More recipes for cold weather evenings

I made something really easy and filling the other day with some cheese-filled tortellini I had in the freezer. I boiled it, and since it’s made of fresh pasta instead of dried, it only took about three minutes to cook.

Then I dumped a bottle of spaghetti sauce on top after I drained it and then added some Parmesan cheese. So good on a cold day. And yes, I ended up eating the entire pot full over a few days.

I got my tortellini at Costco but I think it’s sold everywhere so it should be easy enough to find. Here’s another recipe that is more involved and sounds delicious. And we aren’t over the cold weather yet. I see temperatures in the 40s again on my weather app.

Creamy Parmesan Mushroom & Spinach Tortellini Soup

2 tbsp butter or oil

8 ounces mushrooms, quartered or sliced

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp thyme, chopped

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup white wine

6 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth

8 ounces cheese tortellini

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

10 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup cream or milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a pan over medium-high heat, add the mushrooms and onion and cook until the mushrooms have released their liquids and the liquid has evaporated, about 10-15 minutes.

Mix in the garlic, thyme and flour and cook, stirring, until the flour starts to turn a light golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the wine and deglaze the pan.

Add the broth and tortellini, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the tortellini is tender, about 10 minutes.

Add the Parmesan, let it melt, add the spinach, let it wilt, add the cream, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Here’s an easy dessert to serve warm on a chilly night. I haven’t seen any fresh peaches yet in the stores so frozen or canned would probably be better at this time.

Peach Pudding

1 cup all-purpose flou

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup 2 percent milk

3 cups sliced peeled fresh or frozen peaches

1-1/2 cups water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp butter

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 400°. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and, if desired, cinnamon. Stir in milk just until combined; fold in peaches. Spread into a greased 8-in. square baking dish.

For topping, combine water, sugars, butter and nutmeg in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugars are dissolved. Pour over peach mixture. Bake until filling is bubbly and a toothpick inserted in topping comes out clean, 40-50 minutes. Serve warm or cold with ice cream, if desired.