By Cate Wells
One of the first things I learned to cook from a friend (thanks, Amy!) and not from family is this simple soup. It’s perfect for the cold winter days and comes together in under 20 minutes. This version uses all canned and frozen items so it’s a great option in case you are snowed in, or just avoiding the grocery store you share with your ex. Sometimes I fancy it up by sauteeing a little celery, onion, and garlic first; Italian spices like basil and oregano also go great with this.
Weird Pasta Fact: Does tortellini look more like an innie or an outie to you? Legend has it that an Italian chef created the stuffed pasta after he caught a glimpse of the goddess Venus’s belly button through the peephole at an inn. Hot stuff!
4 cups cups chicken broth
1 14.5 oz. can chopped tomatoes
1 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach
1 9 oz. package frozen cheese tortellini
grated parmesan, optional
1. Heat chicken broth in large pot on stove. Add tomatoes and frozen spinach.
2. Bring to boil, add tortellini and cook according to package instructions.
3. Serve topped with grated parmesan.
By Heather Quinlan
With reports that movie theater popcorn is still as deadly as the Twilight series, we present a lower-cal alternative. I am a big fan of additives and preservatives and fake butter, but I’ve never grooved on movie theater popcorn. Give me Sno-Caps or Raisinettes any day. (Or, as I recently discovered, thanks to my movie-buddy Steve, the obsession that is Duane Reade’s chocolate-covered pretzel crisps.)
But I like this popcorn tons more. And it’s a no-brainer if you’re a cook like I am, with all intent and no savvy.
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By Cate Wells
Things have come along way since the mid-1900s, both in dating and cooking. We’re happy to dwell on the past a little, but the key is to move on. So translating older recipes to modern girls’ kitchens is definitely a perfect adventure for us. I was recently given my late grandmother’s recipe box and it’s filled with her favorite recipes, from soup to nuts (really, there is a great recipe for roasted pecans). There is quite a mix of inspiring and interesting dishes (ham loaf, anyone?). It’s very much a product of her times. Thankfully, the rules of relationships have also changed since the 1950s. Many are little more than lists of ingredients instead of the step-by-step directions we’re used to today. I love the mix of handwritten and neatly typed 3×5 index cards, some of which have cook’s names written on them—from the kitchen of family and friends.
Here at the Breakup Cookbook, we love a culinary challenge almost as much as a good breakup story. So for my first big adventure from kitchens past, I found what is actually one of great-grandma’s recipes. She was a Texan, so I trust her corn bread recipe. I was surprised to not see butter in the ingredients but how far wrong can you go when cooking with bacon fat? Click through for more details.
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by Cate Wells
Courtesy Letincelle via flickr
In honor of the New Year, one of our personal resolutions is to stop googling ex-boyfriends . . . though more realistic is simply trying to eat healthier. Quinoa might not look very exciting but it’s a great grain with a lot of flavor and oh so easy to cook.
Quin-what?
Quinoa is originally from South America and is pronounced KEEN-wah. It’s a slightly nutty tasting small grain, with a cute little curl to it. It was an important part of the Inca’s diet—understandable as it’s so healthy, and easy to cook.
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by Heather Quinlan
I have to confess that the idea for The Breakup Cookbook is not new – in fact, it dates back to c.1996. I’m not quite sure which is worse – the fact that it’s taken me so long to do anything about it, or that I’m still going through breakups. Either way, at the time I’d found myself on the losing end of an office romance (and by “office” I mean a Barnes & Noble); I was still living at home, though my parents were away so I was home alone with a broken heart. What was a 1996 gal to do? Not much in the way of Internet, and little to distract me other than The Price Is Right.
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This is one of my favorite salads—it’s so colorful and the bright berry flavors balance out the greens. Plus, when else do you get to use strawberries in something that’s not a dessert, snack, or drink? (Confession: I actually ate some strawberry shortcake for breakfast this morning.) For a different flavor, try it with milder shallot instead of red onion and oranges instead of strawberries.
