Food! It's still a mystery how I don't weigh 500 pounds but I adore food. Love creating it, smelling it and consuming it, oh the joy. The kitchen, let's just say it's my happy place. Now, one of my goals this year is to cook more (but you're telling yourself I cook a lot already, yes this is true) but I'd like to cook something new and exciting, something exotic or just something I've been afraid to try! Last year (still weird saying that!) for example I baked a pie that was not pumpkin,for the first time. So happy I did!Starting today and every Tuesday this whole year, which by the way there are 52, I'll be sharing a new recipe. Whether it be something sweet or savory, an appetizer or a side dish, anything and everything that I've never tried out! Fun huh? I think this will push me to not only be bold with my cooking but also blog more recipes. Happy dance! Today I'll be sharing a recipe that I actually made up :) Mushroom Spinach Tortellini SoupThis soup was invented due to the fact that I bought tortellinis the other weekend with no real plans for them. With it being so chilly out, soup felt like heaven. Here is how I went about this gem. Ingredients: 4 cups water1 tablespoon olive oil1- 14oz broth (I used vegetable) 1 1/2 cups mushrooms1/2 chopped onion2 cloves of minced garlic 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano1/8 teaspoon sweet paprika 1 package 8 oz cheese tortellini1 tablespoon cornstarch12 oz can evaporated milk2 cups fresh spinach salt & pepper Parmesan cheese (optional) 
Slightly saute onion, garlic and mushrooms together. Turn down high to medium and then add the spices--basic, oregano & paprika. Constantly stir so the spices don't burn for a minute. Pour can of broth into the mixture and bring to a boil.
Once it comes to a boil turn heat back down. Next mix one tablespoon of cornstarch in with the cold evaporated milk and mix it well. Then dump it into the pot. This is my little way of making this soup creamy yet cutting down on the fat. Instead of using cream I chose to use the evaporated milk and by adding a little cornstarch, it helps give the soup that creamy texture. Yummy goodness while being healthy as well! 
In goes the spinach. Give it a good stir and then let the spinach cook in the pot for 15 minutes on low just until it's a bit wilted.
Lastly stir in tortellini and let the soup simmer for a good 10 minutes.
There you have a lovely creamy tortellini soup with some mushrooms & spinach. Add some parmesan cheese to garnish and enjoy with a baguette! Dinner is served. It was really great on a wintery day and the best part is it's nice and creamy without the filling fatty cream to weigh you down. Hope you can try it out. Let me know how you like it :)This great soup actually helped me Beat the Blues yesterday and if you'd like to also Beat the Blues head on over to Julee's blog where she encourages and inspires us to do something fun, new or different in this dark & gloomy month. Totally needing this extra boost of excitement in my everyday. Thanks Julee!
♥A.
