Sausage and Kale Tortellini Soup

Hiiii, it's finally soup season!

You guys KNOW I love me some soup. As soon as there starts to be the faintest chill in the air, I am all IN on soup for dinner (let's be honest, sometimes I make it in the dead of summer. I just love it!)

This soup, like all great soups in my very humble and honest opinion, is so easy to make while also being loaded with different flavors and textures that make it so much more than a basic bowl of soup. With the first freeze of the season happening in New England today, you HAVE to be sure to add this Sausage and Kale Tortellini Soup to your menu.

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I know you might be thinking...didn't you JUST post a recipe with sausage? What gives? And I would say to you that yes, yes I did. That is kind of sausage overload, but I do really and truly LOVE sausage. However, this wasn't my original schedule of posts. My PLAN was to share a pistachio and chocolate sour cream coffee cake with you all this week. But this, of course, is no cake recipe. In fact, my dreams of a pistachio and chocolate coffee cake are in the garbage after my bundt pan overflowed everywhere and the edges overcooked while the middle stayed raw. It was probably my biggest food fail to date, and it left me bitter towards any and all baked goods. But, when life gets you down, the best thing to do is turn back to what you're good at - for me, that's soup!!

Alright, so. What is it about this soup that makes it stand out among the hundreds of other soup recipes out there on Pinterest? First of all, tortellini. Perfect little stuffed pasta packages swimming in a flavorful broth among some of our favorite vegetables. To compliment the robust flavors in the sausage (which, by the way, I used chicken sausage here - it's a bit more tender than pork sausage, making it better for a soup) I steeped a bouquet garni in the broth while the veggies and pasta cook. This is a simple bundle of rosemary, parsley and sage, but the flavor benefits are out of this world!

I also love wilting in a leafy green to most soups, for flavor, texture and added nutrition, and my grocery store had the most beautiful bunches of kale that I had to scoop up for this. Rachel Ray always suggests adding in a bit of freshly grated nutmeg to really bring out the flavor of kale, so I finished off this soup in that exact way and let me tell you - between the nutmeg and the sage, this soup is filled with all those intoxicating, warming holiday season flavors that make my heart smile!

Recent Eats - Volume 6

I can't believe that Halloween is just around the corner! I really love Halloween, but I am not ready to accept that we are hurtling head-first into the holiday season. We've got a busy November and December ahead of us, but I will be cooking and eating to my heart's content. Check back each week for some new, hopefully super festive recipes! In the meantime, here's a look at a few bonus eats we've been enjoying the past few weeks!

Quick, clean Zucchini Fritters

November may be just around the corner, but there is no denying that this has been a rather warm autumn so far. Turns out, that's not the worst thing ever because that means we got a few extra weeks of fresh vegetables at the farmer's market. I used the last of my zucchini bounty for zucchini bread, turkey zucchini meatballs, enchiladas, and these zucchini fritters! I originally walked through the step by step recipe on my Instagram stories, but since those only survive for 24 hours I wanted to be sure these could live on forever on the internet.

Super simple, super yummy, clean-eating approved...just put a drippy egg on it and you have breakfast/lunch/dinner in 20 minutes or less!

One Pot Stove Top Mac and Cheese!

I am of the firm belief that in this world, we all need a back-pocket stove top macaroni and cheese that we can whip up in no time at all with a few staples. It's like the stuff from the box but 100% more delicious and creamy AND without any weird unknown chemicals. This is the type of recipe we cook up after a long day, when we feel like crying for no reason, or when we just need a big old hug. It's so simple, we don't even need to make a roux! The secret is...wait for it...CREAM CHEESE!

Here's how you make it: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook a box of small cut pasta, such as shells, for 7 to 8 minutes until very al dente. Reserve at least 1 cup of cooking liquid then strain the pasta and return to the pot. Over low heat, add 2 tablespoons of butter, 4 ounces low-fat cream cheese, 2 cups freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup grated parmesan, a big pinch of black pepper, a little salt and red pepper flakes to taste. Stir, stir, stir with all your might until everything is melted and starting to come together. Add enough reserved pasta water to create a creamy, dreamy sauce. Sprinkle in some fresh chopped chives and serve at once...yummy!

The Best Italians in Boston

Back in March, we moved to the Hyde Park neighborhood of Boston, and it wasn't until last week that a coworker of mine informed me that the actual best sandwich you can get in Boston is ALSO in Hyde Park.

Tutto Italiano is a nondescript little deli that has some of the tastiest and most authentic Italian offerings this side of the Charles River. They have tons of Italian wines, sodas, and candies, in addition to fresh pasta and sauces and classic Italian cookies. But it's their amazing sandwiches, piled high on bread they bake fresh in the store, that brings the crowd (and yes, there will be a crowd no matter when you go!) I had the classic Italian, and trust me when I say it lives up to the hype. Not only is the bread fresh, but they also freshly slice all the meats as well as the lettuce and onions for each sandwich. Truly to die for! If you find yourself in the neighborhood, be sure to stop in! You won't be disappointed.