Cast of Characters: 8 oz. mushrooms, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 red pepper, 2 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup red wine, 2 teaspoons (or so) Italian seasoning, 1 onion, 2 Roma tomatoes, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, 1 package of cheese-filled refrigerated tortellini, and a large yellow squash (or 2 or 3 small zucchini, whatever you have on hand).
Heat your 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat.
Chop your red peppers, onion, and mushrooms.
Heat your garlic in the oil.
Add your first round of chopped veggies. Let it cook down for 5 minutes, until the onion is tender and the mushrooms have begun to shrink.
While the first round of veggies is cooking, chop up your tomatoes.
After 5 minutes has passed, add your tortellini and tomatoes.
Add the red wine and water.
And, add the Italian seasoning.
Stir, then cover for 10 minutes to let the veggies cook down and let the tortellini get al dente.
While that's cooking, slice up your yellow squash (or zucchini).
Add to the mix. Stir and let cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes, until the squash is crisp-tender.
Lastly, remove from heat and add the parmesan cheese. Now you're ready to enjoy. It was REALLY good and REALLY simple, which, if you ask me, are the very best recipes!
*Here's the recipe in case anyone wants to look on the website: Tortellini and Veggies.*
Okay, now we're switching gears a bit. It's now time for "Things I've Made (at Home) Thursdays." And, I realize it's on Friday, but see my previous post for an explanation.
First things first, you need 3 pots. One large one for the tomatoes. One medium filled with hot water, for the jars, and a small one, filled with hot water, for the lids.
And, you need tomatoes. Lots of tomatoes.
Roughly chop the tomatoes, making sure you cut off all the bad parts.
Now, put them in the large pot and turn it on to medium heat.
Cook the tomatoes down, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes (until they look like this).
Then get out your food mill or sieve or fine mesh colander (whatever you need to use to separate the peels from the "meat"). Process all the hot tomatoes (careful not to burn yourself, like I did) until all the juice is extracted.
It should look like this.
Put it back in your large pot and bring to a boil. During this time, add some salt (a couple teaspoons), some sugar (I used about 2 tablespoons) and a little vinegar.
Bring the water in the other two pots to boil.
After a top secret process, you have canned tomato juice! Actually, it's not so much that it's super secret as it is impossible to take pictures during the canning process because I was at the house by myself. Here's the secret process: Take the boiling water in the medium pan and pour it in your jars (sitting in the sink, not pictured) until they're completely full (overflowing is nice.) Using potholders, carefully grab the hot jar out of the sink, pour the water out into the sink, take the jar over to the tomato juice, fill the jar with the juice, and wipe the rim off with a wet paper towel (you don't want it to be sticky). Then, using a pair of tongs, take the lid (2 parts: rim and sealing lid) and put on top of the jar. Screw the lid on (but not too tight) and set down on a kitchen towel. After you hear the pop (the seal, you know, sealing), you know it's good to go!Confusing? Yes! Possibly painful? Only the first few times. Worth it? Oh, yes!
Thanks again, to my great, wonderful, amazing friend Dacia who taught me how to do this. We always can together, but she was on vacation this last weekend, and I was up to my ears in tomatoes, so I had to try canning myself. I did okay, but I'm more comfortable when Dacia is near! :)
Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
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