Italian Stew

This week has been a rainy one. So, I got to try some colder-weather foods, like this Italian stew. This recipe was great for me because I had a lot of vegetables to use up before I get new ones from the co-op tomorrow. I got it from Taste of Home, but adapted it to what I had, and it turned out so tasty!

• 1 pound bulk Italian sausage (I think that the kielbasa sausage would be good too)
  
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced ( I used 2-3 cloves)
  
• 3 cups beef broth
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes, cut up
• 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 package (9 ounces) refrigerated cheese tortellini
• 1 small zucchini, sliced
• 1/3 cup chopped green pepper (or red)
  
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• Grated Parmesan cheese
• I also added almost a whole bag of fresh spinach
  

Directions:

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, cook sausage and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and onion is tender. Drain. Add garlic; cook and stir for 2 minutes.
Stir in the broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, carrot, basil and oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Gently stir in the tortellini, zucchini, green pepper and parsley. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until tortellini is tender. Add spinach in the last 5-10 minutes of cooking. Serve with Parmesan cheese. Yield: 6-8 servings (2 quarts).

Try this recipe with any veggies, and it should work! We loved it. I got the asiago cheese bread from the Walmart bakery to eat with it, I definately recommend the bread too. Oh, I love the Walmart artisian breads. You should try their Asiago cheese bread, Chedder cheese bread, or any of their filone's.

My last food for thought of the week: I canned jam this week with a friend of mine. I wish I had gotten a picture of our huge production. The kitchen was packed with busyness, and after 4 hours of hard work, we counted 52 jars of strawberry and raspberry jam. Maybe we over-did it this time, but we shouldn't have to do jam for a couple of years!