Chicken Tortellini Soup

    My darling husband and I haven’t been feeling well the past few days and all we’ve wanted is soup. I’ve made chicken soup, vegetable soup, and potato soup; all of my standards. I was looking for something that was healthy but substantial. I remembered that my next door neighbor had given me a homemade recipe book with all of her soup recipes. She’s a great cook so I knew that any of the recipes would be great.

    I decided to try the chicken tortellini soup. It has a chicken broth base but then adds in some vegetables and the tortellini to make it substantial. I was shocked by how easy and fast this soup in to make, and how wonderful it is! It’s the perfect soup to make when you aren’t feeling well because it’s hearty but easy to make.
Chicken Tortellini Soup

½ pound boneless, skinless chicken tenders
1 T. olive oil
1 T. butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 c. chicken broth
2 c. water
1 pound package of fresh or frozen tortellini
1 (10 oz) package fresh or frozen spinach
1 (16 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 t. pepper

1. In a skillet heat the olive oil.

2. Cut the chicken tenders into 1/2 inch pieces and add to skillet. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you cannot see anymore pink on the outside of the chicken pieces. Remove from heat.

3. In a large stockpot melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook until browned and crunchy.

4. Add chicken broth and water to the stockpot and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and tortellini then reduce heat.

5. Simmer for 15 minutes on low heat. Slowly add the spinach and tomatoes (including the juice) and simmer for 10-15 more minutes.

6. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

Sizzling Sixteen-Stephanie Plum Series

    I’d like to begin by saying how much I love the Stephanie Plum series. I’ve read them all and am pleased that the movie is being filmed in my hometown of Pittsburgh. I’ve had a birthday card and a book for my wedding signed by Janet Evanovich.


    With that said, I was highly disappointed with the sixteenth installment of the Stephanie Plum series. The book is Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich. The book begins with Stephanie’s cousin Vinnie being kidnapped by his bookie because he is unable to pay his gambling debt. After hearing that Vinnie will be killed if his debts aren’t paid Stephanie, Lula, and Connie decide to find Vinnie and raise the money needed to pay his debt. After all, if Vinnie’s dead they are all out of work.

    Along the way they run into cows, men shooting at them, and even an alligator. The plot is very similar to many of the others in this series. Stephanie gets herself into trouble, Ranger comes to the rescue, and Morelli still takes home the girl. Oh, and Stephanie blows up yet another car.

    In the end the girls come up with the money, save Vinnie, and their jobs. While there were some tense, almost steamy scenes with Ranger, Stephanie still in unsure of which man in her life she will choose. Personally, I wish she would give Ranger a chance and then pick a man for good. I feel for Ranger who does nothing but feed, give cars to, and rescue Stephanie only to have her run back into Morelli’s arms at the end of the book.

    I’m giving this book 2 ½ out of 5 stars (and that’s only because I really enjoy the earlier books and hope the next one get better.)

Hot & Sour Soup

We love eating Chinese food. The problem is, when we go to a Chinese buffet we end up eating way too much. Whenever I try reproducing Chinese dishes at home, they never quite taste the way they do at the restaurant. However, I was looking through my Cooking Light magazine and found a recipe for Hot and Sour Soup. We are avid tofu lovers so I gave it a whirl.

It is absolutely delicious! I think this recipe may be even better then the hot and sour soup we get in the restaurant. It has that sourness to it that we love but the amount of mushrooms and tofu that go into the soup balance it nicely. We topped it with some crunchy Chinese noodles and had pork eggrolls on the side to make a complete meal.

Hot and Sour Soup

1 package of extra firm water-packed tofu
6 c. vegetable broth
2 c. water
1/3 c. white vinegar
3 T. low sodium soy sauce
1 T. finely chopped fresh ginger (or powdered if you don’t have fresh)
1 T. sugar
1 t. pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 oz. mushrooms, chopped
3 T. cornstarch
¾ c. canned sliced bamboo shoots
1 egg
½ c. sliced green onions
1 c. crunchy Chinese noodles (if desired)


1. Place tofu on several paper towels. Cover with several more paper towels; top with a heavy skillet for 10 minutes to drain tofu. Throw paper towels away and cut tofu into 1/2 inch pieces.

2. Bring chicken broth and 1 ½ c. of the water to a boil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Stir in vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, sugar, pepper, garlic, and mushrooms. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. In a small bowl combine cornstarch and remaining ½ c. water. Whisk until smooth. Slowly stir the cornstarch mixture into the soup. Add tofu and bamboo shoots and bring to a boil.

