When the gossip grapevine is really going strong you can learn a lot of interesting things (and then of course you read the local paper to make sure they have the information right!) I was part of a recipe grapevine when Maria came home with a wonderful hearty recipe. She got it from her friend Kate, Maria made it and changed it a bit of course (and it was awesomely good) then I got it and I did a little changing of the ingredients and voila, try this one on your family and friends. The putting together was all done the night before by Maria and all I had to do was add a couple of ingredients and turn it on (thanks Maria and Kate). I must confess—we tried this and could not stop eating.
Tomato, Spinach, Tortellini
You can make this recipe vegetarian or add chicken for the meat eaters in the family. The recipe calls for Italian diced tomatoes but you can use plain diced tomatoes adding dried oregano and basil for extra flavour. The best part of this recipe is the time factor—short and sweet. You will need a large slow cooker. The first time Maria made it she put it in the smaller slow cooker, left for work, came home to find half of it on the counter top.
2 cans 28 fl oz diced Italian tomatoes
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
2 chicken breasts cut into cubes or slices (optional)
1 small package of fresh or frozen tortellini
1 small package of frozen chopped spinach
1 8oz package cream cheese cut into small cubes
1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth—you may need more
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Dried oregano and basil for extra taste
You will need a large slow cooker. Add everything to the slow cooker except the tortellini. Place the slow cooker in the fridge overnight. The next day remove from the fridge and add the tortellini. Set the timer on the slow cooker on high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours. Towards the end add salt and pepper to taste and more liquid if needed.
