Quick And Easy Meals

It's easy to get in a rut of eating the same meals day after day because it's hard to figure out what we can make quickly.  Take out food can get tiresome, all while having a big effect on our wallet.  There are quick and easy recipes that can help you get out of this rut.  Here's a great soup recipe that only takes 45 minutes from start to finish.

Tortellini, Bean and Pesto Soup
2 tablespoons of butter or margarine, 1 garlic clove, finely chopped, 1 medium carrot, cut into julienne strips, 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup), 1 medium celery stalk, chopped (1/2 cup), 6 cups of water
2 teaspoons vegetable or chicken bouillon granules, 1 can (19 ounce) Progresso red kidney beans, drained and rinsed, 1 package (10 ounce) dried cheese filled tortellini (2 1/2 cups), 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 6 tablespoons basil pesto, 6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Melt the butter in a 4 quart Dutch oven over medium low heat.  Cook the garlic, carrot, onion and celery in the butter for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the water and bouillon granules.  Heat to boiling then reduce the heat.  Stir in the beans and tortellini.  Cover the pan and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tortellini are tender.  Stir in the parsley and pepper.  Top each serving with pesto and cheese and serve immediately.

Make grilled cheese sandwiches and you've completed the meal.