4. Cook for 5 minutes then remove from heat.

5. In a small bowl beat the egg. Slowly drizzle the egg into the soup (it will form ribbons of egg). Do not stir!

6. Return soup to low heat and cook 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions and crunchy noodles.

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Meatless Mondays

Chicken with Spinach Tomato Ragout

I love chicken. I would eat chicken at least 3 times a week if my husband would let me. Lately we’ve been having the same old chicken dishes and he was quickly tiring of them. I found a recipe here for chicken with a spinach tomato ragout. It sounded fantastic! I made a few subtle changes to the recipe and made it the next day. It turned out really well and had a ton of flavor. I think next time I’ll serve it over top of noodles and make it a pasta dish from it.

Chicken with Spinach Tomato Ragout

2 T. olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken tenders
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1 T. smoked paprika
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ c. mushrooms, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
2 handfuls of fresh spinach, roughly chopped
¾ c. chicken broth

1. Heat olive oil in a pan.

2. Season the chicken tenders with salt, pepper, and paprika. Add to pan. Cook 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown.

3. Add the onions and garlic to the pan. Cook 2 minutes.

4. Add mushrooms to pan and cook for 3-4 minutes.

5. Put tomatoes in pan and sauté for an addition 2 minutes.

6. Add spinach to the pan and toss ingredients.

7. Add chicken broth and simmer for about 5-7 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 170 on the chicken tenders. Serve over spaghetti if desired.

Moloka'i

     Moloka'i, a novel of historical fiction, was written by Alan Brennert. We are introduced to seven-year-old Rachel Kalama, the youngest in her family. She is surrounded by a loving family who begin to greive when her Uncle Pono is found to have leprous sores. He is sent to the Kahili hospital in Oahu and then goes on to the Kalaupapa leper colony on Molokai. Not long after he leaves, young Rachel discovers a sore on her own leg. During a fight with her older sister at school her sister reveals that Rachel is a leper. Rachel is immediately removed from her home and sent to Molokai.

     What could be a horrific experience turns into a story of happiness, love, caring, and growth. Rachel has an uncle who lives nearby and visits her. She becomes friends with a nun who cares for her at the girls’ home. Even her father makes the expensive, treacherous trip to Molokai several times to visit her. While many of her friends become sick and die, Rachel’s symptoms remain mild throughout her childhood.
     As an adult, Rachel is able to maintain her own home in the Kalaupapa settlement and eventually meets Kenji, a fellow victim of leprosy. The two quickly fall in love and marry. Soon after their marriage they have a beautiful, healthy baby girl. Unfortunately their joy quickly turns to sorrow when they realize they must give her up for adoption so that she may have a life outside of the leprosy colony.
     Years later Kenji gets into a fight that ends his life. Rachel grieves for him daily until she receives news she never thought would come: she’s cured; she may leave Molokai. She leaves Molokai in search of the family who never contacted her once she left for the leprosy colony. While hesitant, she also searches for the daughter she gave up over 30 years ago.

     This story is a journey of Rachel’s life with leprosy. It’s a glimpse into the life of many lepers in Hawaii in the early 1900’s. There are many times when Rachel and the others begin to feel sorry for themselves and their fellow friends at Molokai, but there are just as many happy times. It’s a beautiful story of a little girl who overcomes her disease to make it back to the family she left 60 years before. The story is inspirational and uplifting. This book is one that I won’t soon forget.
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Baked Zucchini Sticks

My parents have a wonderful vegetable garden at their house and are always growing more then they can eat. Unfortunately, we live two and a half hours away and don’t get to see them more then once a month. We got to see them this past weekend and when we came home it was with a grocery bag filled with cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, and green beans.


I easily used up the cucumbers to make my husband’s favorite cucumber onion salad. The tomatoes I use to make marinara sauce. I was looking for something easy but tasty to make out of the zucchini. My husband suggested fried zucchini. I remembered seeing a recipe for baked zucchini sticks HERE and decided to make them.

I tried baking the zucchini and they were much bette then expected! The zucchini came out crisp and golden brown. The red pepper adds a nice kick to the traditional fried zucchini. I ate mine with marinara sauce and hubby had his with ranch dressing. My husband enjoyed the baked zucchini sticks so much that he asked me to make them again the next day!
Baked Parmesan Zucchini Sticks

½ c. flour
½ t. salt
½ t. garlic powder
½ t. fresh ground black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
½ c. Italian breadcrumbs
½ c. grated Parmesan cheese
½ t. red pepper
1 large zucchini (or 2 small) cut into ½ inch sticks
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

2. In a shallow dish combine flour, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper.

3. In a second shallow dish beat 2 eggs.

4. In a third dish combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and red pepper.

5. Dip each zucchini stick into the flour, shaking off the excess. Dip into the egg mixture, letting excess egg run off. Roll in the breadcrumb mixture, coating the entire stick.

6. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Spray all the zucchini sticks with cooking spray and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and tender.

7. Serve with a side of marinara sauce or ranch dressing.

Spicy Citrus Pork with Fresh Herb Dressing

It was way too hot and humid to cook in the house today so I knew we needed something that could go on the grill. I decided on pork but didn’t have a premade marinade on hand. One of my favorite marinades on pork is a spicy citrus marinade so I decided to recreate it the best I could.

Besides the grilled pork chops I wanted a sauce or dressing to go with it. I was thinking of something creamy and fresh to combat the spiciness of the pork marinade. We have an herb garden in our back yard so I went to work trying to make a fresh herb dressing for the pork. It turned out light, creamy, and the perfect compliment to our grilled pork!

Spicy Citrus Pork with Fresh Herb Dressing


Marinade:

2 T. oil
2 T. red wine vinegar
3 T. water
2 t. red pepper
1 t. salt
1 t. fresh ground black pepper
1 t. smoked paprika
1 T. orange juice
1 T. fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ t. fresh thyme
6 boneless pork chops

1. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a zipper lock freezer bag.

2. Put in all 6 pork chops and make sure the marinade covers them. If not, add additional water.

3. Place the marinated pork chops in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Fresh Herb Dressing:

1 T. light mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
2 T. light sour cream
1 T. low fat milk
1 t. cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
2 T. chopped green onions
3 T. of chopped fresh herbs (I used parsley, thyme, and sage)
1 garlic clove, minced
1. Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, and vinegar in a small bowl.

2. Add in the onions, herbs, and garlic. Mix well.

3. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Pork Chops:

1. Marinated Pork Chops
2. Heat outdoor grill.

3. Remove pork chops from marinade and lay on the grill. Cook 5 minutes on one side, flip and cook 5 minutes on the other side or until pork reaches temperature.

4. Place 2 pork chops on a plate and serve with the fresh herb dressing.

Promise Me

I picked up the book Promise Me by Harlan Coben at my library last week. It’s part of the Myron Bolitar mystery series, currently one of my favorite series to read. Myron has been on a hiatus for the past six years so I couldn’t wait to start reading the newest novel in this series. Once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down. It’s another fast paced novel filled with some of my favorite characters.

It starts out with a phone call in the middle of the night. A drowsy Myron answers the call to find Aimee, the 18 year old daughter of one of his friends, on the line. She asks him to come to New York City and pick her up. He takes her to a dark house in a New Jersey suburb, and leaves her there against his better judgment.

Fast forward to the next day and Aimee never made it home. Driven by the guilt that he was the last one to see her, Myron decides to enlist the help of his best friend Win and join in the search. It’s a race against time with twists and roadblocks at every turn.

The book appears to end four or five chapters before it really does. Everything is tied up neatly and the cops seem to have the right people in custody. Only Myron thinks there are some serious holes in the story. The book concludes in a twist that no one could see coming.

This book is one of the best in this series. It’s suspenseful, fast paced, with are many plot twists. It was easy to read and held me in my chair. If you’ve ever read a book in the Myron Bolitar series, this is one to continue on with.

I give this book 4 ½ stars out of 5.

Banana Bread

I buy bananas at the grocery store every other week. I like bananas; they make for a healthy snack, a quick breakfast on the go, and they prevent leg cramps. I also like the fact that if we don’t eat all the bananas I buy then I get to make banana bread. I think my husband likes this also, as I notice no one usually eats the last 2 or 3 bananas.

Like so many other weeks, I have 3 bananas left and they are starting to go bad. The key is to good banana bread is to make sure the bananas are overly ripe. Lucky for us the weather cooled off again today so I decided to make the banana bread as an afternoon treat.   It turned out light and buttery with a perfect golden brown crust.

Banana Bread

1 ¾ c. flour
2 ¾ t. baking powder
½ t. salt
3 T. butter
4 oz. applesauce
2/3 c. sugar
1 egg + 1 egg white
3 ripe bananas

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Butter a loaf pan.

3. Stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

4. In a medium bowl beat the butter, applesauce, and eggs together. Add the sugar and stir well.

5. Mash the bananas and add them to the butter mixture.

6. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Beat until well blended.

7. Turn into a loaf pan and bake for 1 hour.

Farmer's Market Barley Salad

I was looking for a refreshing summer salad but I was tired of the same old pasta salad. I came across a recipe for a barley salad. I decided to change it up and use some fresh vegetables from the farmer’s market. I found some sweet corn, juicy tomatoes, green onions, and some fresh herbs.


The end result is a wonderful salad with fresh vegetables in a bright lemon dressing. It is perfect for a picnic or on a hot summer day.


