Chicken with Sun-dried Tomatoes

It's very rare that I try a new recipe that totally wows me.  This was definitely an exception.

I cut this out from a magazine, but I can't remember which one.  I think it was in a Campbell's Soup ad.

Ingredients:
3 tbsp oil
4 chicken breasts
1 shallot or onion, finely chopped
1 can (10.5 oz) Cream of Mushroom Soup
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves
4 cups egg noodles, cooked

Directions: Cook egg noodles according to package directions.  Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and cook 5 minutes each side.  Remove chicken from skillet, cover with foil.

Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil in skillet over medium heat.  Add shallot and cook for 2 minutes.  Stir soup, water, tomatoes, vinegar and basil into skillet.

Return chicken to skillet and heat to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cook 5 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.  Serve chicken and sauce over noodles.

A few notes: I did this with 2 large chicken breasts, if I were to do 4 breasts, I would have added a cup or so more of water or chicken broth.  I used dry basil and dried onion.  Do not leave out the red wine vinegar, I think this was the ingredient that really brought it all together.  I think this would have been good too had I cubed and browned the chicken instead of serving it whole.

Sausage Tortellini Soup

You know I love soup :)

I got this recipe from Jeff's grandma.

Sorry for the gross looking picture, I forgot to take a picture until after we had served it and gotten the pan all dirty.

Ingredients:
1 lb mild Italian Sausage
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups beef broth
1 cup water
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
3 tsp parsley
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups sliced zucchini
2 cups dry or frozen tortellini

In the pot you are going to cook in, or in a frying pan, cook the sausage until brown (if you buy the links, remove the skin first).  Remove the sausage from the pan, leaving the drippings.  Saute the onion and garlic until soft.  Add all the ingredients except the zucchini and tortellini.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Add zucchini and tortellini, simmer for 30 minutes more.

You can also do this in the crock pot, just brown the sausage first, then add all the ingredients except the zucchini and tortellini.  Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.  Add the zucchini and tortellini and cook on high for 30 minutes.

I served this with foccacia bread .I also like to add a few drops of Tabasco sauce on top.