's cheerleading and my coaching, ehhh! and school starts in two weeks too, let the exhaustion begin...lol.


Ingredients
  • 1 14-ounce can vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 1 cup shredded fontina cheese or 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon, dill or chives or 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups chopped vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots and snap peas, or 16-ounce bag frozen mixed vegetables
  • 1 16-ounce package frozen cheese tortellini




Preparation
  1. Put a large pot of water on to boil.
  2. Meanwhile, whisk broth and flour in a small bowl. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until just beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the broth mixture to the pan, bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in cheese, tarragon (or dill or chives) and salt.
  3. Add vegetables and tortellini to the boiling water; return the water to a simmer and cook until the vegetables and tortellini are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain; add to the pan with the sauce and stir to coat.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Pinterest Try: Red White & Blue Berry Trifle

This recipe was a hit! Everyone at our Fourth of July BBQ loved it, it was refreshing, full of flavor, super festive and surprisingly light. I did mine in a compote bowl, so it looked slightly different, but made it a little faster and easier :)

Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 pounds raspberries (5 cups)
  • 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice (from 1 large orange)
  • 10 ounces mascarpone cheese (1 1/3 cups)
  • 1 1/4 cups cold heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Fine salt
  • 20 to 24 ladyfingers (from a 7-ounce package), broken into 1-inch pieces
  • 3/4 pound blueberries (2 1/2 cups)






Directions
  1. In a medium bowl, combine raspberries with 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar and orange juice. With the back of a fork, lightly mash berries to release their juices and let sit 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together mascarpone and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar until smooth. Whisk in cream, vanilla, and pinch of salt and whisk until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes.
  2. Cut one or two pieces parchment 1 inch taller than side of an 8-inch spring form pan and line inside of pan. Place half the ladyfingers in pan and top with half the raspberry mixture. With a small offset or rubber spatula, spread half the whipped cream over berries. Tap pan gently on counter to remove air bubbles. Repeat with remaining ladyfingers, raspberry mixture, and whipped cream. Top with blueberries and refrigerate until whipped cream is stiff and cookies have softened, about
    3 hours (or, tightly covered with plastic, up to 3 days). To serve, unmold trifle and peel away parchment.


Want to see more great recipes, check out my board on Pinterest, Yum-Yum Gimmee Some! 

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Tuesday's Three Things to Love

Great coffee table display at Pottery Barn Easter SHore

Orange French Milled soap, mmm!! Yay for having a French Aunt ;) 

Totally cool dog house at Home Goods, that the Hub gave me an affirmative NO on :(