Farmer’s Market Barley Salad

1 ½ c. uncooked barley
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1 cup of tomatoes, seeded and diced
½ c. chopped green onions
20 olives, pitted and chopped
4 T. lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
2 T. olive oil
1 T. orange juice
1 t. salt
1 t. fresh ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. feta cheese
2 T. each of fresh parsley and fresh thyme, chopped

1. Cook the barley according to the package directions, omitting the salt. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain again and refrigerate until completely cooled.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine corn, tomatoes, green onions, and olives.

3. In a small bowl whisk lemon juice, olive oil, orange juice, salt, pepper, and garlic cloves. Whish until well blended.

4. Mix the vegetables with the barley. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.

5. Toss with feta cheese and chopped fresh herbs.

6. Add salt and pepper to taste.

The Book Thief

Our book club book for the month of June was The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I wanted to make sure I reviewed this book because although it is written for young adults, I actually think it’s a better read for adults because of the length (over 500 pages) and the content of the novel. After reading a synopsis of this book on the Internet I was skeptical as to whether or not I would actually enjoy it. It sounded like another book set in Nazi Germany. Turns out it was an amazing book that had me in tears at the end. I really felt as though I were invested in the characters in this story.

The novel is set in Nazi Germany. The book thief is a young girl named Liesel Meminger. The twist right off the start is that Death is telling this story from his point of view. He becomes interested in Liesel after he first sees her when he takes her young brother from her. Soon after the death of her brother, her distraught mother gives Liesel to a foster family, the Hubermanns.
The Hubermanns treat Liesel well, though her foster mother often swears at her in German. Han’s, the foster father, teaches Liesel to read using the books that she has stolen. He also offers her comfort during her numerous nightmares.
The plot takes a wild turn when the Hubermanns take in and hide Max Vanderburg, a Jew whose father saved Han’s life in World War I. Max and Liesel become quick friends, spending much of their time reading the stolen books. Liesel quickly learns that her foster father doesn’t agree with what Hitler and the other Germans are doing to the Jews.
The story goes through the trials of keeping a Jewish man hidden in the basement. It has stories of friends and loved ones going off to war. Eventually the war itself comes to Himmel Street and the neighborhood begins to come under attack. The book ends with a twist I never saw coming.
I really enjoyed reading this book from Death’s perspective. It gave the book an interesting point of view that otherwise wouldn’t have been there. In this novel, Death is actually sorry for what he does and doesn’t seem to enjoy his job at all.
There was a lot of history to the story, but also a lot of character development. I wanted Max to survive and not be found in the basement. I wanted Liesel to continue to learn how to read her books and to be strong for her family. I hoped that Hans would stand up to the Germans and tell them how he really felt.
I enjoyed the uplifting moments like when Max creates an entire book for Liesel, or when Han’s stands up for an older Jewish man being marched off to a concentration camp. I was saddened when they fell on hard times, such as when stores are destroyed, towns are bombed, and when Max leaves the Hubermann’s home when the German’s come to their small town. The end of the story had me sitting on the edge of my chair wanting to know what happens to Liesel, Max, and the Hubermann’s. The final chapter did not disappoint. It was emotional and came to an end I was not expecting. This was a book that had me engaged until the very end.
I give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Mongolian Tofu

We love tofu. I’m always on the lookout for new tofu dishes because we normally have either stir fry tofu or buffalo tofu. I ran across a recipe for Mongolian beef and decided to adapt it to tofu. It looked delicious so I decided to try it out.

I made a few changes to the recipe and it turned out really well. It was sweet and savory at the same time. I served it over white rice with a side of eggrolls.

Mongolian Tofu (adapted from Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations )
2 T. olive oil
1 block extra firm tofu( drained and cut into 1 inch pieces)
3 T. flour
2 T. cornstarch
1 t. ground ginger
1 t. garlic powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. minced fresh ginger
2 cups of broccoli florets
½ c. low sodium soy sauce
½ c. water
½ c. light brown sugar
2 green onions, chopped

1. In a 1 gallon plastic bag mix the flour, cornstarch, ground ginger, and garlic powder. Add the cubed tofu and toss to coat.

2. In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the tofu and sauté until its brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.

3. In a small bowl combine soy sauce, water, and brown sugar. Stir until well combined.

4. Once the tofu is browned, add the minced garlic and ginger. Sauté for about 1 minute. Then add the broccoli and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the soy sauce mixture.

5. Bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer 5-6 minutes or until desired consistency is reached.

6. Sprinkle with green onions and serve over rice.

*The top photo is one without the broccoli.  We ran out of broccoli so it wasn't included, but it's much better with it!*